An Open Letter To The Openpandora Team

[cosurgi]

Dear OpenPandora developers, we signed below this letter (see voting poll) would like to know answers for the questions stated below.

Cosurgi is too impatient was: ignoring community
q. 1) What was your reasoning to not use the long ago agreed upon design?
q. 2) Do you still plan to ignore us?
Don't say that you didn't ignore, because The community clearly voted to not include any language specific chars, and you included them nevertheless. In fact if you use math, your will see that only 240 from among 4000 people want umlauts/charecters specific to their language.
We would like to remind you (although it wasn't clearly voted upon yet) that people prefer Compose and AltGr solution, as it is more international:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compose_Key
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altgr

Making people happy
q. 3) Is it possible to order a custom layout (e.g. picked from among two, three or four officially available layouts), for free or at extra price (paid by bank transfer)? With only few layouts to choose from it is certain that there will be way more than 100 of each type ordered (WRT to MWestons limit of about 100 - easy to slap a different file on the printer).
q. 4) Is it possible to order a very custom layout (asked for by less than 100 people), even at much higher extra price?
q. 5) Can you tell us the prices for those privileges?

Ctrl-Alt
q. 6) Do you acknowledge that Ctrl-Alt on the keyboard was a poll winning choice (by a slight margin of only 10%) and therefore should be in the default layout?

PS: I tried to avoid forums outrage by PMing and sending emails. No luck though, therefore let's proceed in a transparent way - by a forum discussion

EDIT: I'm feeling guilty for using the word ignore. Removed it.

 

[Mithrildor]

Ty for this awesome topic. I fully agree to what you just said.

Edit: Forgotten to thank you for bringing this in an adult way, instead of what most others did.

 

[plopperz]

This is kindof....ridiculous.
And don't say they are ignoring the community. The Pandora was designed around what the community wanted in a handheld.

 

[maciek_urbanski]

This is kindof....ridiculous.

Only if you don't care about keyboard issue.

And don't say they are ignoring the community. The Pandora was designed around what the community wanted in a handheld.

...they seem to disregard voice of majority of community in keyboard design. Some ignoring seem to occur there...

Pandora is a great product and it's designed in community in mind. All except keyboard config.

 

[danjh0]

This is getting ridiculous and completely out of hand.

Can we stop pestering the OP team about stupid fonts and keyboard layouts and let them get on with it.

Some ppl need to seriously get a life...

 

[adamorjames]

And don't say they are ignoring the community. The Pandora was designed around what the community wanted in a handheld.

Is the keyboard not part of the handheld?

 

[Mithrildor]

This is getting ridiculous and completely out of hand.

Can we stop pestering the OP team about stupid fonts and keyboard layouts and let them get on with it.

Some ppl need to seriously get a life...

Out of the hand? I thought Cosurgi is doing this in a very nice and adult way.

And get a life? Its pretty normal to do this for a device I paid a fuckin 300 euro for.

 

[puppydee]

Standard layout on the keyboard will be fine guys. Just kidding about the march btw.

edit: BTW the playstation layout I new would never happen in a million years! that was my point, that we can't all have everything we want. If about 3000 people vote then maybe it might change things otherwise just leave it to the design team

 

[plopperz]

And don't say they are ignoring the community. The Pandora was designed around what the community wanted in a handheld.

What about the keyboard or is that not part of the handheld?

The keyboard itself was something that the community wanted. I'm sure the devs have their reasons for choosing the layout that they did.

EDIT: As puppydee mentioned, there was a heated debate over the symbols on the game buttons until a mod closed that topic and any future topics on that subject; that's what I suggest happen here.

 

[danjh0]

This is getting ridiculous and completely out of hand.

Can we stop pestering the OP team about stupid fonts and keyboard layouts and let them get on with it.

Some ppl need to seriously get a life...

Out of the hand? I thought Cosurgi is doing this in a very nice and adult way.

And get a life? Its pretty normal to do this for a device I paid a fuckin 300 euro for.


He may be doing it in a 'nice' way, but I think he needs to leave it be now. Some people will care, others will not care less.

And it's funny, I bought a netbook the other day - paid £200 but I didn't get a say in the keyboard layout either!! And yes, you don't need to start quoting about this being a community project - I am aware of that. But I don't think community interjection really extends to this.

I've become quite depressed recently reading these forums - because some people are never bloody pleased! The minority are beginning to spoil it for the majority.

 

[Mutilator]

we are getting more choices and involvement than any other handheld or any electrical device and for that i cant actually say im at all that fussed as they are the ones paying for developing it they could have just ignored everything we said about but they didnt.

as PlopperZ said they would have had a good reason to do what they did you dont just pick any random layout

 

[Eolair]

You're making it sound like the team is under obligation to follow any vote on this board. Have you realized that while the Pandora project is open to community input it is not community designed? There is a big difference.

While I have made several design suggestions myself I would never presume to demand that one of them be picked on the basis of a community vote. The design decisions are always up to the design team. Just be happy they're willing to listen at all. Try make Sony do that.

 

[danjh0]

You're making it sound like the team is under obligation to follow any vote on this board. Have you realized that while the Pandora project is open to community input it is not community designed? There is a big difference.

While I have made several design suggestions myself I would never presume to demand that one of them be picked on the basis of a community vote. The design decisions are always up to the design team. Just be happy they're willing to listen at all. Try make Sony do that.

+1. Couldn't have put it better myself.

 

[salasq]

BTW the playstation layout I new would never happen in a million years! that was my point, that we can't all have everything we want, ie stop moaning!

If Pandora takes off like we hope it will, it's a certainty that someone will deliver PS replacement nubs sooner or later.

