Re: [libreoffice-users] Engaging users: initial results of the survey

> Hello,
>
> As there were some exchanges about the survey here and as I advertised
> it on this mailing list as well, I thought you might be interested by
> my initial analysis:
> http://standardsandfreedom.net/index.php/2013/11/10/users-the-final-frontier/
>
> Thank you for your participation!
>
> -- 
 
If I may...

There are many ways for users to communicate: LibreOffice forum, Ask 
LibreOffice, several LibreOffice mailing lists, Nabble, wiki, 
Bugzilla, and several irc channels. The problem is, IMHO, they are 
sometimes "too many" and "too complicated". Let me explain with a 
simple example.

In the release notes for LO 4.1.3, it said that the release was bit 
by bit the same as "RC3". Well, that was incorrect, as it is the same 
as 4.1.3.2, a.k.a. RC2 (there was no 4.1.3.3). What a casual reader 
needs to do if he happens to catch the "typo"? Can he easily report 
the one-character mistake? Does anyone think that this typo deserves 
opening a new bug report in Bugzilla?

For each contact method mentioned above (each ML, Nabble, wiki, 
Bugzilla, forum,...), a user needs to go through an additional sign 
up, sometimes requiring multiple steps. In our example (RC3 typo), do 
you think a casual reader would go through a sign up process just to 
report one wrong character?

Just as an example, I am subscribed to the users ML, and I found 
annoying to go through additional sign-ups for Nabble. I can 
understand that there might be relevant reasons for this; but it is 
still annoying :). On the other hand, if a user is interested in 
Writer only, having to receive emails regarding Draw (or anything 
else than Writer) is one reason not to subscribe to the users ML. So 
perhaps separated per-program lists should be available, instead of 
one unified "users" ML? (I am not necessarily recommending it; just 
mentioning such potential situation.)

Then we have several irc channels, but none of those channels 
targeted to users are really active, ever (e.g. #libreoffice and/or 
#libreoffice-qa). So what's the point of publishing the "existence" 
of those irc channels if they are not really open with someone from 
the LibreOffice Team being present in the channel? I'm not saying 
answers should be "on real time". For irc to be relevant for users, 
someone at least should maintain the channel open and saving logs, 
checking it once a day or so. This is one contact method that could 
be easily used to report the typo mentioned in our example.

One day is one typo, another day is another typo. Then there is some 
minor low-priority bug in the installer (e.g adding a link to the 
desktop even when the user unchecked the corresponding box during the 
installation process). Then the wiki might need some little 
correction or update... For each minor issue, a user could just think 
"not worth going through all the sign up troubles for each different 
service". As a consequence, none of those little corrections are 
reported / performed.

What's the point of "Ask LibreOffice" if each question is seen, say, 
3 times in a one week period? Most questions are unanswered. 
Similarly with LibreOffice forum. A user might not bother to sign up 
to such a method that is hardly ever used by relevant users; and if 
it goes through it anyway and no answer is provided (as it is the 
case with most "Ask LibreOffice" topics), it would probably generate 
a rejection response towards LibreOffice.

If a user signs up and opens a bug report, that's because it is 
significant for him. Is this procedure relevant if the bug report is 
left unanswered for 2 years? Is this user going to keep reporting 
additional bugs? Evidently, solving bugs requires man power, so 
finding a simpler method to report "you have a st*pid typo" might 
help reduce wasted time, for both developers and users.

So, making the contact methods more relevant, easier (unified?) sign 
up procedures and actually maintaining "active" and relevant the 
different contact channels would contribute to receive more feedback 
and eventually reduce wasted time.

I am writing not to complain, but to voice my personal view of some 
of the ways to improve user's involvement in LibreOffice. I admit I 
am not sure if any of these changes would be the most effective use 
of man-power, so I'm not going to call these "recommendations". These 
might be potential considerations for potential improvements. Whether 
they are _effective_ use of man-power, I don't really know.

Thank you and Best Regards,
Ady.

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