Tech rant: Developers - have proper support not just a Discord server
Running a website, forum or ticket system is hard, and providing support is unpaid extra work that can lead to burnout. However relying on Discord as the sole support system for your business or software product is not OK.
Here are some reasons why, from a (frustrated and easily distracted) developer's perspective.
Discord is closed and for-profit
They are a freemium service following the Big Tech playbook of Enshittification - monopolise a market then turn the screws to rake in money. They're probably selling or sharing our data too, and could change things at any moment. Relying on that for a support history is flaky and unpredictable.
Their recent age verification attempts have been horrific, demanding too much sensitive information and getting hacked almost immediately.
Poor visibility & excess noise
Trying to find an answer is almost impossible in the firehose of stupid comments, arguing, meme gifs and other noise. Developers trying to find answers are often under pressure to find a fix and Discord wastes our time. The Discord search is shit as well, so it's making things harder than they need to be.
Because Discord is freemium, ads for 'Nitro' and other nonsense pop up nearly every time I open the app - more friction.
Async answers
If we can't find the answer because of noise, crap search or people using different terms, we can ask a question and wait for help. That's lovely that people offer help, but skill levels vary and waiting for an answer means, well, waiting for the answer. If it ever comes.
Content not on search engines
Discord servers are semi-private and content does not show up on search engines. Meaning we have to sign up to the server and try and find the answer instead of just using a search engine. More wasted time.
Security & privacy risks
Discord is full of sketchy people with anime profile pics trying to add you for whatever scam reasons, and even clicking an image can get your account hacked. Relying on Discord for support exposes end users to increased security risks.
Additionally there are privacy issues around the 3rd party companies doing the age verification to meet the UK Online Safety Act (spoiler alert- it got hacked).
Attention management
To even get anything productive done these days I have to turn off my phone and every notification from every app on all my devices. Having 50 Discord servers I don't even want to be on is NOISY. Making me access Discord servers for support opens the floodgates of notifications and DMs again when I open the app.
Better support options
Ideally I'd like to visit a developer's own website that contains clear, up to date documentation that doesn't assume any prior knowledge. A FAQ, forum and/or wiki with clear answers to common issues. Also dates on the content so we're not trying ten year old fixes on our code.
Business considerations
Many projects are FOSS and not profit centred, which is amazing. However documentation and support can mean the difference between a thriving community of happy users and a frustrating app or code library that gets deleted and avoided in future.
I use FOSS and indie software not just for financial reasons, but because I don't want to support Big Tech asshole companies like Discord, Google etc. I have no problem paying for software that is well documented and supported, or donating to projects that make my life easier.
I've been tempted to release free plugins/themes etc but if I'm honest with myself, I don't have the time or energy to provide tech support to end users. If it's a drain to provide proper support, consider making the project profitable.
Summary
Using Discord as the sole route for support is terrible for many reasons. A stable, self owned website with clear documentation is recommended for best results. Developers doing things for free isn't sustainable though, so charging or allowing donations may help this become more common.