Keyboard is a somewhat tougher item to fix if ackbasswards, though. Thumbboard isn't a classic keyboard many of us touch-type on, randomly remapping keys w/ no visual clues to their function isn't the solution some make it up to be.

 

[Game_over]

The keyboard presentation is NOT FINAL. You all know it takes time to modify renders...time that the devs rarely have, you can't say they have ignored us when they said multiple time across multiple threads that they heard you. You gave a compelling argument corsurgi on the last thread why make yet another keyboard thread.

There is room for compromise looking at your alt layout. they can still assign a few of the international characters on some of the other keys if they wanted it.

 

[EvilDragon]

Okay, here's an open answer from me to you, cosurgi:
You really start to become annoying.

Within THREE days, you started THREE topics with polls which basically all have the same content, sent two eMails and three PMs to me (and I guess also to other people from the team).

Don't you think that's ridiculous?

We NEVER said it's finished, I even said in your first thread and on the blog that we're still discussing about it!
It's weekend, we all have a life and we can't just meet for some coffee and discuss about it, as we're all living in different countries and timezones, so discussing via eMail takes some time!

So, before you start another few hundred polls (maybe one for each key on the keypad? And then for each font on each key on the keypad?), why can't you simply WAIT for us to finish everything up and discuss it up?

And never ever try to tell us we're ignoring you or the community, we never did, but if we would discuss everything openly here on this thread and keep answering all the posts, we needed to delay the release for a few years, as it would NEVER come to an end.

So PLEASE wait until we're finished... oh, yes, and keep in mind that the font we use CAN'T BE A COMMERCIAL COPYRIGHTED one... except for anyone wants to pay us the license fee.

And get a life? Its pretty normal to do this for a device I paid a fuckin 300 euro for.

Well, so far, I did pay about 50.000 EUR out of my own pocket for it.
I win.

But we still are looking at all suggestion and keep discussing about the layout.

 

[cosurgi]

Thank you. I shut up and wait, for an official answer. This one is just informing about a delay.

I'm sorry for saying "ignore", I know this project is the best one on the earth WRT to community input. I only wanted to underline the keyboard layout matters, because some people really felt ignored. I'm sure that using word "ignore" was the only reason why only about 50% of people sign under this letter. I understand that.

Also I'm sorry for being so impatient, that's entirely my fault. I was only concerned about the fact that we don't want to delay, and have to be fast! I'm trying to be reasonable, I'm rally sorry for hurry.

PS: the font poll was asked by people. It was only two threads/polls

 

[fusion_power]

Wow, it looks like now the "bad awakening" has coming.
During all that huge, huge and many many Keyboard-Layout Threads, nobody seems to have noticed, that the Devs never asked how we want the exact keyboard Layout, AFAIK the Devs never started a contest or a poll. (Correct me if I'm wrong)
That means, that all these (looong) Layout threads had not much influence for the Final Layout because the Devs had a layout before...and after these Threads. Sorry to say this but I've seen these Threads more like speculation and Brainstorming, I also posted some thoughts but I've never expected that these Threads generate a final, poll-voted-Winning Keyboard Layout that would be printed 1:1 onto the Pandora. ^_^
However, I like the Ideas, I like Corsugis Design and I also think that ED's (not final!) Layout needs a serious Overhaul. I'm german but I would prefer a clean printing, without umlauts or to much special characters. Because it would be unfair like mentioned before.
OF COURSE I want to type ÄÖÜß with the keyboard! Of Course this has to be solved per Software and I hope the Pandora OS can handle various Keyboard settings if Useres want to use their own layout. I'm not sure if you can map a Button completely afer your imagination, I don't know what this Angstrom can handle, I think nobody knows this exactly.

EDIT: ED was faster, clear statement, agreed.

 

[Consequence_9]

Okay, here's an open answer from me to you, cosurgi:
You really start to become annoying.

Within THREE days, you started THREE topics with polls which basically all have the same content, sent two eMails and three PMs to me (and I guess also to other people from the team).

Don't you think that's ridiculous?

We NEVER said it's finished, I even said in your first thread and on the blog that we're still discussing about it!
It's weekend, we all have a life and we can't just meet for some coffee and discuss about it, as we're all living in different countries and timezones, so discussing via eMail takes some time!

So, before you start another few hundred polls (maybe one for each key on the keypad? And then for each font on each key on the keypad?), why can't you simply WAIT for us to finish everything up and discuss it up?

And never ever try to tell us we're ignoring you or the community, we never did, but if we would discuss everything openly here on this thread and keep answering all the posts, we needed to delay the release for a few years, as it would NEVER come to an end.

So PLEASE wait until we're finished... oh, yes, and keep in mind that the font we use CAN'T BE A COMMERCIAL COPYRIGHTED one... except for anyone wants to pay us the license fee.

And get a life? Its pretty normal to do this for a device I paid a fuckin 300 euro for.

Well, so far, I did pay about 50.000 EUR out of my own pocket for it.
I win.

But we still are looking at all suggestion and keep discussing about the layout.

Owned, lol


THANK YOU ED! =] Couldn't have said it better myself. Keep up the good work & don't let it get to ya! I'm sure we'll be content with whatever you decide to do. Sorry you have to put up with this kinda shit.

 

[craigix]

This is a bit weird, we have said the keypad isn't finished and that we are reading the threads and talking about it via email.

What more can we do right now? We won't rush to a final layout - we have until the mould is complete (another couple of weeks) to get this right.

I think it's pretty clear though that we can't please everyone, maybe we should ship some small white square stickers which you can put above/along side some keys and draw your own extra chars....