Bye

[Cyber Penguin]

A few days ago I received a message asking if I was still active in the
Lubuntu community. It prompted me to think for a moment of failed projects
and consider where to focus now.

I'm signing off the mailing list, and here's the explanation.


Some might remember that I joined the list to help in a much needed and
overlooked area: Marketing and PR, especially our own web site. Long story
short, at the end of the day the effort gave a very modest outcome -
details can be found in the mail archive, in case anyone wants to revive.

On purpose I kept quiet for some time after that in order to see if anybody
else was interested in the topic, but not much has been posted except from
Kanliot and I.

So, it's time to find other projects. I'm off, but if anyone has energy to
try to lift the field of web communication here are a few ideas to grab and
develop.


I) First and foremost, a web site must have a "most-desired action". Here's
a link from 2004 explaining the term (and yes, I chose intentionally an old
source, indicating that it should be common knowledge to everyone working
in web communications today).

http://www.webpronews.com/whats-your-mostdesired-action-2004-02

Lubuntu.net is not keeping focus. It can not serve both a) a small group of
experienced Lubuntu developers and b) the potential new user who has just
heard of Lubuntu for the first time. Both tasks are important, but they
should not be mixed on the same site.

The top post in the blog on lubuntu.net reads "Julien Lavergne released
Lubuntu 12.10". For group a) the statement translates to "Good, the
technical lead is still here", but for group b) it sounds like "What, one
guy's pet project? No way I'm going to ditch Windows for that."


II) A blog is not the best choice on a site targeting new users. It
consists of a series of PERSONAL reflections upon SELECTED issues, often on
an ADVANCED level and for a LIMITED number of readers presupposing a
certain level of EXPERIENCE.

We want a NEUTRAL presentation of the MAIN properties of Lubuntu, taking
care that everything is communicated in a SIMPLE way so EVERYBODY can
benefit from reading the site, especially the INEXPERIENCED.


III) In short, you should meet the visitor where he is right now, not where
you are yourself nor where you want to bring him. Telling a beginner that
Lubuntu offers "Lightdm, using the simple GTK greeter" is not only a waste
of time, as he has no foundation for digesting this information, it simply
scares him away. "Sounds as nerdy as the old SuSE I tried ten years ago, no
thanks".


Well, I guess I have said enough. I hope someone will rise to the challenge
and give the web site the thorough revision which is (still) much needed.

If you, dear reader, know someone who works professionally with digital
communication, preferably in non-technical matters, it would be interesting
to hear his judgement. I'm talking of a web-editor working for a large
organisation, not a web-technician.


Thanks for now and good luck with Lubuntu, a great distro which deserves an
equally great marketing.


Bye
CP
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