Providing Quick Community Solutions

💬 Feature Requests
1

It is proposed that we could implement a solution within the Retool forum, where an individual encountering an issue can connect with a solution provider. This connection could occur when both parties are online, allowing for screen sharing functionality to facilitate a swift resolution. Subsequent to this, a summary of the problem encountered and the corresponding solution could be documented for future reference. The privacy of all individuals will be continuously maintained throughout this process.

Following thread is an example of encountering such issues:

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Really cool idea.

Discourse has this component, maybe something for the support team to consider:

@sarahs

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Thanks for sharing this idea, @SalmanMaqbool ! It's definitely interesting and something we've considered as well to bring more interactive elements to the community.

I'm curious: (anyone can feel free to answer!)

  • How do you envision using this feature?
  • Do you see it working more as a background “study buddy” (body doubling) while you're actively working in Retool, or would you use it as a dedicated tool for resolving specific issues, much like an Office Hours session?

I’d love to hear more about the different use cases for this as we experiment with it on our end. We also want to make sure that any new support avenues align with our privacy, security, and usability standards. Your insights will be helpful here!

cc: @MiguelOrtiz - also thanks for the insight!

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So, my first thought was more related to the second point you mention, i.e. a tool for resolving specific issues.

Sometimes it is clear that there is a disconnect between the messages in a thread, or maybe the user is quite new to retool and would benefit from a tour of an expert developer that provides helpful insights and approach to building an app.

I think though, it would only be helpful if those videos remain available for the rest of the community to watch (they could be removed of course, if considered against the guidelines of the community). Otherwise it would be a shame that a solution is reached during a video conference, but the rest of the forum can't benefit from it.

I would definitely love to watch videos where the likes of @bobthebear or @pyrrho help other users solve their challenges whilst sharing their approach to app building. I think I would get lots of incredible insights.

With regards to the study buddy.... I'm not so sure. I think if it is framed around something bigger, like a mentorship program, then yeah, I think that could work out. But I'm less sure about it.

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