[comp.text.desktop] Musings: the net as a resource

chuq%plaid@Sun.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) (06/24/87)

[Note:  I just posted this to comp.sys.mac.  I also think it is something
	that the desktop group could be used for, and I'm willing to
	deal with DTP oriented companies as an interface to this group
	as well -- chuq]
	
Because of a recent incident, I've been thinking about how USENET operates
(and the many areas where, for various reasons, it doesn't).  The incident
was a review I posted of Doug Clapp Word Tools, published by Aegis. It
surprised me greatly to get a response from the Aegis folks on my comments,
and we've been discussing some of the things I mentioned privately.

Perhaps this shouldn't have been unexpected, though -- it happened to me
(and a couple of other people) over Word 3.0.  There are a lot of mac users,
and a lot of the Mac publishers, on the network.

This has led me to a couple of revelations -- that comp.sys.mac is one of
the largest Mac User Groups in the nation (maybe the largest, for all I
know -- but certainly up there with BMUG and Boston).  And it is also by far
the least organized. This network has also one of the largest and most
knowledgeable groups of Mac hackers as well.

"So what?" I hear you asking.  Well, I think we may be missing some great
possibilities here, both for us and for the manufacturer.

Us:  large user groups get previews, they get review copies, they get
	publicity material from manufacturers and software houses. We
	don't.  Why not?

	We've never asked for it, for one thing, and we have no central
	organization. In many cases, even the folks on the net have probably
	never thought to make their stuff available.

Them: we've got a strong, knkowledgable user base.  If there was a way to
	contact them, software folks could use the net to find a group of
	people to beta test new products and help them get them ready for
	the general public.

The problem with all of this is coordination.  There's no way a Microsoft is
going to post a message saying "We have this new word processor we want to
beta test -- any volunteers?" because they'd get 7,000 e-mail messages going
"Me! Me!", throw them out, and give up in disgust.  There is no way a
software house could post a message saying "Anyone want to get a free copy
of Doug Clapp Word Tools to review for USENET?" without getting hundreds of
replies.  In both cases, the manufacturer is rarely in a position to figure
out who is qualified, anyway, even if they are willing.

What I suggest is the creation of the position of Product Manager, a new
volunteer position to act as a moderator between USENET and the Mac world.
This position (which may be more than one person acting in unison, actually)
will have the following responsibilities:

o central collection point:  This person will be a known place for press	
	releases and other material to be mailed -- appropriate pieces being
	posted to the net (if he has a 300dpi scanner, so much the better --
	tee-hee).  Generally, acting as a clearing house for all the paper
	magazines and users groups get.

o review coordinator:  This person is in charge of getting a piece of
	software from a manufacturer (or hardware, for that fact) and
	finding an appropriate person on the net to evaluate and review it.
	he gets the 7,000 letters saying "Me! Me!", but being part of the
	net, hopefully has a good idea of who is qualified to make the
	review and do it appropriately.

o beta coordinator: This person is in charge of helping a manufacturer
	develop a beta team from the folks on the net.  I envision this 
	as doing everything from an initial blind posting "major
	manufacturer with new desktop publishing support package looking for
	seven beta testers, blah blah blah" to getting the non-disclosures
	signed and the people chosen to perhaps being coordinator of
	incoming beta comments for the manufacturer.

My question, and this is ONLY TO THE MANUFACTURERS ON THE NET, is "Does this
sound interesting to you?"  If we have no support from the producers, it
makes no sense to put it in place -- I don't care if all the readers like
it, since I nkow what their answers will be ("Yes! Yes!"). What I want to
know is whether the software and hardware houses are willing to try it. 

I think this has the possibility to benefit everyone.  The manufacturers can
get beta teams, giving them better released software.  We get notice of
interesting stuff, reviews of new software, and the manufacturers get more
publicity and visibility among a large and experienced user population. If
it works we all win.

So let me know -- if you are a manufacturer of Mac hardware, or a publisher
of Mac software (commercial or shareware only at this point), do you think
this is a Good Idea?  Would you be willing to cooperate in a pilot project
to see if this will work?  Please respond only if you can speak for your
company, or if your company approves it:  take this message to the
appropriate people and get them to buy into it. 

Folks who wish to discuss this with me can either send me E-mail, or contact
me at:

	chuq von rospach
	35111-F Newark Blvd.
	Suite 255
	Newark, CA 94560
	USENET: chuq@sun.com
	Delphi: chuq

I'm willing to coordinate this at least through any initial test project,
and then we'll see where we go from there.  If someone wants to talk to me 
via phone, write for a number.
chuq

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Chuq Von Rospach	chuq@sun.COM		Delphi: CHUQ

Now, where did my ex-wife put my Fairy Dust?