good support channels matter - why we should learn to stop worrying and love the stack
DESCRIPTION
About to launch a neat website for your next grand project? Wait. When your first users will stumble on your exquisite API, where will they go? Are you sure you are helping them with good support channels? This talk will dig in an example where such a good channel enabled a complete Python newbie to launch his first app, and will convince you to give it a second thought for your project.TRANSCRIPT
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Good support channels matter
Why we should learn to stop worrying and love the Stack@ronjouch - slideshare.net/ronjouch/good-support-channels-matter
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● @ronjouch, {information, music} nerd● Learned Python recently● First project: simple GAE-based music
discovery service, dailygrooves.org
Who
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Wat?!
● Python newbie?● GAE?● Oauth2?● First project?
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This didn't go as planned...
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Moar.
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Still there?
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Yup.
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This is getting familiar.
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Oh well.
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But one thing was smooth:
● The tool enabling me (as user of a software project) to get support from competent people:
● Why?
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1. Rubber duck problem solving
codinghorror.com/blog/2012/03/rubber-duck-problem-solving.html
● SO encourages to ask well:– Describe, give just enough context
– Express yourself clearly
● As a result,– You may answer your own question
– Question potentially ready for answers
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2. Standing on apt UI/features
● Formatting: Bold, Italic, Links, Numbered lists, Inline/block highlighted code, Separators, ...
● Clear separation of:– Initial question
– Answers– Discussion
● <Insert pet feature here>● All possible with HTML mailing lists.
In practice though, it's often a mess.
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3. There's no 3.
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All in all
● What if we actually chose the Q/A tool powering new projects?– Mailing lists: great for discussion.
But what about focused Q/A?
– Revisioning / collaboration tools are moving fastWhat about our support tools?
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Caveats / Things I'm not saying
● Doc is useless. No.→
● SO saves your project from newbies asking documented things.
→ I'm proof it won't... But I'd probably have done the same in a mailing list / Newbies →
can only digest so much.● Who cares about the why, SO askers just want the how.
No! And SO is a fine place to ask/tell about the → why.● Mailing lists are obsolete / StackOverflow all the things!
ML good for many things, SO g→ ood for QA and QA only.
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Thing I'm saying
● When thinking about support channels for your next project or meme cat generator,– Have a mailing list...
– … and consider a more apt channel for QA:
● Cloud: StackOverflow● FOSS: AskBot, OSQA...
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Thank you! Questions?
@ronjouch - slideshare.net/ronjouch/good-support-channels-matter