Really interesting job. With a lot of development, it could guide us to a better system than mail. It could be interesting to transform it to a ticketing system. This will help people to take tickets in their area of activities (technical and geographical) This will avoid tickets without any answer. I have the knowledge but absolutely not the time to develop it. Anyone interested ?
Regards Cedric On Sat, Jul 18, 2009 at 7:54 PM, Jurgen Gaeremyn<jurgen.gaere...@pandora.be> wrote: > Hi, > (I've put the people who replied to this poll in BCC - I apologize if you > get this message twice) > > I did a little experiment with the Ubuntu Support points map: On July 13, > between 21:45 and 21:50 I sent a mail to 27 points on the map asking for > help on installing Ubuntu in dual boot. At the end of the posting, you'll be > finding a more detailed output. > > Here's my impression: this could be a great tool! The members who do > respond, are very motivated and like to help out. The active volunteers love > helping out and are quite effective in it (according to their own judgement) > Too bad that more than half of the volunteers didn't even answer (possibly, > some of them are away for holidays). > > The support map could be of a serious added value (talk about it on the > Dipro fairs, refer people to that map if you give them a CD or some > information... it definitely lowers the threshold to give it a try) but the > support point should have to be able to: > > disable them temporarily (holiday/exams mode) > remove themselves > easily find a spot to find/add support info > > It could surely a perfect community-based "first line support". For help > with more advanced issues, possibly a second level of support would be great > (so you can help people out by sending them to an expert level... possibly > including some paying services like Canonical support) > > My impression was consolidated that if we want to efficiently use this > support map, we need to be quite confident that people are getting at least > a reply when counting on the Ubuntu-be support map. Here's my suggestions: > > All existing members get a mail with a "reactivation link" (or something > similar) that needs to be clicked on te remain on the list. Possibly this > would be a nice moment to ask some additional information (opt-in to a > possible future announcement list? - see further) > Maybe each request could have an additional (f.e. 1 week delayed) automatic > mail asking the initial user if they got an answer to their question. Not > sure about the technical feasibility of this... > > The opinions about the mailinglist are mixed: some see it as a "wealthy > source of information" ... others get annoyed by the plethora of different > levels of discussion. Possibly, there should be a distinction between a more > low-traffic announcement-list (sending reports from IRC-meetings, > information, ... in a moderated and more top-down fashion) and the current > existing discussion-list. Many hope for the first and drown in the latter. > > A few weeks ago there was a discussion about abusing the volunteers by > sending them an unsollicited bulk e-mail... well, unless I was completely > fooled: every single person who answered to my question was glad getting > some interest and liked to be noticed as a volunteer. Not a single person > sounded bothered by this initiative. > > Friendly regards, > Jurgen. > > Here are the factual results: > > 1. Speed of response > > 4 persons answered that same day > 6 persons answered the next day > 2 persons answered July 15 > 15 persons didn't answer yet > > 2. Type of answer (of 12 active ones) > > 1 person answered not having time anymore (studies) > 6 persons asked where I live - and would then help > 5 persons already gave some advice, and would also help if needed (1 by > searching for a lug in my area) > > I replied these persons that this was actually a test. I also asked them a > few questions. > > 3. Reactions towards the test > > 11 persons answered the questions > 7 persons even thought this was a good idea or that it was only normal this > happened > 1 of them suspected it to be a test (followed the mailinglist) > 1 person did not reply anymore > > 4. Answers to the questions > > A. Did people contact you in the past through the Ubuntu support map? > > I got Ubuntu related questions regularly, and could answer most of them. > I get support requests through the Ubuntu support map every now and then, > but feel I'm pretty much on my own with them. I'm missing a decent structure > inside Ubuntu-be. > Defenitely, I think about 5 times. In my experience people often get in > touch for a CD but if you lead them to the right how-to's, they dare try it > themselves too (which gives them a good feeling if they succeed too -> self > confidence). If I could give some advice: maybe you could create a wiki-page > that could get sent to all support points once a year containing support > tips (which they could then append). f.e.: how to download - burn a CD. > I've been doing this a few years now, and have lead several people 'on the > right path' > Yes, but only very little. I've been on the map for several years, but only > got a 5-some