What is the best forum - this or the user group

[#1]

Quote from: Ian

We did try having the newsgroups read into the forums at one point, but it didn't really work. The problem with web forums like this one is that they have no concept of threading, whereas that is what a newsgroup is based on.

Change the Forum software then -    as others do it - like the old Macromedia one.
OK - there are problems with newbies only seeing the Web forum, and doing things like editing message which do not perculate down to the newsgroup.
I know newsgroup service are very old in terms of web development - but I find them superior for this sort of support forum in so many ways.

[#2]

I agree with you Mal. Ngs are far more convenient for support and exchanging ideas than clunky forums.
But the problem is that it needs the extra effort of configuring a newsreader, which is just too much trouble for many people.

Quote from: Ian

We did try having the newsgroups read into the forums at one point, but it didn't really work. The problem with web forums like this one is that they have no concept of threading, whereas that is what a newsgroup is based on. it makes integrating the things near impossible.

Others have managed it Ian. Steve Gibson used to run parallel NNTP and HTTP  GRC newsgroups. He gave up the web-based version eventually because of the difficulty of controlling mis-use, but one of his regulars still maintains a web version - albeit read-only.
http://12078.net/grcnews/index.php
As you see, no problem with threading 

[#3]

We could read in newsgroups th this site easily enough, as per the GRC link. We actually did it before in the old phpbb forums, and it was OK. They only got removed because no one seemed very interested and the guys reading the newsgroups didn't seem to like it much because the posts from the forum interface were not so well formed. The problem with changing the forum software is that we really like SMF and I personally wouldn't want to see us lose all the features that we would if we were to change to something with inherent threading support (although suggestions fo open source forum software that can do this are welcome). Not to mention, our developers have lots of exciting projects and I can't see one to integrate with newsgroups featuring strongly.
My own issue with a newsreader is that I now use 7 or 8 different PCs regularly, including a MAC and an Asus EEE with Linux. All have a web browser and it's very easy to share my bookmarks and forum environment between them, but keeping that many news clients up to date would be a terrible pain. I do still read the newsgroups from time to time, but reliably contributing isn't something I can do easily. If I make a post somewhere I like to know I will be back in a reasonable time-frame to check for follow-ups.
What I personally would like to see most on the basis of this thread is three new areas for the community site - usergroup, usertools and a Newsgroup Reader. I guess a lot more people still need to be convinced about that before it could happen.
Ian

[#4]

I understand your position Ian, and I fear we newsgroup devotees will have to become accustomed to the inferior, clunky, comparatively difficult to navigate forums. Because the people who run them are techies running lots of different PCs and OSs who understandably  wouldn't want to configure lots of newsreaders. Ok. I'm being unfair 
But most of we customers have only one computer and one OS (and one newsreader).
I am just sad the there used to be a number of you contributing to the NGs, but now there seems to be just Bob alone. Lord help us when he gives up.......