[Erwin]

Originally Posted by spence2

Why ask for site feedback when the most anyone ever gets as a response is a defense of the status quo?

Respecfully, Erwin, do you not feel the present system could be improved?

I wasn't being defensive, I was just stating the obvious.

The issue is whether we need a whole new forum for this or not.

A few things:

1. Anyone can contribute to a hack by posting improvements or bug fixes directly into the hack support thread itself. No need to get permission for this.

2. Anyone can contact a hack author to ask to actually release a new version of the the hack that is substantially improved. Usually this is done via a PM. If that doesn't work, you can email the author using the email form.

3. If you get no reply from the hack author, then you cannot go ahead and re-use the hack authors code to make a new hack out of it.

If a hack author has left vB.org, having a new forum does not necessarily make any difference - if he or she is not reading a PM, why would a new forum be any different?

Possible solutions:

1. Have a checkbox when you submit a hack to say "Yes I allow this hack to be taken over by another hacker" or "No I will not allow anyone else to develop this hack".

The problem with this is that initially not many would choose to say "Yes".

2. A hack author, when he or she feels there is no longer an urge to continue developing a hack, can post in his or her hack support thread and just announce that the hack may be taken over.

I don't see why option 2 is not used more often.

I guess what I am trying to say is that a whole new forum may not be required.