Graham Lauder skrev 14.10.2010 05:37:
That's the difference. In these days of online build services there is arguably no reason that we could not create different package sets on different media for different markets and completely different branding for each set.
oh but there is... developer base, testers, QA, Mirroring infra. simply rebuilding a package does not mean that it actually works.
How many users does Mandriva have worldwide, compare that to the number of computer users and you will see that the "one size fits all" does not equal significant market share. OpenOffice.org user base is estimated to be around 100 million, the vast majority (around 90%) on an MS platform even though linux distros get it by default. OOo is targeted at office productivity people for obvious reasons, it's branding, colour design (Blue engenders a feeling of reliability and efficiency) is aimed at that market group. The Logo design is aimed at a 30 to 45 age group, who are the decision makers in this group and to whom "Gulls" = Freedom. As far as we can tell, OOo out performs MSO 2003, 2007 and 2010 combined outside of educational institutions, but still is nowhere near the combined user base of the MSO 97/2000/XP group. This penetration is down to marketing on a shoestring, the OOo marketing project is the most active, marketing group in the FOSS world other than RedHat, Ubuntu and Mozilla, most of whom are paid and have a budget.
Ignoring the Linux userbase for now, OpenOffice usage on MS side is chosen on three merits:
1. its free (economy) 2. it works as intended (need) 3. its open source (ideology) And the two first ones are the biggest reason obviously.
We do not work on voodoo, we work on science with measurable results. I don't dismiss your code as crap because I am not a hacker. Don't dismiss what I say as nonsense without logical and reasoned argument to back it up. Your "feelings" don't count as a logical counter argument. I don't "fear", I _know_ from experience and research that a "One Size Fits All" Product and marketing campaign will go nowhere.
Yeah, we can never please all, thats true, but we must also be careful to not be "too narrow" as it also "kills" the product
As an addendum to that I would ask the question, The Zero to dead, male and female market group, and I presume all nationalities and all religions and all social groupings and all job types and all locations and localities, young, old teenaged and middleaged, technologically educated and illiterate. How would you present Mageia to all these vastly different groups of people?
Its Linux! Anything anywhere! Whatever you need, we got it! :)
Wouldn't it be more sensible to say: "This group of people could materially benefit from using Mageia as their preferred Technology platform, let's communicate with them in a way that they can relate to."
Yep. as long as it's not driven to a point where we offend/repel parts of the community.
Remember, Mageia _is_ a Community distribution. -- Thomas
