There are problems with Brainstorm which are related to being unable to handle the complexity of inter-related topics.
Such problems are listed below ;
1) submissions with multiple ideas
2) ideas on similar related topics are not "grouped" together (currently duplicates get merged)
3) problem identification ideas, separate to solution ideas
4) discussion of advantages/disadvantages, pros/cons
5) verification of claims / checking systems
6) important for now/ later/ never/ should be backward compatible
7) ideas which impact on more than one category
8) keyword/metatag searching
9) comments that amount to an extension of the idea or new idea.
Suggestions ;
(1) One submission - many ideas in it
How to vote?
Allow the submitter to identify separate ideas (e.g. bullet/numbered points/paragraphs), and EACH idea has its own separate vote, right next to the idea.
The submission can still receive an "overall" vote.
Commenters (9) can also identify ideas that they add in their comments, and those ideas can be rated from within the comments.
(2) visitors, commenters, and submitters could elect that a submission (or idea) has connections/similarities/conflicts/relationships to another submission or idea.
Submitters, and commenters could choose to add their work to an already established group (subcategory).
Items can be "grouped" together as separate items within the group, rather than "merged" (which may lead to loss of information). Stats could also be generated for the group.
(3) Yes agree there is problem - good idea, But disagree with solution - bad idea.
Rate importance of "Problem".
separate rating for "suggested solution".
The submitter may even be able to suggest several options for solutions, and the visitors can rate which options the like/dislike.
(4) have listing system for an idea/sumission where the submitter or anybody else can add a pro(advantage) or con(disadvantage) to a list of related pros and cons, plus make related comments.
Each comment about a pro and con can be rated, and each pro and con can be rated o its importance.
(5) where a statement is made that is either not true, or is not readily substantiated from elsewhere, a visitor may request a link or explanation to substantiate the claim. Or the visitor could supply an explanation or link to refute it.
These too, can be rated on importance, and also be reported for offensiveness.
(6) Ideas may not get votes because they are considered of no immediate importance. They might be a really good idea for the future, but not now, so out they go And get forgotten.
Ideas could also be rated on their timeliness e.g.
needed now, needed later, not needed, need to work for older versions also (like fixes and patches).
(7) Some ideas relate to more than one category, so rather than discussion cropping up about which is "The" most appropriate category to place a topic in, just let the submitter (or idea) be linked to say 2 other topics (in descending order of importance).
(8) related to (7) but also useful for searches and finding similar topics. Developers could search for related issues to what they are working on to "kill more than two birds with one stone".
Allow ideas submitters to create keywords/phrases, which may also act as hyperlinked labels.
This all amounts to a bit of an overhaul for the Brainstorm system, but hopefully it might be seen as something that provides combined benefits beyond the benefits of the efforts on the separate items.
There are many more parameters in which to rate the ideas.
It would also give a finer resolution if there was the option to express a neutral opinion (0). This is because if an idea is at the point of ambivalence for most people, most people have no option to vote - and that's not fair - and it doesn't get to show.
e.g. (%'s are for what the visitors "think")
If only yes's and no's can vote
10% yes, 20% no => currently gives 50% no.
If ambivalent (0) is counted.
10% yes, 20% no, 80% ambivalent =>10% no.
A rating system that allowed for 5 instead of two options would give a little more resolution of each voters opinion very yes, yes, ambivalent, no, very no).
Although this bunch of suggestions sounds complex it would allow the searching for single ideas, groups of ideas, related topics, discussions of topics.
It would also allow the developers to more automatically assess topics that have been widely recognised as being a problem, have been discussed, have had solutions suggested and been discussed, are an outstanding present priority or can be deferred till later.
So this helps to ensure that less ideas of importance will be overlooked.
Example
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Take this submission as an example;
It's got more than one idea.
It's got problems and solutions.
Important? some not so,
for now, later, or never.
It's related to more than one topic - which one is best.
If it was split up, some peopl
