Now I'm confused! I though this was the discuss Open Office mailing list?
On Nov 6, 2007 1:08 PM, Mathias Bauer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi William, > > I think your observations might get more interest on the > [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list. > > Ciao, > Mathias > > > William Case wrote: > > > Hi; > > > > I have been on the OOo users list for some two years and using OOo for > > as long. I went to the www.openoffice.org site just to see why there is > > so much confusion for newbies (OOo beginners). > > > > Even I was flustered. > > > > Being flustered the first time one downloads, installs or uses a new > > application and/or operating system is something that can happen to us > > all -- no matter how intelligent or savvy one is. It is an emotional > > state brought on by FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt). > > > > Microsoft and others may spread and enhance FUD in order to keep > > clients, but they do not create it. It is a normal human emotional > > reaction to gambling on something that *may* have a steep learning > > curve; *may* be (to them) completely non-intuitive; *may* cost them all > > their time and money invested in learning something like Word; *may* > > have formats not shareable with others; and *may* put years worth of > > documents and other work at risk. Often there are also time pressures > > involved. > > > > At www.openoffice.org I found: > > > > 1) the so-called download button didn't look like a button; > > 2) the support tab (page) was confusing, giving far too many unnecessary > > choices; > > 3) no tips; > > 4) no explanation of the difference between downloading and installing; > > 5) no reassurances as a newcomer proceeds; > > 6) even finding this Discussion mailing list was filled with FUD. > > etc. > > > > Never did find the questions email site that inserts "YOU MUST GIVE A > > SUMMARY HERE". I have no idea where people with problems are finding > > that site. > > > > I recently gave a short talk about Linux to a group of 20 non-tech MS > > users. The Q & A afterwards, from all 20, turned primarily into > > questions about what would happen to their Word documents if they > > migrated to Linux and OOo. > > > > *I* know the answers. I gave them the right answers. It still didn't > > reduce their FUD very much. From their prospective, too much was at > > risk. > > > > I can see, given the flustered factor, why so many people are having so > > much trouble with the basics. I don't have the answers. But somehow > > the www.openoffice.org site has to be re-thought and the first > > impression of OOo has to be greatly improved if OOo wants to challenge > > MS Office. > > > > > -- > Mathias Bauer (mba) - Project Lead OpenOffice.org Writer > OpenOffice.org Engineering at Sun: http://blogs.sun.com/GullFOSS > Please don't reply to "[EMAIL PROTECTED]". > I use it for the OOo lists and only rarely read other mails sent to it. > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
