Iacopo MolesJan 6
Fi πŸ³οΈβ€βš§οΈ

Hot take:

Discord is not a documentation platform. It is a chat platform. If your project requires connecting to a discord to obtain necessary information, then your project is undocumented.

Nov 11 at 1:53amWeb
Show threadthe elder seaNov 11
@munin
Any project saying "check our discord" gets immediately discounted about sixty percent. It's a useless chat app that works less well than reddit for help.
Show threadCadenNov 11
@eldersea @munin yeah, IRC/Matrix/XMPP I can understand (for communication/community, not docs) but Discord is a huge no-go
Show threadRootWyrm πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦Nov 11
@munin actually, that take gave me severe frostbite.
Show threadFi πŸ³οΈβ€βš§οΈNov 11

@rootwyrm

yeah you're right I should label those 'burn hazards' without reference to whether it's a heat or cryo burn.

Show threadinfosec_jNov 11
@munin you're unkind to yourself. This is lukewarm at worst.
Show threadMeaningfulBitsNov 11
@munin I fucking hate products/projects that do this.
Show threadfuzzyfuzzyfungusNov 11

@munin Unfortunately the Discord cases are basically just the parts of the iceberg you can see.

Slack, or its incompetent nepo competitor Teams, are used for basically the same sins at Enterprise SaaShole scales.

Show threadFi πŸ³οΈβ€βš§οΈNov 11

@fuzzyfuzzyfungus

I was not being exclusive there. I was mostly posting about a specific thing I just encountered, which is annoying me.

Show threadtootbruteNov 11
@munin ok lets now call out ever project that does this...
Show threadnyanbinaryNov 11

@munin my favourite was still:

  • Finds vulnerability in webapp
  • No security contact so have to join discord
  • Opens up case (thread), get given email to contact
  • Yet to hear back on either the email or followup
    • Show threadInterpipes πŸ’™Nov 11
    @munin hot take: this is not a hot take
    Show threadGeorge BNov 11

    @munin

    Which is worse? Documentation exclusively in discord or documentation exclusively in videos?

    I just want a page of information I can scroll through and have to jump through no hoops to get to.

    Show threadCyberPunkerNov 11

    @gbargoud @munin Video documentation is bad but discord is worse or is it now possible to visit discord without making an account?

    I do prefer written documentation too.

    Show threadNatanox πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦πŸ‡΅πŸ‡ΈNov 11
    @CyberPunker @gbargoud @munin I once saw docs being uploaded into Discord, some of them short clips. There's always a step closer to rock-bottom.
    Show threadCyberPunkerNov 12
    @Natanox @gbargoud @munin 😱
    Show threadAndy GatesNov 11
    @gbargoud @munin Discord isn't searchable. Even Facebook works better!
    Show threadTamsin PowellNov 11
    Can search individual servers. But it’s about as good as share point
    Show threadNick Stevens GraphicsNov 11

    @munin

    I’m really fed up with support forums being shut down for discord.

    Forums can be indexed by search engines , and maintain a useful history.

    Show threadNatanox πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦πŸ‡΅πŸ‡ΈNov 11
    @Nick_Stevens_graphics @munin Doesn't even have to be a forum, a bloody subreddit is still more useful than Discord. Or, preferably, Lemmy channel / bin.
    Show threadElaineNov 11
    @munin Nuh, it's based.
    Show threadNick Stevens GraphicsNov 11

    @munin

    See also tutorial videos with Muzak behind the speech, and title frames of the presenter pointing across his chest at something that is not really behind him.

    Show threadrainynight65Nov 11
    @munin And Discord isn't even a *good* chat platform.
    Show threadarrbeeNov 11
    @munin
    You'd think the name would be a hint...
    Show threadSindastra :femin:πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈNov 11
    @munin I don't think that's a hot take, by any definition.
    Show threadIntaglio WhitegravenNov 11
    @munin Are there companies that actually use Discord as a documentation platform? I can see it taking the place of help forums (since Discord supports forum-type threads now), but documentation should be something different entirely. A wiki-type platform would seem OK for documentation.
    Show threadGary Nov 11
    @munin
    Show threadericjames* πŸΊβ€ΌοΈ (they/it)Nov 11
    @munin not a hot take. this is the truth

    and i'll go further: discord is not a good chat platform, nor is it great, excellent, or even the best. discord is only good at organizing communities. everything else can be done better on other services
    Show threadpecet πŸ¦’πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡ΊNov 11
    @munin Discord even sucks as QA platform. Just use regular ass forum which has search functionality so I can search my n00bie question that way.
    Show threadsoloNov 11
    @munin even worse: vencord which will immediately close an issue on github if you were not asked by a developer to do so. it's expected that you use their discord for support.
    Show threadlunya :neocat_flag_plural::neobot_floof_devil:Nov 11
    @munin @solonovamax excuse me what. ​​
    Show threadsoloNov 11
    @sleepybisexual @munin yeah
    Show threadhazel Nov 12
    @solonovamax @munin that's fucking horrible
    Show threadandromeda 🌌Nov 11
    @munin this should be a cold take

    - posted by Grey πŸ‚
    Show threadThe TurtleNov 11

    @munin my peeve is "LOOKIT THIS GREAT UTILITY ON MAC TO DO EXACTLY THAT THING YOU NEED TO DO RIGHT NOW" and the link goes to some github that has no binaries.

