asterisk users - Mar 2005 - Are there online forums instead of this email forum??

Hi,

I am new to Asterisk and the first thing I have noticed about Asterisk 
and Pingtels open PBX's is that they are using this dinosaur method of 
running forums. It is a real pain getting every message in the forum and 
essentially keeping my own database of issues. With that said are there 
any forums that are well used or that might even convert this email in a 
true forum that is searchable and that doesn't require me downloading 
every email. Before you go and rant on me go see how Mambo Server does 
it at  http://forum.mamboserver.com. The forums are easy to use and thus 
are easy to participate in. I use mozilla Thunderbird and I have setup 
filters and all but it still is a pain to use this outdated email forum.

Thanks
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I run http://geekgazette.com which has a forum, how-to guides, etc.
-Kerry
 

-----Original Message-----
From: asterisk-users-bounces@lists.digium.com
[mailto:asterisk-users-bounces@lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Chuck Bunn
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 7:27 AM
To: Linux - PBX, Asterisk
Subject: [Asterisk-Users] Are there online forums instead of this
emailforum??

Hi,

I am new to Asterisk and the first thing I have noticed about Asterisk and
Pingtels open PBX's is that they are using this dinosaur method of running
forums. It is a real pain getting every message in the forum and essentially
keeping my own database of issues. With that said are there any forums that
are well used or that might even convert this email in a true forum that is
searchable and that doesn't require me downloading every email. Before you
go and rant on me go see how Mambo Server does it at
http://forum.mamboserver.com. The forums are easy to use and thus are easy
to participate in. I use mozilla Thunderbird and I have setup filters and
all but it still is a pain to use this outdated email forum.

Thanks

> With that said are there any forums that are well used
> or that might even convert this email in a true
> forum that is searchable and that doesn't require me
> downloading every email.
Personally, I much prefer the mailing list approach to the online forums. In
my opinion mailing lists aren't dinosaurs, instead I think of online forums
as mailing lists for dummys. There are a _very_ few advantages to online
forums and many advantages to mailing lists. (And yes, I have used the mambo
forums). If only we could get people to quit posting in HTML email, life
would be grand. :)

As for searching, one trick you should know is that you can search this
mailing list easily by using google and adding "site:lists.digium.com"
to
the end of the search string. Since the mailing list is archived on Digium's
website, that does a nice job of searching all the Asterisk lists.

Be seeing you.

On March 31, 2005 10:26 am, Chuck Bunn wrote:
> I am new to Asterisk and the first thing I have noticed about Asterisk
> and Pingtels open PBX's is that they are using this dinosaur method of
> running forums. It is a real pain getting every message in the forum and
> essentially keeping my own database of issues. With that said are there
> any forums that are well used or that might even convert this email in a
> true forum that is searchable and that doesn't require me downloading
> every email. Before you go and rant on me go see how Mambo Server does
> it at  http://forum.mamboserver.com. The forums are easy to use and thus
> are easy to participate in. I use mozilla Thunderbird and I have setup
> filters and all but it still is a pain to use this outdated email forum.
Actually mailing lists offer numerous advantages over the (in my opinion) 
idiotic use of web forums.  This has been discussed to death over the years, 
and even on this very mailing list.

An asterisk web forum has been attempted several times and has always failed 
because, for the most part, the people who do the helping and have the 
knowlege prefer mailing lists to forums.

from 
http://www.google.com/search?q=asterisk+forum+site%3Alists.digium.com&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

http://lists.digium.com/pipermail/asterisk-dev/2004-February/003102.html
http://lists.digium.com/pipermail/asterisk-users/2004-September/thread.html#62899
http://lists.digium.com/pipermail/asterisk-users/2004-November/thread.html#75178
http://lists.digium.com/pipermail/asterisk-users/2003-September/thread.html#22010
http://lists.digium.com/pipermail/asterisk-users/2003-August/thread.html#17720

and so on, and so forth.

Call it archaic if you like but mailing lists get the job done faster, better 
and without all the bullshit that forums bring to the table.

-A.

On Thu, 31 Mar 2005, Chuck Bunn wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I am new to Asterisk and the first thing I have noticed about Asterisk 
> and Pingtels open PBX's is that they are using this dinosaur method of 
> running forums. It is a real pain getting every message in the forum and 
> essentially keeping my own database of issues. With that said are there 
> any forums that are well used or that might even convert this email in a 
> true forum that is searchable and that doesn't require me downloading 
> every email. Before you go and rant on me go see how Mambo Server does 
> it at  http://forum.mamboserver.com. The forums are easy to use and thus 
> are easy to participate in. I use mozilla Thunderbird and I have setup 
> filters and all but it still is a pain to use this outdated email forum.
> 
> Thanks
> 
I've actually been meaning to setup a forum... just haven't had time. I
already registered the domain (asteriskusers.com), hopefully soon I'll
have some free time to setup the DNS and install vBulletin. 

