New Google Group - MATE Companions

Meta
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How many of you out there feel that the primary attractant is the Desktop Environment, with the underlying OS being a secondary consideration, as long as it is Unix-/Linux-like?

If you agree with that viewpoint, then I would like to invite all those who cherish the MATE Desktop to come visit, hopefully to join, a new Google Group which I have named the MATE Companions.

The hope is that with everyone of like mind sharing a common venue to discuss issues, strategies and solutions, it must have as a consequence a synergistic result of improving the overall Desktop ecosystem, if that widely-scattered web of shared experience were leveraged for common benefit, rather than limited to the various "silos" associated with any single Distro!

The greater benefit would be to give visibility of the size of the MATE-specific community, in a centralized place, which could then help raise the awareness of

  • the full extent of the degree of need/demand,
  • with a view to encourage developpers to pursue that "market demand".

We hope you will relate ... to this expression of shared need ... and consider joining the Companionship soon!

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Thanks for the effort here, Eric. Worth noting for others reading: MATE discussion on Ubuntu specifically has a natural home at Ubuntu Discourse, which has a much larger audience and active contributors. The consolidation Martin's proposing isn't the end of Ubuntu MATE — it's just moving the conversation to where more of the wider Ubuntu community already is.

A cross-distro Google Group is an interesting idea, though Google Groups does feel like a step backwards in terms of discoverability and modern tooling. Something like a Matrix room or a category on an existing forum might get more traction.

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As the Ubuntu MATE Discourse is transitioned to a read-only archive, I would encourage Ubuntu MATE users to join this Ubuntu Discourse instance :mate:

Please make good use of the Ubuntu MATE sub-category, which was kindly created by the Ubuntu community team at my request, so that Ubuntu MATE users can continue to help and support each other, while benefiting from being in the same place as the wider Ubuntu community.

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Both should be useful
The official Discourse AND the Google Group
Complementary, since this one here is EoL.
W

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Thank you, @wimpy and @popey , for sharing those posts under this topic. Much appreciated!

I don't see any conflict between the Ubuntu Discourse based forum and the MATE Companions forum.

Ubuntu's will maintain its focus, as it always has, on Ubuntu's context and installations, whereas the MATE Companions forum's goal is to allow the knowledge acquired by ALL those adhering to MATE in the wider "diaspora" , irrespective of the underlying host environment, to be cross-polinated between the Communities of the various Distros, some of which we saw with the UbuntuMATE Discourse which is now winding down, thereby ensuring that by having a more Distro-agnostic experience, the MATE devotees will be better positionned to survive and thrive, regardless of the underlying OS (Ubuntu, Mint, RedHat, Arch, Suse, etc.).

So far, I've posted an invitation on some of the other Distro sites, and still have more to contact.

We'll see how things evolve. Hopefully for the benefit of all, as intended!

:slight_smile:

Admittedly, Discourse is a platform that is far superior, but also far more complex.

Only because I am not aware of all the non-commercial platforms that would be available for such a forum, I chose Google Groups because there was no "outside" moderation of the content, except for what is deemed forum-agnostic inappropriate content.

Early days! We shall see how things evolve, and whether there is enough momentum for it to be sustainable. Only time, and the willingness of participants, will tell how successful it becomes.

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This one looks like it might be suitable. It seems like you can make your groups for each Distro.

I can’t say I am a fan of Discourse from the little I have seen so far.

Linuxcommunity
Linuxcommunity1368Ă—627 130 KB

I can’t find how you start a new group or if they are already static. It does have an Ubuntu Group already that says it covers all flavors:

Ubuntu and derivatives

For users of Ubuntu and its derivatives.

Join this group if you’re using elementary, deepin, KDE neon, Kubuntu, Linuxfx, Lite, Lubuntu, MakuluLinux, Mint, Nitrux, Parrot, Pop!_OS, TUXEDO, Ubuntu, Vanilla, Zorin and others built on Ubuntu.

