http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/5580/
We’re picking on Ubuntu specifically because it has higher goals than most distros - it’s Linux for human beings, not Linux for hackers. Unfortunately, the release announcements have forgotten what humans care primarily about: themselves.

http://blog.gobanquet.com/index.php/why-ubuntu-804-needs-better-marketing/

That website seems to be down, but here is the cached version on google:
http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:B1jvt3wvqC0J:blog.gobanquet.com/index.php/why-ubuntu-804-needs-better-marketing/

[763 votes] Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #5580


]]> en-us Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:59:07 +0000 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:57:02 +0000 QAPoll module http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/5580/ Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:23:34 +0000 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:48:57 +0000
++1!!]]> Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:33:24 +0000 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:12:25 +0000 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:22:49 +0000
8.04 should have a much better release notes, so people can understand it.

I like also how the Apple guys do their announcements.]]> Tue, 25 Mar 2008 01:36:12 +0000 How romantic, lol ^_^
On the serious side, I totally agree. Maybe release notes could be separated into a few simple big points as follows:

Now with Ubuntu you can:
-connect to the internet more easily
-browser the internet in a safer than ever way
-walk your dog and milk your cows with a simple click
-impress your girlfriend with easy to read release notes.
-and so on...

Then, you would have a little link to "more..." where the real geek release notes could be.

:)]]> Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:31:47 +0000
Further, the way improvements are described in the recommendation completely glosses over where there may be no benefit to the user. For example the "improved" description of Compiz leaves out the fact that it may not work depending on the user's hardware.

I think simplified release notes are good, but not to the point where we simplify so much we end up lying (explicitly or by omission).

]]> Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:38:40 +0000 Sat, 29 Mar 2008 04:57:14 +0000
The fsckin blog has it right (the link posted above)]]> Sat, 29 Mar 2008 19:02:28 +0000 Sat, 29 Mar 2008 21:03:13 +0000 Sat, 29 Mar 2008 21:55:49 +0000 Sat, 29 Mar 2008 23:19:16 +0000
It could use a few grammatical and typographical fixes, but it's definitely on the right track!]]> Sat, 29 Mar 2008 23:52:33 +0000 Sun, 30 Mar 2008 04:03:18 +0000 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 03:51:27 +0000
one would be the no-diffucult-scary-version-numbers-and-acronyms and all the buzzwords in the world spam release notes with marketing

and the other would be the facts-only-mam geek version without any fluff and hype.

I really, really hate it when I cannot find documentation without marketing bullshit.]]> Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:35:46 +0000
I would suggest that you make use of non-technical friends and colleagues. Give them a copy of release notes, help files, etc. and have them highlight or put a note next to everything they do not understand - then fix it and go over it again. Repeat this process as often as is required to get it right.]]> Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:58:09 +0000 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:59:20 +0000