Anyone:
Do you think we will ever get notifications for the forums in the plugins database?
The number of developers who say "Don't reply here because I may not notice the post" has risen.
So has the number of posts "Sorry, didn't notice this"
-Derek
Hi Derek,
You'll be pleased to hear that Moodle HQ developer Apu is currently working on Plugins directory notifications. Please see MDLSITE-1427 for details.
The plugin developer does now get notified when someone comments on their plugin.
Do you think Helen they will ever notify others besides the maintainers?
-Derek
Derek - I wonder if you might provide some use cases where other types of notification would be helpful. For me the question is a little bigger in terms of how to push out information in a meaningful/useful way to folks about the plugins. For example, might a site admin who has installed a plugin want to receive comments or information that a review has been posted? Thanks for helping us to understand how notifications might actually be used. The great thing now is that we have a tool that we can continue tweaking to meet our needs. Peace - Anthony
Cool Anthony . A great question.
You know my efforts to get a few (IMO) basic functionalities into Moodle core over the years - my first e-mail to you was over four years ago I believe. In many cases (most cases), no joy, and the official word from MoodleHQ is plugins is the way to go, and the new plugins database, and the option to install without server access. (BRING IT ON!!)
This I can live with. I now will very rarely work with a Moodle hosting provider who does not offer the chance to install plugins for a reasonable cost. My preference is like the R-L approach here: http://www.remote-learner.co.uk/content/approved-moodle-modules-and-plugins like a whitelist. Took me a while to find some providers who were proactive in this respect.
We choose plugins with care. Is there likely to be a LONG wait for an upgrade to a new version of Moodle? Are they likely to go bust? Are they likely to remove functionality (which has happened) or ignore minor bugs? Do they answer questions? Are they well designed?
Plugin communuication is spread across many areas: docs, forums, tracker and plugin database, blogs, GIT, PM, email. If I have some level or responsibility for a site with plugins then I want to know everything that is going on. So along comes a channel I cannot monitor (the plugins database). Very frustrating. I ask a question, how do I know if there is an answer? Someone else asks a question I know the answer to - How do I know? Comment from the maintainer - how do I know?
A few other items:
Comments threaded view? I can handle NOT having threaded views.
No WYSIWYG or image insertion. Would be better with this.
Reviews. Not really worried about this at the moment. The discussion around this is unfinished. (I asked questions about the purpose of reviews etc and I got a sort of answer about who is trusted to write.) This may be an experiment that failed from my point of view, but it could change.
Stats. Cool
Documentation. I can live with what is there. No documentation: I will either write some or e-mail the writer of the plugin or something and if no response I just won't bother with the plugin . . . This is almost never an issue, even with comments and notes a bit scattered.
That's just my case. The ecosystem around Plugins then has become important to me. I would like to be able to subscribe to the forums in the plugins database to save having to go back there a lot . . .
-Derek