Forum Idea: Google Webmaster Products

And herb garden in the midst of a large fertile field

[Marcia]

Just an idea, not really a suggestion, because I'm not sure whether it could work. But remembering back to when the Gmail forum [webmasterworld.com] first started, and seeing the level of activity, looking at that forum now is like seeing a little herb garden tucked into the corner of a large, fertile farmland just waiting to be plowed and harvested.

Google now has a number of useful products available for free that small business type webmasters can take advantage of, but if there's one thing they are *not* expert at it's providing clear, thorough and usable documentation. Might have missed some, but here's what I recall off the top of my head:

>Gmail
>Picasa
>YouTube
>Google Videos
>Blogger
>Docs
>Google Apps
>Googlepages
>Custom Search
>Collaborative Software, corporate and non-profit
>Maps
>Calendar

... and more, growing in numbers all the time.

They've got an individual forum (Googlegroups) for each of their offerings, with all the common problems asked about time and time again. The problem is that they're all separate and sparsely staffed (if at all), and common questions can go unanswered for two years (or more - or forever) - and problems unsolved.

I'm not implying trying to "compete" with them or promote them; it's just that with the sheer volume of savvy webmasters here at WebmasterWorld, having help for Google's webmaster products in one aggregated place would serve an unmet need for the small to medium, low-budget webmaster or site owner who needs questions answered so they can take advantage of what's available for them.

[BaseVinyl]

If your suggestion helps them own a bit more of you then they will likely follow up quickly.

[Marcia]

>>If your suggestion helps them own a bit more of you

If "who" owns a bit more? WebmasterWorld or Google? No problem, no contest; they both "own" an appreciable share, in the traditional sense of the word.

The only question remaining is whether the response was referring to "own" in the traditional Webster's Dictionary sense, or the Urban Dictionary sense of the word. ;)

Puzzlement aside, IIRC the formula is "Find a need and fill it" and I think there's no better solution for filling a need that seems to exist.