Helping Others

[catalunian]

As a relative child in the land of programming language I feel it would be nice if some of the experts were to oversee the posts on a rota basis.I say this because I see lots of posts that dont get an answer,I could answer them myself but only to commiserate with the bewildered poster.I think the expert have forgotten what it is like when you are just starting, what to them now is a "no problem" can become an issue of great magnitude to us lesser educated mortals.

So come on you of the higher etchelons be benevolentand help the newbies.

 

Catalunian

 

I would remind everybody to review the security on their site put an extra password to your admin two passwords increase the security by the power of 10squared

[burt]

Do you think that "experts" have time to help out on a rota basis?

 

What about the possibility of people like you paying monthly for access to a part of this forum, on which "experts" are on patrol to give good help. These experts get paid appropriately via the monthly income. Perhaps you should propose this to HPDL ;)

[jdvb]

Do you think that "experts" have time to help out on a rota basis?

 

What about the possibility of people like you paying monthly for access to a part of this forum, on which "experts" are on patrol to give good help. These experts get paid appropriately via the monthly income. Perhaps you should propose this to HPDL ;)

For that I'd make more time then I do now :)

[Guest]

Do you think that "experts" have time to help out on a rota basis?

 

What about the possibility of people like you paying monthly for access to a part of this forum, on which "experts" are on patrol to give good help. These experts get paid appropriately via the monthly income. Perhaps you should propose this to HPDL ;)

You know how it is. Everybody wants something for free. God forbid someone isn't there the second they post a question let alone the question not getting answered. :'(

[Xpajun]

How about free to view the answers as in FAQs but pay to ask a question - would that stop the repetitive questioning maybe? :-" :-" :-" :lol:

[satish]

We can not change the forum.

The world over all forums work this way.

 

Ye the suggestion to have an expert area accessible by paid members is a good idea.But then NO one will be posting on this non paid member area.

 

Satish

[Hotclutch]

As a relative child in the land of programming language I feel it would be nice if some of the experts were to oversee the posts on a rota basis.I say this because I see lots of posts that dont get an answer,I could answer them myself but only to commiserate with the bewildered poster.I think the expert have forgotten what it is like when you are just starting, what to them now is a "no problem" can become an issue of great magnitude to us lesser educated mortals.

So come on you of the higher etchelons be benevolentand help the newbies.

 

Catalunian

 

I would remind everybody to review the security on their site put an extra password to your admin two passwords increase the security by the power of 10squared

 

I personally see no need for this. Oscommerce works out of the box. Most issues are well documented here on the forum, and in the contribution section. You just have to search. Also there are experts who reply here and give generously with their knowledge.

[johnnybebad]

The help on a rota basis, isnt that what happens now. actually its usually better than that, many of those involved with contributions check the suport threads dailyish and reply with advice. But how many replies have said please see post xyz for the answer, which was posted days ago but the poster didnt search for it?

 

Granted the searching of the forum can be hard at times, but if those helping others out have to wade through repative questions, no new/updates of contributions get done and the trouble shooting of issues not previously reported go on a back burner.

 

okay if someone posts a question that has been answered twenty times plus already, then its unlikely to get answered again or in a rush.

 

I try and give what advice I can and as a novice its limited to what I can give.

 

The advice I have recieved FOC has been great, and I am trying to learn more and rather than asking for a solution trying to find out where to look and try and work it out, well some of the time at least.

[burt]

It's certainly worth exploring the idea in my opinion - after all, so long as there is still a free area in which people can post, they then also have the option to pay for a solution.

 

I suppose it is all about bringing more choice to the community, and also to allow those members of the community who are not defined as experts to actually realise that the 5, 6 years experts have put into the community is regarded as useful. I can't tell you how annoyed I get to answer a question, to find that there is never a thanks or sometimes even any response at all.

 

Let's be serious about it - osCommerce is solely used to make money for shop-owners. Well, at least I hope so! Why can these shop owners not see having an expert on hand as a necessary expense.

