On Mon, 02 May 2005 10:00:12 +0200 Dave Neary <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > But it doesn't measure people using a free desktop at work, or in > telecenters, or atr school, who may not know they're using linux, and > certainly don't browse those sites that run online surveys on whether > you're using GNOME or KDE. > True. On the other hand, are there really that many 'uninformed' GNOME desktop users compared to the worldwide amount of geeks who also don't vote in online polls? Does GNOME come preinstalled on usual PC's? Are companies using Linux on a lot of office desktops or isn't it used really for development, system administration, and servers? And what will companies install? Will they really test different desktops to see what's better for their users, or will they trust the recommendation of their system administrator who is likely to be a geek? Or will they just use what comes installed by default? Additionally, numbers such as these have a tendency to create their own truth: People may start using what they percive as the most used platform, and thus the platform will get the most used. > I don't know if there's anything that we can do to change that image, > or redress the bar, or even start changing that trend in online polls > to get it closer to 60/40 or even 50/50. > > It is a little worrying that an online magazine is almost ignoring > GNOME... > There are lots of things, depending on what you mean by 'we' and 'do'. However, the facts are: 1.) We can't influence what kind of people start testing Linux and GNOME. The market of computer newbies is (nearly) unreachable right now. 2.) We can't change the way potential switchers judge GNOME: They will first note what beloved features are not there anymore. That is, they will first note what's wrong, in their opinion. On the other hand, it took me about a year to find out what's cool about Linux. 3.) There no way to reach a decision, and delegate tasks, unless prominent GNOME developers lead and organize these efforts. With this in mind, the following stuff seems possible: Web page: --------- - update the 'user' section of the GNOME homepage with an inviting text. - a screenshot walk-through on the webpage with proper explanations. - make the webpage multi-language - make bugzilla easier to use (Elijah is working on this, AFAIK) - integrate Davyd Madeley's GetFootware page into the offical pages. - start posting inviting (encouraging) opinions/ success stories on planet.gnome.org and/or GNOME journal instead of worrying stuff - Miguel de Icaza is a master concerning this, IMHO. - in general, move potentially worrying discussions away from planet.gnome - what about a 'news collection' team for Footnotes: Things I missed there in the last weeks, for example: GNOME is preinstalled on medium super computers via RedHat, and GUADEC got a one page advertising in some Linux journals. - present GTKmm more prominately as a viable C++ alternative (there seems to be a grown interest in GTKmm in the last year, did you know that?) - present other bindings more prominately as an alternative to 'old' toolkits, for example Perl-TK, TK, etc... Development: ------------ - make GNOME (the project) more attractive to power users (geeks) - the Power toys package idea might help - help third-party developers to migrate to GNOME technologies inofficially. - concentrate less on unreachable markets such as people that buy OS's preinstalled (that is: less emphasize on advanced usability) and more on reachable markets (system adminstration, web page designers, semi-professional musicians, or scientists, for example.) - make it easier to distribute and test GTK/GNOME apps by using autopackage Social: ------- - Instead of doing-yourself, find ways to delegate work (split larger tasks into small pieces that can be done by less experienced developers) - given the number of user made distros with GNOMe as default on Davyd's GetFootware, where are their users? Do they read GNOME web pages? Are there any ways to improve contact, and collaborate? Cheers, Claus -- marketing-list mailing list marketing-list@gnome.org http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/marketing-list