On 10/25/2017 03:44 PM, Roger Price wrote:
On Wed, 25 Oct 2017, Patrick Shanahan wrote:
* Billie Walsh
[10-25-17 10:09]: If I were someone looking to get into using linux for the first time and came to that page I would just keep moving. There's nothing there to tell me that this is something I can use. It's something only nerdy types can use. Not a common computer user.
And, people wonder why common users don't use Linux.
As the user base gets older the numbers are going to go into the toilet unless you can interest younger users into the fold. That page won't get it done.
and inferring to visitors that openSUSE is "pointed" at developers and sysadmin does not gain the more average user but only more highly "skilled" users.
The openSUSE board have taken the decision that the primary openSUSE audience is IT professionals, developers and sysadmins. I do not have insider access to how the board thinks, but this looks like a business decision which takes into account the relationship between SUSE and openSUSE, and the relationships between Tumbleweed, Leap and SLE.
the fact that openSUSE is a great platform for developers and sysadmin is a plus but it must also be a "great" platform for the "unwashed masses" and provide them a great experience.
being great for developers and sysadmin should be a prominent "footnote", not a description of the distribution.
My impression is that you will need to present very strong arguments to convince the board to change tack. What is the business case for providing a great platform for the unwashed? How many SLE licenses does that generate?
The board's decision appears to assume that Linux newcomers are better served by a derivative distribution such as Gecko, a specialist distribution such as SteamOS or an ultra-popular distribution such as Mint, but this will have to be confirmed by the board itself.
Roger
I did a little browsing around looking at some of the different Linus distros web site. Every one stress's that it is for IT types, even Mint. Nothing about the average user. -- "The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things: Of shoes-and ships-and sealing-wax- Of cabbages-and kings-- And why the sea is boiling hot- And whether pigs have wings." Lewis Carroll _ _... ..._ _ _._ ._ ..... ._.. ... .._ -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, e-mail: opensuse+owner@opensuse.org