Bitcoin.org page -> someone with rights please fix

[antares]

Hey, I was just too lazy to enter the "forum" part in the bitcoin forums address and went -> bitcoin.org, clicked on forums there. Seems like someone replaced the link to the forums with a link to a google search for bitcoin forums. I suggest someone with write permissions on the main page should change this back.

thank you and have a nice evening

[tabshift]

Hey, I was just too lazy to enter the "forum" part in the bitcoin forums address and went -> bitcoin.org, clicked on forums there. Seems like someone replaced the link to the forums with a link to a google search for bitcoin forums. I suggest someone with write permissions on the main page should change this back.

thank you and have a nice evening

I just noticed this as well.. its very strange.

[jgarzik]

This change is intentional, as part of the effort to make the current forums less official.

[BitVapes]

I heard they were moving the forums to the weusecoins domain to seperate the user forums from the official page because reporters were quoting random bs from the forums as official announcements from the bitcoin developers

[enmaku]

Much as I like this forum I think the StackExchange site (link in my sig) will be much more useful, assuming we can get it off the ground. Too much politics, advertising, scamming and slander here; doesn't put the best spin on bitcoin unfortunately.

[TeraPool]

Much as I like this forum I think the StackExchange site (link in my sig) will be much more useful, assuming we can get it off the ground. Too much politics, advertising, scamming and slander here; doesn't put the best spin on bitcoin unfortunately.

We had implemented a "smite/like" button or something like that a few months back but it was quickly disabled for some reason.

A "points" system telling us who to listen to would be much better than the current system (post count).

All the whackos rack up massive post counts overnight anyways by making 50+ posts per day. (Yes, some people post that much!)

[kiba]

We had implemented a "smite/like" button or something like that a few months back but it was quickly disabled for some reason.

Because nobody knows why they are getting downvoted.

[lemonginger]

agree with the switch but the google link is dumb. and an unannounced google link without even a mod sticky or something is even dumber.

[Maged]

and an unannounced google link without even a mod sticky or something is even dumber.

Huh? The whole point is that we're no longer affiliated with Bitcoin.org. Why would they have us post a sticky?

[wumpus]

The google link will AFAIK be removed as well, in time. This is just an intermediate solution so that people won't lose track of the forums entirely until they have been relocated to a new domain.

[ribuck]

This change is intentional, as part of the effort to make the current forums less official.

Nothing about Bitcoin is official. Even the Satoshi client software is "original" rather than "official".

[Gavin Andresen]

The google link on the bitcoin.org homepage is/was my idea.

"The One True Forums" for bitcoin doesn't make sense to me-- the whole point of bitcoin is to be decentralized. I sincerely believe that open and free competition makes everything better, and I hope that more places to discuss bitcoin pop up and compete to be the best.

In the future, I'd like most of the links on the bitcoin.org home page to be google searches, including the "download bitcoin" links (I think we'll see some great new bitcoin clients released over the next six months or so).

[kiba]

The google link on the bitcoin.org homepage is/was my idea.

One would hope nobody will be successful in maliciously manipulating google rankings.

In the future, I'd like most of the links on the bitcoin.org home page to be google searches, including the "download bitcoin" links (I think we'll see some great new bitcoin clients released over the next six months or so).

Again, the google index can be manipulated.

I am not sure what is the best solution to the problem will be.

[onesalt]

The best solution is to leave it. The developers don't want bitcoins name sullied by this, in my opinion,  somewhat awful forum.

[Chris Acheson]

In the future, I'd like most of the links on the bitcoin.org home page to be google searches, including the "download bitcoin" links (I think we'll see some great new bitcoin clients released over the next six months or so).

I don't think this is such a great idea.  Like others have mentioned, page rankings can be manipulated.  Also, Google itself is massively centralized; I'm not sure how making all the links point to Google is supposed to decentralize things.

It's possible to go overboard with wanting to decentralize.  I think it's better to just let bitcoin.org be associated with "the Satoshi client".  Remember bittorrent.com?  Does anyone actually use "the Cohen client" anymore?  Eventually bitcoin.org will matter a lot less, because like Bittorrent, Bitcoin will just be thought of as part of the internet.

In the case of the forum, the Google link doesn't do enough to dissociate it.  There's already a link to the wiki, which links to the forum, and can be edited to link to any number of additional forums.  That should be good enough.

[lemonginger]

Why would you link to google searches? Where is this common practice?

If I click a link that says "Bitcoin Clients" I expect to get a list of clients, not get redirected to a search. if I wanted to go to google and search for "bitcoin clients" I would have done so.

Just remove the forum link altogether or something, the unannounced google search link is bizarre and feels passive aggressive.

[Chris Acheson]

There's already a link to the wiki, which links to the forum, and can be edited to link to any number of additional forums.

I just went ahead and did this:

https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Forums

The "Forum" link on the front page of the wiki now points there, and I listed all the Bitcoin general discussion sites I could think of.

[Furyan]

I'm fine with the Google search.  Seems appropriate.

I think the Wiki page with Forums links is a better idea, nice thinking Chris!

[SgtSpike]

I'm in FULL support of this change.  More activity on bitcoinforums.net would be very welcome.   

[HostFat]

I just went ahead and did this:

https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Forums

The "Forum" link on the front page of the wiki now points there, and I listed all the Bitcoin general discussion sites I could think of.

I also like this idea