--Sean

Scott Bussinger wrote:
> forums). If only we could get people to quit posting in HTML email, life
> would be grand. :)
Mozilla has an option to view ALL messages as text.  I use that.  I 
suppose I should not.  People that post in HMTL should not get my help. 
  Maybe I can use procmail to send an automated message to anyone that 
posts a message in HTML. 8-)

Chuck Bunn wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am new to Asterisk and the first thing I have noticed about Asterisk 
> and Pingtels open PBX's is that they are using this dinosaur method of 
> running forums. It is a real pain getting every message in the forum 
> and essentially keeping my own database of issues. With that said are 
> there any forums that are well used or that might even convert this 
> email in a true forum that is searchable and that doesn't require me 
> downloading every email. Before you go and rant on me go see how Mambo 
> Server does it at  http://forum.mamboserver.com. The forums are easy 
> to use and thus are easy to participate in. I use mozilla Thunderbird 
> and I have setup filters and all but it still is a pain to use this 
> outdated email forum.
The key snag with using anything other than a mailing list is most of 
the people who know that they are talking about wouldn't participate in 
anything other than a mailing list. News groups generally get dragged 
down into uselessness, and all the web based forums are a major PITA to use.

Regards,
Steve

The Asterisk-users mailing list is available on Gmane which has a forum like
interface as an option:

    http://dir.gmane.org/gmane.comp.telephony.pbx.asterisk.user

Jim

James H. Thompson
jht@lj.net
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Any decent on-line forum would be much better than these digium email lists. 
The lists are
 poorly formatted, there is no easy way to post code, you cannot neatly quote
anyone, the s
earch function in the archive is elementary at best, there is no possibility for
active use
rs to moderate their area of interest, there is no private messaging, the list
goes on and
on.

I highly and kindly suggest that Digium transition off these email list and into
a good, commercial, on line forum, like vBulletin (www.vbulletin.com).   I just
joined this list and am amazed at how much traffic there is, how poorly
formatted the messages are, how so many different topics are lumped into one
list, etc.

As someone who has administered the UNIX Forums for many years, and with over 28
thousand registered users, I have seen how great an on-line, forum-based
community can become.   This is a great community and Digium needs to leverage
the energy and the power with a good on-line forum software, like vBulletin.

Association:

A GOOD ON-LINE FORUM IS TO EMAIL LISTS WHAT THE WORLD WIDE WEB WAS TO GOPHER.

In other words, Digium is only hurting this community by not transitioning these
lists to a good on-line community building software product.

Chuck Bunn wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am new to Asterisk and the first thing I have noticed about Asterisk 
> and Pingtels open PBX's is that they are using this dinosaur method of 
> running forums. It is a real pain getting every message in the forum 
> and essentially 
<snipped nonsense>

The one thing I like with mailing list (especially /busy/ ones) is that 
lusers who can't use their MUA are driven away by them. When you are 
discussing about a /technical/ subject you are at least expected to know 
how to use mail.

Better than anything else IMHO!

-- 
Ykoz Un Max - La VoIP en pr?-pay?!
Essayez gratuitement - 5 cr?dits offerts.
---> http://ykoz.net/voip/max <---

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Hash: SHA1

Thunderbird has a "View Threaded" option. Use that. Every forum
I've
ever used has been a bunch of ppl who don't know what they're talking
about, asking questions that have already been answered.

Chuck Bunn wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I am new to Asterisk and the first thing I have noticed about Asterisk
> and Pingtels open PBX's is that they are using this dinosaur method of
> running forums. It is a real pain getting every message in the forum and
> essentially keeping my own database of issues. With that said are there
> any forums that are well used or that might even convert this email in a
> true forum that is searchable and that doesn't require me downloading
> every email. Before you go and rant on me go see how Mambo Server does
> it at  http://forum.mamboserver.com. The forums are easy to use and thus
> are easy to participate in. I use mozilla Thunderbird and I have setup
> filters and all but it still is a pain to use this outdated email forum.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Asterisk-Users mailing list
> Asterisk-Users@lists.digium.com
> http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users
> To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit:
>    http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users
- --
Kyle Hultman
Security Analyst
Southside Community Hospital
Farmville Virginia
(434) 315 - 2656
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this message and attachments that do not relate to
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==================================================

Chuck,

You are 1000 percent correct.

