Homey Community Structure (Categories/Topic's)

Topic split from other discussions about the Forum Structure.
(To keep the other Topics on-Topic)

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The idea of a question is that it is answered. Not so many questions on this forum are tagged as answered.

If you mean not so many topics…
Correct: many topics are not clear questions but have multiple suggestions from fellow community members. And offten several new questions added often also from many others.
Marking a single post as solution makes it weird. Often someone marks his own post as solved. Leaving many more questions like what the actual solution was for that member.

Maybe the structure should change. For example in the topic [APP][Pro] Philips Hue Zigbee (Without the bridge) I cannot create my own question about some motion sensors not being recognized as a topic. When I get an answer, I cannot mark it as closed. so topics are to much high level.

The app threads are used like a chat.
You can ask app specific questions and you will get an answer there (from community or developer).
Most developers have “their” topics subscribed, so the chance is really high to get an answer very soon.
And these topics are also used to announce version updates or other information to the app users.

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without wanting to appear hostile, this is going off-topic. :wink:

Please create a new Topic for that, I know many things have been discussed before but if new or better options are available we can re-consider the current structure,

One old Topic I already found.
Every app should have it's own sub-forum under the "apps" forum

But feel free to discus the forum structure (Within the limitations of Discourse an the impact on users experience on the community)

I can move these posts from here.

Edit and this one [Request] Separate community categories for Homey Pro and Homey Bridge

Ok!

I can only ask a question by replying. Not by starting my own thread.

Why is this a problem?
All forums I know are moderated this way. Questions about a common case are grouped into one thread.

If you are searching for a question/answer/hint, you should search the forum.
And then it doesn’t maky any difference if questions are single topics or if they are inside a group topic.
For second case you have the benefit that you can read along this thread.

I hope that was not hostile now…to keep on topic :smile:

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I’m under the impression you mean, like, the blue reply button should be renamed from ‘Reply’ to, like, ‘New post’?
From:

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That might be just Discourt’s default layout;
HA forum is very similar:

Yes, so I give my post its own title. And different questions/subjects are not mixed up in one thread.

That would Mix all different App-Questions in one big Category.
Making probably difficult to find the information regarding ons App.
The Topic Starter is not informed (now asking in a big Topic (fe [App] xyz ) informs all (Most) members in that Topic. Including fe a Developer.

Creating more Category’s wil make it probably more complex to find the information let alone that the current users already can’t find the correct category to create their new Topic.

In my opinion the current Discourse isn’t designed to do that.

But maybe two steps back:

What is the problem you have with the current Structure? What Issue do you want to solve?

When I search the forum and find a post which describes my problem, I have to read a lot of messages which have nothing to do with the question and still I don’t know if there is a solution. So I quit, probably like most users do.

And I would like to read through post indicated as “solved”.
As an example, try to find the solution how to get the motion sensor Hue Philips SML002 installed. It is somewhere in this community :grin:.

Edit: it is the SLM004

Most TS continue discussing, never Check it as Solved.
and often start with a Topic with 9 questions, op serious, al least more than one…

So probably more information will be scattered across the forum,
it will often still mis the “Solved”
and the questions ar only seen by active users opening the question. Now a Follow-up notices everyone already active in that topic. (an probably those with same App/Brands/Device’s )

Do you have a example of other Community’s where it works that way?

I used to work with product support of VEEAM, but that is not really a community. Although one could see all product support requests. And of course one had to fill in some required fields to structure the questions.

I know VEEAM (not the community) but that are probably other kind of users, Let’s say it are IT Technical Custommers …

not the Homey consumers and how many TS fil in enough information for help?

Guess VEEAM als doesn’t have 400+ Apps and 100’s of brands and devices.

I agree,
But I think it helps the community if information can be (more easily) found. That comes at a price, like structuring information.
And the number of Homey subjects keep on growing. So a few “chatboxes” will sooner or later not be sufficient.
This is also something Athom has to think about, as there is quite some overlap between community and product support. Usually for other products there is only product support. So this community takes some burden from Athoms shoulder.

I agree, but the filtering is on the Athom support (fil in your Homey, Subscription, Device, App etc…)
but not many user / consumers understand that fully and have a question: Device not mentioned, or wires…
So for Support, Athom takes that step, but up to what their responsibility is.
Users have far more questions…

Creating a complete structure is difficult.
should this Q be put under Zigbee or below Hue-App ? And What if it is used with a Hue Bridge?

There are to many Categories that need to be created.
Anyway, Search is your friend.
even when you start typing a new Topic a lot of potential relates topics are provided.

or even the Show top replies:
image

Conclusion: users have to deal with this forum as it is.:wink:
As you are the topic starter, you can close this topic.

But that depends on the discipline of the topic owner, not on the community, the moderators or Athom.

In my opinion a lot of problems und mess happen because of indiscipline, starting with not reading or following the forum rules. Maybe the forum platform is not suitable.
However, any suggestion from the community is welcome to make the forum easier.