Cross Platfrom Forums

I can see that there are differences between forums.

In the days of the fair forums, long before anyone had heard of points, there was a rush be be first, either with a joke or an answer, the latter just for the sport of it.

I hope everyone will have a nice evening. It is a quarter past nine (PM) over here.

Curt, and others,

I believe there are genuine differences between forums, but here are a few links just to show how a thread in the merged Illustrator forum may be (in all but one the posters are from both former Win and Mac tribes, mostly the latter, I think; and as you can see the continued presence of the OP is far from necessary):

http://forums.adobe.com/message/4061199

(4 helpers)

http://forums.adobe.com/message/4038527

(5 helpers)

http://forums.adobe.com/message/3629270

(9 helpers)

http://forums.adobe.com/message/2005833

(pastime with 9  participants)

http://forums.adobe.com/message/3550083

(4 helpers)

http://forums.adobe.com/message/4061199

(and one of the longer answers, but not the longest)

My experience in the now merged Illustrator forum has been as follows, in addition to what I said in the first post:

Round the time the fair forums ended I spent all my time in this forum.

When I returned to the merged version of my (main) native forum, Illustrator, I found that most posters were unknown to me, and there was a harsher tone, seemingly well established among them; within the first (half) year or so,  things settled in a friendlier way, and now the general attitude is much as I remember it from the days of the (unmerged) fair forums.

There has never ever been any unfriendliness over Win/Mac use.

The daily number of posts is about twice the number I was used to, maybe even a bit more. I have been at least twice as busy posting.

Hardly any posts go unanswered; in some threads, the OP never returns or returns after a long time, but that is no hindrance for the native pursuing the matter way past the original issue.

There is time for, and threads dedicated to, chat and friendly banter.

I came from the former Win tribe, and lost many friends over the change because they simply stopped posting; some have returned, some of those only posting from time to time. My impression has been that those from the former Mac tribe just carried on in greater numbers.

I am fully aware that this experience is very specific and may be fundamentally different from what may be seen in other forums.

What adobe or Jive could do is when clicking start discusion require each person to specify:

Computer Mac, PC, Linux

System OSX, Windows7, XP, SUSE

Type Computer: Intel, PPC.

And not, be able to start the question until filled out. Then the information is posted with the question.

Then that way PC people won't waste their effort answering for a Mac User. Or Mac Person won't try to answer on a PC question.

THis is the only way it would work.

Curt Y wrote: …So, is is possible to have a couple of generic boxes added to each reply window the has a check mark for Mac or Windows?…

You can count on your average Joe to ignore such an option regularly.

Merging the Photoshop forum is not a new idea.  They had actually been merged at one time and it was an unmitigated disaster; that's why there were split.  Morons never learn from history.

Participation in the merged Illustrator and InDesign forums fell precipitously after they were merged and it has never recovered.

Never underestimate Adobe's boundless capacity to kill things like the Adobe Studio Exchange and the forums.  These forums are but a thin shadow of their former selves in the WebCrossing days.  

The various discussions on techniques and ideas have just about died.  All there is now are gripes about bugs and shortcomings, plus the inevitable, almost embarrassing, rank-beginner questions that could have easily been resolved by looking them up in the Help files. 

____________

Wo Tai Lao Le

我太老了

Curt Y,

This has been discussed at some length, in the PrPro CS5/5.5 Forum, and the general feeling has been that the general problems and also the solutions, are rather X-platform. In general observations, that seems to be about 90% correct, at least so far.

While we DO see some Mac-specific questions, much IS X-platform.

Now, as there are hundreds of FCP "switchers" in that forum, I would anticipate that a "FCP to PrPro" forum might be worthwhile, but most users, even the PC-only users, are able to help them.

Now, many of those posts are along the lines of "Well, FCP does things THIS way. When will Adobe get with it, and create FCP 8 for us?" That sentiment is now starting to fade a bit.

Hunt

Curt Y wrote: With the photoshop forum going cross platform others will surly follow.

Freudian slip ("surly").  I can imagine more arguments between Mac and PC people, myself.

Personally I don't think it's a good move at all to consolidate them.  They're already pretty active - what's the gain?  Are there not enough experts on each side of the fence already?

-Noel

Curt,

I should expect the Photoshop forum to be the last one. I know there has been a great resistance when it has been suggested in the (distant) past.

At least the Illustrator forums were merged when the fair forums were replaced by what we see here. Often you can see which side the OP is from by the terms used in the OP, such as keys; and everyone has become used to the differences, many posters using dual terms if in doubt.

As to your imagining the possibility of customizing the forums, I am afraid you are imagining things.