Email does not build an on-line community.  The search function is primitive
at best.   Just like Mr. Bunn said in his original email,  email lists for
support are a dinosaur, and people who have moved beyond dinosaurs are
considered intelligent in the evolutionary chain, LOL

If Digium agrees to decommission this noisy and unorganized list traffic, I
will set up a special category for Asterisk support at www.unix.com, free of
charge, and since Asterisk runs on Linux/Unix, this is a good fit.   I will
give moderator rights to anyone Digium chooses.

Yours sincerely.

James H. Thompson wrote:
> The Asterisk-users mailing list is available on Gmane which has a forum 
> like interface as an option:
>  
>     http://dir.gmane.org/gmane.comp.telephony.pbx.asterisk.user
>  
> Jim
>  
> James H. Thompson
> jht@lj.net <mailto:jht@lj.net>
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Asterisk-Users mailing list
> Asterisk-Users@lists.digium.com
> http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users
> To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit:
>    http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users
Hi,

Thank you for this infomation I now have it set up as a newsgroup in 
Thunderbird and it sure is easier. The WEB based forum was okay but 
Thunderbird does a better job formating things.I also turned off my 
vcard since that seem to annoy some people.

Thanks Again - I am amazed at how fast people respond!!!

the idea is this: 
I have a servant ASTERISK with two cards clone x100p, one of them I
want it to form so that it makes calls by the telefonica line and the
other to connect I telephone stops from ahi to be able to make calls.
the question is podra to become that?
for but information
 I have a servant gentoo 2004.3
 Kernel 2.4.28-gentoo-r8
1Giga Byte RAM.
2 clone X100P 

thanks

On 2005-03-31, Chuck Bunn <chuck.bunn@networkdoc.com>
wrote:
> I am new to Asterisk and the first thing I have noticed about Asterisk 
> and Pingtels open PBX's is that they are using this dinosaur method of 
> running forums. It is a real pain getting every message in the forum and 
It is a real pain to have to dial up to the Internet, remember dozens of
passwords for different web sites, each of which have a slow interface,
different from one site to the next, and don't allow basic things I've
been able to do with e-mail for years, such as download it to my laptop
and read it in the car.

Seriously, check out gmane.org, which will give you a web-based
interface to this and plenty of other groups, should you have a sudden
urge for that sort of web-based pain.

-- John

On March 31, 2005 11:58 am, Eric Wieling aka ManxPower
wrote:
>   Maybe I can use procmail to send an automated message to anyone that
> posts a message in HTML. 8-)
Until you hit your first out-of-office autoreply that sends HTML...  :-)

-A.

On Thu, Mar 31, 2005 at 01:19:40PM -0500, bass@silkroad.com
wrote:
> 
> Any decent on-line forum would be much better than these digium email
lists.  The lists are
>  poorly formatted, there is no easy way to post code, you cannot neatly
quote anyone, the s
> earch function in the archive is elementary at best, there is no
possibility for active use
> rs to moderate their area of interest, there is no private messaging, the
list goes on and
> on.
Email has attachments, there's wiki for out-of-band stuff and you can
use google to search. And email *is* private messaging, so I don't
understand that point.
> A GOOD ON-LINE FORUM IS TO EMAIL LISTS WHAT THE WORLD WIDE WEB WAS TO
GOPHER.
Ok, basic use case. I today go to a forum and read all the messages.
Next day I come along, how do I get a list of all the messages I havn't
read in thread order in such a way that if I decide to go somewhere
in the meantime, it knows what I've read and what I havn't.

I also monitor several other projects all on mailing lists. With one
mail box I can monitor six projects in one interface. I don't touch the
mouse the whole time. I can whizz through a message every few seconds
because every one is in the same font, same colour, same spacing (HTML
all disabled). No forum is ever going to compete with that sorry.
> In other words, Digium is only hurting this community by not
> transitioning these lists to a good on-line community building
> software product.
The list of major projects with mailing lists is longer than the list
of projects with forums...

