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List:       kde-promo
Subject:    Re: [kde-promo] Re: WSJ Strikeout and TypeHeads [LONG]
From:       Mark Bucciarelli <mark () easymailings ! com>
Date:       2003-04-10 22:11:19
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On Thursday 10 April 2003 5:29 pm, Neil Stevens wrote:
> On Wednesday April 09, 2003 08:32, Mark Bucciarelli wrote:
[...]
> > A total strike out for KDE.
> 
> Either that, or the "big story" was done by a reporter who'd only
> gone as far as Ximian and AOL to research free software.  

Why did you put big story in quotes?  The story was on the front page 
of the Technology section and was entitled "Ten Technologies You Need 
to Know About Now."  Irregardless of the reporter's skill, I consider 
this a big scoop for free software.

> He didn't
> even get as far as finding a single OS vendor.  Compare "Linux"
> with "Ximian Desktop." If this reporter had done a halfway decent
> job, surely that'd have said "Red Hat Linux."  Perhaps a Ximian
> contact led this reporter around, convinced him that "All linux can
> use Ximian," or stuff like that.

Actually, MySql stuff had the biggest play.  (OT - Did you know five 
Cisco products use mysql inside them for recording traffic?)

> > I would like to suggest that KDE adopt the approach that the
> > folks at typo3 (www.typo3.com) have taken; in particular, their
> > consultant registry and their "Typeheads" program
> > (http://typo3.com/Contribute.1226.0.html).
> > 
> > Here are the duties of a typo3 TypeHead:
> 
> Please, no.

Someone addressing my proposal specifically!  (Thank you.)

> We don't need to start handing out titles.  That splits the
> community needlessly, reducing your potential volunteer pool.

I don't agree that this would split the community.  I think it would 
encourage more participation.  I count two already from this thread.  
I think the pool is bigger than you think.  And it is going to grow.

> We don't need to start assigning duties.  KDE is a volunteer
> effort.  Take or leave what efforts you are offered.

A lot of volunteer effors are well organized and have some structure.    
Look at Debian.  (I'm not advocating that extreme, just giving an 
example ...)

> In fact, if you combine the two, you will get shoddy efforts by
> people looking to win the silly title.  The result: inadequately
> interested individuals doing halfway jobs while claiming to be
> official KDE representatives.  In other words, disaster.

I don't agree.  I would expect that the people who are interested in 
such a role would have more integrity.  Also, I just don't see that 
people will clamor to have this title.  It is not that glamorous.

But your point is well taken--once you say this person is a contact 
point for KDE in Boston, Massachusetts (for example), what is the 
maintenance burden of making sure they are doing what they are 
supposed to be doing; for example,

	(1) watching the local press for stories on free software
	(2) contacting reporters that write those articles
	(3) watching for info on companies using free software
	(4) contacting those companies
	(5) keeping track of who the technology reporters 
		are for the local papers
	(6) staffing tables at local events (w/in 200 miles!)

(these are just some ideas).

I don't have a good answer to this maintenance issue, but it's a good 
question.  Perhaps you could just track rate of update to the 
database (yuck!).  Perhaps a phone call once a quarter (better).

> > Perhaps this could be a function of KDE League, but frankly they
> > are too closed with their finances for me and I have an
> > irrational distrust of all those company logos on their page.  ;)
> > (It would be nice to see on-line income statements and balance
> > sheets.)  Also, there have been bad vibes around the
> > League--those on the "inside" seem over-worked and
> > under-appreciated and those on the "outside" seem to feel
> > excluded and suspicious.  Since we are all working for the same
> > thing with good intentions, to me this suggests a structural
> > problem that is limiting information flow.
> 
> So let's not create yet another clique of insiders, please.

Actually, after Tink's post I read up on KDE e.V.  This looks like the 
right instrument to me.  They publish minutes and it's all very clear 
that it is a membership organization.  Their primary purpose is 
"promotion," so it fits with their charter.  It is not affiliated 
with any corporate entities, and is purely a membership organization.  
Looks good to me.  As I understand it, we all can become members of 
e.V. you just need to be approved by the board, which currently 
consists of:

Matthias Kalle Dalheimer
Mirko Böhm
Eva Brucherseifer
Ralf Nolden

> > In any case, KDE isn't even on the Wall Street Journal's radar. 
> > You can talk about conspiracies and how Sun and RedHat and Ximian
> > and name_your_big_evil_company are plotting against KDE (some of
> > which may be true), or take it as a wake up call.
> 
> As long as it's not a wake-up call to start imitating these
> companies whose practices make us call them evil or dishonest (like
> Ximian).

I meant a wake up call to look at how promo is done and to discuss 
alternatives.

> 
> > I would like to help, but I don't even qualify according the the
> > typehead criteria--I have not installed KDE on any companies
> > machine. Actually, have you?  Do you know if any companies are
> > running KDE in your area?  This would be valuable information to
> > collect.
> 
> This is exactly why the title system would be such a mistake.  It
> shuts out a willing volunteer, and it distracts volunteer effort
> from the real goals like getting attention from lazy (aren't we
> all? :-) reporters.

I think there needs to be some criteria.  I liked the one about 
installing KDE in other businesses.  Although I wouldn't qualify for 
that at the moment!!  :D

> > I could help set up such a local registry on the promo web site.
> 
> Wasted effort at best, and a privacy thrat at worst.  Stay focused.

Not wasted for me.  I don't have enough time to dig into coding KDE 
right now, so this is an area I can contribute to.  My impression of 
promo work is that it is a slower pace, but requires persistence and 
long-term committement. 

Why a threat on privacy?  You would have to indicate interest and know 
that along with the role you get your name and contact info plastered 
on the web site.

> > But
> > more discussion must come first.  George Staikos started some
> > last January, albeit on a different tact, getting people out to
> > do talks and attend conferences.  I think this, combined with the
> > TypeHead grass-roots approach, would be extremely effective.
> 
> Handing out titles isn't a grass-roots approach.  Let's stick with
> the dissemination of information, and avoid splitting the community
> by creating insiders and outsiders.

Again, I don't see the conflict between grass-roots community-based 
organizations and defining some structure.  Done properly, it would 
build community.

[...]

> > Now, try the same query but substitute gnome for kde.  Click on
> > the first link.  What a difference.
> 
> Do you have a point, or better, a proposal to address your point?

As I previously posted, I think the KDE press contact page is really 
good.  I somehow missed it when I was doing my test.

As far as improving the hit rate on google, I believe if a page has 
lots of links then it gets rated higher.  So I would make sure that 
every electronic press release has a link to this page.  This counts 
for emails that get archived as well, I believe.

The other criteria is that words in the meta-keywords appear in 
headers on the page.  But that's stretching my knowledge and may no 
longer be true.  There are probably others that know far better.

> Tou *are* aware that Google's database is a secret property of
> theirs, right?  And that they don't like it when people try to
> manipulate it? Let's not make an enemy of Google and get removed
> from the DB completely.

I don't understand this.  People sell services to increase your 
ranking on search engines.

Mark
 
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