[Equest-users] eSimForums.com/equest

Tue Oct 12 12:58:40 PDT 2010

There are a lot of great things about the equest-users list (formerly part of the bldg-sim list). It is one of the only eQuest specific help forums that I know of (if there are other good ones, please let me know) and is established to the point that even the original developers of the software post on it.  There is also a significant archive of old posts that contain a wealth of information.  But it does have all of the downsides mentioned previously: attachments aren't retained in the archive, the posts aren't categorized, no running lists of consultants, jobs, or helpful links, and no static links to references and examples models.  Problems that a website like eSimForums can address.

Why can't we have the best of both?  Can the equest-users list be upgraded to eSimForums or something similar?  I'm not favoring the eSimForums website over one that Jason and GARD can build on their own, but I do think that the users of this list would gain a lot from an upgrade that included more features.  Though the eSimForums idea is great, I doubt many of us have time to post questions and answers at a number of different sites.  Also, new help forums only become helpful once they have a number of users.  Over the years there have been a other attempts similar to eSimForums that have failed, probably because they never reached the same level of popularity as this list.  I like the features of the website but the content of the equest-users list, what can we do to get them all in one place, not two?

Matt Dubrovich

-----Original Message-----
From: equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org [mailto:equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org] On Behalf Of jeremy.mcclanathan at esimforums.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 2010 11:52 AM
To: Gary.Schrader at buildings.schneider-electric.com
Cc: equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org
Subject: Re: [Equest-users] eSimForums.com/equest

Thank you for the feedback Gary! I appreciate it. Off-line, several  
others from the list have offered supportive feedback about the site  
as well, which I also appreciate. However, those conversations have  
also brought to light the fact that I could have done a better job  
explaining who we are and what we would like to accomplish with  
eSimForums. At the bottom of this email is an excerpt from one of the  
exchanges which I think does a good job explaining our goals and  
motivations.

In addition to providing clarification, I would also like to solicit  
the opinion of the group. While several of you have expressed  
enthusiasm about the prospects of the website off-line, I'd like to  
move the conversation to the open. I strongly believe that a  
forum-based online knowledge base with a static location for shared  
tools, training opportunities, and dedicated help offers genuine value  
to the community. I would like to know what the community thinks. So I  
ask you all, how do you view the concept of a web-based forum?

 From a previous email exchange:

The website belongs to me and a partner.  I am the HVAC engineer, and
he is a programer.  What we are hoping to do, is provide some
additional resources that an email-list falls short of providing.  The
equest-users list is great (Thanks again Jason!), but over the last
few years as I was learning eQuest, there were times when I wished for
more features.  For example, when my questions went unanswered (which
understandably happens a lot with complicated problems) or when I had
sensitive models that couldn't be sent to the public, I wished I had a
place to go to where I could view a list of independent consultants
available for hire to walk me through the problem.  This is my version
of the "eQuest Help Desk" that has been talked about a lot.  I know
that Carol and Pasha are available to help for a fee, but I only know
that because I have been watching the forum every day for years now.
Back in the day when I really needed it, I didn't know where to find
people to help.  And, I think it's probably unlikely that all the
people just learning eQuest all saw the emails where they announced
their availability to be hired for help.  So,
eSimforums.com/equest/consultants is a static location where people
that need dedicated help can connect with the people available to help
them.  Also, I wished there was a static location for example models,
spreadsheets, tools in general, training opportunities, and job
opportunities.  All these things get sent out to the email list, but
are lost if you miss the email.  Another thing I sometimes wished for
was a place to browse a category because a few times I had a problem
in a particular area, but I did not know what question I needed to
ask.  Having categorized forums allows people to browse through nicely
formatted, easy to read topics of a particular category.

So, what we did was create a website that offers all the things I
wished I had.  The website emails new posts to everyone who wants to
receive emails, so the website maintains the functionality of an email
list (with a very similar format to the equest-users list), but
provides the extra benefits mentioned above.

My hope is that others out there have wished for the same things.
That they will recognize the benefits of an online forum and start
populating it with questions/answers, tools to be continuously
developed, training opportunities, etc., and that eSimForums.com will
become a very valuable resource for eQuest users.

We will be maintaining the site and we do plan on responding to
support questions, but this is not our full time jobs, so we will also
rely on the community to help each other with figuring out how to use
features of the website, etc..

Jeremy McClanathan

Quoting Gary.Schrader at buildings.schneider-electric.com:

> Thank you, Jeremy!!!
>
> It's high time eQuest got an online forum for technical discussion. This
> should save loads of time searching for and finding answers and
> solutions to common problems and questions.
>
> Three cheers!
>
> -Gary
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
> Gary Schrader | Schneider Electric | Buildings Business | Energy
> Solutions | Engineer I
> Phone: +1 913 217 8068 | Fax: +1 913 469 0206
> Email: gary.schrader at buildings.schneider-electric.com | Site:
> www.schneider-electric.com/buildings | Address: 16011 College Boulevard,
> Suite 212, Lenexa, KS 66219, USA
>
> *** Please consider the environment before printing this email.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org
> [mailto:equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org] On Behalf Of
> jeremy.mcclanathan at esimforums.com
> Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2010 10:25 AM
> To: equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org
> Subject: [Equest-users] eSimForums.com/equest
>
> eQuest-users,
>
> There is a new tool available to the community that combines the
> benefits of
> an online forum with the benefits of an email list.  It is
> www.eSimForums.com/equest <http://www.esimforums.com/equest>
>
> Check it out.  There is a discussion forum meant for you to test the
> process
> and give your opinion about the site.  After you sign up for an account,
> don't forget to turn on the email list function.  See the red
> "email<http://www.esimforums.com/equest/subscribe.php>"
> link on the home page for directions.
>
> When you get to the site, see the
> benefits<http://www.esimforums.com/equest/benefits.php>page.  Some of
> the
> benefits you will find are:
>
>    - Organized topics
>    - Optional integrated email list
>    - Attachments, images, & tools remain in the searchable archives
> - A consultants page where dedicated help can be found (Coming Soon) - A
> tools page for continued development of tools by the community
>
>
> This announcement has been sent with permission from Jason Glazer,
> administrator of the equest-users list.
>
> Jeremy McClanathan
>
>
>
>
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