    This is like getting a restaurant recommendation "you have GOT to try their chicken stir-fry," and you go, and when you get there you are shown the walk-in cooler.

    Show threadVysogotaNov 11

    @munin on top of that it's a proprietary chat platform, and it is unethical to put such a barrier to participating in your community.

    In other words it's a shit chat platform at that...

    Show threadaburka 🫣Nov 11
    @munin extremely cold take tbh
    Show threadPfeffiminzteeNov 11
    @munin how is this a hot take? 🫠
    Show threadCrazy PonyNov 11
    @munin Additionally, not everyone can join Discord at all, they can raqndomly decide to reject people or demand a phone number to personally verify
    Show threadJake in the desertNov 11
    @munin ACCURATE take
    Show threadSpringy Owlbear Nov 11

    @munin it would be literally impossible for me to agree more. And by literally, I mean literally, not figuratively.

    I used to kvetch about this over on Bluesky regularly. Discord added a forum-like feature for paid accounts, but even it sucks for documentation or asking for assistance.

    Show threadChris JohnsonNov 11
    @munin That’s not hot; that’s categorically correct.
    Show threadFox in the Shell πŸ’œπŸΎπŸ¦ŠNov 11
    @munin THANK YOU!
    Show threadRahquuerNov 11
    @munin This! Documentation belongs in a wiki! πŸ’―
    Show threadSpycrabNov 11
    @munin that is an oce cold take.
    Do people actually do that shit?
    Show threadFi πŸ³οΈβ€βš§οΈNov 11

    @spycrab

    yes. frequently. see the other replies; a bunch of people have called out specific projects.

    Show threadSpycrabNov 11
    @munin oh. Ew that's cringe, lol
    Show threadRΓ©mi Nov 11
    @munin also, if you only offer support or bug reports via discord, your project is in the not touching bin. There are so many better ways to deal with those, even if it's just an email.
    Show threadChris HayesNov 11
    @munin not a hot take 😁
    Show threadLee πŸ–οΈNov 11

    @munin I'm sure someone will be repeating this mantra every few years. Ever since I read this article here I've always avoided contributing anything meaningful to platforms where it can be easily lost or buried

    https://karl-voit.at/2020/10/23/avoid-web-forums/

    Don't Contribute Anything Relevant in Web Forums Like Reddit

    Don't Contribute Anything Relevant in Web Forums Like Reddit

    public voit - Web-page of Karl Voit
    Show threadThe simulator girlJan 5
    @beachcomber @munin when I read "web forums", I don't think about reddit or so, I think of good old phpBB, which was often hosted by the project them self and imo a great way to share things
    Show threadScarlet Phoenix CollectiveNov 11

    @munin It's become both for us. Especially when it comes to game info.

    It's a sticky thing, honestly. Not everyone has money for domains, and if it's a nitchh project, or a volunteer one (World of Warcraft screen reader accessibility for one) it can be hard to find somewhere to host all the addons and resources needed.

    This said, I agree with you on it being a chat platform....if only it were more user friendly for us VI folks.

    Show threadMaximilian Overdraft, Esq.Nov 11
    @the_spc @munin Why do we need or want a platform or an external host or any of that drivel? Management likes it because it's cheap and they get a warm feeling from bossware, and turning labor into externalities are super efficient.
    Show threadπŸ• Paul πŸ¦„Nov 12
    @the_spc @munin There are better options that don’t cost money (e.g. Dropbox, Google Drive, Github, etc.).
    Show threadSpeaktrapNov 11
    @munin Amazing how not obvious it is for so many people
    Show threadnot a martian, honestNov 11
    @munin not even a hot take
    Show threadQuentin Stafford-FraserNov 11
    @munin Before this, people who weren't competent enough to write documentation had a 'Knowledge Base'...
    Show threadAlkaris  Nov 12
    @munin Some would argue Arch Wiki has way better documentation than these bozos who exclusively use Discord for their projects "documentation" if you can even call it that.
    Show threadDeadly HeadshotNov 12
    @munin
    The same can be said of IRC and to some extent even forums. Proper documentation is vital whether you have these or not.
    Show threadMcNeelyNov 12
    @munin this is not a hot take, it is a fact.
    Show threadβ›§π”‰π”žπ”«π”€π”Άπ”Άβ›§Nov 12

    #not-a-hot-take-should-be-standard-actually