Re: Revamping Friends of GNOME: help with web page text (with updated text!)

[Brian Cameron <Brian Cameron Sun COM>]

Stormy:

> I got some feedback from a couple of non-GNOME people. These are people that
> use computers regularly, are somewhat in the technical workspace, but not
> programmers. To be honest, and as a disclaimer and to give credit where
> credit is due, most of the specific feedback came from, Anita Lettieri, who
> is a database administrator/programmer (and also my boyfriend's mother. :)
>
> I've updated the pages. Three things for all of you:
>
>    - I think we could still use a campaign slogan, especially since I
>    removed the "adopt a hacker" idea. Ideas?

I like that slogan, but it doesn't really capture the humanitarian
aspects of free software or GNOME at all.  A good slogan, I think,
should encourage people to donate not just to make the code better
but also because the code helps people.

>    - Does anybody have a good page that explains what the desktop is or what
>    GNOME is that we could link to? Otherwise, we should probably create one.

  http://www.gnome.org/about/

  If that's not good enough, should we enhance the page?

>    - One last review of the text - I modified the text (especially at the
>    beginning) in response to the feedback below.
>
> Here's the specific feedback and I've attached the modified text.
>
> Feedback that generates significant changes:
>
>
>    - Hacker – BAD!  VIRUS!   I know that in the software world, hacker can
>    be a good thing.  But everything in the "other" connects hackers to bad
>    stuff happening to your computer. (But "Somehow "adopt a software
>    developer" seems too dry…")

Perhaps if the word is a link to this, it would be more clear:

  http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#Hacker

>    - Is $10 the only option?  $5 or $25?  Could I also get quarterly email
>    updates on what is being accomplished by my specific developer… maybe at the
>    $25 or higher level?

I don't see a reason why we shouldn't accept any amount people want to
donate.

>    - Free desktop confusion:
>       - I don't know enough about free desktop.  I need education.  Is free
>       desktop something I can use?  Does it replace the windows
> operating system?
>       Can I run windows software?  Where do I go for help if I need
> it?  Is there
>       a primer on it that is geared to someone like me?

There are resources on the web:

http://www.wikihow.com/Migrate-to-Open-Source-Software
http://en.opensuse.org/How_to_migrate_from_Windows

Perhaps we should find some good references and have links from the
GNOME pages (not just the Friends of GNOME page), or write our own
page to help people understand how to migrate?

>       - The ad does a good job of explaining the purpose of the GNOME
>       Foundation and what it supports.  But if I don't know what free desktop,
>       open source software, if it will benefit me, I would probably
> not let loose
>       with the bucks.  It would be nice if there was a link like: "Undecided?
>       Want to know more about free desktop and how it will benefit you?" link.
>       (or "Want to know more about free desktop and why it is
> important – why the
>       world needs it?"  How does the volunteer software developer
> program work?)

I continue to try to highlight the humanitarian angles.  I think this is
a part of understanding why free software is important for people to
consider.