 

Also, some of the funds could very easily be kept by osCommerce to help with future funding, or donated to FSF (or whatever is seen fit by HPDL). To me, it seems a winner all around. At least it could be worth trying - if it doesn't pan out, scrap it.

[satish]

I suggest they keep a guide.

 

How to get an expert for Your osCommerce site.This guode to have tips on How they can search go thru member profiles etc if they want an expert to assist.

 

That will do the trick.

 

Satish

[arnpro]

I think this is a good idea to be honest.

 

So to prove it is, let's have the first issue resolved by this group :D. Let me introduce you my problem: in my site: http://sri.com.ve the osCID keeps changing, what could it be? thanks

 

p.d. I'm new at this so try to give me concrete answer please, really appreciated. You can PM me also and I'll let you know more about my configs and all that stuff you might need to solve it.

[rockyt]

Do you think that "experts" have time to help out on a rota basis?

 

What about the possibility of people like you paying monthly for access to a part of this forum, on which "experts" are on patrol to give good help. These experts get paid appropriately via the monthly income. Perhaps you should propose this to HPDL ;)

 

 

I like the idea of the reciprocal approach. Whereby one receives help because they have helped others. A sort of karma if you will. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I feel the moderators aren't deserving of payment.

[Jan Zonjee]

I think this is a good idea to be honest.

I agree there are people here who do not mind paying for expert help. Unfortunately, there is no place for it on the forums. Our forum rules forbid it and the team (at least in the past) was against it (again unfortunately in my view).

 

However, Gary's idea is not practical in my opinion. Someone would have to do bookkeeping, go after non-payers, have to deal with tax issues etcetera, etcetera. A lot of work for relatively small amounts of money (I assume).

 

I can think of so many issues that might surface that I don't even want to start putting them here.

 

There are people who are realistic about an hourly wage of an expert but I have also seen enough posts from people who would like a templated shop with this and this and this and this added and are willing to pay $50. Yeah, that might be enough for a factory worker in China or Indonesia but I hope they wise up there too and demand a reasonable pay for their honest work.

[Guest]

I have to agree with Jan.

 

 

I sell pre-configured carts and none sell for the amount of money that has been mentioned in this post. I am always willing to give back to this community by sharing my knowledge with forum members, but if someone contacts me to do work for them, my hourly wage is higher.

 

Although, the idea of perhaps have a referral section for those are are offering paid services on this forum might be a good idea. A separate section for just those offering paid services ? Just an idea.

 

 

 

Chris

[Jan Zonjee]

A separate section for just those offering paid services ? Just an idea.

Something that Drupal has? Or like the forums.oscommerce.nl where only logged-in users can see a forum with questions for paid assistance?

 

However, as said the team has opposed this in the past so I think there is little chance this will happen.

[Guest]

Yes Jan, Exactly like Drupal.

 

 

I think that funding from an affiliate program might allow OSC Team Members to access those funds for resources such as hosting and Cart development projects. Perhaps Team Members might look at reconsidering this approach instead of just looking at donations and corporate sponsorship.

 

 

Chris

[Hotclutch]

As a store owner, I would not mind knowing who is for hire from the forum. If I am going to hire someone, my first preference would be for somebody from here, who gives back to the community. How about displaying a "For hire" button below those members avatars, with contact information in their profiles?

 

I think the problem with a paid section will be that many store owners will not want to make the details of their projects public.

[Xpajun]

I think maybe a list of approved osC programmers on this site could well be a good idea. Yes I know... who would be qualified to do the approving. But what makes me think this is the thought of someone googling for an osC programmer, being ripped off then coming back here to complain (like we have had in the past by people googling osC approved hosts).

 

At least allowing (perhaps after payment) a osC programmer the right to advertise in their sigs would help, maybe?

[burt]

Perhaps even just a locked topic which has the links to the forum profiles of those who are do good work with osCommerce, and have a known track record in the forum. Drupal has something similar, it seems to work.