Proposal: Software Recommendations
After committing to the proposal, I'm greeted with:
Want to help this site reach beta?
Know any experts on this topic? Spread the word!
I wasn't aware that there were software recommendation experts... can this site even have experts?
Who am I supposed to share this with, anyone who just feels like being helpful and sharing their experience with software packages?
There aren't exactly any technical certifications specifically for "Software Recommendation Expert". But recommending software in itself isn't an exclusive skill.
I'd posit that what's important is a combination of demonstrable analytical skill and understanding of an industry or audience (Since almost all software is specific to some industry or audience). Things like IT/Programming experience would probably also be a plus in many cases, but not as a general requirement.
A suggested "expert" reccommender for
We all use computers, smartphones, and/or tablets. The software that we all use varies surprisingly. Someone who could be considered an expert for one category will likely still know of a good package to recommend even outside his feild of expertise.
EDIT: Crap, I just realised your post was tongue-in-cheek... Damnit...
As dotVezz says, software recommendation is a very niche subject - but it does have its place. There is no skill in "recommending software" any more than there is in "recommending movies" ( as much as the Movie critics would have you believe otherwise!).
That said, if I know that you like Action movies, and I like Action movies - perhaps we can both recommend to one another some good ones that we found enjoyable. Same with other genres.
Software is somewhat more interesting. Whilst the StackOverflow closure-reason of being primarily opinion based can be true, it is also a barrier for experts to give serious recommendations. Once again, the "Stack Exchange" system of up-voting and down-voting could provide a decent guideline.
Sometimes, we need 3rd-party programs, tools, or libraries. And sometimes there is a wealth of choice. Here's an example question:
What is a decent 3D Rendering Engine (C++)?
Bad Answer:
Ogre3D, it r0x.
Good Answer:
Ogre3D is a mature platform, with a great community. It has been written in a platform-agnostic manner and is being constantly supported. It is available on as many gaming devices as you can name, and is open-source (so feel free to contribute). There are books available here, showcases here, and the forums are here. then follows a lengthy explanation about scene managers, the abstraction layer, etc etc
Looks like I just touted Ogre as a good 3D engine. Well I sure did, but in a proper answer to a question, my response would be rather more lengthy as to why I believe it to be a good choice. Others can then come up with their own well formed answers.
Downvotes should not be applied because one disagrees - but more because the answer was not convincing and/or did not provide enough information.
:) Happy New Year :)
Would (knowlegeable) people who use alternatives not count (eg Windows/Linux, IE/FF, NotePad++/Vim), or those who write reviews of new software, or those who switched from one to another?
