Add a top level category in the forum called "Community"

[nanorepublica]

Code of Conduct

• I agree to follow Django's Code of Conduct

Idea Description

I have been pondering about the top level categories. There have been a few changes recently which I think have been good. However I think there is still one missing which I would tentatively call “Community”

I would expect this category to house some off topic threads, meta feedback like this conversation as well as the existing “Events” and “Show and Tell” category.

In terms of the off topic threads, if I think in relation to Discord these type of off topic channels is where the most community has happen (family/pets and food being firm favourites)

Which existing platforms would this idea affect?

• Forum
• Discord
• Github
• Elsewhere (please tell us in the description)

Rationale

This matches Discord somewhat to keep them in pareity. However most importantly it brings the idea of community and discussion without having to be on-topic to the forum.

Problem

IMO the forum is a little dry, and this would allow for wider conversation and connection in the community.

Would you like to be involved in this idea?

• I would like to be involved in progressing this idea.
• I am only suggesting this idea, but I do not want to be involved.

Other Contributors

No response

Other Details

Originally posted in the forum here: https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/forum-feedback/17/93

[github-actions]

Thank you nanorepublica for sharing your idea! We have a lot of them so please be patient. You can see the current queue here.

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Reaction Guide

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[nanorepublica]

Ken initially replied to my feedback on the linked forum post with this:

First, I think this is something to be determined by the DSF. I don’t know how much this forum is costing the DSF, but my understanding is that there is an expense associated with it, and any changes to what is allowed here should be evaluated with an eye toward those expenses.

I would much prefer keeping the forum focused on the technical and administrative issues in the Django ecosystem.

I feel like this forum serves a different purpose than Discord or any of the other “chat-style” social media sites - more of a “Q&A wiki” than for “general conversation”.

Something that first surprised me is how many of the discussion threads end up getting indexed by Google and become highly-ranked answers when searching.

As a result, I don’t see where encouraging those types of conversations here adds value to the forum. If someone wants to talk about the weather, their pets, or their favorite recipies, there are plenty of other locations where that can be done - including Discord.

(Note: There’s also a precedence here for a related issue in that we don’t allow for “Help Wanted” or “Job Wanted” posts - again, with the idea that there are other sites better suited for those types of posts.)

Some of this concerns could be mitigated, but others are valid and need clear decisions. It's speaks to the need for a shared understanding of what role each platform serves.