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

Overall, a +2, Ady.

Comments interspersed below.

On 11/10/13 9:11 PM, Ady wrote:
> > 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.

And I would add, unknown to many users, including myself.  I don't have 
the time to deal with the few newsgroups I try to follow now, much less 
spending a lot of time on LO's website, and then learning how to use the 
different venues.

I will give LO kudos for apparently having the content of Nabble and the 
mailing list being identical.  At least I believe it's identical.  But 
LO falls a little bit short in not being able to attach documents, 
screenshots, etc. via the mailing list when you use gmane.org.  If 
that's a gmane issue, then that's the way it is, especially if you've 
requested that ability.

I prefer a newsgroup reader to any of the varied forum formats, which is 
why I use gmane.  To me, Nabble is a forum.  But it is better than most 
because there is a threaded view.  Even at that, it's not as efficient 
and quick as using a newsgroup reader.  The display takes too much space 
for the information displayed, and of course, much slower from what I've 
experienced.

> 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?

I've not found Bugzilla to be user friendly for the average user. 
Period.  If it's not user friendly for the average user, that user is 
going to walk away with a negative impression.

> 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.)

Add my support to that suggestion.  I get tired of having to deal with 
Base issues, since I don't use Base.

> 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.

Regarding the previous 3 paragraphs:

irc channels, most people have never heard of them.  The same for ICQ. 
So they don't know how to use them.  I use Skype and Yahoo Messenger. 
And I started using them because I was given the information those 
systems existed.  No software package has ever told me "You can get help 
using the irc channels, and this is how you use them."

Same for wikis and "Ask LIbreOffice".  I didn't know "Ask LibreOffice" 
even existed until your message.  I, and the people I know, don't live 
on LO, their smartphones, tablets, living their lives there.  The 
computer is a tool, not a virtual reality to live in.

I think every download package should include some kind of messaging of 
how and where to get help via some kind of splash screen (or something 
similar) letting new users know of these help options, and how to get to 
them.

> 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 would add, if  there are more than one channel that supports users, 
like this mailing list, the contents should be spread across all the 
channels.  Then it doesn't matter which method of support is desired by 
the user, the user has access to all possible support answers from 
individuals, and the same question is less likely to be asked multiple 
places.

> 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.


--
Ken

Mac OS X 10.8.5
Firefox 24.0
Thunderbird 17.0.8
LibreOffice 4.1.2.3


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