Now that the Kickstarter is over, I think that there should be an official FunKey Discord server created so that people interested in the device, whether they have pre-ordered one yet or not, can discuss the device and what they plan to use it for. In addition to helping build a community, it could help further the development of custom FunKey apps in the future and make it easier for people that are developing such apps to find beta testers. It can also help people unsure whether or not they want to purchase the FunKey get more information quickly and reliably, and when the FunKey is eventually shipped, firsthand accounts of what people think of it. And for those who do have a FunKey, a section of the Discord server could be dedicated to helping people set up their devices, with members of the community volunteering to help with this if they wish to. Perhaps original backers could be given special roles as well?
FunKey forums
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Hi Coolie,
For now, there is an unofficial FunKey Discord server at https://discord.gg/spGUxR that has been set up by an early fan, where you can discuss uncensored about the FunKey S. We participate there, and of course there is this forum for more official answers.
Knowing this, let us know what you think would be the best communication channel to build a community, we are open!
Whichever platform is used, I believe that it's most important to ensure that everyone knows to go there for information, which is why the more official a platform seems the better. Perhaps you could work with the owner of the fan Discord server to get a few community moderators, and once you feel the Discord is up to scratch, perhaps put a link to it next to the other social icons on the bottom right of the FunKey website so that people know where they can talk about the project with others and get information about it in a timely fashion (personally, I feel that Discord makes it easier for newcomers to get such information in a timely fashion compared to the forum, especially in real-time). Since there's already this Discord server, perhaps a few more channels can be added for several purposes? Personally, I suggest # Homebrew ROMs (for sharing publicly accessible homebrew ROMs or ROM hacks for supported systems), # Custom Apps (presuming members of the community develop their own apps for the FunKey, perhaps this channel could be used to share such apps during and after development, and to get Beta Testers for them), # Help (to get help with installing software onto the FunKey, switching out the buttons, or anything else related to the FunKey), and perhaps language-specific servers such as # Français.
In addition, perhaps look into improving the fan-made subreddit in a similar fashion, as while it may not at first seem to provide many additional benefits to what this forum provides, being on more platforms will ultimately give the FunKey a greater reach, thus not only potentially increasing FunKey sales but also creating more opportunities for people to create and share custom apps, which is ultimately beneficial to the FunKey community at large.
FYI, there is a FunKey S channel on this Retro Handheld Gaming discord - https://discord.gg/wurh4WM