Re: [gentoo-dev] Getting Important Updates To Users

[Stuart Herbert]

Hi,

On Sun, 2005-10-30 at 16:52 +0100, Thierry Carrez wrote:
> Random thoughts about this important subject...
>
> Yes, there is a need to push non-obvious upgrade information to our
> users, and no, we can't rely on the GWN alone to convey that "official"
> message.

We can't rely on it *at all*.  Why?  Because it requires users to go and
read it.

The experience from the Apache & PHP changes is that a large percentage
of users (and quite a few developers!) do not read any of the following:

* GWN
* gentoo-dev mailing list
* Gentoo Forums
* Planet Gentoo

We've posted news about our changes to all of these places many times.
It simply didn't reach enough people.

There is *only one time* we can guarantee that we'll have a user's
attention.  That's right after the message that tells a user how many
CONFIG_PROTECT files they need to fix by running etc-update.

(And if we don't have their attention at that point, they have bigger
problems to worry about anyway ;-)

> The reason why the front page and the gentoo-announce ML (the two
> official media for Gentoo -> users information) are under-used is that
> approximately 5% of the developers know how to post to them. We should
> probably make them more open (with a moderation system to check
> message), then they will be used more.

Some of those who hold the keys to those places have actively resisted
this in the past.  Personally, I don't think the front page or
gentoo-announce will reach many more users than the Forums et al already
do.

I don't think it'll solve our problem.

Best regards,
Stu
-- 
Stuart Herbert                                         stuart@g.o
Gentoo Developer                                  http://www.gentoo.org/
                                              http://stu.gnqs.org/diary/

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