FreeBSD's Visual Identity: Outdated?

[Louis LeBlanc]

On 12/24/04 12:09 AM, Nikolas Britton sat at the `puter and typed:
> Chris wrote:
> 
> > Nikolas Britton wrote:
> >
> >>
> >>>> From a business perspective we look amateurish.

As opposed to, say, Microsoft?

Everyone pushing this "new image" crap keeps forgetting one thing.
This isn't a business.  This is VOLUNTEERS working on their *own* time
using their *own* resources to provide useful technology.  Not a
business.  Who cares if "we" *look* amateurish?  Anyone who can't see
through the haze of Microsoft FUD to realize it's a serious OS gets
what they deserve anyway.

> > I have held off thus far...

I haven't :)

> >> I REALLY REALLY agree with this point, from the prospective of an 
> >> outsider the website and "Image" conveys a real lack of 
> >> professionalism, which is not true.
> >
> >
> > No you don't - would you prefer multi-colored windows? A penguin? What?
> 
> hmm?, fuck no I hate penguins (esp Linux ones), there's nothing wrong 
> with chucky

Except his name isn't Chucky.  He has no name, he's just Beastie.
Google it, it's come up before.

And I don't really think there's a struggle between *BSD and Linux.
They're both Open Source sets of projects with basically the same
goal, just with different paths.  And I think Beastie is still better
than a penguin or a blowfish.  I DO think RedHat spends a bit too much
money on marketing and image, and passing that expense on to the end
user in whatever way they can, and this is why they've been on the
receiving end of what I consider the lowest form of insult in the
market - "the next Microsoft".

> > Are we looking into the geo-political correctness as in the like as 
> > the NetBSD project took?
> 
> No, just a better image in the enterprises and data centers of the world.

Seems to me the datacenters around the world don't really care if
they're choosing FreeBSD over WinBlows, which many are.

> >> I'm looking at the start page for FreeBSD right now and here are the 
> >> things I do not like about it (please don't be offended if I step on 
> >> toe's and ego's, I am only trying to better FreeBSD):
> >
> >
> > Here we go - Let's just re engineer life as we know it. Lets also not 
> > offend gays, users of color, males, females, users of religion, users 
> > of no religion, users of Windows, users of Linux, users of DOS, users 
> > of NetWare, etc, etc, etc.
> 
> How did you extrapolate that from what I said? I guess I did step your 
> toe's and ego, I was only trying to give constructive criticism.

Yes, maybe you were, but it's become clear in the last 3 or 4 years of
following this list that constructive criticism is more welcome in
relation to improving technology, not marketing strategy.

> >> 1. The "FreeBSD" logo is crap,

I disagree completely.

> >> not beastie (he's a keeper!!!, I'll 
> >> hunt you down and do bad things to you if you take him away!),

I agree completely.

> >> Just 
> >> the black wannabe (and badly done) 3D effect "FreeBSD" part, really, 
> >> I hate it. Redo the whole logo in photoshop with a bold, antialiased 
> >> modern web font: (Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Century Gothic, etc.) 
> >> and forget the whole 3D effect as that is so 90s. Generally all of 
> >> your logo designs are unprofessional (the logos at the bottom of the 
> >> page: FreeBSD MALL, UseNix, Daemon News, and Powered by FreeBSD for 
> >> example)
> >
> >
> > You will do no such thing - see above, read the threads on the NetBSD 
> > site as to the redoing of the "logo"
> 
> I DON'T want it "redesigned" (like NetBSD did) just re-done... same logo 
> just better looking, image is everything you know.

Here's your chance to offer more than just criticism - put one you
like together and see if it's accepted by those in a position to make
the decision.

> >> 2. I cringe when I see Times New Roman, again redo the whole site 
> >> with a modern web font: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Etc. (ever here of 
> >> Cascading Style Sheets?)

Still reads the same to me.

> > CSS? Isnt that a bit outdated? Isnt that more a Windows thing?
> 
> No, it's a web standard: http://www.w3.org/Style/CSS/ also it would be a 
> good idea to look into XHTML: http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/

Yes, but not a necessary technology to deliver the info.  Adding those
technologies to dress up the page will add to the overall size of the
pages.  Seems to me keeping it simple is still the best way to run a
volunteer/donation based organization.  I don't need the info on a
silver and gilt platter, I just need the darn info.

