The request to "get more users".

[woodsmoke]

I applaud Blue Systems taking Kubuntu and KDE "under its wing".

However, the comment to "put Kubuntu in the top ten of DW" holds in it the implication that the present users can somehow walk across the street and get somebody to suddenly use Kubuntu.

Let me give the analog to this from my own work experience.

After I "first" retired from teaching, , I thought I would go take up with working in a "lumber company" again, like I did as a younger guy.

Whereas before I worked as a truck driver etc. this time I worked in inventory control and front counter sales.

Every once in a while a "boss" from "corporate" would come by and yell at everybody that we needed to "sell more of item "x"" Dag Nabit! and I mean NOW sell more of "x" NOW!"

And then the guy would storm off in a huff to the next store.

The problem was that lumber is not a "point of sale" (POS) item. In other words, if somebody is buying 2 x 6s ten foot it is kind of hard to get them to buy five 1 x 4s eight foot.

One cannot really walk out in the middle of the road and hail down an approaching car, drag them in and make them buy some 1 x 4s eight foot long.

A) So, what is the average "user" to do to "get Kubuntu into the top ten" of DW?

B) Now, the suggestion to make it the "best" KDE distro is more workable.

However, even that one can't just "be done"....

It would seem to require that "people" develop a set of goals to which "most" of the users can agree and then work toward that.

But, what is meant by "work"?

I will not attempt to speak to that.....BUT...I would mention that there has been a distinct silence following my request to the "users" to do the very simple thing of providing text for a Kubuntu widget that explains how to do things.

So.... I leave the items A and B hanging....

woodsmoke

[bra|10n]

+1,

I must admit I find the statements odd. The general impression I have of those frequenting Distrowatch is one of lets say 'passing trade'.
Those who show no loyalty to any particular distro but are spurred by the 'latest and greatest'. I know it can't be said for all its traffic though.
I agree that aiming to make Kubuntu the greatest KDE distribution is a worthy goal.

"Ask not what Kubuntu can do for you, but what you can do..."

It would seem to require that "people" develop a set of goals to which "most" of the users can agree and then work toward that.

That would be vision and leadership. And while we are all part of the greater Kubuntu community this doesn't begin with the troops.
I only hope there is still more information yet to be shared.

[woodsmoke]

Hi bra|10n

That would be vision and leadership. And while we are all part of the greater Kubuntu community this doesn't begin with the troops.

I'll joust with you on that'n How come at least part of the vision can't start with the troops?

just a question.

woodsmoke

[bra|10n]

Challenge accepted

I was very particular with my word selection. Perhaps my meaning wasn't fully conveyed though...
I'm not in any way dismissing the part that a community plays, whether large or small; indeed anything is possible.

I do think that 'command-central' needs to lead in this, i.e provide the canvass, scope and priorites to ensure everybody's efforts can, and do eventuate.

[whatthefunk]

A) So, what is the average "user" to do to "get Kubuntu into the top ten" of DW?

Trick all their facebook friends into clicking http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=kubuntu Thats the only solution I can think of. And what does that actually mean for Kubuntu? Absolutely nothing.

[Snowhog]

I applaud Blue Systems taking Kubuntu and KDE "under its wing".

However, the comment to "put Kubuntu in the top ten of DW" holds in it the implication that the present users can somehow walk across the street and get somebody to suddenly use Kubuntu.

On DW, that has already been accomplished, with Kubuntu sitting at Number 5 in their ranking. How did this happen? Well, in my opinion, they (Blue Systems) did it with bots. I see no other way that Kubuntu moved from number 25 (?) to number 5 so quickly.

[woodsmoke]

To play devil's advocate here, can someone make a guesstimate as to the number of posts here since the latest release and compare that to the number for the last release?

Also is there any way to track the number of "guests" which seems somewhat high lately, and may be bots.

woodsmoke

[whatthefunk]

Ive noticed more forum activity too, woodsmoke. But most new posts are support issues related to the new release. LTS is kind of a big deal I guess. Kubuntu might be getting some additional Unity refugees this release cycle as well.

