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How can forum users be encouraged to become active at UnityAnswers?
UnityAnswers has been growing at a steady pace and has already become one of the best Unity knowledge bases around. More than 80% of new questions get answered within 24 hours! And better yet, all those helpful answers are easy to find again thanks to the powerful search, tagging, and voting features.
Yet many questions that would fit perfectly here are asked on the Unity forums instead. That is not a problem in itself, but the helpful answers there tend to easier get lost and forgotten after a few weeks or months, and in long threads the best answers often end up being buried on page 7 or such, where they are hard to find. As a result, the same questions tend to get asked again and again, and sadly it's often easier to just answer them repeatedly than to dig out the older posts where they were already answered. That is waste of community effort.
How can we as a community make forum users better aware of how efficiently questions are answered here at UnityAnswers, and encourage them to become active participants and contributors here?
@Rune, I guess I should ask - when you say, "we as a community", does that mean you're looking only for suggestions that don't involve changing infrastructure? Or do you also want answers that would involve ad$$anonymous$$s changing code? :)
Both, really. Unfortunately there are some things we can't change at this time because StackExchange won't let us change or customize it, but all suggestions are welcome.
Looking at that link, it's got some interesting statistics - for instance, we only have 0.7 votes per post, which is lower than many sites. That's another thing to work on. :)
Answer by duck · Mar 29, 2010 at 04:34 PM
How about some kind of large sign on the page which the user sees after they click "New Topic" (on - or just before - the page where they compose a new message) - since it's the users who create new question topics who are the main target of "the switchover".
The message could describe clearly that the forums are for "discussions, chatter, showcase, opinion", and UnityAnswers is for "concrete questions and answers"
Perhaps even some kind of large visual aid, like a "fork-in-the-road" signpost, which prompts the user to make a choice before allowing them to make a post?
// FORUM ANSWERS
//
// discussions concrete
// chatter factual
// showcase knowledge base
// opinion answerable questions
// ._ _.
// |\ /|
// \ /
// \ /
// \ /
// |
// |
// Choose
Absolutely a great idea. The page could be non-obtrusive, and offer two rather large, easy-to-understand buttons as you have so elegantly displayed with your ASCII art. :) I like this idea.
Non-obtrusive, and large and easy-to-understand? :) I wouldn't $$anonymous$$d it being a little obtrusive, if it gets people going in the right direction. The problem with the Forum Search button and the Unity FAQ button is they are a little too non-obtrusive...
Yes I think that's the wrong word actually. What I was meaning was is that despite its size/location, it shouldn't be a significant obstacle to understand or proceed past quickly :)
Answer by Cyclops · Mar 29, 2010 at 03:46 PM
I think, first, it is lack of awareness that UnityAnswers even exists. Yes there is an announcement topic, but it doesn't especially stand out if you don't look at it.
And second, is the account-creation process for Answers. It isn't clear that you can use your Forum account, rather than creating a new account. The Login screen brings you to an OpenId choice.
I just learned that the Unity OpenId allows you to use your Forum login, but the only notification was a tooltip over the Unity icon (which I didn't do the first time). The admins could make it more clear with a separate header, informing users that their Forum account was good for login.
Alternately - could the Forums registration process be changed to send an email to newly-registered people? Pointing out Answers to them? (And maybe the FAQ :)
I am also considering a suggestion to send out a one-time email to registered Forum users informing them about Answers - not quite spam, and if you worded it right, I think the people who already use it, wouldn't mind. :)
Basically, if they don't know it's there, they won't use it. And, according to Don't Make Me Think, people don't read most of a web page. Which includes a tiny FAQ button, a search button, announcements...
@Eric5h5 , you're right, I didn't realize that. But the only notification was a tooltip, which I didn't do :) I've updated my answer to suggest it be made more clear.
Answer by Jessy · Mar 29, 2010 at 10:34 PM
You need to make UnityAnswers as friendly for communication as the forum is. You can't attach anything here, including images. It's still possible to share them by other means, but those means are wastes of time, when you just want to get through some barrier quickly. Hosting your own files, the cleanest solution for others to download, is also bad over time. I don't want to keep stuff on my server after I've gotten an answer from the forum, but somebody down the line might want the relevant file, and the it won't be available to them.
The Unity forum isn't much to look at, and it doesn't have a lot of features, but it's still superior to this site in terms of creating posts, or responding to others, when you want more than just plain text.
@Jessy, good point, I forgot about that - having to upload files to the Forums, just for a post in Answers is a pain.
Answer by dissidently · Dec 20, 2010 at 07:11 PM
Your question is wrong. Assuming your working for Unity, your question should be: "How can we best serve our community of customers?"
And the strongest correct answer is DRAMATICALLY improve your documentation, manual and reference facilities. Thereby cutting down on much of the need for UnityAnswers to be a resource for methodology of using your software. Freeing it to be more theoretical and intriguing.
As it stands, both the forum and Answers are functioning as a stop gap for the appalling quality of your documentation, manual, tutorials and reference facilities.
Strong words? Yes. For one simple reason, you're asking me to pay $5000 for a full suite of your software. That's for me. Assuming I'm the head of my team, have a programmer, a modeler/animator, lighting/materials/design guy and a level designer working with me... things get much worse. They're all in need of fully licensed versions to do their work since you've built in constant license checking to your software and retarded the free version well below useful for semi-pro development.
That's 5 x $4.5k +$500 for Asset Server, or $23,000 of my hard earned money before we make anything.
