For the Inkscape version of this file (please, modify and discuss!) click here.
This diagram is showing some of my thoughts relating to the User Base Triangle discussion, which can be read about in the logs from the 03/18/2010 advisory board meeting.
To quickly summarize (I don't want anyone reading this to have too much info to plow through before looking at the diagram) - my concept that I overlaid on the original User Base Triangles done by poelcat and stickster was to show the Four Foundations, - Freedom, Friends, Features, First - and illustrate how user audience understanding and experience of those concepts can help them move up the triangle from just being a "regular end user" to a Full-fledged contributor, that is dedicated to innovation (First) and Freedom. Features are what get users in the door to begin with, and Friends are the bridge that move users by engaging and inviting users through many different communication channels from the understanding of Fedora's Features to understanding all the different levels of what Freedom can empower them to do.
I know. Light stuff, right? I didn't want to totally turn it into a rip-off of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - but I think, in my ever humble opinion, that there is a level of understanding and actualization that occurs as people become engaged in the Fedora community.
The User Base - as it currently stands in definition - is made up of four groups. A lot of debate / questioning has occurred around the point of "Why do we not list developers as a target market," etc. The user base page basically defines the minimum level of user that Fedora is likely to gain - it is certainly not a limiter of "we don't want you above or below this line," by any means. It's more of a, "anyone above this line definitely has potential, and people below the line also have potential" - but perhaps we don't need to expend as much effort to people below the line. Since these "outside the triangle" people have a high barrier to entry, they should not be an audience we expend a lot of effort on grabbing the attention of. Previous diagrams have put these users at the bottom of the triangle; I took them out altogether, since they're not likely to be on the Upwards Path to Fedora-zen-ness. But all other groups are vertical - and the diagram essentially represents what Foundations they are likely to be able to experience in a short-term period (6 months, maybe) after first installing Fedora. I added the 5th category of Developers / Power Contributors as the center bar of the triangle, those users who are likely to have a good grasp of all Four F's within a very short time period, if not immediately.
The bottom line is that we shouldn't consider any of the individuals in these User Base groups as permanent fixtures; we should encourage them, through the Friends channel, to move up the triangle in their awareness of what the Fedora Project offers them, and how they can contribute.
A side note is that I think this type of thinking can help to discourage the discussion of the User Base being dismissive of developers; in fact, if we actually Live the foundations, we're helping to grow the base of contributors over time, which betters the project in general.
Serious brain dump, 1am, 5 hours later. Feedback welcomed.
