RE: [Nautilus-list] slashdot, demo script and more

["Tom Musgrove" <TomM pentstar com>]

If you would like some useful feedback, some good publicity/advertising, I
have a suggestion...

On the Evolution list, I have compiled a feature request list, that I intend
to put up as a survey.  (At least on Sourceforge, and probably other places
as well.)  The act of asking for features brought a number of good ideas up
that people hadn't thought of, it also brought greater awareness of features
already planned or already in existence.

When I post the survey, I plan to include some of the questions on cool
features that already exist in evolution, but aren't found in other contact
managers.  Then there will be a question to the effect of - would you be
interested in being emailed when the 'killer feature(s)' you have requested
become available?  I also plan on having a method for easy volunteering (a
lot more people would like to become involved in the Killer projects such as
Nautilus and Evolution, but there are not organized ways to get them
involved.)  I also posted a message to the Evolution list, and got ten
people who wanted to become involved- they all had some time available, but
needed direction and coordination.  Currently I have them working on four
projects of varying importance.

Below is the message I sent requesting features for Evolution, and below
that is a brief explanation of the results and plans, and what I'm willing
to do to help Nautilus similarly...

"I'd be interested in starting a list of desired enhancements (both those in
the bugzilla database, and those that have not been entered.)  And do a
survey as to how highly desired each feature/enhancement is- I'd also do
questions as to volume of mail/contact, amount of collaboration with others,
and type of work - i.e. programmers, sales personnel, technical support
staff, home user, small business user, etc.  This would be probably be web
or email based, and done on a 1-10 scale (1 is don't desire at all, 5 is
neutral, 10 is desperately needed or a 'killer feature'.)

So... if you have a feature/request that you would like implemented, forward
it to me and I'll add it to my list.  The format I would like is something
along the following

Feature: New Mail Status Indicator
Description: Highlight a folder when it receives a new message
Requested by: TomM pentstar com

Hopefully I'll have a good draft version of the questionnaire done by the
end of next week, and send it out the following week."

>From this, we had around 110 legitimate feature requests (another 20 or so
that were duplicates, or bug requests)  Some were extremely innovative,
others are pretty standard in any contact manager.  When I get the survey
published (probably this coming week, I'm a little behind schedule...) I
expect it will be a great tool for generating awareness, desire, and
participation, as well as finding out 'what people really want.'

If there is interest, I'd be happy to do the same thing for Nautilus

As above, email me

Feature:
Description:
Requested by:

Thanks,

Tom M.
TomM pentstar com