Re: GNOME user survey 2011 (v6)

[Mark <markg85 gmail com>]

On Tue, Oct 18, 2011 at 6:42 PM, Patryk Zawadzki <patrys pld-linux org> wrote:

On Tue, Oct 18, 2011 at 6:34 PM, Sergey Udaltsov
<sergey udaltsov gmail com> wrote:
> Iirc the fallback mode is using new gtk and stuff... why is it obsolete?

AFAIK the goal was to only maintain it until the very last graphics
chip in use was able to run shell. It's not there as a preference,
it's a fallback mode for unsupported hardware.

> I was asking looking at the anger and nostalgie expressed on phoronix.

Phoronix is a tabloid seeking sensation. They feed on flames, FUD and
“scandals” so their readership is far from being average end users.
It's not the crowd you can cater to as whenever you “fix” one
“problem” they will quickly find a new thing to hate.

--
Patryk Zawadzki
I solve problems.

I really want to drop in here.

I on purposely say "gnome" instead of "you" to avoid giving the impression that i attack anyone.

Some facts.

1. Gnome wants feedback but any feedback gathered online is "non representative". It has to be gathered from a "non biased" site like cnn.com -_- guess the person who said that lives in a dream world or under a stone

2. Gnome gets feedback on _gnome's_own_list_of_questions_ but it's "non representative" ... 

3. It's "useless"

4. Feedback should be looked for just by asking people, not on internet.

Really, is gnome KIDDING me? How unrealistic can gnome be! And if phoronix isn't a site for user feedback then what is? For who is Gnome even targeted?

Linux distributions with Desktop Environments are installed by (usually) the more technical people, the same people who infact _do_ visit phoronix simply because it's the only and thus biggest linux news site out there.

Phoronix and any linux news orientated site would be _perfect_ for a Gnome survey! If gnome thinks otherwise then keep on living in that little perfect utopia world of gnome. Reality is way different. Gnome really seems to be living in some ideal small "everyone loves gnome" world where they can tap in sites with millions of unbiased users that all give unbiased objective feedback.. Wake up gnome, not gonna happen!

Asking unbiased thus people that have never been using gnome is asking first impressions. Not something you would want in your feedback. You would want feedback of users that have been using gnome for a (long) while and are thus able to give real constructive feedback. Exactly the kind of people that visit phoronix and thus a perfect site for asking feedback.

What i think is really going on here is that gnome sees the feedback and doesn't like it. Gnome would obviously like to see feedback like "Ohh, good job gnome! btw, gnome shell really rocks!" ... Apparently the vast majority of gnome users (and you can leave ubuntu out since it has it's own interface thus it's own gnome experience) simply don't like what gnome did with the move to Gnome Shell. The people gnome targets don't like gnome anymore and switch to KDE and XFCE. And those are facts!

Then we have the settings. Gnome threats people like they are stupid and takes away as much options as possible. Another fact is that most linux users _like_ to have more options so gnome is very much acting like "i know all, you are stupid. Take it or leave it" and isn't listening to it's users _at_all_ Just face it. More options instead of less are wanted by the majority of gnome's user base for years. And what does gnome do as another stubborn move? ... take more options out ... Gnome did the wrong thing by introducing Gnome Shell. It was known way before it was released but gnome was, yet again, extremely stubborn and ignorant to the opinion of the users. Gnome just doesn't listen and that is gonna bite gnome at some point in time.

Advanced users just don't like gnome anymore. There might be a few exceptions like for example gnome's own developers ;)

So, gnome, please just take this message. Do something about your attitude and listen to your own users! Be friendly towards them, help them and give them a good experience. That does also mean to drop shell in my opinion (and come up with something better).

I really do wonder how much people are using gnome (shell, unity and "fallback") now.. I think it's user base declined rapidly with the gnome 3.0 release. XFCE an KDE probably saw usage increases around the same time. I wish there where numbers on that somewhere.

Don't take this message the wrong way. I post it with good intentions and for gnome to take it and learn from it. I'm just being fair, open and stating facts.

Kind regards,

Mark