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LinuxCommunity.io looks good to me
Maybe you should send an initial Welcome post in the Mate Desktop group

W

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Hi, @ericmarceau :slight_smile:

If your focus is about the "MATE Desktop Environment" itself, rather than its use in any particular Linux distribution, then the most relevant web site is their official web site:

https://mate-desktop.org/

That web site has a "Community" page:

https://mate-desktop.org/community/

In that "Community" web page, there is a "Forums" section that links to the Linux distribution related forums ... and it also has a link to the "MATE Desktop subreddit", that was created in 2012 (and that is moderated by @Wimpy - "u/flexiondotorg" - and by "u/bickman2k"):

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

(Granted, I see that "MATE Desktop subreddit" is a relatively "low-activity" one: the most recent topic there is now 5 months old)

I hope this information is useful :slight_smile:

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Eric Marceau already has set up a group.

The newly formed forum is:

First off, thank you for having faith in the vision I offered for a MATE-specific site. That is very much appreciated and most heat-warming!

After it was suggested by one of you, I contacted the primary administrator directly for

and explained the situation we were facing (see below).

Most unexpectedly, he was more than sympathetic! He went ahead and created a dedicated Group for MATE Desktop, and already assigned me as the Owner of the Group. As I said that was unexpected and caught me completely off-guard, since I wanted to approach our Community before anything transpired ... but ... there you have it!

Eric is worried about splitting the group:

o, the question is ...

Do we all shift over? OR Is Google Groups perceived by everyone as the more flexible choice and we continue here?

I dare say that, since that Group was already set up, it seems like a "fait accomplit", and I would prefer to NOT split the Community even more.

So, what say you all? Do we shift over, and I post a notice on Google Groups (and update my message posted elsewhere), or do we stay here?

Not being a fan of google because of intrusiveness and privacy concerns, I would prefer LinuxCommunity.io but will join whatever group the majority select.

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Look at https://linuxcommunity.io/mate

Make it active like it was here !

W

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I like it! Has the same vibe as here.

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yes... I agree with this feeling.

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Hi, everyone :slight_smile:

To be clear: I'm NOT writing this reply as an "Ubuntu MATE Community" Moderator, but just as another (forum) user of this (great!) Community. In other words, I'm writing this message with my "Moderator Hat OFF" and I'm just sharing my personal thoughts here.

So, I have checked the "MATE Desktop" category / forum - https://linuxcommunity.io/c/mate-desktop/47 - that was created in the "LinuxCommunity.io" discussion forums (By the way: I see that "LinuxCommunity.io" is based on / powered by the "open source" forum software "DIscourse" - https://www.discourse.org - as is also the case of this "Ubuntu MATE Community" - https://ubuntu-mate.community - and of the "Ubuntu Discourse" / "Ubuntu Community Hub" - https://discourse.ubuntu.com ):

https://linuxcommunity.io/c/mate-desktop/47

I have to say that I like it! :slight_smile: The description seems to be really adequate for its intended use ("A home for MATE Desktop users across all distros. Distro-agnostic discussions, help, and tips for getting the most out of the MATE desktop environment.") and I really like the format of "Discourse" forums. So, thanks and kudos to @ericmarceau for reaching the primary administrator of LinuxCommunity.io for getting it set up.

A few minutes ago, I have created an account in "LinuxCommunity.io" with the same name ("Ricardo Dias Marques"), same username ("ricmarques") and same avatar that I use here in the "Ubuntu MATE Community" and in "Ubuntu Discourse" / "Ubuntu Community Hub".

I expect that I will participate / keep participating in "Ubuntu Discourse" about matters / issues more related to "Ubuntu" (and their flavors), but if I want to write about the "MATE Desktop" in general or its use in a "non-Ubuntu" Linux distribution ("distro"), I will definitely consider posting it on the "MATE Desktop" category / forum of "LinuxCommunity.io" :slight_smile:

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I have just joined to MATE Desktop - LinuxCommunity.io
Hopefully, see you there!

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I feel the same about google, Jim.
I also joined MATE Desktop - LinuxCommunity.io

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Just signed for the LinuxCommuity.io see you there.

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b.t.w. Did you use the same username or was "jymm" already taken ?

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