Comments for Matt Browne http://mattbrowne.com Experiences, Events, and Random Thoughts Mon, 12 May 2008 11:44:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU Comment on SDBloggers on Comments vs Forums by sethinsd http://mattbrowne.com/2008/05/01/sdbloggers-on-comments-vs-forums/#comment-246 sethinsd Thu, 01 May 2008 20:33:31 +0000 http://mattbrowne.com/2008/05/01/sdbloggers-on-comments-vs-forums/#comment-246 I think one of the key things we touched upon was determining what the difference between forums and blogs were, and what needs each served. The main difference I see is that forums are not read by RSS consumers. So if you want to give someone the ability to subscribe to a 'feed' (beyond telling them to follow you on twitter), you want a blog. Some forums will give the option of receiving emails when new threads are created, but that isn't the average use case. Forums are a place to go to for help. And honestly I think forums in their current form are crap. What everyone really wants are chatrooms with history saved+searchable - forums are just an interface to accomplish chats where the time between two events isn't expected to be immediate. However, this is how all chat is becoming for me anyway. Right now I currently have 3 AIM messages I haven't yet read because I'm busy writing here. The people I interact with via chat are no longer offended if they aren't given my immediate attention. This is an entirely new phenomenon taking place today - we're redefining the social expectations of 'online chat'. I think one of the key things we touched upon was determining what the difference between forums and blogs were, and what needs each served.
The main difference I see is that forums are not read by RSS consumers. So if you want to give someone the ability to subscribe to a ‘feed’ (beyond telling them to follow you on twitter), you want a blog.

Some forums will give the option of receiving emails when new threads are created, but that isn’t the average use case. Forums are a place to go to for help. And honestly I think forums in their current form are crap. What everyone really wants are chatrooms with history saved+searchable - forums are just an interface to accomplish chats where the time between two events isn’t expected to be immediate.
However, this is how all chat is becoming for me anyway.
Right now I currently have 3 AIM messages I haven’t yet read because I’m busy writing here. The people I interact with via chat are no longer offended if they aren’t given my immediate attention.
This is an entirely new phenomenon taking place today - we’re redefining the social expectations of ‘online chat’.

]]> Comment on SDBloggers on Comments vs Forums by Matt Browne http://mattbrowne.com/2008/05/01/sdbloggers-on-comments-vs-forums/#comment-245 Matt Browne Thu, 01 May 2008 17:44:48 +0000 http://mattbrowne.com/2008/05/01/sdbloggers-on-comments-vs-forums/#comment-245 When it comes to forums do you think it looks bad when a forum appears to dead? Dead, yes- but small, no. Our forum started very small: http://forum.integralimpressions.com/ but grew over time. We are still small, but what is important is that you look active. You can have a few posts and fewer users, but still actively commenting on the conversations and people will know it as a place where they can get help. Eventually, as @DamienH put it, you build a community and the result is that you don't have to answer as many questions because the forum participants do it for you. I don't think our company is quite there yet, but someone like http://www.mindtouch.com is. Forums still serve an important purpose for consolidating customer q/a and service interactions that can't be duplicated in the blog comments. When it comes to forums do you think it looks bad when a forum appears to dead?

Dead, yes- but small, no. Our forum started very small: http://forum.integralimpressions.com/ but grew over time. We are still small, but what is important is that you look active. You can have a few posts and fewer users, but still actively commenting on the conversations and people will know it as a place where they can get help.

Eventually, as @DamienH put it, you build a community and the result is that you don’t have to answer as many questions because the forum participants do it for you. I don’t think our company is quite there yet, but someone like http://www.mindtouch.com is.

Forums still serve an important purpose for consolidating customer q/a and service interactions that can’t be duplicated in the blog comments.

]]> Comment on SDBloggers on Comments vs Forums by wizardelite http://mattbrowne.com/2008/05/01/sdbloggers-on-comments-vs-forums/#comment-244 wizardelite Thu, 01 May 2008 17:20:02 +0000 http://mattbrowne.com/2008/05/01/sdbloggers-on-comments-vs-forums/#comment-244 I guess it really depends on the context in which the forum is being used. Considering that I feel that customer service is pretty much dead. I tend to pay attention to forums when it relates to a product or service. In this case I would have to say yes. It would highly effect my opinion of a companies website if their support forum appeared to be dead. In the end I feel that forums are a thing of the past. Social media is the new game in town and I would put much more value within any site that participated in some form of social media when compared to a forum. When it come to blogs. It doesn't influence my opinion of a site one way or another if I didn't see any comments on any posts. I rarely make any comments myself. Everything I read is thru Google Reader. With that said, a particular post has to be really good to make me go to the site and make any comments on the topic in mention. In regards to the bigger question. No, I don't think that it is possible to provide too many options for people to interact with each other. Choice is good and in then end you will find a particular set of options that will dominate the industry. I guess it really depends on the context in which the forum is being used. Considering that I feel that customer service is pretty much dead. I tend to pay attention to forums when it relates to a product or service. In this case I would have to say yes. It would highly effect my opinion of a companies website if their support forum appeared to be dead.

In the end I feel that forums are a thing of the past. Social media is the new game in town and I would put much more value within any site that participated in some form of social media when compared to a forum.

