RE: Proposal for an Emacs User Survey

[Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com>]

> > Actually, we already have this functionality, which is
> > submitting free-form feedback of any kind.  We call it
> > an enhancement request, and we tell users to use
> > `M-x report-emacs-bug' for it.  This is not as well
> > known as it should be, IMO.
> 
> Only that "report Emacs bug" does not sound as free form feedback of
> any kind. I know it is, but it does not sound as enhancement
> request. It takes time for person to realize that.

Agreed.  Along with the suggestion to (also) pitch
the command as a way to provide feedback of any kind,
we should work on the command's description and even
some of its behavior.

The fact that it is also for suggestions should be as
front-and-center as is the fact that it is the preferred
way to submit a bug report.

> > It would be good for the `Help' menu to have an item
> > that explicitly calls this `Suggest Improvements' or
> > similar.  It would be bound to `report-emacs-bug'.
> 
> Such menu in Help could lead users to subscribe, unsubscribe, review
> or send email to help-gnu-emacs mailing list, send improvement or
> enhancement suggestions or anything, similar like GNU Hyperbole is
> doing it since decades.

Those kinds of things are indeed also possible.
We could add a submenu of `Help' for things
related to the existing mailing lists (reading,
subscribing, submitting).

> The Help menu that would easier enable communication channel with
> users is necessary.
> 
> Survey itself is not as much important as the ability or capacity in
> Emacs development to analyse the data that is already there in public,
> as I mentioned, bug report database is there, and there are numbers of
> stars or likes on various public projects, then there are search
> engines, and various comments of users on other public channels.
> 
> Subject of stars/likes and considering that users really like
> something because of number of stars/likes is doubtful. Those who have
> spent few  thousand dollars on advertising of their services or
> products, they will know why is number of stars/likes doubtful.

I tend to agree.  Almost anything can be of some value,
but extracting real, useful value from some things can be
unobvious, difficult, or otherwise not worth the trial.

> > I've said this before (dunno whether I've proposed a separate `Help'
> > menu item).  We should make `report-emacs-bug' better known as a
> > recommended way to submit ANY feedback about Emacs.
> 
> Definitely.
> 
> > The command name can mislead wrt this role.  A
> > separate `Help' menu item would help (even though
> > redundant with item `Send Bug Report').  Or change
> > that item to `Send Feedback or Bug Report'.
> >
> > It might also make sense, for discoverability etc.,
> > to add a `send-feedback' alias for `send-bug-report'.
> 
> That is right.
> 
> > Well, it doesn't constitute a "survey", but it does correspond to
> > what RMS, I, and Jean-Louis have emphasized here: getting users to
> > say, in their own words, what they want and what they do.
> 
> Let me emphasize again, there is number of users who will never speak
> in public or publish their opinion, why should they? (as thinking from
> their view point). In my opinion that is greater number of Emacs
> users. It has to be taken in consideration if then developers are
> working only for those who are online louder and more exposed to talk,
> or if they should be maybe working on some set of principles for
> general users.

Of course.  For active input we're pretty much limited
to voluntary contribution.  That can be encouraged, but
we can be sure, at most, only that it represents the
views of the volunteers.