We get a lot of requests from product teams about how they can use DevOps Stack Exchange to support their communities. DevOps Stack Exchange can work really well for technical support – and we welcome this, within limits. If you're from one of these product teams and you follow a few simple guidelines, then you, your users, and DevOps Stack Exchange can all benefit.
DevOps Stack Exchange is a community where users help users. Your customers are likely part of this mix. In fact, unless your product is brand-new, we may already have some questions about it, and possibly even a tag. In addition, search the site for your product name or other key words. Answer the existing questions, or if they already have good answers, vote those up. While you're here, look around for other questions you can help with (not just ones about your product). Participate in the site, learn the ropes, and build the reputation you'll need to gain important privileges like commenting, editing, and others.
DevOps Stack Exchange can help support your product (if it's on-topic for the site), but it can't be the only support. There are issues that only you can address, and if you send your users to DevOps Stack Exchange for them, your users will just get frustrated. Guide your users in where to ask what – something along the lines of the following:
Types of questions and where to ask:
- "How do I [...]?" – ask on DevOps Stack Exchange (tell them what tags to use – your product tag at minimum, if one exists)
- "I got this error; why?" – ask on DevOps Stack Exchange
- "I got this error and I'm sure it's a bug" – report it on your own site
- "I have an idea/request" – report it on your own site
- "Why do you [...]?" – ask in your own community (support forum, etc.)
- "When will you [...]?" – ask in your own community
Finally, monitor the DevOps Stack Exchange site. Some of our sites get thousands of questions every day, and they are often answered within minutes. Be responsive: monitor the tags related to your product, search for questions that might not be tagged correctly and improve them, and review and improve answers.
Remember, like all of our sites, DevOps Stack Exchange is moderated by the community. If you want your customers to have a good experience on our site, you need to be there to guide them if they aren't familiar with how things work.
We welcome questions and answers about your product here on DevOps Stack Exchange where they can be found, vetted, and improved by the site's community. If you have questions about these guidelines or need help creating and managing your tags, contact us and we'll give you a hand.