[Digikam-users] where is the user support?

[Michael Gerdau]

> I know this is open source same as other tools I use but honestly, I
> think the support capabilities are very limited and can easily be
> enhanced.

I beg to differ.

In my personal experience a forum tends to fill up with more noise than
a mailing list. Searching a mailing list is equally simple as searching
a forum, so no advantage for either approach in that arena.

Forums are hard to read offline while this is no problem for mailing lists.

> What I mean is that most open source tools have a forum tool
> for users to get help from the community. I found only this e-mail list
> as support option. I might suggest that a very easy way to start  it is
> for example using communities in Flickr. Not the best forum tool, but
> good enough for a starting point.

You are free to start your own community. If you do this nicely you will
attract people. If you don't they'll stay here.

Asking others to do that for you would seem kind of rude though (not
sure you actually did mean to ask others to do that though).

> I have faced many issues with digikam that seems to be wo.rking fine in
> Linux or other OS. I believe Windows (even though not the best OS), is
> still one of the most used ones so a lot of potential here

90% of desktops out there are Windows according to a recent census I've
seen.

[description of windows specific issues with digikam snipped]
> As a fan of digiKam, I would like to see it grow at the rate of other
> open source tools and I know I have to give my 5 cents into it, but what
> can we (users) do? If you give us options, I am sure few people
> (including myself) are willing to do what we could from our side.

I have no idea. But then I'm on linux...

> Hope I expressed my frustration in a positive way... If not, I apologize.

I did not take any offence :)


What about the following option:
Install VirtualBox or VMware or Hyperview or whatever virtual machine
you like and install a linux in that VM. That would allow you to try
linux and learn how to use it and you would run digikam in it's natural
environment.

The performance degradation should be moderate so given the problems you
described in your email you still should be better off.

Apart from that all I can suggest is learn how to code and join the team.
If that is not an option (and for many that is not) then you just may be
out of luck.

Best wishes,
Michael
-- 
 Michael Gerdau       email: mgd at qata.de
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