Question

Why has the User Wall feature been dropped? This seems to be a backwards step in an age of social networking. Q2A took ages to finally get around to adding such features (even if it wasn't perfect) and it is disappointing to see it withdrawn. In my opinion, enhancing these areas of user 'interactivity' is vital for a platform to not only survive, but to actually grow. 

Answer 1

Well you have a point,

For me the user wall feature was lame, I dont use it beacause frankly I did not know its specifci function. I think we can actually do better than the user wall by dropping it and then considering the whole social features from scratch. What social features would you want to see in powerqa?

For me, I prefer social features that inetegrates into existing social networks,

1. Can I auto post my answer/question/topic to twitter or facebook or any social media?

2.Can i just login smothly with any social account,

3.Can i invite my friends on any social media to powerqa?

3.Can I point a discussion or question to a particular user?

4.Can I do something to get more interest in my question/discussion?

5.Can I re-ask a question someone asked if there is no answer or if I dont like the answer?

6.Can i do anything to re-open a question that was closed without a very good answer/reason

etc

Thats the kind of social features I would want to see for a start,

What about you? Can you explain further exactly how the wall post was used in your case and why it should be maintained and improved as a social feature?

Thanks

Comments

I can see why one might wish to interact with outside social networks like Facebook et al. But what's wrong with becoming the 'social network' per se?

Nobody needs another FB. But what I would advocate, is for PQA to provide the means to engage users 'inhouse' rather than have users go to another site to 'talk' to their friends etc? It serves FB well to have links from sites such as this but let's face it. What real benefit does that provide for PQA... If anything, it might suggest that Q2A/PQA cannot stand on their own?

1.    I would like to see an integrated blogging system and one plugin from elsewhere, has proven that it can be done.

2.    I also didn't like the Wall Post offering on Q2A but not because it didn't have promise. But rather the contrary, it promised but never delivered... PMing and Wall Posting was more of an artform than a science! Whilst notification of any activity was simply voodoo!! What use are tools that are burried away?

3.    User home pages that the user can 'own' in terms of backgrounds, uploading photos and whatever... It should be the first place a user goes to and it should allow them to catch up on responses to their own and their friend's activities, it should also be the central point for Private messaging, 'chatterboxing' and contain the User Wall (if such a feature is to exist).

I'm not personally interested in many of the 'frills' proposed in 3 above. But my potential users are and to the extent, that they have left test sites in droves because these things did not exist in one easy to find location.

Q2A's  downfall is that it doesn't provide what 'Users' want. It provides what the main developer wants and wants the user to have... The insistance that a platform (A Q&A Forum) is only to be that and not look ahead, or be willing to meet the needs of people who ultimately implement the software and their final users. Is a narrow minded and doomed mindset (imo).

Increasingly, this platform has to address the needs of niche markets and end user specialities. I'd like to have a site that engages my users enough to keep them logged in and whilst it is good to have the ability to share on other sites where people wish to. I don't think it should be the be and end all of social intercourse/exchange... Twitterers and Facebookers should want to come to us and presumably stay, because what's on offer, is specifically for them?

I hope my thoughts help, rather than hinder future developement and decision making.

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Thanks Funrunna and Vanbells. I had the same opinion as Vanbells. The idea of the public message is good. But, basic concept (user interface) is not good. I can not still understand how to use this feature. Especially, it is reply method. And, I hope PowerQA is a platform for many users to discuss. However, basically concept is discussion place for one-to-one (face to face) in the specific timing. By the way, basic concept of the Facebook is the Timeline. This is different from Q2A public message.

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@ Funrunna,
You really have raised very good points.