Which discussion platform do you prefer?
I'd like to launch a community for an upcoming product and place where beta testers can give feedback. Between Spectrum, Discord and Slack which do you prefer?
For open on-line community I think Slack isn't the best choice. I've recently read good case study about migrating from Slack to Discord, maybe it will be helpful for you too: https://statamic.com/blog/goodbye-slack-hello-discord
I also think that it would be good to know where you current/future beta testers already have accounts. It makes sense to use a platform which they already use, so they don't need to install new desktop/mobile apps.
Thanks for that link! Super helpful. I'm building a tool for the indie-maker crowd, which is one of the reasons I wanted to ask this question here. My first impression is that Spectrum is best for searchability (indexed by Google) and keeping discussions on track (threaded by default, channels like Slack), but my potential users may skew much more toward indie-maker / solo-founder / younger which feels more at home on Discord. Or maybe I'm completely wrong 🤷♂️
@gabemake Glad the link was helpful. Actually, for the indie-maker community I think Slack may be a good choice, as a lot of people use it in their full-time or contract jobs. Either way I'd suggest a choice between Discord or Slack, as Spectrum isn't so popular in my opinion. Slack is OK if you know and accept its disadvantages mentioned in the article.
I'm a Discord fan, more or less.
Slack is nice in that it has threading, and branding/design that's professional-looking and unassuming. I've never used Spectrum, but it looks comparable.
However, despite Discord being steeped in gaming (and with that drawing a younger user base, at least apparently), and despite the lack of threading (I wish they would add this), I think it has the best features. The ability to have user roles is great when it comes to building a community. Same goes for voice channels. It's also a platform/company that's generous in what it offers…to this day I'm almost surprised it's free.
Thanks for the input everyone! I ended up going with Spectrum (https://spectrum.chat/divjoy). I'll report back here in a month or two with my impressions. Hopefully it does the job 🤞
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