Special Forum For Mac OS X Users

[BlindedByTheLight]

Well, first of all - this is my first post EVER to any online forum - though I read them often - and I just want to say upfront how utterly amazed, impressed and humbled I am by the knowledge and courtesy of almost everyone on this board.

As a new Celestia user, I am compiling a list of questions, thoughts and bugs to post - but before I post ANYTHING, I'm going to make sure I absolutely cannot find the answer myself. But I did want to drop a suggestion that perhaps it might be useful to have a Mac-specific forum on this site where ALL Mac-specific questions, bugs, etc. can go.

I know that would mean doubling up the categories (a developer looking for bugs would, conceivably, have to look into the general bugs forum AND troll through the Mac-specific forum)... however, my guess is - given how small the Mac-specific forum will probably be, that wouldn't be too much of a problem.

The benefits would be not cluttering up the other forums with Mac-specific information and also an increased ease of browsability for the Mac-users. As it is now, a very large percentage of the specific posts don't apply to Mac users which makes browsing for Mac-specific tips like looking for a needle in the haystack.

I'm not a programmer, I'm a writer - so I'm not sure of the technical hurdles to overcome here... but if it's a server-space issue, I think I can finagle some servers on the family's company business servers. If that isn't necessary I would love some feedback on how a non-programmer can contribute to this amazing project. As a sci-fi fan and writer my entire life, Celestia has BLOWN my mind - and I want to give back what it's given me.

[BlindedByTheLight]

One thing I wanted to add is that a special forum for Mac users would not only simplify matters for those who are LOOKING for answers... it would also make it easier for those of us who would like to try and offer answers - something I would also like to take part it. A bold statement for a newbie, I know...

Any thoughts? At least on if I've posted this item in the right spot... or should I be e- mailing the site adminstrator...

Thanks

[selden]

By posting here you'll get more comments.

Personally I fear it'd fragment the discussion too much. Remember that Celestia is a multi-platform program. People who use it only on one type of system often forget that it runs on others. Most problems that people report are not unique to a particular type of computer or a particular type of graphics card. When people read articles related only to their own type of computer, these types of problems can get reported several times by people who don't realize that they affect everyone.

[BlindedByTheLight]

<<Personally I fear it'd fragment the discussion too much>>

I agree - that is a big downside and risk. And I did notice how, despite Celestia being a multi-platform program, most of the posts related to things that were platform non-specific. I guess I'm just used to Mac users being such a small percentage of the user-base (1-2%) that any fragmentation would be mild.

I had actually intended the Mac OS forum to concern issues that were specifically platform-dependent - such as getting cels to work in the Mac OS, etc. But I guess, even with such a posting warning, that could depend too heavily on a user to make such a distinction.

But, as someone with FAR less experience than you surfing these boards, I shall happily defer to your judgement on that matters. It may even be that the number of solely platform-specific problems is so small as to not even warrent it's own space. But, like I said, either way... I shall defer.

Thanks for getting back to me and if you have any other ways I can contribute, let me know. I'm a TV writer now... but my training is in sound design. If someone is working on that angle... I'd be happy to lend my expertise (what little I have left) and royatly-free library!