you are right there, it would be split into different groups i was talking about this with my friends, and they simply said that when microsoft introduced windows 3.1 in offices, it was said or "branded" to be the latest thing in computing. Anyway people now don't look into computers, they just want to get things done quickly and easily, even if they have security problems with windows. This group we would have to ask them, whether they for example want to migrate to linux, (kde or gnome) and if they are willing to spend maybe ten minutes on a flash or help fiole. The first group like you said are people who are fairly advanced in computer, most teenagers are. It would have to be branded on security and performance etc, normally when people go for a computer in a shop they will take advice from bozos who say that this computer is the fasting thing around, even though it is slow as hell. With macs and longhorn users, we would probably have to get them to see the future of kde, that is why aaron needs to get some interviews and an odd screenshot or concept of kde 4 given out to us. For example they probably wouldn't like to touch it as Linux hardly has a window manager based on open gl that has performance. It is much harder for people who use macs for video editing etc. Yet if we showed the efficiency of the opendesktops and the compatibvility using wine. It may tout them to look in further. A great thing though is that apple mac os x may face large amounts of security threats, that could be used against them. Like spreadfirefox, we just need people's opinions who are not experts  at computing. It is like saying if a toddler could use a Linux computer, so can you. i am not saying i am right, but understanding about the different groups and categorising them like you have. can help us sort it all out. <div>On 29/01/06, Martijn Klingens <<a href="mailto:klingens@kde.org">klingens@kde.org </a>> wrote:<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">On Sunday 29 January 2006 01:58, John Williams wrote: > The next problem, of course, is finding a way to pose the question to > the people that matter, i.e. the sampling plan. I have a few ideas > about this but am not sure that any of them are any good. Has anyone > else been thinking about this? The last time this issue came to my mind I actually stopped thinking about it because it's so darn complex to solve ;) Anyway, the people that matter can be roughly split into three groups, 1. existing users of free desktops, 2. users of competing non-free desktops and 3. people who've never used computers before, especially in growing markets like India and China. In all three cases the term "users" can be further split into skill levels, profession and whatnot, but that's a refinement to worry about later. How can we reach those groups at all? Group #1 is somewhat feasible by leveraging the existing free software-centric platforms, from /. and osnews to the KDE and GNOME websites and on fairs and other events. That still gives a too-technical sample, but at least it is somewhat near the real audience. Group #2 is hard to reach. How are you going to have Mac-users fill in a questionaire on GNOME/KDE and Free desktops? How are you going to reach them? Group #3 is nigh-on impossible. So far my (rather pessimistic - sorry) thoughts. As I said, by the time I got this far I stopped thinking, maybe I should spend some time on it again. I'm afraid it's beyond my skills though. My background is programming and system administration, not marketing. -- Martijn _______________________________________________ promotion mailing list <a href="mailto:promotion@lists.freedesktop.org">promotion@lists.freedesktop.org</a> <a href="http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/promotion">http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/promotion</a> </blockquote></div>