When we get around to it we will be releasing a prepacked version and stripped down version out any preinstalled apps (might not even have a window manager). We don't need no comitee to tell us what to do - if you need a certain program just compile it. Might sound a bit harsh but with the big work load on our shoulders already we don't need people crying for a certain game - just look at some of the forum posts lately.
This can be handled by anybody with a bit of programming skills... We just want to make a good and solid "base" for everything else.
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Actually that is a little bit harsh as no one has even mentioned games in this post. I'd be surprised if most people decide to use pdaXrom for it's game playing abilities. Making people interested in a rom is actually less about the under pinings, which are important, but people get enthusiastic about a rom for the user experience, the out of the box experience. That requires a core set of APPLICATIONS and FEATURES which frankly, are currently lacking. People use pdaXrom and think cool, wow so promising, but they soon flash back. You're losing people because you're not catering for them. THAT'S what a steering committee would help you address.
I've already suggested a user oriented variant and a developer oriented variant. Just allow a steering committe to tell you what we would like you to put in the user oriented variant and help to set that up and you can do what the heck you like with the other variant, safe in the knowledge that you'll get contributions and as long as the user variant is kept up to date underneath and the applications are refreshed whenever newer and better versions come out. Surely that can't be too much to ask.
If people have just arrived at pdaXrom for the first time, many don't know how to compile apps, so how can you say that? There is a dearth of information and assistance out there and there need to be clear tutorials and instructions. Hopefully the new site will address this.
The average user doesn't want to compile their own apps. I wish linux people would get that into their heads. Not everyone is technically minded and being told they have to compile an application, just to even try it, is going to put people off. And you'll lose interest before you even start.
My idea for a committee isn't meant to be intrusive. It's just to provide a user based focus. You don't even have to be involved until we're ready to pass on our requests to you. They would determine a core set of apps and features we'd like to see. We'd ask you to incorporate them for the next release. Every 3 months or so, the core application set could be reviewed by the committee and if they say, based on user feed back "xyz-app" should be included as well, they it should and if "pqr-app" isn't being used, then it could be removed and "fgh-feature" could be improved by doing "def", then perhaps focus could be placed on that and these could be incorporated into each future realease and you'd just have to post information stating your progress with each of our requests in the same way as you're planning to do with the blog. Lots of projects work this way. That can't be too much to request, either?
Look, it's this simple. You've asked for user's money, it's been given. And you're asking for money to continue to be given, but you have to give something back in terms of control. You can't expect to just carry on doing things the way you've done them, if that had been working you'd not have needed to, in essence, beg for our money. You may not like it, but by giving you money, we're effectively employing you to develop for us. We could quite easily club together and employ someone else or stop giving you money. You don't own pdaXrom, it's linux, it's opensource, it could be forked. Etc.
We are grateful that you developers have created this rom, so please don't take any offence over what I've just said because I'm just stating my views and offering you a warning based on other examples I've read from the linux world. But you need to show a little bit more gratitude towards us users for giving you our hard earnt money or you annoy a lot of people and they'll stop contributing and you'll be back where you started.
You've an opportunity here to create a great deal of enthusiasm and support and you're not capitalising on it.