When it come to blogs. It doesn’t influence my opinion of a site one way or another if I didn’t see any comments on any posts. I rarely make any comments myself. Everything I read is thru Google Reader. With that said, a particular post has to be really good to make me go to the site and make any comments on the topic in mention.

In regards to the bigger question. No, I don’t think that it is possible to provide too many options for people to interact with each other. Choice is good and in then end you will find a particular set of options that will dominate the industry.

]]> Comment on SDBloggers on Comments vs Forums by richandcreamy http://mattbrowne.com/2008/05/01/sdbloggers-on-comments-vs-forums/#comment-243 richandcreamy Thu, 01 May 2008 05:43:14 +0000 http://mattbrowne.com/2008/05/01/sdbloggers-on-comments-vs-forums/#comment-243 When it comes to forums do you think it looks bad when a forum appears to dead? I tend to think less highly on a website that has a forum that is dead even though I don't think its fair of me to think that way. It makes me think that people aren't interested enough to hangout on a websites forum but it may just be that the website's demographic isn't the forum user type. On the other hand if I see something with no comments it doesn't influence my opinion of a site. My big question is: Is it possible to give people too many options to interact with each other? Does anyone else think a website with a dead forum looks less authoritative ? How about no comments? When it comes to forums do you think it looks bad when a forum appears to dead? I tend to think less highly on a website that has a forum that is dead even though I don’t think its fair of me to think that way.

It makes me think that people aren’t interested enough to hangout on a websites forum but it may just be that the website’s demographic isn’t the forum user type.

On the other hand if I see something with no comments it doesn’t influence my opinion of a site.

My big question is:
Is it possible to give people too many options to interact with each other? Does anyone else think a website with a dead forum looks less authoritative ? How about no comments?

]]> Comment on These Lyrics Could Prove To Be Important by sadukie http://mattbrowne.com/2008/04/29/these-lyrics-could-prove-to-be-important/#comment-242 sadukie Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:35:03 +0000 http://mbrowne.wordpress.com/?p=101#comment-242 Excellent song... definitely curious to see where this will lead. Good to know that I'm not the only one who follows lyrics like that! - sadukie from Twitter Excellent song… definitely curious to see where this will lead. Good to know that I’m not the only one who follows lyrics like that!

- sadukie from Twitter

]]> Comment on Integral Rebrand - New Company Name! by gwavesd http://mattbrowne.com/2008/04/19/integral-rebrand-new-company-name/#comment-241 gwavesd Sat, 19 Apr 2008 19:50:07 +0000 http://mattbrowne.com/2008/04/19/integral-rebrand-new-company-name/#comment-241 awesome announcement, can't wait to see the new website. awesome announcement, can’t wait to see the new website.

]]> Comment on Card Scanner For Your Social Networks by aymanshamma http://mattbrowne.com/2008/04/12/card-scanner-for-your-social-networks/#comment-239 aymanshamma Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:05:08 +0000 http://mbrowne.wordpress.com/?p=94#comment-239 Why would you need branding per se? Most social software sites have a 'find friends on ____' feature...sounds like a simple software addition. Not that card scan will do it mind you. :) Why would you need branding per se? Most social software sites have a ‘find friends on ____’ feature…sounds like a simple software addition. Not that card scan will do it mind you. :)

]]> Comment on Card Scanner For Your Social Networks by Jenn http://mattbrowne.com/2008/04/12/card-scanner-for-your-social-networks/#comment-238 Jenn Sun, 13 Apr 2008 04:09:26 +0000 http://mbrowne.wordpress.com/?p=94#comment-238 I don't know that I need the business card scanner, but it would be nice to have a service/website that I could manage all of my network friend requests through. So instead of sending or receiving 3 separate requests to join 1 person on Twitter, Facebook, & LinkedIn, I'd send or receive one notification for all networks. You're definitely on point with the idea though. BTW - Happy early birthday! I don’t know that I need the business card scanner, but it would be nice to have a service/website that I could manage all of my network friend requests through. So instead of sending or receiving 3 separate requests to join 1 person on Twitter, Facebook, & LinkedIn, I’d send or receive one notification for all networks. You’re definitely on point with the idea though.

BTW - Happy early birthday!

]]> Comment on David ‘Turtle’ Ramani from Beyond Category by mixergy http://mattbrowne.com/2008/04/06/david-turtle-ramani-from-beyond-category/#comment-237 mixergy Tue, 08 Apr 2008 02:59:18 +0000 http://mattbrowne.com/2008/04/06/david-turtle-ramani-from-beyond-category/#comment-237 I agree Colin. That looks sharp. I'm surprised the audio came out so clear. No fan noise. I agree Colin. That looks sharp.

I’m surprised the audio came out so clear. No fan noise.

]]> Comment on David ‘Turtle’ Ramani from Beyond Category by Colin Devroe http://mattbrowne.com/2008/04/06/david-turtle-ramani-from-beyond-category/#comment-235 Colin Devroe Sun, 06 Apr 2008 22:57:54 +0000 http://mattbrowne.com/2008/04/06/david-turtle-ramani-from-beyond-category/#comment-235 I think it turned out great, considering the tools you used. Well done. I think it turned out great, considering the tools you used. Well done.

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