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On the benefits of window-walled gardens

This feels like a wpmu.org post coming on soon too – but has anyone noticed how we’re frequently seeing more posts here per 24 hours than on the official mu forums… not all the time, by any means, but quite often.

I’m wondering if the barrier to entry approach is helping this (i.e. ramping up quality = more participation)? Whaddya reckon?

(also, we do need – and are working on – improving the quality of the instructional materials that come with each plugin… so maybe that’ll decrease the volume a bit too :wink:

Sun, 10 May 2009 0:13:14
  • drmike
    • DEV MAN’s Mascot

    Yes. I’ve noticed a number of other things as well about the mu forums recently.

    But since we’re on the subject…

    I must admit I would rather see at least one private subforum here that is only available to . While I understand Andrew’s recent GPL’ing of his code, I must admit I do not feel comfortable with pasting code here for public view any more. A perfect example of my reasoning of this was the recent thread on displaying supporters. We have this on our installs but I would rather not copy and paste it here in the forums since it does contain material out of the Supporter plugin. I must also admit I rather strong distaste of releasing any code for WordPress now a days. (And there’s legal advice from my attorney and the EFF behind that concerning the issue and the discussion I raised on Luke’s forum.)

  • Barry
    • DEV MAN’s Mascot

    At what point would you consider code to be “distributed” and at what point still copyright?

    If we take the argument that a plugin is/has to be GPL and when it’s released it is effectively distributed so is covered by the GPL license, does that mean that when a chunk of code is posted in a forum that it’s “distributed” or is it still covered by the owners copyright as a piece of “Art” (going with the “Code is Art” description here).

  • andrea_r
    • The Incredible Code Injector

    “has anyone noticed how we’re frequently seeing more posts here per 24 hours than on the official mu forums… not all the time, by any means, but quite often.

    I’m wondering if the barrier to entry approach is helping this (i.e. ramping up quality = more participation)? Whaddya reckon?”

    Mmmm, kinda. For one, you guys are pretty much obligated to answer every thread because people have paid to be there. :slight_smile:

  • James Farmer
    • Founder & Chair (honest)

    Well, we’re obligated to assist with plugins, themes and other doodaa on this site – not with general stuff (although we + you guys – tend to anyway :slight_smile:

    I mean, there are definitely advantages to hanging out over here as compared to over there, wouldn’t you say?

    Incidentally, one advantage I was thinking of was removing nofollow (as there can’t be any spam here anyway) and building in signatures for people – you like?