On 04/02/16 19:31, John Sullivan wrote: > We have a much-delayed update ready to publish (see > https://www.fsf.org/news/fsf-commences-review-of-high-priority-free-software-projects-list-your-input-is-needed). > After that's published, we will revisit our updating process and > announce the next opportunity for feedback or what the revision process > will be going forward. >
The recent change in funding strategy at Software Freedom Conservancy could also provide some inspiration for the strategy around this high priority list. Without a strategy, it is just as effective as a list for Santa. Conservancy appear to be putting a stronger focus on the individual developer+user of free software. What would such a focus mean in terms of this list? It could be broken down into three things: a) software for the home and work environment: basic things like helping people manage their ever increasing collection of music, photos, movies, contact data and other things like the ever increasing volume of non-personal email (travel bookings, bank statements, etc), all these things need to just work other developers are always becoming frustrated with stuff that is a distraction from their own area of development b) development tools and related things (e.g. alternative to Github) c) business tools that are somewhat universal, e.g. double-entry accounting is just as important whether you are running a single rental property or a multinational corporation Being able to do all of these things efficiently on a free software platform would enable developers and small business to focus on the more exotic things they really want to be doing. On the other hand, if the platform doesn't do those things well, it frustrates people, they are nagged by users and they don't do productive development or we lose them completely.