INTERACT FORUM
Windows => JRiver Media Center 34 for Windows => Topic started by: TheShoe on April 11, 2025, 12:36:38 pm
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Does JRiver think it might be good to have a "Feature Request" thread where you could track all in one place? I see them often distributed throughout the usual bords. Might make searching easier before requesting something someone already posted, and you could possibly lock threads or put a status on them as "not going to do", "roadmap", etc....
Dunno... just thinking of a way to organize the boards a bit more. Having it of course is no commitment at all to doing it. It may also draw more attention to the brief requests lacking detail where others could help shape the request with more feedback, details, and possibly suggest alternatives/existing solutions to an already complex product.
Just a thought
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I think you just started one.
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Ha - I wasn't clear :)
A feature request board...
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I'm not in favor of adding a new board just for requests.
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I can just imagine the constant requests for Tidal, Qobuz, MQA, full SoX, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, DSD1024, etc. :P
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You still get all those requests, just spread out across all boards. I like the requests board idea.
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How would JRiver benefit? It's a lot of requests now, but it's possible to see what's valuable. A certain percentage of requests are for capabilities that already exist. Some are for things we'll never do. Some are beyond the scope of what a small team can do.
A good request, well presented, is often implemented within days.
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+1 to a feature request board
A certain percentage of requests are for capabilities that already exist. Some are for things we'll never do. Some are beyond the scope of what a small team can do.
Provide your reasoning in the thread, and after a few weeks of no new discussion lock the thread to create a "feature request graveyard" that newer users can search so they don't keep on suggesting the same "features" you aren't keen to implement. Would also make it easier to link duplicate requests to past discussion and JRiver's response so users can see the whole picture. You can sticky and lock the really pernicious ones for prominence.
It should lead to fewer annoying requests, as they'll be 1) better contained and 2) less redundant.
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Another factor... sometimes we want to go in a different direction than our users. Think of it as artistic license. If we'd only listened to our audio customers, we never would have done video, for example.
I acknowledge that it appeals to a certain sense of organization. Personally, I prefer things a little more chaotic.
Here's a challenge. Name a couple of requests that we missed because we didn't have a dedicated request line.
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They aren't easy to find because they exist all over the forum with inconsistent formatting. Some boards have multiple Feature Requests threads, some FRs have dedicated threads, others are located in unrelated topics or subforums. Sometimes the discussion is broken out into new topics from a larger FR thread, sometimes there is no JRiver response (fine), sometimes your response is buried later in the topic. If there was a dedicated forum it would be easier to find and track feature requests and they wouldn't just disappear when the board is retired since FR's usually aren't tied to versioning.
I like how Discourse-based forums suggest related topics prior to posting in order to nudge users away from posting repetitive topics. It forces good forum habits on the users instead of expecting them to do it on their own. While a separate forum isn't that, it does substantially narrow the search space so users can find (and avoid duplicating) existing feature requests if they follow good habits.
If you prefer a more informal approach that's understandable, it's probably not good business to have an entire board of telling the customer off, but it would streamline things.
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A dedicated request board makes complete sense to me as well, and BryanC has nailed the supporting rationale perfectly. A "request graveyard"... brilliant. Perhaps even have dedicated request boards for Audio, Images, and Video to match MC's primary functions. For those interested in audio only, they won't have to sort through mixed in video enhancements requests, and vice versa for videophiles.
How would JRiver benefit? ... A good request, well presented, is often implemented within days.
- JRiver benefits by allowing users to see all requests in one place, which over time will reduce redundant requests, which in turn will reduce your need to repeat the same answers over and over across multiple boards
- Having a dedicated board does not prevent "A good request well presented", and this is where BryanC's "request graveyard" is key: by maintaining/showing only requests that are viable and still under consideration active.
- There could be multiple graveyards (as linked sub-threads?) where various DOA request types are moved: redundant; impossible/rejected; MC already does it; etc. Users could and would look at those posts if clearly organized
- I think most forum users would find an organized request system preferable to the current random request approach - and that, almost by definition, makes it beneficial to JRiver
That said…
Personally, I prefer things a little more chaotic.
If that is the case, there is no remedy. You must be very happy with a certain president twitler then! :)