2011/1/25 Satoru Matsumoto
Hello mates,
as you may already noticed, openSUSE Weekly News (OWN) have been going through several changes including format, layout, platform and procedure for editing, etc.
Up until a few months ago, we prepared the Weekly News in the Wiki first, and posted an announcement to other translation sub teams, so that they can start translating. After finishing the Wiki version, Sascha, the editor in chief reformatted the wikicode into HTML in order to provide HTML/RSS versions of the OWN. However, that was a time-consuming process for Sascha, because most links had to be fixed manually.
Initially, Sascha started a new XML based process flow for OWN as his personal (just for fun) project. After the Conference 2010, the idea (migrating over to XML code based process flow) was born and brought up. Sascha found it interesting, because once the source will be written in XML code, we can produce files in various formats like HTML or PDF with that XML source.
At first, the migration was not planned to start so hastly. But unfortunately, the provider who helped Sascha to convert the wikicode to HTML was going down. So, Sascha has switched the editing process of OWN from Wiki base to XML base earlier than expected.
This is why OWN have changed recently. But during this migration, we have acknowledged some problems as well.
I think current OWN are not best and perfect yet. About 1 and half years have passed since our last simple survey [1]. Now, for further improvement of OWN, we need your feedbacks. Please let us know your opinions and thoughts on OWN. # Although Sascha has placed another poll on connect.o.o about the # formats of OWN, I'd like to ask you again here.
= Let us know your opinions and thoughts about followings in READERS point of view =
* Do you read OWN (almost) every week? Yes and many timew I go back to older issues to find things
* Do you like current look & feel of OWN in HTML format on news.opensuse.org [2]? And let us know the reason.
No I think it is a bit poor(in graphics) and for me comparing to the wiki format is like comparing a plain newspaper(html format) to a glossy Magazine(wiki). I liked the wiki format better
* Do you like current look & feel of OWN in PDF format on news.opensuse.org [3]? And let us know the reason.
I like that very much and many people not openSUSE related told me very nice things about it,unfortunately we haven't manage to have it translated yet...
* Which do you like to read more, HTML version on news.o.o or PDF format (or Wiki format [4] as once they were)? Which is more convenient for you?
I really can't answer that since I read them both.
* What kind of articles and informations do you want to read in OWN besides those in current OWN?
Maybe some more news about Linux games
* Are there any sections which you don't need in current OWN?
No it is formated this way that everyone finds something interesting, from a newbie to a developer
* Do you have any idea to improve OWN from readers point of view?
= Let us know your opinions and thoughts about followings in MARKETING TEAM MEMBER's point of view =
* What role do you expect OWN to play in openSUSE community/project?
Here in Greece it is maybe the greater marketing 'weapon' we have since at least once a week someone reads something about the openSUSE community/project. If it happens here it should be happening everywhere else easier, since we are not so famous for our FOSS community as for other things.
* What should be primary readership of OWN? How do you think the order of priority should be?
a. Newbie and/or potential openSUSE users b. Intermediate to expert openSUSE users c. Active openSUSE contributors and developers d. Those who aren't involved openSUSE community, but are interested in what are going on around openSUSE
I see that all of the above categories are interesting in the OWN and you cannot really focus on one or two categories since we need them all.
* What kind of articles do you think more important? How do you think the order of priority should be?
a. Official announcements from openSUSE project b. Status reports from sub projects and community c. Tips and Howtos on openSUSE d. Personal blogs related to openSUSE e. Genaral information and news on broader Linux/FLOSS comminity, which aren't aggregated on planet.o.o
Community articles about projects and sub-projects of the community. The order of priority I would go for is: a/b/c/e/d
[1] http://forums.opensuse.org/forums/english/other-forums/community-fun/surveys... [2] http://news.opensuse.org/2011/01/22/opensuse-weekly-news-159-is-out/ [3] http://www.saschamanns.de/pub/OWN/PDF/OWN-159.pdf [4] For your reference: http://en.opensuse.org/Archive:Weekly_news_150
In addition, we, OWN team have some other problems which we want to share with you and cannot solved only by ourselves. So, I'm going to post emails about following issues. I hope you will be interested in those issues and put your heads together as well.
* Copyright and license issues (will be posted to -project list later)
* Matters of translations of OWN and how we can attract potential contributors - both editors and translators (will be posted to -marketing list later)
Best,
-- _/_/ Satoru Matsumoto - openSUSE Member - Japan _/_/ _/_/ Marketing/Weekly News/openFATE Screening Team _/_/ _/_/ mail: helios_reds_at_gmx.net / irc: HeliosReds _/_/ _/_/ http://blog.zaq.ne.jp/opensuse/ _/_/ -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-marketing+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-marketing+help@opensuse.org
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