On Tue, Sep 24, 2024 at 1:59 PM Kristen Shaker via Boost < boost@lists.boost.org> wrote:
They're supposed to help orient people who are new to a
service or a community and encourage them to engage.
Intuitively, this feels correct to me, yet I am continuously reminded by experts why marketing is bad. A recurring theme exists. There is a natural tension between experts who don't want their hand held and like things dry and technical (Peter and Andrey come to mind) and those who appreciate community-building (such as Arnaud or Christian). And apologies if I am being presumptuous about stated individual preferences. Some of the reviews have shared wonderful experiences in various social spaces which highlight the fact that not everyone thinks the same. Some folks like it technical, some want to feel like they are part of something larger. International audiences in particular might prefer a more technical focus as some social customs might be regional and misunderstood. Knowing that a space is going to be purely engineering-focused alleviates the anxiety that someone might feel when interacting in a second or third language. When Boost participation was on the upswing, the project attracted people naturally and the absence of invitational and welcoming aspects of presentation were not missed. Yet now we are ponding how to increase the visibility of the project. My advice is simple. We don't want to send four consecutive automated emails to every person who signs up for the first time. And we might want to send one, as we are already doing so. There is nothing wrong with thinking about how we might improve that initial automated message to improve user experience. I think the pendulum swung too far in the direction of ignoring appearances and impressions. There is value in taking at least small steps the other way. Thanks