Re: [RFC] Git User's Survey 2010 (resend)

> > == Getting started with Git ==
> >
> > === 03. Have you found Git easy to learn? ===
> > (single choice)
> >
> > * Very easy
> > * Easy
> > * Reasonably easy
> > * Hard
> > * Very hard
> >
> > === 04. Have you found Git easy to use? ===
> > (single choice)
> >
> > * Very easy
> > * Easy
> > * Reasonably easy
> > * Hard
> > * Very hard
> >
> > NOTES:
> > ^^^^^^
> > Those two questions, considered alone, doesn't tell us much.  If one use
> > git, then usually one does not think it is too hard to use (unless forced to
> > use git by external circumstances, like project he/she works on using git).
> > On the other hand those two questions together give us some mesaure of git
> > learning curve, telling us if people consider git easy to use but hard to
> > learn, or vice versa ;-)
> >
> > I think it might be also good to have to calculate correlations, e.g. if
> > people who find git hard to use make use of its advanced features.
> >
> > The question is: should they stay, or should they go?
> 
> They should probably stay. But they don't really ask the right
> question IMO. Which is not whether users think it's difficult to
> learn, but whether it's unreasonably difficult for the problem they're
> solving.
> 
> I.e. jet aircraft are hard to operate, but they also do neat
> stuff. How hard is Git to learn for the problem it's solving?

> > === 14. How do you fetch/get changes from upstream repositories? ===
> > (multiple choice, with other)
> >
> >  + git protocol        (e.g. git://git.example.com/repo.git)
> >  + ssh                 (e.g. ssh+git://git.example.com/repo.git,
> >                             git.example.com:/srv/scm/repo.git)
> >  + http                (e.g. http://git.example.com/repo.git)
> >  + rsync (DEPRECATED)  (e.g. rsync://git.example.com/repo.git)
> >  + filesystem          (e.g. /path/to/repo.git, file:///path/to/repo.git)
> >  + via git-bundle
> >  + foreign SCM (e.g. git-svn)
> >
> >  + Other, please specify
> 
> Maybe git format-patch -> git am. Since it's already this complete.

> > === 17. Which of the following features would you like to see implemented in git? ===
> > (multiple choice)
> >
> >  + better support for big files (large media)
> >  + resumable clone/fetch (and other remote operations)
> >  + GitTorrent Protocol, or git-mirror
> >  + lazy clone / on-demand fetching of object
> >  + support for tracking empty directories
> >  + environmental variables in config,
> >   and expanding ~ and ~user in paths in config
> >  + better undo/abort/continue, and for more commands
> >  + '-n' like option for each command, which describes what would happen
> >  + side-by-side diffs and/or color-words diff in gitweb
> >  + admin and/or write features in gitweb
> >  + graphical history view in gitweb
> >  + GUI for rebase in git-gui
> >  + GUI for creating repository in git-gui
> >  + filename encoding (in repository vs in filesystem)
> >  + git push --create
> >  + localization of command-line messages
> >  + wholesame directory rename detection
> >  + graphical merge tool integrated with git-gui
> >  + union checkouts (some files from one branch, some from other)
> >  + advisory locking / "this file is being edited"
> >  + "commands issued" (or "command equivalents") in git-gui / gitk
> >  + warn before/when rewriting published history
> >  + built-in gitjour/bananajour support
> >  + syntax highlighting in git-gui
> >
> >  + other (describe below)
> >
> > NOTES:
> > ^^^^^^
> > This is new question, a multiple choice companion to a essay free-form
> > question below.  Included are a few example features (some from
> > partial analysis of "19. What features would you like implemented in
> > Git?" question in 2009 survey.
> >
> > What features should be mentioned besides those above?  What criteria
> > should we have for including features in this list?
> 
> I think "submodules that Just Work(TM)" or something similar should be
> included. I.e. something the user doesn't have to worry about anymore
> than they do a normal tree entry. Git's complex submodule support is
> something I often hear complaints about.

> > === 27. Which communication channel(s) do you use? ===
> >        Do you read the mailing list, or watch IRC channel?
> > (multiple choice)
> >
> >  + git@vger.kernel.org (main)
> >  + Git for Human Beings (Google Group)
> >  + msysGit
> >  + #git IRC channel
> >  + #git-devel IRC channel
> >  + #github or #gitorious IRC channel
> >  + #revctrl IRC channel
> >
> > NOTES:
> > ^^^^^^
> > Are there any communication channels that I have missed?  For example
> > is there a separate channel that JGit/EGit developers use?
> 
> FWIW: There were two non-bots on #git-devel when I joined it.

> > == About this survey. Open forum. ==
> >
> > === 28. How did you hear about this Git User's Survey? ===
> > (single choice, with other)
> >
> >  * git mailing list
> >  * git-related mailing list (e.g. msysGit)
> >  * mailing list or forum of some project
> >  * #git IRC channel topic
> >  * announcement on IRC channel
> >  * git homepage
> >  * git wiki
> >  * git hosting site (or blog related to such site)
> >  * software-related web site
> >  * news or social news site (e.g. Digg, Reddit)
> >  * blog (or blog planet)
> >  * other kind of web site
> >  * Twitter or other microblogging platform
> >
> >  * other - please specify
> >
> > NOTES:
> > ^^^^^^
> > This list would of course be updated to reflect the list of (planned)
> > announcement channels.
> >
> > There of course will be announcement on Git Mailing List, and perhaps
> > also on msysGit list / Google Group, and on Git For Human Beings
> > Google Group (if it exists).  I'll announce it on #git, and ask op to
> > put short announcement in channel description, and I can announce it
> > on other IRC channels.  I would add announcement to main page of Git
> > Wiki, and as Git Homepage administrator to put announcement about Git
> > User's Survey.
> >
> > I usually tried to contact administrators of git hosting sites,
> > including git.kernel.org, repo.or.cz, GitHub, Gitorious, Assembla,
> > Codebase and Unfuddle, asking them to put announcement about
> > Git User's Survey either somewhere on the site, or in their blog
> > (if there is any).  What git hosting sites it is worth to ask?
> >
> > Sidenote: I am thinking about contacting different git hosting sites
> > _before_ staring survey, asking them (them = administrators) about
> > what questions would they like to see.  Do you think thet it is good
> > idea?
> 
> Yes, definitely.

> 
> > Should I try to post announcement on mailing list for projects that
> > use git?  There are entirely too many such projects nowadays, and such
> > announcement can be considered spamming by some...
> 
> Yeah. Definitely for the big ones like the "Projects using Git" listed
> on git-scm.com. I don't think it'll be considered spam.

> > I would like to have announcement of Git User's Survey 2010 at
> > LWN.net, but this would need to be send at least two weeks in advance,
> > if I remember correctly.  Is it worth it?  What other news site should
> > I (or you) send announcement to?
> 
> reddit, digg, hackernews, slashdot, ...

> > If you can Digg / Reddit announcment on some site, please do.  I can
> > announce Git User's Survey 2-1- at Twitter, Identi.ca and Plurk, but I
> > don't have wide area of followers.  So please RT.
> >
> > Should we contact some bloggers (besides asking Junio to put
> > announcement on his blog) to post an anouncement?  Which bloggers
> > would respond positively (perhaps Linus...)?