# Building a plugin to add Stack Exchange features **URL:** \ **Category:** Feature\ **Tags:** completed\ **Created:** [July 24, 2015, 6:31pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/building-a-plugin-to-add-stack-exchange-features/31402 "2015-07-24T18:31:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 1
**Author:** ![BIBI](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3e96dc/32.png) [@BIBI](https://meta.discourse.org/u/BIBI)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 6:31pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/building-a-plugin-to-add-stack-exchange-features/31402/1 "2015-07-24T18:31:33Z")
I currently run both a forum and Q&A website (stack exchange clone). Both our forum and Q&A have questions on that are answers by a team of moderators. We considering rebuilding and consolidating the software we use, so i am looking into Discourse as a possible alternative, given its strong credentials. I have read the existing topics on comparison between SE and discourse so appreciate that discourse is different and that its not trying to be a SE clone. See below. I am therefore looking for help scoping out the plugin and how it would allow us a more structure Q&A topics within discourse. Suggestions please! Here’s my top features to start with:- - Topic types or new post type/category, so discussion is distinguished from a Q&A. - Allow users/admin to sort replies by votes. - Control how/when users can reply to certain topics or questions (e.g. question topics can only be answer by users with x trust points (or some other algorithm) Here are the previous topics on this subject if you haven’t already read them: > [@Why would Discourse's business model work when Stack Exchange v1's failed?](https://meta.discourse.org/t/why-would-discourses-business-model-work-when-stack-exchange-v1s-failed/2678): > > Stack Exchange v1’s business model was “build your own community, we’ll give you the software on a subscription basis”. That model failed because communities require critical mass, and achieving that is really hard. All but one community created at that time ([Math Overflow](http://mathoverflow.net/)) got any significant traction, if I recall correctly. SE eventually decided to shut down the SaaS model and to launch instead their own communities via [Area 51](http://area51.stackexchange.com/). Discourse compares itself to the [Blog Tool, Publishing Platform…](http://Wordress.org/Wordpress.com) [https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-are-discourses-main-competitors-and-what-are-their-relative-pros-and-cons/2888](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-are-discourses-main-competitors-and-what-are-their-relative-pros-and-cons/2888) --- _[View the full topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/building-a-plugin-to-add-stack-exchange-features/31402)._