[ubuntu-uk] What aren't we doing? What should we be doing?

[Ronnie Tucker]

The idea (below) from scoundrel50a got me thinking.

How about a site/page where people who have Ubuntu installed could go 
for help. This site/page would have volunteers logged in and waiting for 
folks needing help. When the person needing help types something into a 
text box on the page, or picks a problem from a list, the volunteers who 
are all logged in would get an audible ping. First one to click a big 
'I'll help!' button gets to help the person. The click idea (rather than 
being assigned a person) is that if someone wanted help with servers 
then I wouldn't click as I'm clueless about servers. Anyway, the first 
thing the helper would do is guide the person (in text chat) on how to 
enable remote access. Once that's done the helper can text chat while 
visually showing the person how to do whatever it is they need help with.

Taking it a step further could be that the helper could Skype the person 
(if available on both ends), or have the site SMS (text) volunteers to 
say that there's someone needing help, but no helpers logged in. There 
are Android/iPhone apps that allow receiving 'texts' through data, so it 
wouldn't cost anything to send the texts (in theory).

I'd certainly stay logged into the page and help folks.



On 24/06/11 12:53, scoundrel50a wrote:
> Ok, I been thinking about this for a while, since somebody helped me a 
> short while ago, with this backlight problem, by using ssh to access 
> my computer. I spent somewhere in the region of about 8 hours asking 
> various people to help, on I think it was three different Ubuntu 
> channels. We were going back and forth and it was frustrating, even 
> more frustrating for the person helping. Then in about 5 minutes, 
> accessing the computer via ssh it was proved to be unworkable in the 
> present Kernel. I know, after being around Ubuntu for about 4 near 5 
> years, a lot of problems can be sorted or at least discovered quite 
> quickly using the terminal. Wouldnt it be more viable and less 
> frustrating, if after a short period of time, either an offer of 
> payment for direct ssh connection was made there and then, or it was 
> booked for sometime later. That way, it becomes than just time not 
> well spent. Surely it would save a lot of effort.....just a few 
> thoughts.....
>
>

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