The fact is though, not every developer uploads their new or updated applications
to Hobbes. Not every application is available for a free preview. So how can we
keep up to date with the OS/2 application stream? Or shall I ask this? How can the
OS/2 developer help us stay up to date with their products?
Personally, I have been a bit lax in this department. During the normal course
of events, I will:
1) Upload software to our website, Hobbes and BMT Micro.Granted, these sites do a great job and get info to many of the hard core OS/2 users. There is also a lot of spillover information that is dispensed from these sources that makes it's way onto other websites etc. but how do we reach the rest of the OS/2 world. What else should we be doing? Where should our programs be uploaded to? Where else should we be sending announcements?
2) Update the website html's
3) Send a note to Thomas at BMT notifying him of the update.
4) Put together a brief announcement and send it to, WarpCast, Warp City and sometimes to the c.o.o.announce newsgroup.
Hobbes is probably the most important ftp site for the OS/2 user. Once a program
is on Hobbes, there are mirrors worldwide that will pick it up eventually. CDROM.COM
is also an ftp site with worldwide mirrors but it has not been updated in a timely
manner for quite a while. I am interested in hearing about other sites that would
be of importance to OS/2.
LEO is a great site but I am not sure about their policy concerning uploads.
It seems there was a question of space available the last time I checked. As always,
check the uploading rules and templates at any new site.
In general, it is wise to have your primary source of the program available on
a dependable server. It never hurts to add a couple of different links to the program
from your website in case one of the links is down.
There may be other sites that are important to OS/2 users that I am not aware
of or at least am not aware that they keep OS/2 programs onsite and actively seek
uploads. That is part of what this article is all about. What are the other sites
that we should be aware of?
A couple of good examples are Loren Bandiera's OS/2 News and Rumors and Steve
Wendt's OS/2 Warp News and Rumors. These two sites are almost always filled with
up to date OS/2 news. One of the really neat things about them is how they seem
to cooperate with each other in the process of staying up to date. Quite often their
news snippet sources are credited to one another. So why haven't we (I) included
them in the PR loop? Have we (I) let ourselves down by not contacting some of these
sites?
It would be great if there was one true blue (pun intended), sure-fire way to
reach everyone but the fact of the matter is that not everyone associated with OS/2
frequents or is subscribed to, one particular resource. This means that we have
to diversify our uploads and announcements to cover as many bases as possible.
Some sites seem to stay pretty current with most events but couldn't we save
them the time spent scouting and digging by including them in PR's? Having no formal
relationship with most of them, I cannot say whether that is what they want from
us but I do have a plan!
It just makes sense to set up a mailing list for our Press releases. Whether
it is to one place or to 20 different places, most email programs will distribute
your release with one mouse click once it is prepared. Who should be on the list?
I am not sure about, or qualified to give you, the definitive list of OS/2 resources
but I have started to jot a few down. There are not a lot of print magazine opportunities
but the few that are available should not be ignored either.
I am willing to set up a webpage or gather information concerning a listing of
businesses/websites that developers can cut and paste to their mailing lists for
press releases. I will only put entries in that I know will accept PR from developers.
For that reason, there will be very few on the list to start with. Each business/site
must be confirmed before appearing on the listing so we aren't sending mail to someone
who doesn't want it.
To confirm that the business/site in question really *wants* to get PR from OS/2
developers, I would like each of them to contact me with their Name and the email
address they would like used for press releases. This will only be for any business,
magazine or website that carries OS/2 news. I will not accept a listing from anyone
other than the owner/webmaster of a business, magazine or website so don't ask to
add someone else to listing.
Naturally, there are a few sites that are fair game for our PR because of their
nature (WarpCast etc.) but I will refrain from listing anything until we have a
proper listing started.
You may not get results or notice from some sites but that should not dissuade
you from hammering away at press releases. Not everything we perceive as "the
best thing to come down the pike" may be that important to someone else. Sometimes
that's just the way the world works but if you persevere, you will know that you
have done your best. You can't make people like your product but you can get it
out in front of them and they will decide, in the end, if it is worth their while.
Wayne Swanson
Editor note: If you have information on an OS/2 development project please send
your news/press release to secretary@os2voice.org
and we will see that your announcement is placed on our Developer News page in the
newsletter. In addition VOICE sponsors IRC Speakup sessions with OS/2 developers
to exchange information and ideas with OS/2 users in a lively real-time format.