[fedora-india] DVD distribution and their impact

[sankarshan]

On Mon, Nov 30, 2015 at 6:40 PM, P J P <pjp at fedoraproject.org> wrote:
>> On Monday, 30 November 2015 2:04 PM, sankarshan wrote:
>> There is demand for it because it is provided to the
>> recipient at "no cost".
>
>   Do we have data to indicate that?

The program itself does not allow adding a cost to the distribution
and recipient. If it did, the levying of a charge might indicate
whether my conjecture is correct.

>> if we do have a wonderful idea that coordinates small contributions,
>> what can we do to demonstrate that Freemedia actually works? That
>> those who receive the media do really install (even if it means
>> dual-boot installs on most OEM supplied hardware)?
>
>   I think the FreeMedia members who bear these costs are best placed
> to provide any data for and against it. In fact, if their efforts are
> not helping the recipients, why are they investing in such a program?

I wouldn't know. But I did forward a hypothesis that investing in the
program is a way to "contribute". The URL of the program clearly
indicates as such. My hypothesis further implied that considering that
"Freemedia is contribution enough" is an impediment to thinking around
the best ways to build, grow and sustain the community (and this time
I don't draw a line between participants and contributors)

>> What is the plan if that comes about? Do we have another way to get
>> to those who would want to enjoy Fedora? Are such people being
>> coached in the way to use Fedora as a platform and do useful things?
>
>   This is contradicting. Above you say that there is demand for the
> free media because it is free for the recipient. And here you are
> concerned about those who would want to enjoy Fedora?

Perhaps it is not. I merely used the same set of phrases from the
Freemedia page to ask if what constitutes the effort now meets the
larger objectives. Yes, people who seek media do receive media. But my
question to this list is - is everyone content with merely that bit?
Or, do the readers think that something else could be done?

>> The Fedora Project. With FAmSCo being the (until it dissolves) node
>> for Ambassadors, it is perhaps worth thinking about locally within the
>> country before going out and discussing at an APAC level and beyond?
>
>   Well, that is why this thread was started, no? And we are the only two
> of us debating here. First there is need to find ways to involve more
> people.
>
>> Recently there was a meeting organized in context of an upcoming
>> meeting at Singapore. Was there a discussion about around the state of
>> the Fedora community in India? Or, whether there are ways in addition
>> to Freemedia which are of greater relevance?
>
>   No. That was an emergency meeting to figure out who could attend FAD from
> India.

To be able to attend the FAD and talk about the Fedora presence in
India would require a corresponding plan-of-action to be implemented
(even if that plan is a proposed one). Or, perhaps it wouldn't. The
invite didn't quite clearly articulate what was being discussed.

The FAD has an element of budget and spends. While actual spend for
line items can have a slight variance from the proposed ones, it is
inconceivable that the proposed and actual will be completely at odds.
If that is taken as a working hypothesis, then the method of arriving
at the proposed line items for spends must have received considered
thought and deliberate thinking. My question was whether such a
process was undertaken and how it can help Fedora "in" India.

>> The point I have been belaboring over is that there is not enough data
>> at hand to suggest that across the country we have (a) a large and
>> growing user base (b) a large and growing participant base. I'd be
>> more than happy to read specific instances where parts of the Fedora
>> project have gained from contributors and users originating from
>> India.
>
>   Agreed. We need to find ways to collect such data.
>
>> In other words, there is an acceptance of the lack of any
>> participation from the users/recipients. The basis of that assumption
>> is what I seek to question.
>
>   Yes. It is grossly wrong IMO to expect that we'd give free DVDs and
> they'll become active participants/contributors(more than just users). Active
> participation is a way different game altogether, that requires cultivated
> skills. Consider this, we both know there are more people following/reading
> this thread, yet only two of us are debating, why?

I cannot speak for those who have not participated in a conversation.
I can speak for myself when I say that you are conflating the topic.
The original question (which was kindly forked by Siddhesh) is in the
form - "what is the impact of distribution of DVDs; is that helping us
to grow the community; what can we do to expand the base of
contributors"

My take on this is that if the most active/vocal participants to the
project "from" India decide to address this, there needs to be a form
of controlled experiment. Stopping the distribution of DVDs via the
Freemedia and seeking volunteer help to create flows to help
contributors is perhaps a way.

Why do I think Freemedia needs to be stopped? Because as on date there
is exactly one volunteer for it and I strongly believe that his skills
should be freed up for coaching contributors.

> IMO, only reasonable is to aim for increasing user/consumer base via
> free media distribution. Anything beyond that is just wrong.
>
>> The trac ticket has the contact information with address and PIN. It
>> might be (non)trivial to overlay it across a map of the country and
>> see the 'heat' points. And if those regions continue to not have any
>> Fedora events, or, presence, it might be useful to seek more detail.
>> And the FAD budget planning would be aided by this data point to
>> consider organizing a FAD and couple of workshops.
>
>   Good idea. Next comes who could/would do this?

That was the first (and probably the most daft) idea which I chanced
upon. There could be improvements or, even a different approach.




-- 
sankarshan mukhopadhyay
<https://twitter.com/#!/sankarshan>