Sorry to bring this topic back up, but I have a pretty strong guess on this, and it’s called UI.
Discourse doesn’t look like the tools people are used to, such as Instagram and Facebook, which means people need to get used to it. Besides, such complexity and flexibility come with a downside: it’s a lot of information to deal with both as a user and as a new admin.
This means a steeper learning curve and possibly avoidance of participation by some groups of people – an issue many people will prefer not to deal with.
I imagine the following rationale: “what will make my users’ experience smooth, making them more likely to stay longer periods here and enjoy what is being offered/co-created?”. Their focus, then, would be on ease of use, not on potential.
I’m not saying Discourse doesn’t make this happen, just that it feels overwhelming and scary when you’re just starting out.
I know Discourse doesn’t want to look like Facebook or do what Instagram does, that’s clear and I like it this way. But it could use some decluttering, specially duplicity-wise.
MENUS
Why are there two chat notifications on the top menu (in red, and not including the chat on the sidebar, which also shines when I get a message)? In yellow: why is there the bell menu, which is for all notifications, if they are already organized by replies/mentions, likes, PMs and bookmarks?
Also, if I click on the profile button, instead of taking me to my profile, it shows me another menu that I will already encounter after clicking on any of these buttons:
And yet another duplicity: I can access my drafts from here and from the sidebar navigation.
(Being able to logout from this menu is interesting, though, but then it could show only “Preferences”, “Stop notifications” and “Log Out”, making it easier to understand. I tried to find a way to easily disable some buttons on it, but couldn’t.)
MESSAGES
When it comes to the messages system, there are 3 separate options, called by different names (PMs, Chat and Channels), but fulfilling more or less the same needs.
PMs can’t be disabled (can they?), are used by discobot and are basically private forums. Channels are related to categories, and the Chat is a chat that allows for group conversations and stuff. Couldn’t all this be one thing?
CONCLUSION
My bet for making it more frequently recommended would be to de-clutter it, then, lowering the bar for new users, because the problem certainly isn’t the potential the platform offers.
