----- Original Message -----
On 11/07/2016 10:14 AM, Bastien Nocera wrote:
----- Original Message -----
Being first is definitely important and something we should focus on, but differentiation in open source is a hard challenge and branding is a big part of it. We are not GNOME, just like we are not the linux kernel or systemd or glibc. Yes, we happen to make use of all those projects, but what we are is the sum of all of those and more plus the testing, integration, customisation, extensions and specific combination of things. And making sure that totality has a clear and easily identifiable visual identity is not wasting time. It is to build a design and branding that highlights that Fedora Workstation is a unique thing and not just one of many ways to run a generic GNOME desktop.
In which case the problem is that we don't consult with designers, or work on that branding work upstream. Case in point, our changes to the Details panel in Settings aren't upstream, nobody tested the performance impact of the logo watermark in gnome-shell.
It also seems bizarre to me that we would push that branding on Fedora Workstation, but not in other variants with a Fedora branded motd before login on the server variant for example.
The Fedora Server does prominently display "Fedora 24 (Server Edition)" at the login prompt. It also presents URLs for signing into the Cockpit administrative interface which announces "Fedora Server Edition" in big block letters and the Fedora logo in the corner.
Prominent? I attached the screenshot. It's prominent because there's nothing else on the screen, sure.
Do we *actually* have a problem with Fedora being identified as such? In which sort of deployment do we have that problem?
I think the main concern here is that we want Fedora to be easily recognized as itself because that increases mindshare significantly. Most people can recognize Ubuntu quickly because of its graphical environment (whether it's a positive or negative recognition is basically irrelevant here).
We've been making GNOME recognisable, and well enough that you can recognise it among screenshots. We've also made Fedora Workstation good enough that it's what a lot of users use, and we can nearly assume.
There's a net positive to having our brand be displayed prominently because it can help to associate our name with whatever else is being showed off in presentations and the like.
Then I'd happily remove all the crappy branding in most places in Fedora, and offer you branding space on the "presentation" screen: https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=750277
"Hey, that's a really cool new web application. Oh, and the person demoing it is doing so on Fedora, so it probably works well on Fedora..."
If we're focusing on presentations, we probably don't need that branding in the default wallpaper.
We already have branding in GRUB, in plymouth, in gdm, in the default wallpaper, in the Details panel. I'd rather we sent our stickers for laptop covers, and Windows keys, and toned down the branding on other parts of the OS, as well as investigated other possible branding (changing the default hostname, and .local name seem like no-brainer with no performance impact, and greater reach).
Modulo the watermark, we don't have branding in the default wallpaper;
"Apart from branding, we don't have branding".
just because it's not the same as upstream does not necessarily make it immediately recognizable as Fedora.
It makes it recognisable as not upstream GNOME, and I don't think those wallpapers are of the same quality as the upstream GNOME ones.
Grub, plymouth and GDM are transitive things that are almost never seen when doing a demo or presentation for someone. There is real value in subtle associations of Fedora with showing off cool stuff.
Then we agree that should remove the unnecessary branding in those transitive states?
I'm not advocating that we cover the screen like ads on a race-car, but there must be some subtle ways we can improve the branding without compromising the aesthetics of the upstream design.
Heck, even something as simple as putting the topicon version of the Fedora logo next to the clock could be an option. (I'm not a designer, obviously. I'm just throwing out a straw-man for discussion.)
I invite you to read the archives about this trainwreck of an idea. About the time of the GNOME 3 release.
