Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 13:19:38 -0600 From: Shawn Harrison <harrison@tbc.net> To: freebsd-advocacy@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Logo Contest Message-ID: <420BB3CA.30209@tbc.net> In-Reply-To: <20050210114338.B30327@one.thequestion.net> References: <200502091349.00708.algould@datawok.com> <420ACD5E.3030708@pacific.net.sg> <1709665858.20050210101217@wanadoo.fr> <420B8BFC.4070303@tbc.net> <20050210114338.B30327@one.thequestion.net>
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Dave Wood wrote [02/10/05 11:41 AM]: > It's a known fact that people judge books by the cover, despite the > fact that everyone knows it's really what's inside that counts. I work in publishing, and we have this very issue. Editors are concerned with making what's _inside_ good, and rarely get any credit. Marketers are concerned with what's on the outside. It is absolutely true that the package is what sells the book. At the same time, we employ several dozen full time editors, because we know that what's inside is what really counts. It's also what sells the book again -- in other words, what gives it "word-of-mouth." A lot of editors think that people should buy based on content, and they get frustrated by the attention given to package. But the package is what gets the good content in front of people for consideration. > I believe that the more people that use FreeBSD, the better it will > become. More users = more support from hardware manufactures = > easier installations = more users. And the first step is to present > an image that corporations have no problem being connected with. I agree with you, but there are always those who think that more users is bad, that it waters down the quality of the software or the community. I only think that is true if you let people become committers who are not absolutely top-notch well-qualified people, or if you lose your focus and start chasing every fluffy feature. As the community grows, sure there will be more newbies around, but there will also be more journeymen around to field their questions and vet their bug reports. Having more people using the system doesn't diminish its capabilities, but in fact increases its leverage. That is good both from a technical _and_ a marketing standpoint. -- ________________ harrison@tbc.net
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