WordPress Support Forums (not a plugin)

[Jim McClain]

I've been looking for a good support forum for WordPress admins and haven't had any luck so far. No offense to TAZ, but most WP owners and admins don't also use forum software and this WP forum on TAZ doesn't get a lot of play. Do any of you forum admins operate a forum that deals with WordPress and WP themes and WP plugins?

My server has a lot more WP installations than forums, but until recently, I have been more involved in forum admin issues than WP admining. But now WP is becoming more complex and more expensive. That's not a bad thing, but one negative is the lack of centralized support for WP, plugins and themes and the administrators that use them.

Got any recommendations?

 

[haqzore]

Not liking WordPress' own forums? https://wordpress.org/support/forums/
Prefer 3rd party?

 

[Alpha1]

Not liking WordPress' own forums?

Try to find anything there. Its a big cloud of dust.

 

[Jim McClain]

Not liking WordPress' own forums? https://wordpress.org/support/forums/
Prefer 3rd party?

I agree with Alfa1. Each theme and plugin has its own forum and it doesn't look like people having similar problems with different themes or plugins commune with their peers and support pros on those forums. Too often a problem goes without a public solution because the developer asks the user to open a ticket or to contact them privately. Then the user never goes back to the forum to explain what the solution, if any, was.

The theme I'm using (or rather trying to use) is quite popular, but the support channels are very narrow. The developer is in India, so there are delays between replies to the ticket that really test my patience. My current problem could be associated with a plugin instead of the theme, but I won't know that until the theme developer has finished his investigation. Then I'll have to search for help from one of the 23 plugin vendors I use.

While it's probable that even a 3rd party support forum would have separate forums for the most popular products, it also might be populated with the kinds of admins you find on TAZ for the various forum and plugin software. Someone who doesn't use the same theme or plugin, might have had and solved a similar problem with the theme or plugin they use and have a good suggestion, maybe even a solution. It'd be pretty rare to find that on the actual WP forums (I realize a WP forum groupie will have examples to try to disprove that, but it's still not the norm).

 

[haqzore]

I hear you guys. Part of the reason I posted that is because simply finding the forums to begin with isn't easy.

 

[Alpha1]

Its quite bizarre that there is no active, well organized forum for the most popular CMS on the net.
I think its because there is no good forum plugin for WordPress. Hence all forum endeavors seem to fail.

Maybe this: https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/

 

[haqzore]

https://wpbuffs.com/wordpress-support-forums/

This mentions stack exchange and some other options.

 

[Somniloquent]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Wordpress/

 

[Alpha1]

Yes, of course. Reddit has pretty much any topic.

 

[overcast]

I remember there was one plugin by Automatic named "SupportPress". But then again your requirement is not use the plugin. Just wanted to chime in with suggestion of that plugin for you to check out.

 

[Jim McClain]

I remember there was one plugin by Automatic named "SupportPress". But then again your requirement is not use the plugin. Just wanted to chime in with suggestion of that plugin for you to check out.

Please read at least the OP before replying. This topic isn't about a plugin or anything else you install on a website. I never mentioned a search for software even once. It was an inquiry about a forum, similar to TAZ, that supports WordPress webmasters. TAZ is the best forum I've found for forum webmasters, but it lacks in support for WP webmasters. I was looking for something that came close and was primarily focused on WP, WP themes and WP plugins.

 

[Alpha1]

Unfortunately there is no traditional forum about WP. Reddit is the next best thing. Its quite weird that it doesn't exist.

 

[cornnfedd]

im surprised but good point it never really occurred to me...

there are lots of blog sites offering help with wordpress but no real dedicated and functional site to do it....

opportunity for someone to create a CMS topic based forum perhaps?

 

[zappaDPJ]

I usually find myself fighting Google, desperately trying to refine my search words to bring up the answers I'm looking for. It feels like wadding through mud but then so do all the dedicated sites I've come across.

 

[R0binHood]

The best and fastest wordpress support I've received is on Facebook.

There's a **** ton of wordpress facebook groups.

Dedicated groups for themes, for plugins, for developers.

Just another case of people going to a a better community platform to get help.

Free to start, easy to grow, easy to post and get people to actually reply.

I hate to say it, but the search has improved too and is usable. A few of my recent theme issues I've been able to solve without creating new posts by searching in a facebook group.

 

[haqzore]

im surprised but good point it never really occurred to me...

there are lots of blog sites offering help with wordpress but no real dedicated and functional site to do it....

opportunity for someone to create a CMS topic based forum perhaps?

I just don't feel like a forum script is the ideal solution.

I know we all know this, but for the sake of this conversation: Forums facilitate conversations. Personally, "in depth conversation" (via forums) often blurs and slows my path to finding solutions.

Many times Reddit, StackExchange, etc suit it better.

I guess it kind of depends on what you're looking for though.

Q&A?
Or
"Let's chat about the best ____"

 

[cornnfedd]

technically no forum software is suitable and there are better options everywhere out there... BUT thats the battle we have chosen to participate in I guess..