Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 92994
Reporting issues is far too much hassle
Last modified: 2009-08-23 13:05:38 UTC
I have just spent quite a while battling with an issue in OO Writer. I wanted to report the issue so I came to the OO website. In my opinion it is far too difficult to report issues on here. If you look at the website of say Apple, there is a page that lists all of the things you can give feedback on and you simply send them a quick message. Anyone who is trying to do some work and comes accross an issue does not want to spend the next half an hour sifting through a largely techno jargon-filled website to find something vaguely representing a feedback system, setting up an account, creating a password, searching through the current issues, and then either trying to understand the bizzare voting system or submitting a new issue. I know that we don't have the same resources as big companies, but if we want to make OO accessible to 'normal' people (ie not us geeks) then we need to make things a bit easier for people. If I wasn't techno-jargon savvy I would have left this site after about 30 seconds and switched to M$ Office. Not complaining, just trying to help us to make Open Source more accessible.
You are mixing up 3 different things here: - Feedback - Support - Bug/Enhancement report. The issue tracker is for bugs end enhancements *only*. (I'll make short on your comment about Apple because it's also not the purpose of this tool to discuss the website of other companies) I think you mention: http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html The header says: "Use the form below to send us your comments. We read all feedback carefully, *but please note that we cannot respond to the comments you submit*." So the feedback form gives the user to express itself and to feel better after "having told Apple" what he thinks. The feedback must not have any concrete consequence - and I doubt it will - helping the user (support) or making the product better (bug report and fix). What you want is already available over mailing lists like users@... (support) or discuss@... This tool here is for technical reports. It is for people who found a problem which they have analyzed prior to sending it to us. The whole procedure including registration and fill in of all the fields is not made to be easy or not, it is there to guarantee a contact to the reporter and a detailed and precise report which we can handle quickly. What's the use of a bug report system if everybody can spam us with "Yesterday OOo crashed. Goodbye!" without any way for us to ask back for more or having more details? Conclusion: the aim of the issue tracker is not to help everybody but to give people who *want* to help us make OOo better and have, yes, enough technical background to do so, the opportunity to send us valuable information.
closed