[mapserver-dev] Adding stackexchange to our support channels

[thomas bonfort]

Hi MapServer Users and Power-Users,

As FrankW pointed out during our FOSS4G presentation, I would like to
propose that we add stackexchange as an "official" support channel for
MapServer. You can check and subscribe to mapserver related questions
here: http://stackexchange.com/filters/90617/mapserver

Why?

- Stackexchange questions and answers are very well referenced through
search engines, which would avoid recurring questions from being
brought up on the mailing list
- The answers get up or down-voted by the community, allowing a user
to immediately flesh out relevant information for a given question
- Asking a question on stack-exchange might help new users to seek for
help, instead of having to subscribe and post to a public mailing list
(which can be intimidating)

How?

- By referencing stackexchange in our "getting help" documentation section
- Most importantly, by having MapServer power users subscribe and
participate to the stackexchange questions, providing answers or
upvoting correct existing answers.

Users, is this something that you would find beneficial?
Power-users, would you be willing to participate to another support
channel, knowing that in the long run the aim is to reduce your
workload as the most common questions will answer themselves ?
PSC, should we have some kind of motion to vote and officialise this?

best regards,
Thomas