Re: [boost] Collecting Users/Usage of Boost (was A more confrontingBoost (long))

From: Jeff Garland (jeff_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-05-28 12:03:10

On Sat, 28 May 2005 17:19:54 +0100, John Maddock wrote

> We also need a clear policy for what goes on the page, my initial 
> thoughts are that as an incentive to users to "own up" we should allow:
> 
> A company logo, where appropriate.
> A link to the home page of the product/organisation that's using Boost.
> A brief description of the product/organisation that's using Boost.

Hmm, not sure others do that.  For example:

http://www.cs.wustl.edu/~schmidt/ACE-users.html
http://www.stack.nl/~dimitri/doxygen/projects.html

BTW, I kind of think the 'powered-by' logo on the ACE page is a cool idea
although I've never seen it used anywhere....

> In addition, the text should say which parts of Boost the 
> product/organisation is using (anything else?).
> Glowing recommendations would be strictly optional ;-)
> 
> Finally, before posting on a web page, we should have the permission 
> of a "responsible person" in the organisation concerned, probably 
> whoever does their public relations, this is obviously the tricky bit.

Yike -- that will cut down the number of them, but I suppose it needs to be
done.  If we do this, then this probably needs to just be an email to the
'list of users wizard' that is responsible for making the process work.  Of
course for other open source projects this wouldn't be necessary.
 
> If we could set up a trial page first, with 2 or 3 
> companies/products listed, so that potential customers can see what 
> they're letting themselves in for, that would probably help as well.

Sounds like a plan.

BTW, one completely different approach would be to find users to write a
'success stories'.  This is how KDE does some of this kind of 'advertising':

http://enterprise.kde.org/bizcase/viewbytype.php

Jeff