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Guidelines for Software Announcements
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Osma Ahvenlampi
Aug 14, 2000, 3:00:00 AM8/14/00
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Guidelines for Software Announcements, Including FTP Uploads
July 15, 1997
This file is a supplement to the document "Instructions for
Submissions," which is posted at the same time as this one. Read the
"Instructions for Submissions" document before you read this document.
This document gives specific instructions on how to write an
announcement for a software package, including an FTP upload. If you
follow these guidelines, you can be reasonably sure that your
announcement will be accepted.
You do not need to follow the exact format given here. However, you
should include all appropriate information requested.
While this document is mainly a guideline for FTP upload
announcements, most of it also applies to other software packages,
such as commercial software. While typical commercial press releases
are acceptable, they usually get edited (cut mercilessly) to remove
inappropriate material, such as hype, denigrating comparisons with
competing products, and stilted quotes from departmental vice
presidents. If you would like to write an announcement from scratch,
this document provides a good guideline.
It is important to include full information about FTP uploads. Many
FTP users have to go through a considerable amount of difficulty to
execute a download. Those using FTP-by-mail, in particular, can have a
lot of trouble. Therefore, when you post an announcement, make sure
the readers can tell right away whether they want to download your
files. Even people with direct access to FTP don't want to spend hours
downloading a file, only to discover that they can't use it. If you
follow these guidelines, readers will have a good idea of whether they
can use your package, and they will know exactly how to get it.
If you are not the author of the software, remember to state how you
are associated with the software or company. If your post does not
include this information, it will be rejected. It may even be
something like "Joe wrote this program and asked me to post the
announcement." In any case, always include your full name. I routinely
reject announcements in which the submitter failed to explain why he
or she should be the one submitting the announcement.
A software announcement is fairly straightforward. Just make sure to
include the following items of information:
TITLE
Give the name of the software package, animation, picture, font
package, or whatever.
VERSION
Most programs have version numbers. If there is more than one release,
make sure to give the version number. You can combine this section
with the TITLE section to make the announcement shorter.
COMPANY
If the package is a commercial product, give the name of the company
that publishes it. Also include an address and telephone number that
customers or dealers can contact for further information. Other
methods, such as FAX numbers and e-mail address should also go here.
If you aren't a company, don't include a COMPANY section.
AUTHOR
Let everyone know who made the software. If you wrote it, give
yourself credit. If you aren't a company, you might want to include
phone/FAX number, e-mail address, and so forth.
DESCRIPTION
Give a general overview of the software package. List the important
features, and any interesting details. If there are similar packages
already, make sure to state what makes this one special. Don't make
the description too long. Users can always read the documentation.
Similarly, don't simply submit the documentation as your announcement.
Remember that many of the readers of this group are new and
inexperienced. Make sure you explain in clear terms exactly what the
software does. Try to avoid too much jargon here. Even if the
announcement is only about an enhancement of an existing product, make
sure you describe the existing product. Remember that many readers are
hearing about this for the first time. Try to make sure that almost
everybody with a passing knowledge of BeOS can understand your
announcement. Two or three sentences here can make an announcement
much more useful.
Make this section as short as you can, while still making it easily
understandable.
NEW FEATURES
If this is an update, give a short list of what is new. Do not include
this section if this is your first release of the software.
Even if you need this section, still include the DESCRIPTION section.
Not everybody has heard of your package already. Again, don't overdo
it here. Simply writing something like, "This version improves the
user interface and fixes a few nasty bugs" is adequate. Some people
try to submit an entire detailed list of everything that they changed.
That is entirely inappropriate for this group.
Do NOT give a list of bug fixes here. If the new version fixes some
major bugs that were really causing problems for users, then do
mention those bugs. However, do not list all the minor bug fixes.
Instead, just write something like, "several minor bug fixes."
Once again, make this section as short as possible.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
If the package requires a BeBox, a Power Macintosh or some other
specific model of computer, over 16MB of memory, a special video card,
or anything else that not all BeOS users have, state here what is
needed. If another piece of software is required to use your software,
state that here, including instructions on how to get the additional
software. If some unusual archiver is needed (anything but tar or
unzip, which are standard on every BeOS installation), note that here
as well. Include this section even if you only say "none."
AVAILABILITY
In this section, explain how to get the software. If it is available
through a distributor, give the appropriate contact information.
If your software is directly available via the Internet, you should
provide a URL (uniform resource locator) and the file size for it. The
format for a URL is usually:
<protocol>://<host name>/<directory name>/<file name>
Many sites have separate "incoming" or "new" directories. If this is
so on your host, do NOT list the "incoming" directory. List only the
final destination directory. If you don't know where the file is going
to end up, ask the administrator of the archive.
PRICE
Give the list price or the requested shareware fee, if any. If it is
free, say so. Always include this information.
DISTRIBUTABILITY
Give the distributability: Is it public domain? Copyrighted (by who,
what year)? Gnu Public License? Shareware (fee requested)? Or what?
OTHER
If there's anything left out, but that you feel is important, include
that, too. You do not have to use "OTHER" as the name of any other
sections.
_________________________________________________________________
This document was heavily inspired by the comp.sys.amiga.announce
documentation, written by Dan Zerkle. Thanks, Dan!
