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

Hello Ady,

Le Mon, 11 Nov 2013 06:11:10 +0200,
Ady <ady-sf@hotmail.com> a écrit :

> > 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.

Thank you a lot for your  input. The survey does not cover the problem
you described specifically. But it definitely makes sense, and I think
we should keep your points in mind, although there is no easy solution
given that part of the reason there is no single sign on is security.

Thanks a lot, it's really useful.

Best,

-- 
Charles-H. Schulz 
Co-founder, The Document Foundation,
Kurfürstendamm 188, 10707 Berlin
Gemeinnützige rechtsfähige Stiftung des bürgerlichen Rechts
Legal details: http://www.documentfoundation.org/imprint
Mobile Number: +33 (0)6 98 65 54 24.


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