Time for a rant
by Volker Weber
This is a high-res screenshot of Lotus Notes. Click through if you want to see the original PNG that I took off my screen. Don't believe me? Go here. I went to 16 Lotusphere conferences, and I have asked for high-res screenshots every single time. I have seen many things, like Ami Pro files with embedded graphics, I have seen 400x300 JPEGs. Over the years the JPEGs got larger. It's always been a great surprise for PR, that there would be people asking for footage and screenshots.
This photo is two years old. Right after that, things got better. IBM now uses Flickr, which is a lot easier to upload to than IBM's press room. See here for a nice sample:
I have given up explaining what we need. Maybe somebody wants to point here for future reference:
- Screenshots are best created as PNG. Forget GIF and JPEG, if you don't want to f*ck up. If you do not know how to create PNG, use BMP and ZIP the screenshot. You don't need to ZIP a PNG file.
- "I can convert this for you to PNG". Not necessary, just fax me the CD.
- Use the default theme that comes with the operating system. Do not change the size or color of windows borders and other controls. Do not mess with the fonts. Do not use ClearType.
- Shoot only the application window. Not the taskbar.
- Under no circumstances show the desktop clutter on your beloved child's photo.
If you can't follow the simple rules above, you will get less coverage for your product. As simple as that.
If by any chance you would love to see a lot of coverage, then start making screenshots. Hire an intern and task him with making a hundred of each of your products. And then put them on a public website. And link there.
While we are at it: Wouldn't it be great if you could engage a visitor that goes to lotus.com/notes? Or if this landing page for the product would actually show it?
Comments
"...just fax me the CD." ROTFLMAO
Not sure if it's a good sign that the first quote on the "landing page for the product" says "We are eagerly awaiting the release of 8.5.1 and are planning to roll-out the new client shortly after it ships."
Actually all of those quotes are kind of sub-par in my opinion, but I digress.
And why are there 12+ paragraphs of text on the page, but the video -- one of the most compelling recent videos made about Notes/Domino -- is completely hidden unless you click the miniscule 16x16 twisty???!?!
Ditch the quotes (unless they're from big names like Coca Cola, etc.) and put the video front-and-center!
Dang, you are right. I did not notice. OK, folks, there is a video hiding on this page. Go find it:
Lotus on Youtube, Lotus Knows, Lotus this, Lotus that.
But there's no "Lotus is simple". There's no way for one-click Mail responses with quoted that in the right location. There's no simple way to select text from an email including the header. There's no simple way to sync a personal calendar with anything widespread and online. There's no simple way to find a setting in preferences. There's no simple way to design databases with business logic. And if you're already running your own customized databases and template setsm there's no simple way to get rid of it again and move it to the cloud. Lotus Notes is a black hole for user data. Anything that goes in is inextricably hidden somewhere deep and impossible to export without in-depth programming effort. This is not fair, not customer friendly and simply not simple. And simplicity is what counts in 2010 ff.
I agree! The marketing still sucks. It is not IBM product and there is no way to market it they they are doing it right now!
Screenshots are the smallest of all problems.
I love the NL initiatieve - Lotus Loves People!
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