Oh hey, I’m out of touch! Very cool, I’ll explore + recommend where possible. 
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I am not as familiar with using SSO logins. However yes we can say outside that have left gin integrations. Ie I use the Steam Login plugin. In that case I still need to create the account and then add it as an alternate additional login route.
Once an account is created it is pretty simple. However ppl are creatures of habit. So creating a new account even with sites say where you can login without the steps of usual account creation. Ie
- Create an account or continue with your Google account.
Some users will still avoid creating new accounts vs going somewhere where they only need to login like FB/Reddit etc…
Sure we can find things to make it easier. But it is the end user that needs to buy in.
And we’ll I am a glutton to keep at it.
But yes we need things like Discourse Discover and even using the whale platforms to help push our Discourse forums.
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At the risk of diluting my main point, I don’t think we’ve entered a post-literate age, or anything close to it. Arguably, more people are reading and writing today than ever before. With some exceptions, literacy is a requirement to get ahead in the world.
I’m bringing this up because many of the arguments in this topic seem to suggest that the problem with Discourse is product-market fit. I’m confident that the market exists. ~1% of internet users is a huge market.
In terms of how mobile devices have affected the market, it’s worth pointing out that Obsidian has 1M+ downloads from Google Play. I’m guessing the stats for the iOS App Store are similar.
I’ve mentioned Obsidian a few times because I think it has a similar, although somewhat more exclusive, audience to what Discourse could have. Somehow or other it’s been successful in marketing itself. A few guesses:
- a straightforward, principled manifesto: About - Obsidian
- the CEO has a strong presence on social media
- lots of influencer Youtube videos about how they use the product
An obvious difference between Discourse and Obsidian is that Obsidian is sold directly to the end user. Discourse needs to be sold both to potential end users and to organizations or individuals who could set up new instances. That’s a solveable problem.
I’d start by articulating what problems Discourse can solve. If you can’t think of many, an unfiltered “what can you do with a brick” approach might lead to surprising results.
If it’s not clear, I think Discourse is an amazing application. It has the potential to make the world a somewhat better place.
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You might be interested in this older topic. We all that are here see the value of Discourse and what it has to offer vs whale platforms. Some great articles from the team & affiliated teams
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