Re: [tdf-discuss] Re: RfD: Non-corporate user representation?

Hello Tim,

On 20 décembre 2014 21:08:46 CET, Timofonic <timofonic@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello.
>
> I think we (users) sometimes fail to connect with developers' mindset.
>
> Due to our lack of technical knowledge >and often a lack of discipline,
> our feedback isn't enough interesting for >them and we sometimes feel
> quite ignored. 

I believe it is important to stress that you do not have to be a developer to be a LibreOffice 
contributor and TDF member. I am not  a developer and there are many non technical areas for users 
to engage in. All it takes is some moderate effort.

> In the end, we the users try (emphasis here, we know
> what we want but how how we want it and commonly fail to explain it
> properly) to explain our needs and what we think it should be improved
> from a different POV.

Keep in mind that what users want are many different things , and sometimes they are contradictory.


> I tried to explain my education-related issues and needs, such as
> inserting formulas in a Libreoffice Writer document (I find it needs to
> support boolean stuff like xor symbols >and some other improvements). 

I have not read about your needs on LibreOffice but I do not think your needs are equally shared by 
every other user.

> I
> know there's limited resources, but I think maybe corporate needs are
> becoming too heavy and other areas like education are underrated. 

What makes you think that?

> What
> about a lot more non-profit organizations becoming part of BoD?

You mean our AdvisoryBoard? We are open :-)

> I also had some weird "bugs" (or unintended software behavior) when
> writing large texts, but I often forget to note them (and unable to
> explain a way to reproduce it) because >I'm in a hurry and was lazy too.
>
> Maybe different specific associations should be part of BoD and user
> feedback be taken more seriously in a less marketeer way but more
> scientific and social.

Actually we try to be really serious with user feedback. You seem to think that we somehow go away 
with marketing sound bytes (as a marketing contributor should I feel flattered?) and that corporate 
greed is slowly taking over. I for one would hate to have TDF being some sort of storefront for 
businesses making their bucks on individual users. In reality numbers tell a completely different 
story: TDF budget relies for about a seventh on corporate donations and this share used to be much 
more important in the past. Individual donors or small businesses are our the bulk of the 
donations. 

However, there's still this ongoing lack of understanding coming from some users about what TDF 
does and is. We are nothing without volunteers. Volunteers can be users but they are contributors. 
They are not customers nor people who feel entitled to give their opinion against, well, nothing.  
Volunteers are not always developers, far from that. But volunteers donate time and effort. We do 
not work without them. If you (I may be wrong) never filed a bug report, helped on the 
documentation, or on our user interface design, on quality assurance, on marketing, etc. Then your 
voice will not get heard and you may end up with the feeling that things just work without your 
input. But then this works just like many other things in life.

Cheers,

Charles.


> Regards.
>
> El 19 de diciembre de 2014 14:38:15 CET, Simon Phipps
> <simon@webmink.com> escribió:
> > Inspired by this and some other similar conversations, here's my
> > thought:
> > http://www.infoworld.com/article/2860074/open-source-software/become-an-open-source-software-tester.html
> >
> > S.
> >
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-- 
Envoyé de mon téléphone avec Kaiten Mail. Excusez la brièveté.

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