Add a sort of a discussion Bulletin Board

As all of the topics in Bulletin Board get locked as it’s “not for discussion”, I think we should have a category that is like the Bulletin Board, but where replies are allowed.
Sometimes, you want to announce an update in your game or project and want people to share feedback on it. In the current BB, all topics get locked so it’s currently a sort of “post an update as an announcement without any discussion”. People sometimes want to share their feedback and report bugs to update topics, and as you cannot link Discord on there, you also cannot communicate with others through the topic.
Adding a sort of a Bulletin Board for discussion would help people with communication to the developers about updates and help the developers with getting feedback and bug reports, as there’s no category other than the BB where you can share game updates and stuff.

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Is it not viable to simply allow replies in bulletin board? Maybe locking the catagory after a week since last reply.

Given everyone has it muted I don’t really see the problem with allowing this.

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The developer forum is reserved to developers, and shouldn’t be used for public discussion. If you are aiming to start a conversation about your game with developers, posting it in Lounge/Off-topic is your best option.

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Though I support this, it’s honestly better to use something like Discord / Google Forms / in-game UI to get feedback and bug reports. Additionally, users <13 can’t join and new Visitors would need to join via the automatic process before being able to post.

Then how are you supposed to get feedback/bug reports as a developer if not through the official Roblox Developer Forum? Lounge is restricted to Regulars, and not everyone is one.

As it has already been stated, only 13+ users can use the DevForum and then they would have to read posts forever in order to get promoted. Discord is not the only option. Try in-game feedback messages. Also, you can have a group to receive feedback from your fans or just allow everyone to message you.

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You could try out setting up your own forum for that. Yes, Discourse is open-source.

You just need a Linux server to host it on and you can download the whole Discourse and dependencies easily as a Docker container.

Discord
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Your own forum
Trello or similar
Group wall
In-game UI linked to a datastore or via a webhook to any suitable place / external database
Google forms

If you’re concerned about ensuring under 13s can access and post, then group wall and in-game GUI are superior to using a forum.

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Honestly I’d love to have like some place to actually CHAT with other Roblox DevForum users, not on discord just on this actual site. Perhaps they could actually add like chatrooms similar to Reddit.

A live chat wouldn’t work in a professional environment like this forum. Discourse just isn’t designed for that. Just use Discord. There is an unofficial Discord server for Developer Forum members.

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It isn’t really “unofficial”, as a lot of Roblox content monitors are on there, including Coefficients.

Doesn’t matter. It wasn’t made by a representative of Developer Relations and isn’t endorsed by Roblox, it was made by a community member.

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Now…I was going to reply to the actual OP

It’s going to allow random people to post in the category once they find your thread. I don’t want that.

It is meant for external communication. But not in the sense that anyone can reply. Bulletin board is meant for posting information for your off-forum communities so that you can link it in your group/game descriptions.

Not every person in a game’s fanbase is a developer let alone in the developer forum so this is not going to work.

While Discourse is open source and I would like to set up a forum, I am not going to:

  • Pay $200 a month for a domain
  • Pay $350 a month for hosting
  • Set it all up (I cannot code)

That’s $550 a month for something that would likely be used so little times.

Absolute lie. Domains cost up to 10$ on godaddy…

Depends on where you set it up. Seen a lot of good hosting a for far less.

Many hostings that are meant for discourse are either already preloaded or have easy to follow tutorials.

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Why should we have to make our own website for something like this though?

Please read the conversation…

I did yet I find it is silly this doesn’t exist already. Concerns over <13 users? Add a chat filter and other features to ensure that it complies with COPPA and other child protection laws.

You need an account in order to use the DevForum and it collects data on you to ensure that it’s used 100% correctly.

To make it COPPA compliant, they’d have to remove the current account model and make it so 99% of the data isn’t collected thus rendering the forum unusable.

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