Time for Qubes to "Cross The Chasm"

[Patrick Bouldin]

I hope it's ok I post this in the dev forum as I think you all are the correct group.

I've said before I love this system. Some of you know I'm not nearly as Linux techie as most on here - but I'm moving as fast as I can. The fact is I do spend a reasonable amount of time fixing my issues - but I do have a suggestion.

Are you familiar with the very well known and respected business book "Crossing The Chasm?". I won't bore you with the details - if you'd like to learn more and you're deeply involved in Qubes I highly recommend the read - and it's updated as of about 2014. You'll not find a single major technology company exec who doesn't know this book well.

Bottom line - early market technology enthusiasts (like me, and most on here) "buy" into the product because we see the value of the product, want to be first and ahead of the curve - and, we generally are more agreeable to "pay the cost". But for Qubes, or any product in that zone to cross into the major market (is that a goal?) then it has to appeal to the main stream pragmatists - they won't jump until there are some while-product basics covered. I realize the "core" product is free - doesn't affect my post here - so I continue...

One of the basics is support. First - I am so thankful to all of you for pouring your heart and soul on the support you have - big kuddos from all of us - thank you so much.  

However, you can't scale your free support into the mainstream, even if you wanted to.

I for one am ready to spend a reasonable amount of cash to pay for support on helping me through some important issues holding me back. I feel that your organization could open that support tier up - telephone support, online support - to help with specific issues. The main stream market will not "hack it out" like I'm doing, and have been.

I hope this post is viewed not as critical, but thankful and hopefully contributing to positive thought.

Best,

Patrick

[Andrew David Wong]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Patrick. A paid support
infrastructure is something we've considered. While we don't have any
concrete plans to pursue it in the immediate future (for a variety of
reasons that I'm not at liberty to disclose), we'll continue to
consider it.

- --
Andrew David Wong (Axon)
Community Manager, Qubes OS
https://www.qubes-os.org
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
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=3k0X
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

[Patrick Bouldin]

Thanks, Andrew, I appreciate you're ok with the dialog. I think I can get the reasons, more or less and it's understandable.

Something in the interim might fill the gap though. How about another group called qubes-PaidHelp  ? I guess it doesn't even have to be run by you all but would be nice if you could get behind it. People could post their problem and others could offer hourly help, perhaps pay with PayPal for example. It's not ideal but might help in the interim.  Just extra thoughts - thanks again.

Patrick

 

[Andrew David Wong]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512

It's unlikely that we would officially endorse something like that due
to all the (soft and hard) liability issues it would entail, but
there's nothing to stop a community member from starting an unofficial
group of that sort.

- --
Andrew David Wong (Axon)
Community Manager, Qubes OS
https://www.qubes-os.org
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
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=/NQT
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----