forum folder for developer's code for Kayako

[PeteV]

I was wondering about this for some time now:

Would it make sense to set-up a separate forum folder for user-contributed code which could be considered by Kayako for quick implementation into eSupport?

I am not really talking about complete modifications for feature requests, but more along the line of quick fixes for bugs.

The reasons for this suggestion are:
1) As stated by Kayako, developers are in short supply.
2) Users contribute code in this forum all of the time.
3) Quite often, such user-contributed code solves long-standing bugs that are considered important by (or frustrate) many users.
4) Sometimes, Kayako developers may not find the best or easiest way to fix a bug. Inspiration by users may well be worthwhile.

Of course, not all user-contributed code can be implemented by Kayako developers (for various reasons, including longer-term objectives, internal priorities, and quality of code). But at least, ser-contributed bug fixes might expedite the bug-fixing efforts of Kayako developers.

Finally, the fact that Kayako would potentially consider adding user-contributed code to eSupport may well be a driving force (motivation) for users to try harder to supply such bug fixes to the forum, for the benefit of all users.

Such a forum folder would also bridge another gap between the forum and Kayako support/development.

... just a thought...

[Siora]

I agree with this idea...+1 for me.

[Jamie Edwards]

Hi Pete,

Essentially every thread and post here is read, so published code does not go unnoticed.

When users do publish fixes, we do not apply them directly - they are usually implemented from scratch by our own developers - sometimes following the shared code, sometimes not. This is so that our own developers understand the problem at hand, and the fix that is to be committed. It also enables developers to catch any consequences of the 'fix' that may cause problems that may have been missed by the contributor.

[jnet]

+1

[PeteV]

That makes sense.

The reason that I mentioned this topic now, is because of another thread about the Department/Staff drop-down list problem (Critical Bug: Department/Staff Drop Downs).

It looks like a user submitted a simple, one-line solution.

Although I could be wrong about this, I recall that Kayako (via this forum) told us that it would be difficult to fix this (type of) problem.

Perhaps I am just confused, but if Kayako deems this (type of) problem to be difficult to fix, and a user (indeed) publishes a simple solution, then both Kayako and its users would benefit greatly from user-submitted bug-fix code.

Actually, the most important reason for my suggestion (and more some reason I forgot to mention this -- perhaps it is just too obvious) is: When users make these user-submitted changes to their owned license, they need to re-modify their code repeatedly for each release of eSupport. Instead, if Kayako implements such changes, then this would no longer be necessary.