--
Osma Ahvenlampi comp.sys.be.announce moderator
be-an...@warped.com Announce submissions
be-announ...@warped.com Moderator contact address
July 15, 1997
This file is a supplement to the document "Instructions for
Submissions," which is posted at the same time as this one. Read the
"Instructions for Submissions" document before you read this document.
This document gives specific instructions on how to write an
announcement for a software package, including an FTP upload. If you
follow these guidelines, you can be reasonably sure that your
announcement will be accepted.
You do not need to follow the exact format given here. However, you
should include all appropriate information requested.
While this document is mainly a guideline for FTP upload
announcements, most of it also applies to other software packages,
such as commercial software. While typical commercial press releases
are acceptable, they usually get edited (cut mercilessly) to remove
inappropriate material, such as hype, denigrating comparisons with
competing products, and stilted quotes from departmental vice
presidents. If you would like to write an announcement from scratch,
this document provides a good guideline.
It is important to include full information about FTP uploads. Many
FTP users have to go through a considerable amount of difficulty to
execute a download. Those using FTP-by-mail, in particular, can have a
lot of trouble. Therefore, when you post an announcement, make sure
the readers can tell right away whether they want to download your
files. Even people with direct access to FTP don't want to spend hours
downloading a file, only to discover that they can't use it. If you
follow these guidelines, readers will have a good idea of whether they
can use your package, and they will know exactly how to get it.
If you are not the author of the software, remember to state how you
are associated with the software or company. If your post does not
include this information, it will be rejected. It may even be
something like "Joe wrote this program and asked me to post the
announcement." In any case, always include your full name. I routinely
reject announcements in which the submitter failed to explain why he
or she should be the one submitting the announcement.
A software announcement is fairly straightforward. Just make sure to
include the following items of information:
TITLE
Give the name of the software package, animation, picture, font
package, or whatever.
VERSION
Most programs have version numbers. If there is more than one release,
make sure to give the version number. You can combine this section
with the TITLE section to make the announcement shorter.
COMPANY
If the package is a commercial product, give the name of the company
that publishes it. Also include an address and telephone number that
customers or dealers can contact for further information. Other
methods, such as FAX numbers and e-mail address should also go here.
If you aren't a company, don't include a COMPANY section.
AUTHOR
Let everyone know who made the software. If you wrote it, give
yourself credit. If you aren't a company, you might want to include
phone/FAX number, e-mail address, and so forth.
DESCRIPTION
Give a general overview of the software package. List the important
features, and any interesting details. If there are similar packages
already, make sure to state what makes this one special. Don't make
the description too long. Users can always read the documentation.
Similarly, don't simply submit the documentation as your announcement.
Remember that many of the readers of this group are new and
inexperienced. Make sure you explain in clear terms exactly what the
software does. Try to avoid too much jargon here. Even if the
announcement is only about an enhancement of an existing product, make
sure you describe the existing product. Remember that many readers are
hearing about this for the first time. Try to make sure that almost
everybody with a passing knowledge of BeOS can understand your
announcement. Two or three sentences here can make an announcement
much more useful.
Make this section as short as you can, while still making it easily
understandable.
NEW FEATURES
If this is an update, give a short list of what is new. Do not include
this section if this is your first release of the software.
Even if you need this section, still include the DESCRIPTION section.
Not everybody has heard of your package already. Again, don't overdo
it here. Simply writing something like, "This version improves the
user interface and fixes a few nasty bugs" is adequate. Some people
try to submit an entire detailed list of everything that they changed.
That is entirely inappropriate for this group.
Do NOT give a list of bug fixes here. If the new version fixes some
major bugs that were really causing problems for users, then do
mention those bugs. However, do not list all the minor bug fixes.
Instead, just write something like, "several minor bug fixes."
Once again, make this section as short as possible.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
If the package requires a BeBox, a Power Macintosh or some other
specific model of computer, over 16MB of memory, a special video card,
or anything else that not all BeOS users have, state here what is
needed. If another piece of software is required to use your software,
state that here, including instructions on how to get the additional
software. If some unusual archiver is needed (anything but tar or
unzip, which are standard on every BeOS installation), note that here
as well. Include this section even if you only say "none."
AVAILABILITY
In this section, explain how to get the software. If it is available
through a distributor, give the appropriate contact information.
If your software is directly available via the Internet, you should
provide a URL (uniform resource locator) and the file size for it. The
format for a URL is usually:
<protocol>://<host name>/<directory name>/<file name>
Many sites have separate "incoming" or "new" directories. If this is
so on your host, do NOT list the "incoming" directory. List only the
final destination directory. If you don't know where the file is going
to end up, ask the administrator of the archive.
PRICE
Give the list price or the requested shareware fee, if any. If it is
free, say so. Always include this information.
DISTRIBUTABILITY
Give the distributability: Is it public domain? Copyrighted (by who,
what year)? Gnu Public License? Shareware (fee requested)? Or what?
OTHER
If there's anything left out, but that you feel is important, include
that, too. You do not have to use "OTHER" as the name of any other
sections.
_________________________________________________________________
This document was heavily inspired by the comp.sys.amiga.announce
documentation, written by Dan Zerkle. Thanks, Dan!
--
Osma Ahvenlampi comp.sys.be.announce moderator
be-an...@warped.com Announce submissions
be-announ...@warped.com Moderator contact address
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