Re: GNOME's Target Markets

[Claus Schwarm <c schwarm gmx net>]

To clarify the stuff I wrote, an example might help:

Let's say we'd target semiprofessional and professional musicians and
composers. Then, we'd have something to work on:

1.) We can do a list of FOSS ISV's with the same target market, and
present advantages and benefits to them, so they extend their use of
GNOME technologies.

2.) We can do a list of proprietary ISV's to present similar arguments.

3.) We can do a list of distributions targeting this segment. A simple
google search reveals at least three distributions. Then, we present
arguments to them for using the GNOME desktop.

4.) However, none of the above will work quite well without a foot in
the real target market. This could be reached by

    a.) Visiting conferences for musicians with proper LiveCDs in our
        hands.

    b.) Trying to get GNOME build applications for musicians widely
        distributed by

        ba.) pushing windows builds for the OpenCD (or make our own
             GNOME Open CD with Windows builds), and

        bb.) delivering an add-on CD for Linux distributions with
             autopackages of these applications.
    
    c.) Promote these applications, and thus the desktop by

        ca.) writing articles about them in journals targeting
             musicians,

        cb.) writing about them in Linux journals and the planet, and

        cc.) find journalists with an interests in both to feed them
             with proper informations so that they write about GNOME,
             and GNOME build applications.


It doesn't mean to make GNOME a musicians desktop! The goal would be to
push enought for momentum to catch. We'd then pick another target
market, preferably one that is 'close' to the previous one.

There's nothing wrong with picking two or three different target markets
in the beginning if there are people to support these targets, and the
markets are properly defined. In fact, this would be a good idea to
spread the risk of picking the 'wrong' target.

Now this was just an example. I don't think musicians and composers are
a valuable target for us; KDE seems to be better equipped in this
segment.

But maybe it shows that a proper definition of a target leads to
easy TODO lists and plans. We'd just need a proper infrastructure for
building contact lists, and then work on these lists.

IMHO, this is better than trying to work with general constructs
such as "ISV", "distributions", or "end users".

Cheers,
Claus