requests. > Yes, twice of which one successfully. > Not exactly I am a GNU/Linux's old user and usualy I give help. > Yes. Your request was the 4th. I always answered immediately. I could get in > touch with one of them in person, the other 2 remained without response. > I have been contacted frequently in the past and have always taken > responsibility. > Yes, about 4 times I think. > > B. Do you feel enough envolved in Ubuntu-be (f.e. would you like to recieve > a mail every now and then?) > > I think so - I don't know what you the mail could possibly tell me. This > doesn't mean I would oppose. > I have a good friendt with whom I organized release parties in the past. My > partaking in Ubuntu-be is very little at the moment, mainly because of the > quarrels ("hele hoop heisa") on Ubuntu-nl and because of the lack of > organisation and support from Ubuntu-be. I would be glad to commit further > and help support the volunteer base if the structure would improve. > I'm on the mailing list, but I would like to feel more involved > Yes I do. I'm subscribed to the newsletter, but I prefer to stay on the > background. > Messages can't hurt, but the mailinglist seems to do a good job here. > I would like that, even if it's about Linux Mint (which I like as much) > Maybe not but in GNU/Linux Yes > I try following the mailinglist. That's definitely enough information for > me. > I feel envolved enough. Actually I don't want to get involved much deeper as > it starts handling tiny ("pietluttige") topics. I prefer standing out there > on the field. > As a matter of fact, I'm on that list to help out people - and that's it. It > would indeed be appreciated if we would recieve a little mail every now and > then. > > C. Do you have contact with other Ubuntu users in your area? > > Yes, but I already knew them before I knew they used Ubuntu > I'm working as developer on an Ubuntu system. If you count my colleagues: > yes. :) > No, but I also don't feel the need. > Yes, I'm member of HCC and L2U, also our company works purely on Linux > (gentoo, but it's linux: www.easics.com ) > no > Yes I have some contacts in diferent LUG Belgian and French > Yes and no. I have a few friends unsing GNU/Linux (and sometimes Ubuntu) but > not real Ubunteros > I keep in touch through Dipro fairs with volunteers from the Ghent region > and with the regulars. Furthermore, plenty of my friends use Ubuntu and > obviously I see them regularly too. > None at all... > > D. Would you like to recieve information about (and possibly be asked for > lending a hand in) events in your area? > > I don't think very much is going on in my area (and I wouldn't have time to > help either) > Obviously. Last year I helped a little (fosdem 8.04 - Hasselt Release Party) > but due to working on the house, I'm on none active for the moment. From > September forward, I'm planning to jump on the wagon again. > No, I think it's enough to be a support point. > I'm invited through the mailinglist, the IRC-meetings and the reports of the > those meetings > I had to help some friends to made their own LUG in Anderlues; I'll join > mine and invite some others in semptember. > Defenitely. Unfortunately I don't have much time to help out, but being able > to talk about these events with my family and friends is important too. > I really enjoy helping on events and it's a very fun way to be in touch with > other ubuntu-be volunteers. I was very sorry I couldn't make it to the last > Ubuntu Release party in Ghent. > If I'd be available, I'd surely attend. > > E. Did you try to remove yourself from the list? (to the person saying not > having anymore time) > > I don't feel the need for that. If persons ask specific questions, I try > answering those by mail. For main questions (like the one you asked), I > decline the requests. > > 5. Additional comments > > Organize some kind of "general meeting" at a central place in Belgium (f.e. > the geographical center of Belgium: > http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geografisch_middelpunt_van_België) > I'm active in 2 school parent boards. I try giving a demonstration every > year and also invite the ICT-coordinator. I think this is the key to > spreading Linux (Ubuntu): less licensing fees. If we can convince schools, > you get an extra 1000-some new users per school. We should try participating > in the "ICT dagen" (http://ictdag.be - the next one is on January 10, 2010) > I'm also member of the mailing list and followed the discussion with little > interest. It might sound harsh but I think there's too much mails about > stupid subjects. Sometimes I experience the ubuntu-be mailinglist as a spam > mailinglist. I have been helping on Dipro fairs in Ghent for 5 years and > find this much more important than discussions about "the language of the > mailinglist" etc... > > -- > ubuntu-be mailing list / mailto:ubuntu-be@lists.ubuntu.com > > Modify settings or unsubscribe at: > https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-be > > -- Ma petite boutique photo http://www.pingouin-barbu.info/la-passion-du-pingouin-barbu/ -- ubuntu-be mailing list / mailto:ubuntu-be@lists.ubuntu.com Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-be