[libreoffice-marketing] Re: Silent Updates

Hi Florian,

Le 2012-12-29 05:24, Florian Monfort a écrit :
> Hi Marc,
>
> I think in this case you... Think too much haha.
>
> Let's describe the average user here and think about it:
>
> - When the average user downloads, he just ... Downloads... Mostly 
because
> it's free and he needs an Office Suite ASAP.
>
> Meaning : The average user downloads always the last one unless the
> download is marked in Red or with a big "UNSTABLE" mention.
>
> - When having the last version the feel like this is all done. They don't
> really think about updates, nor they actually care.
>
> Meaning : Don't think the average user spends time reading the
> specifications before choosing a version. They are not advanced users and
> they choose the most simple hint "unstable"/"stable".
>
> - When some months later another guy comes up with a better version with
> latest features this one will say "How did I not come to have the last
> one?? :O" Although he had a notification since ages telling him to 
upgrade.
>
> Meaning : Auto-updates is a way for people to have the latest version and
> making their life easier, just what they ask for...

> Sorry, hit enter and the mail was gone, so continuing:
>
> You can put a pop up on first install saying "do you want us to update
> automatically" or not, something like this.

This is OK with me AND preferred.

> But we're also talking about Cloud Computing now, and the truth is,
> LibreOffice is ages behind it... And you know very well that there is a big
> advantage to Cloud Computing : You don't have to make an update to get it,
> the service is being upgraded by someone else, just like with Google Docs.
> We need that kind of "simple way to go".

But if you are talking of a LibreOffice "Cloud" version, then yes, 
updates can be pushed through. We do not have cloud services as yet, so 
this point does not really apply.

> And for the last "security" part : isn't a last version supposed to be more
> secure than an old one? What you say sound so weird, and yes, we make
> mistakes, like pretty every software editor, and yet, the option is here...

Maybe we are talking about different things, and, this is my fault. I 
was talking more of releases. You may find the explanation behind our 
suggestion of which release to use on our website here: 
http://www.libreoffice.org/download/release-policy/.

> Oh, and about being arrogant and better-knowing : Actually Marc, in this
> case, we know better than the average user. And this is not us being
> arrogant, this is us taking responsibility for the fact that we're building
> an Office Suite that is going to be used by millions of users, and that for
> the most part, as builders, we know how it is built and what can be best
> for them with the feedback from the community.
>
> If you see arrogance in every decision-making, don't be surprised not to
> move forward ;).

I am not sure an enterprise would agree with you if it had gotten a 
pushed update that borked their network. Our IT staff at my schoolboard 
does not install/update any software without proper testing as it has 
found that newly updated software will often cause problems with their 
installed software.

I am not sure I would agree with you as well. I am a small office home 
business (as well as teacher) and if a pushed update caused me wasted 
time, I would remove the software. IMO, there is a fine line that is 
crossed when you insist on automatic updates without the consent of the 
user.

I do not see arrogance in every decision making, nor have I ever said 
that I thought this way. However, I would see arrogance in a group that 
thinks it knows better than the users. That group would be doomed to 
failure. You only need to look to KDE and Gnome projects, KDE 
backtracked when it realized that it was more prudent to listen to 
users; Gnome is still trying to backtrack but in the process got forked 
a couple of times by groups willing to listen to users.

Anyway, from a marketing point of view, I would hope that I would not 
have market such a feature as a silent pushed auto-updates without 
users' consent. I don't think that such a feature would be too popular 
unless there was an option to turn it off.

Cheers,

Marc



--
Marc Paré
Marc@MarcPare.com
http://www.parEntreprise.com
parEntreprise.com Supports OpenDocument Formats (ODF)
parEntreprise.com Supports http://www.LibreOffice.org


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