[theflow]

James, this was very helpful, thank you. I understand the dilemma and I'd like to offer my 2 cents since I am an information designer by trade.

(1) That extra click has a lot to do with it. The way I view it, it's like those beautiful architectural renderings of the new University campus building with landscaping... with grass lawn "here" and sidewalks specified "there" and "there". The building is finished, students start using it, and soon the sidewalks are often discarded in favor of cutting a more direct path through the beautifully manicured grass. Initially, the University puts up signs "do not walk on grass", but eventually they usually give in to: okay, may as well put a sidewalk there since that's where people like to go naturally.

(2) While I think it's helpful to have a clean division of Requests and Releases, and though some people follow the stated protocol, it looks to me like a much larger number of users opt to use this forum for requests. I think that says something worth noting.

(3) If I might make a suggestion, I would let this forum officially become the place for all Active Requests & discussion about hacks, and maybe just convert the subforum which is currently called "Requests" into the "Requests Archive" -- where request threads get moved once a stable hack has been released addressing that request. (see #5)

(4) I would suggest that any and all Hack releases, in whatever stage of release (mini or whatever), NOT be placed in this forum. It's too muddy. If desired, you could add one more subforum to the top called "Hacks in Progress" where people who are expermenting with a hack and getting feedback on it can keep a clean dialogue going that doesn't pollute the stable Hack relaeses. Then when the Hack in Progress is releasable, a Mod moves it to "Released Hacks".

(5) I would suggest that a great protocol to add to anyone releasing a Hack in response to a Request, regardless of the stage of that hack, is this:

Paste in the URL to the initial Request at the top of your thread. This is helpful in linking the request to the solution. Further, let's just say you follow my suggestion and create a "Hacks in Progress" subforum: when the hack is deemed releasable as guaged by posters saying "yeah that works, thanks, etc", then a Mod can not only move the Hack into the "Released Hacks" subforum, but Mod can also click on the Request thread and then move it to the "Requests Archive" forum, thus signifying it's a closed action item.

Summarizing:

Subforums at top:

Hacks in Progress
Releases: Version 2.x
Releases: Version 1.1.x
Completed Requests: Archive

Let the main forum underneath be for all

Hack Requests


2cents