And I'm reliant on your forum and Answers for just about anything beyond an outline of what your software does. But not only me, the entire team is reliant on these mechanisms for information about the different aspects of the program they'll be using. Which means they'll often be waiting and hoping for an answer rather than working.
You might think the search facilities are great, you might think having a community actively engaged in doing your work for you is great, but I can assure you it's an entirely different proposition when I'm looking at the bank account and time spent searching/reading fruitlessly, not to mention waiting for answers that may or may not be write (sic) +++ PLUS needing to take time on learning just right to express/frame a question in a manner that can lead to a fruitful answer.
For contrast, take a look at the documentation you get when buying a copy of 3ds Max. About the same money, and I'm sure you've got a few copies around the office. The first time I bought a full version of their software I considered their literature worth the asking price BEFORE I used the program commercially. It's THAT good. Arguably Autodesk 3ds Max tutorials are no better than yours, but their literature is in an ENTIRELY different league.
I'm just past two weeks into my 30 day trial. Just scratching the surface of what your tool can do. And having serious reservations about Unity because of the ever increasing difficulties faced in coming to terms with every nuance of the program. Unity has MANY unique approaches to aspects of design and implementation that your customers deserve significant introduction and explanations of. Let us into the thinking of the creators! PLEASE!!!!
It's VERY hard for me not to think it worth my time and energy to steer towards the other UT, because if we're going to spend this much time learning how to use something, it might as well be a full blown toolset... and I could always spend the spare $23k on faster computers, other production software, training and flights. And wine.
As to your question, how to encourage your forum users to use Answers more? I'd say you've got a perfect chance to develop skills in developing a manual, tutorial and resources to Autodesk standards in a microcosm. Check out how many threads there are on Answers asking about features in Answers??? That's from people already here!!! Think about it! And you're asking the question in here??? Baffling. Those still using the forums likely have the best answers to your question. I'd suggest asking over there...
But for those new to your world/software, you have a unique opportunity to answer your question with regards guiding them from their natural inclination to use the forum to Answers. Answers is a new platform, from what I can gather... made by someone else, for something else, and you've reshaped it in your interests.
sooo...
Provide knowledge of the features of Answers in a VERY clear, very thorough manner, with very good links, explanations of the methodology and REASONS for its structure, mechanisms and approach so people know WHAT it is, HOW it works, WHY it is the way it is... and then people will likely flock on over. If you put it where they can see it. Don't be tempted to think here is the right place. It should be front and center on your main website ::: "WE HAVE ANSWERS"... and then explain what it is, because at this stage we all know, ANYONE coming to your program/world is going to NEED Answers. Lots of them.
But most important. PAY the guys doing your work for you by answering all the questions. Money doesn't make the world go round. But it surely makes jets go round the world. There's guys in here that have resold your software over and over again because of the deficiencies in your companies belligerent approach to customer service and documentation. Treat them well or your best sales tools will take care of themselves when others find their energy.
for the "your question is wrong" line - remove it and I'll remove my downvote. $$anonymous$$aybe there are better versions of the question, but it isn't wrong. Second, even though better documentation would be nice - it won't eli$$anonymous$$ate the need for a site like UnityAnswers. There will always be questions or situations that aren't covered in the manual.
Are you serious? That one down vote is going to change my premise for this screed? Do you place this much kudos in the reputation rankings as currency? Perhaps they're right. There's no need to pay you guys, you seem happy with a useless virtual currency that plays on vanity. And if you'd read past the line you don't like, you'd find I'm not suggesting the eli$$anonymous$$ation of need for UnityAnswers, rather a better utilisation of it, free from solving problems and questions that should largely be solved in creator based literature.
btw, I've read some your posts. And given you some up votes. Some kind of balance is restored. I think. A personal question for you. Do you enjoy getting up votes than giving down votes?
Believe it or not, I was trying to be polite in my comment - a lot of times, people downvote a post and don't give any reason, so the poster has no idea what is wrong. Second, even without the first line, your Answer deserves a downvote, for the simple reason that it doesn't answer the Question that was asked. If you want to make a point, why not post it in the Forums?
With all due respect, I don't think you've read it all. The last 4 paragraphs explicitly explain what I consider the right answer to increase activity on UnityAnswers. Not in a "feature request" manner, I don't think it's as simple as that. And there's the issue of the platform for answers not being flexible enough for things like feature addition. Unity must deal with the framework as it is, so they must explain it and promote it. And then explain it again... simply because it can't be changed to the users, the users must change to it. UnityAnswers is a microcosm of Unity. and essential
Answer by dissidently · Dec 21, 2010 at 05:19 PM
Another thing... improve the login procedure between the two. Both Forums and Answers are on the same domain, yet I just did my first post in the forums and was asked, via email, to confirm my identity, create a password and set an avatar etc. So from that I gather those coming from the Forum need to do the same thing here.
which leads me to OpenID. Get rid of it. Just use your forum/website/user logins. There's no need for this to have some connection to the outside world. It's an internal community and should be respected as such.
You can already use your forum login here at UnityAnswers (but not the other way around). And I don't see any point in getting rid of OpenID when nobody is forced to use it.
Open a new email account, and then join answers. You aren't forced, no, but it takes a lot of effort and cunning to avoid it, and Unity.Answers then seems to assume it's going to become my representative if I ever do joint OpenID.... for all I know I could have become part of openID by the way I had to REJOIN here, 3 days after first using this place without the OpenID pestering.
Test it, and pretend you don't know what's going on in the background, you'll be surprised by the coercion towards OpenID.
Get out of defense mode. What about gravatar, any comments/thoughts on that monstrosity?
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