Am 10/26/2012 11:25 PM, schrieb jan iversen:
Just an idea, which once helped me.
Typically users dont think things will go wrong so they dont pay attention
to whatever we write, but one apache project had a quite clever solution
And when they remember that there was a banner talking about "How to get
help in case of problems", hm, how to get this information back; as the
user has of course not wrote it up.
(if I remember right it was Axis, but dont depend on my memory), when the
installation failed it did not just tell you failed, it came up with the
link to FAQ, right when the user needed it, simple but very effective.
That is good with problems while installing. However, when the install
was fine but AOO is crashing every 5 seconds after every start is
different. Even a link to the support webpage in the "Help" menu is not
really helping the user.
OK, maybe an extrem case. ;-)
Marcus
On 26 October 2012 23:06, Louis Suárez-Potts<lo...@apache.org> wrote:
Hi
Every now and then a user finds the experience of downloading, installing,
using AOO disappointing and frankly frustrating if not worse. They will
usually go to the user forums, but sometimes they will contact the Apache
Foundation directly. Okay, but this does not really help them.
What we did with OpenOffice was set up a Support page, which has since
been moved to here, http://www.openoffice.org/support/. It's pretty much
an improved version of the old but of course the "ecosystem" needs further
fleshing out—it suffers from a lack of substantial existence.
I'm also not persuaded that the route to it from either the application
download page or homepage or wherever is redundantly clear enough for the
befuddled enduser who installs AOO to replace his or her whatever suite and
doesn't really know where to go…..
So, my query is the usual impossible question: What can we do to make it
clearer to the puzzled and frustrated how to get help? Sure, we can have a
knowledge base (kb), FAQ, etc., and also enthusiastic community members.
But what would you suggest as a path, or paths for the user? I personally
would include something in the installation sets that point to the support
page above; but also banners, say, or tags, stickers—glaringly obvious neon
coloured blinking lights?—to relay users to useful pages.
Ideas?
Thanks
Louis
