Mailinglist Archive: opensuse-project (229 mails)

[Holger Hetterich <hhetter@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Am Freitag, den 12.11.2010, 17:48 +0100 schrieb Kim Leyendecker:
> Well I think a "professional" is a person who can install Linux on his or 
> her own. You maybe laugh about this sentence, but I know people who can´t 
> install Windows. They aren´t professionals I think. If they can´t install 
> Windows, the maybe can´t install Linux too. A professional should know 
> things like this:
>
> - *What´s a swap-partition?
> - *Where´s root?
> - *Why I can´t running my Windows applications without wine or something 
> other?
>
> Yes, that are questions they are important to me. A professional should be 
> an advanced or power user. I think that´s say all.

Kim,

your definition of an advanced user or "professional" is perfectly fine
to me. I am in doubt that a strategy statement using "professionals" or
even "advanced users" is a good idea, as this will leave out all those
who don't know what a swap partition is. And why should openSUSE not
attract those people too?

One of the suggestions says "We Create and Distribute". If openSUSE
manages do to exactly that, openSUSE will attract developers. (and I
personally think openSUSE has all the ground technology to be able to).
Power Users, or "professionals", or advanced users will follow
automatically to where development takes place, as those are following
software development better than others. At leasts that's my thinking.

There's no reason to leave those out who are not professional. In fact I
believe a good portion of them are future contributers, once they
discovered the power of linux.

Cheers,
Holger

> Regards,
> kdl
>
> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- 
> From: Holger Hetterich
> Sent: Friday, November 12, 2010 8:32 AM
> To: opensuse-project@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [opensuse-project] What's the latest on the strategy 
> discussion?
>
> Am Freitag, den 12.11.2010, 00:41 +0100 schrieb Pascal Bleser:
> > On 2010-11-08 17:42:09 (+0100), Holger Hetterich <hhetter@xxxxxxxxxx> 
> > wrote:
> > [...]
> > > [...] The "world's
> > > most usable Linux" is something that depends on the users look at it. I,
> > > as a user, see the whole phrase as something like: "Ok, they want to be
> > > usable, even for my grandma, and by the same time create something new,
> > > innovative, and maintain it !".
> >
> > "Usable", as Martin wrote, is really a bad term to use IMHO.
> > It is unclear, and everyone will have her own interpretation of that
> > term. Some may even understand it as "accessible" (as in a11y).
>
> You will always have a personal interpretation of an individual on any
> terms you have in a strategy statement. For example, what defines
> someone being a "professional" (used in other suggestions)? What will a
> "professional" from the film industry expect from a linux distribution
> for professionals?
>
> Also, I don't have a problem in that someone understands it as
> accessible as in a11y, and having those in the target audience included.
>
> > The mission statement must be short and precise.
>
> It is already short. The more precise you get, the more possible users
> will be lost. Is that the idea?
>
> > I wholeheartedly agree with the "explaining is losing" that was cited on
> > this thread.
>
> You will always have to explain it. There's no way around it.
>
> > > And actually, that's the distribution I am looking for, both from the
> > > POV of a user or a developer.
> >
> > But that is specifically what we do _not_ aim for, as of the strategy.
> >
> > Again, having a strategy and defining a target audience does _not_ mean
> > that openSUSE isn't usable for less or inexperienced users (my
> > girlfriend and my daughter use it too, and neither of them are computer
> > wizards).
>
> I never had doubts on that.
>
> > It just means that our focus, during development and when we have to
> > take decisions that can only go one way or another, we take the decision
> > that favours our target audience.
>
> And that would be to decide for the solution that provides the best
> usability, while trying to maintain a good platform for development and
> innovation. What is the problem?
>
> Linux isn't exactly known for being usable for the masses. I think a
> distribution showing it can be usable is a remarkable goal.
>
> Holger
>
> > cheers
>
> -- 
> Holger Hetterich, hhetter@xxxxxxxxxx,
>   SUSE LINUX Products GmbH, GF: Markus Rex, HRB 16746 (AG Nürnberg)
>    Maxfeldstr. 5, 90409 Nürnberg, Germany
>
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-- 
Holger Hetterich, hhetter@xxxxxxxxxx, 
  SUSE LINUX Products GmbH, GF: Markus Rex, HRB 16746 (AG Nürnberg)
   Maxfeldstr. 5, 90409 Nürnberg, Germany

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