[woodsmoke]

I wonder if DW can discern if the click thrus were made by bots?
woodsmoke

[claydoh]

On DW, that has already been accomplished, with Kubuntu sitting at Number 5 in their ranking. How did this happen? Well, in my opinion, they (Blue Systems) did it with bots. I see no other way that Kubuntu moved from number 25 (?) to number 5 so quickly.

Or it is also the fact that a major LTS version of Kubuntu is out, and is getting favorable comments, etc? Wait a few days to see how it settles down. We always spike at release time, and the current situation has spiked interest in us.

And IMO if someone is asking or challenging a team to get in top the top ten, why then go out and simply "cheat". It doesn't take a lot of interest to spike us up from the upper middle ranges (600-ish) to 1600-ish. I take it as a call to gain popularity and good vibes. There are many ways to get there.

I really really get tired of the "conspiracy theories" we keep drumming up here on our (extremely tiny and minicule) slice of the pie that is the F/OSS world.
I say that as somewhat of a conspiracy theorist myself.

[james147]

I wonder if DW can discern if the click thrus were made by bots?
woodsmoke

I think it goes off unique clicks per IP (or similar system), so shouldn't counts clicks from the same IP twice (or I think the numbers would be allot bigger) and also makes it harder for bots to work.

[GreyGeek]

Buy two USB sticks, 8GB versions.

Install Kubuntu 12.04 on them, one using the 32b version and one using the 64b version. Keep them handy in your pants pocket.

I find that when the conversation of security on computers comes up, and it always does when I am around ( ), it is very convenient to say, "Here, let me show you!" and I plug it into their computer, check the bios to make sure it can boot the USB before the HD, and reboot. When Kubuntu comes up the first words are usually "Oooohhhh, aaaaahhh, WOW!". Then comes a brief rundown of the features and power of KDE, the apps that are available, and how apps are added and removed. FREE is mentioned several times. Some Youtube videos and perhaps a DVD movie (if they have one handy) follows. Then I shut down the computer and remove my USB stick. When their computer boots back up they see that nothing is changed. It's in the same mess it was in before I gave them the demo.

Now you know why all my friends (except one), and those who have heard of me, are now running Linux. PCLinux and Mandriva before I moved to Kubuntu, and Kubuntu since then.

[vw72]

On DW, that has already been accomplished, with Kubuntu sitting at Number 5 in their ranking. How did this happen? Well, in my opinion, they (Blue Systems) did it with bots. I see no other way that Kubuntu moved from number 25 (?) to number 5 so quickly.

More likely the new release. Kubuntu always jumps up when there is a new release. If you look at the 6 month ranking, it is nowhere near number 5.

[Goddard]

Well I'm switching from Gnome based Unity to KDE.

I like the idea of Unity and the screen saving ideas where it is almost like Mac, but went further by eliminating the title bar.

What first attracted me a power user I suppose was just the simple things in Dolphin and the Image viewer(gwenview). In comparison to Nauutilus and Image Viewer you have so much more power and options and it does it well. You can get the correct button widget with Kwin Button

Another thing I did to see how far I could easily customize KDE was immetate the Unity interface I love so much. I used the plasma-widget-menu on the top and also made it so all maximized windows would loose borders. This made it nearly fullscreen ... a good feature of the KDE panels is the fact that you can also auto hide which makes all apps full screen. I then easily added the Unity side bar.

I think some more defaults should be put into the KDE Ubuntu. For example by default we could create an activity that would be called "Unity" or something to that affect. Which adds these things for us.

The idea of Unity is good, but sticking with Gnome is a horrible idea since obvious KDE is extremely powerful and from what I see hasn't been completely rebuilt (Gnome 2 to Gnome 3) adding from what I can tell no extra features for users..

Any way...just wanted to tell you I'm a new KDE guy...

How about fixing some of the design flaws (im in 11.10 not sure if it was fixed yet) in Ubuntu Software center... maybe rebrand Kununtu software center... I don't know. Intergrate the plasma widgets into the software center... there are lots of cool projects to show that KDE has by far the most features and customizable custom components.....

[bsniadajewski]

More likely the new release. Kubuntu always jumps up when there is a new release. If you look at the 6 month ranking, it is nowhere near number 5.

That's true, also with all the other official *buntus (all within 2-5 just behind Mint). I wonder if we'll see Kubuntu (or even the other *buntus beside Ubuntu itself) get closer than even 20?