[osol-mktg] Re: Re: perceptions of OpenSolaris

[Patrick Finch]

 > I guess the question is, if you announce new developments as they happen,
 > do you build respect over time, or do you build up people's filters 
against
 > listening after awhile?

I think that's exactly the problem, and not just with the audience, but 
with the press too.

I am not sure that the press will pay attention unless regular 
information is translated into user needs, and specifically, I think we 
need to understand what the milestones are. I think that we've reached 
one recently with Solaris Express, specifically, you don't need to know 
much about Solaris to configure a good working desktop (the GNOME GUIs 
are quite intuitive).

I agree that it would be good to have a set of milestones saying what 
the next milestones, and I think that Stephen feels (and probably 
correctly) that  NWAM should be integrated as most potential users will 
want a more painless wireless experience.  I'm inclined to agree, but 
would you say then we have achieved the milestone of a well-functioning 
desktop that doesn't require a high level of specific Solaris knowledge 
to get up and running?

Patrick


Richard L. Hamilton wrote:
> I guess the question is, if you announce new developments as they happen,
> do you build respect over time, or do you build up people's filters against
> listening after awhile?  OTOH, does waiting for a certain level of goodies
> to announce increase the impact, or just look like PR grandstanding or
> holding back on information?
> 
> If I were to engage in clueless speculation, I'd think most people, and press
> folks in particular would like to be kept regularly informed (or at least
> want you to think that's what they wanted), provided it (a) wasn't just
> self-serving stuff (so they can feel they're fulfilling their role as skeptic or
> watchdog), and (b) (given human nature) that doing so didn't increase their workload too much.
> 
> So if you put out progress reports, by all means point out how much you've
> improved, but also point out the roadmap and how much remains to
> be done; acknowledge known shortcomings before someone else tries
> to make a story out of them.  And choose some middle road, neither
> announcing what might be of limited interest to their audience, nor merely
> every once-every-long-interval, but rather bounded by both a maximum
> interval and minimum amount or significance of accomplishment.  That way,
> there's  always enough substance, and yet you're putting out something just
> often enough that nobody will think you're slacking off.
> 
> But FWIW, I know nothing about PR, and less than I should about human
> nature...
>  
>  
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