As a frequent visitor here and while I’m trying to give back to this project by helping others, I often see the same questions coming back regularly.
For questions about hardware, I think it could be very helpful to share experiences if it’s done in a certain/‘controlled’ way.
This could be as simple as creating threads per type of device where users share their opinion about that device.
I don’t know if the forum software has the ability to create templates so that some kind of form can be completed with a personal experience.
If these threads are restricted to only providing the pre defined information I think it might work.
This is just a rough idea so how to put this in place might be a discussion itself.
There’s these two, which you’re probably already aware of:
Don’t know how often they’re updated, though.
Otherwise, you might try something in the community guides - the first post in each thread there is a wiki which can be edited by anybody. You could perhaps set up some kind of proforma for contributors to use?
I have been a little less active here lately but picking this up.
My idea to make it a community project was mainly because one cannot achieve by himself what a group of people can.
@tom_l & @Stiltjack: the idea is to have user feedback, not raw information.
That’s the opposite of a community project.
Since I wanted to brainstorm about this, I have started this thread in the Social section.
The way I see it:
In the hardware category you get 1 thread for every specific type of hardware
Some kind of template in the OP as a guideline of what is worth/useful to share
Some kind of moderation to keep these topics clean and to the point
This might be a example for 1 product, just out of the top of my head.
Topic/thread title: User experiences: Sonoff SNZB-03 (motion sensor)
Each experience: In use since: 1 Oct 2021 Number of this item in use: 4 Positive: Small, cheap Negative: Reliability My rating (1-5, 1 being bad, 5 being super): 1 Comment: These were the first motion sensors that I tried.
Some of them work more reliable then others, bending the contacts, adding some cardboard between battery and lid didn’t solve anything.
Hi Maikel, the only maintenance I see could be some moderation when it goes off topic.
We all know that topics can end up in the same issues over and over again, discussions, disagreements, new questions (hijacks), …
Apart from that, each user will write his/her experience and each topic becomes a source which can help you to choose.
In this case the ‘template’ in the OP should be a guideline to follow and respect.
I meant, “let’s chat privately about the nuts and bolts of Velbus & HA, then we can come back here and offer useful collated information, rather than muddy the water with chatter”
FYI, Maikel and I have been working together on the Velbus side of things for years.
OK, I’ve taken the plunge and started a thread in Community Guides (so that the template can be edited). Presumably it would be moved to Hardware eventually?
One problem that comes up immediately: there doesn’t seem to be a hardware tag. I’ve put it under zigbee, which is wrong.
Edit: Have now created a hardware tag. Apparently you have to create the post with one of the existing tags, then edit to create a new tag and delete the original one. Odd. I’ve also created a user-experience tag.
Two threads about how to do this can become confusing (since @orange-assistant had reacted with a device different from the first one, of course adding your experience can give new ideas)
In the end, I think, it can be interesting if a topic title reveals for which device you can find the user experiences.
So each thread goes about that 1 specific device.
My idea was to discuss on what information would be necessary in the template and how to put all this into place.
I wanted to ask for ideas/opinions because I might see it wrong/to limited.
Ah. Have I misunderstood? I was thinking one thread for each generic type of device (IR blaster in this case) and a post for each user experience. Some people might have different experiences of the same device, some might have different devices. Then a user looking for IR blaster recommendations could go to a single place and scroll down.
Still, this is what trial posts are for!
It’s in community guides - so you can edit the template!
I also have edited my post with the example by adding the function of the device.
Like that, if someone does a search, or browses the forum, he/she will find the user experiences for that specific device in the title.
Of course, you get more threads since in you and orange-assistant have 2 different devices.
I don’t see a problem with that, my idea was to start from specific devices instead of topics about device types.
If we are starting to do this, why not go for more detailed/specific devices?
As you are already not using the wiki format of the community guides (only the first post is editable by everyone) I have moved it to the Hardware category.
As stated previously this is not a good solution. People will post there asking questions and not use your accepted format.
Reviews for devices are not correlated by device making searching vestry hit and miss.
Try searching the massive Australian Certified Hardware topic.
If the moderation requirements become excessive it will be closed and you will be directed to use a more appropriate solution like a wiki.
Think of it from a user point of view. A recent convert to HA wants an IR blaster but has no idea what’s available. If there’s a thread for each device, she/he has to do quite a lot of searching.
