[Playlist] community software for supporting users (was Re: "Using the XSPF")

[Lucas Gonze]

Bjorn Wijers wrote:
> ps: Lucas et al, should we create a mailinglist for user questions as it
> seems that we'll get more questions from users that would like to use
> XSPF? A list which could contain some dev's that created user apps? I
> would be willing to help out with this.

Some cons --

My perception is that we haven't yet been really overwhelmed by these 
questions in this list, so this isn't yet necessary.  How do other 
people feel about this?  Am I in the minority?

People who have a hard time just setting up a Flash player are probably
not going to be able to manage a mailing list.  These users would be
better served by a web forum.

We'd need to achieve critical mass of people helping out and answering
questions.  That's not so easy.

Some pros --

Doing a better job of helping out the users would be a good thing.

A unified help channel for all XSPF tools would put these tools into
more direct competition, and that competition would ultimately lead to
better tools.

I personally get a lot of user-level XSPF questions in the mail and I'd
like to have a better place to direct people than the musicplayer forums.

...

Now, let me add something to this conversation -- the state of the
applications list at xspf.org.  That list is now too big for the concept
of one big page to make sense.  What we need is something along the
lines of a portal for users.

This portal would help users find finished software for creating and
rendering playlists.  It would also help them collaborate to debug
problems.  It would also help them share tips about using XSPF software
in specific contexts, such as on livejournal.

So let's say that there existed a web site at a domain like 
"xspfhelp.com".  This site would have a directory of readers (meaning 
players and content resolvers) and authoring tools, plus an excellent 
set of forums. People who prefer mailing lists would subscribe to forum
notifications.  To simplify administration the entire site, from front
page to FAQ, could be a single set of forums.

Developers would be motivated to support this site because it made their
lives easier.  The reader developers wouldn't have to answer questions
about authoring problems, the authoring developers wouldn't have to
answer questions about player problems.  Also, new experimental software
and adventurous users would be able to find each other.

...

Maybe I will do that myself, I don't know.  It wouldn't be hard.  The 
reason not to is that it will distract me from supporting developers, 
which is my current role.

Thoughts?