About the future of Arch Linux Newsletter.

kensai · 2007-10-24 02:32:37

Hi,

As you may have noticed, I have taken the job to make the Arch Linux weekly newsletter a possibility again. I the time I've been doing them, we speak of about 3 weeks, I have enjoyed writing them and have received very positive comments from the community that reads them. I would like to thank all of you personally for the support, you are the community and yours are the newsletter. But, as you all may have noticed the newsletter has been in an unchanged format for quite a long time. I mean, I just added the Humor section thats all, I know there is an email address to which you can all write your suggestions to, but I find people communicate and express themselves better on the forums.

So what I will ask of you, dear readers, suggestions of sections I should add/remove/edit, I will appreciate your constructive criticism in general. Express your thoughts in this thread to help me make a better more quality newsletter.

In other news, the newsletter won't be weekly no more, as Jason Chu and I have talked about, is easier to maintain a 2 time a month newsletter than 4 times a month, also the Arch Linux Developers/Community doesn't make that much noise as the other major distributions, we tend to be a bit quieter. The bright side is, the newsletter will be written with more time at hand, more stuff to write about, and will contribute to a better quality overall.

What has been suggested so far and I will work out on the next issue of the newsletter?
* Change the Bugs stats to not reflect the overall percentage but the actual bugs opened and closed that week.
As Roman Kyrylych points out: "They show a summary of status field "Progress" in open reports, but in 99% this field goes straight from 0% to 100%, so the overall number is always very low and doesn't really show anything".

So I wait for your suggestions as well.;)

F · 2007-10-24 03:07:30

Perhaps a neat idea would be to focus on a single (useful) app that (many, some?) people use.The idea would be to link to the wiki so everyone gets together and writes up an awesome wiki page for that app (or whatever). That means every month we'll get at the least two awesome wiki pages pretty much completed. Just something like:

** THIS WEEKS'S APPLICATION IS MUTT **
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Mutt

I dunno, just a thought.

cactus · 2007-10-24 06:05:30

Very neat idea F.

Great work on the newsletter so far kensai.
It is very good to see some life breathed into it again!

dolby · 2007-10-24 11:13:24

F wrote:

Perhaps a neat idea would be to focus on a single (useful) app that (many, some?) people use.The idea would be to link to the wiki so everyone gets together and writes up an awesome wiki page for that app (or whatever). That means every month we'll get at the least two awesome wiki pages pretty much completed. Just something like:
** THIS WEEKS'S APPLICATION IS MUTT **
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Mutt

I dunno, just a thought.

yes great idea. also there could be ML or forum discussion derived from this regarding this app. user customisations, every day use stuff etc

foxbunny · 2007-10-24 11:42:13

Kensai, great job on the NL. Love the humor section. If only it were longer.

May I suggest adding a wiki highlight section. Maybe list two or three newly added pages, highlight useful pages in the wiki, etc.

Also, I'd like to add that I wouldn't mind a monthly newsletter if that would give you more time to cover more topics.

Last edited by foxbunny (2007-10-24 12:24:58)

kensai · 2007-10-24 13:20:14

Thanks, people I really appreciate your support, is the motivation I need to write better quality.

@F, yeah, thats a great idea.
@cactus, Thanks, appreciated.
@dolby, nice suggestion as well.
@foxbunny, well, quality humor section needed more time than a week, so I believe it will be better, so people start making jokes . And as well, nice suggestion.

Well, I guess people are leaning more in the wiki section, so that must be a most have. Keep on suggesting, and thanks so far for the suggestions.

phrakture · 2007-10-24 20:41:59

Thanks a lot for taking this up again, kensai!

I kinda like F's idea too. It adds an entertaining factor to the newsletter that has been missing.

rson451 · 2007-10-24 21:19:17

i think F's idea is amazing. may help me to learn more useful programs id never heard of while at the same time beautifying our wiki and adding to the community.

Dusty · 2007-10-24 23:43:52

Hi Kensai,

Glad you're taking it on, its a lot of work and I appreciate the effort.

Another thing you could do is collect one or two linux-related (but not Arch related) links for each newsletter -- here's something I found recently that really improved my bash productivity: http://www.deadman.org/bash.html If you do something completely different every time (one week its a pointer to a python tutorial, the next week its a link to ion3 configuration, next week its a distrowatch review, etc) it'll always be interesting, even for you, the author.

Dusty

kensai · 2007-10-24 23:52:15

Dusty wrote:

Hi Kensai,
If you do something completely different every time (one week its a pointer to a python tutorial, the next week its a link to ion3 configuration, next week its a distrowatch review, etc) it'll always be interesting, even for you, the author.
Dusty

That is a brilliant idea as well. And yes, thats the point as well, to make things interesting for the reader and for me. I'm taking notes on all this ideas, keep up with the suggestions.

kensai · 2007-10-27 16:23:40

Hi again,
I ask for your opinion again on the subject of the stats section in the newsletter, Do you find this an important part that should stay there?

I mean, this is going to be the most tedious, time-taking and in my opinion useless section I will have to write for the newsletter. I do want to bring a high quality newsletter but I feel this part doesn't contribute to the quality of the newsletter at all, Why?

