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Idea #6051: Welcome Center on Ubuntu.com

Written by mike.schoon the 30 Mar 08 at 01:42. Category: Marketing. Related project: Nothing/Others. Status: New
Rationale
Create a Welcome Center for New Users of Ubuntu explaining the ethos of each of the website sections. Similar to a Grand Tour, this would include the ins and outs of finding the information new users need, such as a non-technical descriptions of the resources available.

Another section could cover switching from other products (i.e. Office to OpenOffice.org, Google Desktop Search to Beagle/Tracker, IE to Firefox). Speed keys and Keyboard shortcuts could be another category.

This would be a strong marketing tool for average computer users and rally some excitement about making the switch. As it developed, Ubuntu would, in effect, be creating a "Power User" community that was capable of helping others in their offices or families take the plunge.

I would love to contribute my time to this kind of promotion. Ubuntu has the ability to light a lot of fires and gain considerable market share through demonstrating a warm welcome for people that are interested.

Fostering a power user community that can support "newbie" questions would, in my opinion, greatly extend those efforts.
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #6051
Written by mike.schoon the 30 Mar 08 at 01:42.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #6051 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!
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Solution #2: Community Supported New User Site (Working Title: Nubuntu)
Written by mike.schoon the 10 Apr 09 at 17:29.
Encourage the Loco Teams to contribute documentation as well as those who don't always have time to attend local meetings. This would add flexibility to being a member of the Ubuntu Community. Enact a voting system similar to the one used here. Voting would assist with rating articles, removing redundancy, and fostering competition among authors. Begin by explaining how to navigate through individual articles, How to add, and how to vote.

In theory, this is applying the wiki concept without the users even knowing it is a wiki with enhanced "crowd-sourcing" of the maintenance. It is very frustrating to search for documentation on how to do something only to find it was written for the last release cycle with dependencies that no longer exist or renamed packages. Establish a rewards system where authors receive a tshirt/keychain/coffeemug once they submit a certain number of articles (maybe 100).

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glibik wrote on the 30 Mar 08 at 02:27

Unlike a lot of other ideas I've read here, this one
seems, to me at least, a good one. :-) Vote +1

ubuntu_demon wrote on the 30 Mar 08 at 13:47
IMHO this idea is too vague.

Maybe the standard firefox homepage can be improved a little bit. file:///usr/share/ubuntu-artwork/home/index.html

Maybe you should create a new brainstorm idea about how to improve it. If you have any specific ideas on that.

mike.schoon wrote on the 31 Mar 08 at 04:18
I respect your opinion, ubuntu_demon. Maybe that page needs some work, too.

If it is on the first page for an installed system, users considering the switch would not see the amount of information they will have access to. Also, if this information is tied into the install, the only way updates could arrive would be through apt and synaptic.

What I am suggesting is a dynamically changeable portal, managed by actual Ubuntu users. The information needs to be changed on the fly without waiting for a release cycle of ubuntu-artwork.


ripperzane wrote on the 19 Sep 08 at 18:37
I agree completely with this idea.
it would save those who are new to Ubuntu time.
After all, it is a desktop for human beings.

I think it should also give an option for extensive plugnplay info. This way when a new user doesn't know what they have, they can go to this "Welcome Center" and repeat some data, which helps the "guru" help them along to their desired path (repair/fixes/useful tools)
RZ


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