Feel free to set one up, but if the mailing list is removed for a
forum, many current people won't subscribe...
-- 
Martijn van Oosterhout
Ecomtel Pty Ltd

On Thursday 31 March 2005 10:26, Chuck Bunn wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am new to Asterisk and the first thing I have noticed about Asterisk
> and Pingtels open PBX's is that they are using this dinosaur method of
> running forums. It is a real pain getting every message in the forum and
> essentially keeping my own database of issues. With that said are there
> any forums that are well used or that might even convert this email in a
> true forum that is searchable and that doesn't require me downloading
> every email. Before you go and rant on me go see how Mambo Server does
> it at  http://forum.mamboserver.com. The forums are easy to use and thus
> are easy to participate in. I use mozilla Thunderbird and I have setup
> filters and all but it still is a pain to use this outdated email forum.
>
> Thanks
Well I for one would not like to see it change from mailing list. It's much 
easier to work with and search as I need to. Web lists are too slow to move 
around for one. I for one would not frequent a forum unless I had no other 
choice.

It sounds like you have a crappy mail client and are trying to work around it.

-- 

Steve Szmidt

"They that would give up essential liberty for temporary safety 
deserve neither liberty nor safety."
                                Benjamin Franklin

On Thursday 31 March 2005 10:26, Chuck Bunn wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am new to Asterisk and the first thing I have noticed about Asterisk
> and Pingtels open PBX's is that they are using this dinosaur method of
> running forums. It is a real pain getting every message in the forum and
I think I figured it out. He's getting the digest version! 

That's why we think he's on crack. It soesn't make sense having
these problems
with email.

-- 

Steve Szmidt

"They that would give up essential liberty for temporary safety 
deserve neither liberty nor safety."
                                Benjamin Franklin

Hi,

I really regret bringing the subject up... I guess I hit some nerves so 
please accept my apology. I have adapted to using the mailing list 
(Mozilla Thunderbird with filters directing traffic a specific folder, 
and threading) and it works, not ideally, but it works. The search of 
goggle works but it would of been nice to have some sort of FAQ so that 
I didn't have to piss people off by asking about it. Thanks for all your 
help and again I apologize...

Thanks

--On Friday, April 01, 2005 11:48 AM -0500 Andrew Kohlsmith 
<akohlsmith-asterisk@benshaw.com> wrote:
> I have to ask -- you keep harping about women and students -- why are
> they any  different from any other person who dislikes profanity?
> Honestly.
>
> Hell, most of the students I know are more profane than even us crusty
> old  buggers!
I learned my best cuss words from my mom! ;)

In article <000e01c53707$68700e00$6401a8c0@dc.dc.cox.net>,
Tim Bass <bass@silkroad.com> wrote:
> 
> Tom Ivar Helbekkmo.   Grow up and stop posting to this tread.
pot calling the kettle black....

Cheers
Tony
-- 
Tony Mountifield
Work: tony@softins.co.uk - http://www.softins.co.uk
Play: tony@mountifield.org - http://tony.mountifield.org

Hi

I haven't read all of the messages in this lengthy thread, so I hope 
I'm not repeating something from it.

Just a couple of questions:

1. What about mail-archive.com for archiving the list?

2. The archive need not be related to the list. It just needs to be
"subsribed to it. Anybody want to set up searchable archives for the
list?

3. What about web-forum <-> mailing list gateways? E.g:
http://www.phorum.org (never used it, just heard about it).

4. I'll just mention again that this list has a very high load. Can
anybody suggest separate topics that could be moved to "sublists"?

-- 
Tzafrir Cohen         | New signature for new address and  |  VIM is
http://tzafrir.org.il | new homepage                       | a Mutt's  
tzafrir@cohens.org.il |                                    |  best
ICQ# 16849755         | Space reserved for other protocols | friend

On Mar 31, 2005 11:26 AM, Chuck Bunn <chuck.bunn@networkdoc.com>
wrote:
> I am new to Asterisk and the first thing I have noticed about Asterisk
> and Pingtels open PBX's is that they are using this dinosaur method of
> running forums. It is a real pain getting every message in the forum and
> essentially keeping my own database of issues. With that said are there
> any forums that are well used or that might even convert this email in a
> true forum that is searchable and that doesn't require me downloading
> every email. Before you go and rant on me go see how Mambo Server does
> it at  http://forum.mamboserver.com. The forums are easy to use and thus
> are easy to participate in. I use mozilla Thunderbird and I have setup
> filters and all but it still is a pain to use this outdated email forum.
If you are looking for a web interface to this mailing list, get
yourself a Gmail account and subscribe from it. It does fantastic
threading. If you need an account, I'll be happy to help you out, I
have 50 invites.

-- 
Leif Madsen
http://www.leifmadsen.com