* Newsletters that include this section are mostly from distributions that has point releases and not rolling releases.
* The number will always increase with minimum decrease because as a rolling release system Arch Linux is every package keep being updated everyday to newer versions, opening and closing more bugs by itself.
* People might not be interested in how many bugs are and how many are closed every week, since this numbers aren't even provided on the bug system itself.

Please give this a consideration and tell me your opinions.

Bestiapeluda · 2007-10-27 16:39:49

I find F's Idea very good.
Lets make the best Wiki ever !!!!!

skottish · 2007-10-27 16:57:38

kensai wrote:

I ask for your opinion again on the subject of the stats section in the newsletter, Do you find this an important part that should stay there?

I don't look at that section, it's not important to me, and personally I would rather see you focus on the "news".

Dusty · 2007-10-27 17:06:19

I also find the stats to be useless. I don't believe they are accurate so I don't pay attention to them. The one useful purpose of this section might be that it kind of advertises archstats. But with only a kiloperson of registered users,I don't think its a very good sampling of the wide variety of people using Arch.

FTR: I also have no interest in the two @home sections.

Dusty

F · 2007-10-28 02:25:55

perhaps a neat idea would be to list all of the (reasonably) recent posts that have gone unanswered?

for example:

PersonA has had an empty thread on ABC for a week with no replies.
PersonB has had an empty thread on XYZ for a week with no replies.
PersonC has had an empty thread on GEF for a week and half with no replies.

This way people who read the newsletter might be more inclied to go give that thread out a look and help (and or moan about how they're suffering similar problems) and the post will be bumped (or at least given some attention to).

kensai · 2007-10-28 03:35:33

I really see it as a nice idea, let me see, how it goes in the implementation. I suppose, this can be easily implemented. I will add this to my web log, I'm keeping all changes logged there, on the latest post to this day. So, you all are welcome to check out.

skottish · 2007-10-28 04:38:44

kensai,

I think it's really cool that you're working so hard on this. Thanks.

ruscook · 2007-10-28 07:25:06

skottish wrote:

kensai,
I think it's really cool that you're working so hard on this. Thanks.

+1 this is a great community! Keep up the good work everyone, devs, doco's and forum guru's.

All your many efforts got to make Arch, fast, fun and useable - Thanks!

Russ

kensai · 2007-10-28 13:23:27

skottish wrote:

kensai,
I think it's really cool that you're working so hard on this. Thanks.

Thanks, that means a lot to me, I have never felt the so much satisfaction in helping the community and now that I do, I want to keep at it and bring my best. I wrote about why I do this in my web log.

And thanks, as well to you ruscook for your kind words.

Last edited by kensai (2007-10-28 13:23:47)

tardo · 2007-11-05 21:29:25

Thumbs way up to you and everyone else involved in this newsletter. Certainly the most entertaining one I've read so far. Keep it up!

Doehni · 2007-11-05 21:35:10

Thanks a lot for this great newsletter! All people involved made a great job!!
Already looking forward for the next one...

SuiRIS · 2007-11-05 21:46:10

I enjoyed reading the new newsletter. Thanks!

rson451 · 2007-11-05 21:49:59

very much so. i was looking for a way to leave feedback but it didnt show up in the announcements forum. very good job with this one guys. thanks.

Cerebral · 2007-11-05 21:59:43

DUDE - that was an awesome newsletter. Loved the irc snippets and the interview.

Mikko777 · 2007-11-05 22:10:47

Impressive, great job kensai <3

Highly apreciated, thanks ^^

Kensai for president!

Arch Linux

#1 2007-10-24 02:32:37

About the future of Arch Linux Newsletter.

#2 2007-10-24 03:07:30

Re: About the future of Arch Linux Newsletter.

#3 2007-10-24 06:05:30

Re: About the future of Arch Linux Newsletter.

#4 2007-10-24 11:13:24

Re: About the future of Arch Linux Newsletter.

#5 2007-10-24 11:42:13

Re: About the future of Arch Linux Newsletter.

#6 2007-10-24 13:20:14

Re: About the future of Arch Linux Newsletter.

#7 2007-10-24 20:41:59

Re: About the future of Arch Linux Newsletter.

#8 2007-10-24 21:19:17

Re: About the future of Arch Linux Newsletter.

#9 2007-10-24 23:43:52

Re: About the future of Arch Linux Newsletter.

#10 2007-10-24 23:52:15

Re: About the future of Arch Linux Newsletter.

#11 2007-10-27 16:23:40

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#12 2007-10-27 16:39:49

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#13 2007-10-27 16:57:38

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#14 2007-10-27 17:06:19

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#15 2007-10-28 02:25:55

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#16 2007-10-28 03:35:33

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#17 2007-10-28 04:38:44

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#18 2007-10-28 07:25:06

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#19 2007-10-28 13:23:27

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#20 2007-11-05 21:29:25

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#21 2007-11-05 21:35:10

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#22 2007-11-05 21:46:10

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#23 2007-11-05 21:49:59

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#24 2007-11-05 21:59:43

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#25 2007-11-05 22:10:47

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