> >> 3. The color scheme is not "complementary" anyone who has been to art 
> >> school or taken design classes will know what I talking about, read 
> >> up about basic color theory here: 
> >> http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-theory-basics.html (again, ever 
> >> here of Cascading Style Sheets??)

Again, Silver and gilt platters are only eye candy.  If I need that,
I'll install the xmms(?) module.

> > Guess what mate - most of us are NOT into art. 
> 
> Yes I can tell, I was trying to offer some helpfull tips

Uncalled for.  Helpful tips like these are not always welcome because
they do little but add work to the already overworked volunteers that
run the project.

> > Get real. Deal with the OS, not the look and feel of the site. Do I 
> > really care if a design has passion blue opposed to blue?
> 
> Yes

Break!  Back to your corners :)

> > Do you really thing techies are THAT into pastels?
> 
> I don't like pastels ether, to girly, I like bold and neutral colors.

Me too (I get the odd urge to crawl into a cave every easter).
Techies don't give a rats ass about presentation unless it's intended
to make the info easier to parse, and more effective at reaching that
goal.  In 4 years, I've never even noticed the FreeBSD logo was
intended to be 3D, and I don't really care.  It could be flat black or
green bubble letters for all I care, but nothing in the logo is going
to change the value of the OS.

> > If you want to re design something (Actually - is sounds like you have 
> > been watching way too much TLC) then get a gig on Monster House.
> 
> I watch the history channel most of the time or the courses offered by 
> the local college on channel 20 , I really think TLC has gone down hill 
> with all the trading spaces type shows, though page is cute. It's just 
> that I've always had a good eye for this type of stuff.

Most of us don't have much of an eye for this stuff, but only because
we DON'T CARE.  Most people attracted to such a project want to make a
really cool 'thing' that does awesome things, even if it looks like a
bunch of rubbish out of the junkyard glued, screwed and wired
together.  Once we can't think of anything more to add functionally,
then we hand it off to someone else to make it pretty. :)

> >> 4. I like the Beastie logo on the boot loader screen but ASCII art is 
> >> unprofessional... It would be better if you made the color ASCII 
> >> beastie the default.
> >
> >
> > Who cares?!?! It's resource friendly tho...

Exactly.  I don't care whether I'm booting it on a new 3Ghz HT chip or
an old 440Mhz P3, I know I'm not wasting my time with useless
ornaments.

> >> I have no real issues with the layout of the site and it would be 
> >> nice if the installer was more user friendly but I am content with 
> >> the way it is, maybe you should change the color scheme of the 
> >> installer to match the website?
> >
> > Snip - not worth repeating.

> >> FreeBSD is badly in need of a PR/Design/Marketing department.
> >
> > Maybe you can start, The Queer-Eye for the BSD-Guy.

Uh, heh.  Low blow, but definitely to the point. :)  I don't think
FreeBSD needs any such thing.  FreeBSD needs people that care about
making the OS better, NOT prettier.

And image is most certainly NOT everything!  No offense intended, but
that's how Microsoft works.  Image is NOT more important than
reliability, stability and correctness!  Who has the image in the
market today?  Microsoft.  Who is the godfather of all computer virii?
Bill Gates.  What does that say about image?  Image is crap, value is
where it's at, and byte for byte, FreeBSD has a hundred times the
value of Microsoft - at least.

> If thats what it takes to get FreeBSD out of obscurity and into the 
> enterprise then yes I will, just look at what apple did with BSD and 
> mozilla did with firefox, I don't want to see FreeBSD (or the other 
> BSDs) die into obscurity as I really like them.

I wasn't aware FreeBSD needed rescuing.  Anyone who knows about Open
Source knows that FreeBSD exists.  Anyone who talks to anyone who
isn't a Redmond zombie will hear that it's a great OS.  'nuff said.

Lou
-- 
Louis LeBlanc               FreeBSD at keyslapper.org
Fully Funded Hobbyist, KeySlapper Extrordinaire :)
http://www.keyslapper.org                     Ô¿Ô¬

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