[Sugar-devel] [IAEP] Show Must Go On - SoaS for the XO-1

[Martin Dengler]

On Wed, Jun 17, 2009 at 01:38:32PM +0200, Bert Freudenberg wrote:
> 
> On 17.06.2009, at 12:56, Martin Dengler wrote:
> 
> > On Wed, Jun 17, 2009 at 12:41:05PM +0200, Jonas Smedegaard wrote:
> >>> What if we developers only announce in developer-oriented forums and
> >>> someone else (marketing team?) takes the task of communicating it to
> >>> end users?
> > [...]
> >> I suggest transforming it into this instead:
> >>
> >> Beware of the target audience of the list you post to.  If you are
> >> unsure if your message could be misinterpreted (e.g. if you are a
> >> geek with a message to end users) then consider passing it through
> >> someone more devoted to communicating (e.g. the marketing team).
> >
> > Good point, but I think the audience involved has self-selecting down
> > to "developer <-> tester".
> >
> > I don't think we need to be worried about anyone else.  Do we need to
> > worry about a person, who a) doesn't understand copy-nand but b) is
> > subscribed to IAEP, suddenly deciding that they'll run mysterious
> > commands on huge downloaded files and end up with something they
> > didn't expect?  I don't think that more than a handful of people will
> > do that, if that.
>
> Many developers can't imagine with how little understanding actual
> end users approach tasks like this. Even slapping on a big WARNING
> sign does not really prevent them from severely damaging their
> system.

I appreciate the scope of the problem that "we're telling lots of
people about things that they don't understand...":

> > Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:12:10 +0100
> > From: Martin Dengler <martin at martindengler.com>
> > Subject: Re: [Sugar-devel] Show Must Go On - SoaS for the XO-1
> > To: S Page <skierpage at gmail.com>

> > Spend a few seconds contemplating how easy those steps can be.  Now
> > contemplate how many ways people might screw up each step (mis-type
> > the removable device letter? assume that dd just adds some stuff to
> > their USB stick and get upset when it overwrites their thesis?).

...but I don't think that's the problem:

> For you it seems obvious nobody should undertake this unless they know  
> exactly what they're doing. Which is precisely the problem.

No, that's not the problem.  It's people that don't know that they
don't know what they're doing.  My point is that I think we're
worrying about people that a) want to be testers; and b) are so keen
that they go copy-nanding (after getting a devkey, etc.) without
understanding what they're doing.  As I'm saying I don't think there
are enough people like that on IAEP/sugar-devel to worry about, and
you're saying there are (IIUC).  Well, I'm happy to leave it at that.

> Saying that developers should not talk to users is only half a
> joke. It's often frustrating for both sides. You need someone who
> can think on both levels to mediate.

I agree, but I think most developers [on this project] *can* but just
lack the time.  And given the additional time it'd take, I think (as I
said directly to S Page and as others have said) that someone else
should do it if it's a problem.  But I'm glad sdz sent his mail.

> - Bert -

Martin
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