HomeGauge Software Users Forum - Is there a Forum only for Homegauge users?

[John C Hansen, LEED AP]

Is there a forum specific to HomeGauge where users can post questions about this reporting software? Is there a HG users group?

[Trent Tarter]

Home Gauge used to have a users forum, however they got rid of it a few years ago. I miss the old forum, I feel there has become a disconnect between the developers and actual users.

[Dom D'Agostino]

Correct, Homegauge pulled their own support board, and offers no BB for users to ask questions amongst ourselves.
Other individuals have some options, I know there is a facebook group set up by some HG users. I haven't been there.

A bit disappointing, as I also miss the available forum for HG users. Russell stated that he didn't want to answer questions on multiple platforms, so he decided instead to not answer any questions at all....:(

Dom.

[John C Hansen, LEED AP]

...so he decided instead to not answer any questions at all....:(
Dom.

Dom, I do get good responses from their support when I send a question, but that seems so inefficient. I can just imagine how tired they will get from answering the same questions for every new user. And many of my questions are due to the fact that HG doesn't have a robust help file, and their on-line help site has a rather ineffective search feature.

AND.... the principle reason I want to chat with other users is that users approach their task with a different mindset than the software authors. I am sure Russell knows how users should use his software, but users can be very innovative in their approach to the task of writing reports (I know I am). I want to ask "why or why-not" questions but their support team are geared to answering questions about "how-to".

[Roy Lewis]

HomeGauge forum at NACHI
https://www.nachi.org/forum/f83/

[John C Hansen, LEED AP]

HomeGauge forum at NACHI
https://www.nachi.org/forum/f83/

Roy, Thanks for the link. I has seen that forum in the past and was looking for (hoping for) a more advertising-neutral place for discussions. I did see that Russell has posted there on one recent question and other questions in the past.

The layout of their comment threads is hard on my eyes because I cannot figure out how to collapse the replies in a useful way for quick scan-reading. (sorry for the rant, but I am not a member, joiner, believer for most things on the internet)

[Markus Keller]

John, if you need some home gauge assist call Ross. Pretty sure you met him when we got together at the ASHI meeting. Call or PM me if you need his contact.
Ross knows home gauge extremely well and should be able to help with any issues

[John C Hansen, LEED AP]

HomeGauge forum at NACHI
https://www.nachi.org/forum/f83/

Roy, I visited the forum that is linked above and looked through some of the recent messages and this forum does not seem to be very active.

[John C Hansen, LEED AP]

HomeGauge forum at NACHI
https://www.nachi.org/forum/f83/

Roy,

Now that I have visited this forum on the Internachi site, I have posted some questions. I see that my posted identify me as a non-member guest. While I pay very good money to HomeGauge to use their program, it sure feels like the intention of the forum is the make me feel bad that I do not also belong to Internachi.

I may be looking for a much more independent software company with a user forum that is not tied to any association. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[Dom D'Agostino]

Roy,

Now that I have visited this forum on the Internachi site, I have posted some questions. I see that my posted identify me as a non-member guest. While I pay very good money to HomeGauge to use their program, it sure feels like the intention of the forum is the make me feel bad that I do not also belong to Internachi.

I may be looking for a much more independent software company with a user forum that is not tied to any association. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

I seriously wish you would send your comments directly to HG and Russell, as they have shut off the easiest way for all it's users to help one another, share ideas, fix problems after hours (when all my software problems seem to happen), etc.

Dom.

[John C Hansen, LEED AP]

I seriously wish you would send your comments directly to HG and Russell, as they have shut off the easiest way for all it's users to help one another, share ideas, fix problems after hours (when all my software problems seem to happen), etc.
Dom.

Dom,
I had sent a note to HG a few months ago when an email message from their support person encouraged me to call them on the phone for support. I do my report writing and computer work at night as you do and that is what I explained to them in my email. I also asked that they share that message with Russell.

I think it may be time again for me to contact him to make this point again.

[John C Hansen, LEED AP]

I seriously wish you would send your comments directly to HG and Russell, as they have shut off the easiest way for all it's users to help one another, share ideas, fix problems after hours (when all my software problems seem to happen), etc.

Dom.


Dom, I have become an advocate for a HG Forum on the Facebook/HomeGauge Group and even started a poll to measure the response to the preference for using the Facebook/HomeGauge Group vs a more robust forum software and site.

The feedback is that many of those people in that group prefer Facebook when compared to the old forum. They said the old HG Forum was slow and they did not want to have one more log-on password. Some use FB on their phones and a forum may not work well on a phone. I never tried it so I do not know.

Other comments on the poll are related to the effort/cost for HG to manage a forum. I am having a hard time discerning the real cost of managing a forum. Some group members are defending Russell's decision to discontinue the forum based on economic.

What say you all here? Forum or Facebook Group?