How-To promote REBOL?
[1/9] from: slok00::yahoo at: 26-Dec-2001 19:03
I have an opportunity to present on alternative technologies in the local
Linux user group.
The audience will probably be a mix of "software guys", "network/system
guys" and others
that could range from "academic, plain user, students etc".
I am thinking about REBOL but is wondering what will be the best approach
to showcase
REBOL and achieve maximum impact in a short 15 minutes presentation that
will probably
be followed by some Q&A.
Any suggestions? Also, do you think RT will share with us the kind of
presentation that they
used for "pitches"?
Thanks
YekSoon
[2/9] from: greggirwin:mindspring at: 26-Dec-2001 12:07
Hi YekSoon,
<< I am thinking about REBOL but is wondering what will be the best approach
to showcase REBOL and achieve maximum impact in a short 15 minutes
presentation that
will probably be followed by some Q&A. >>
Here's what I did when I wanted to show people why I was proposing REBOL.
I made sure they had a "clean" machine (i.e. without REBOL installed on it)
and I told them that we should probably download REBOL since they had a fast
internet connection, as that would probably be faster than loading it from
floppy disk (have REBOL with you on a single floppy disk in case you need to
prove that it's all there).
/View downloaded in the blink of an eye on their system, and then I said
Now, let's make sure it installed OK
, and fired it up. I configured it
quickly as I talked about REBOL being designed as a messaging language and
how that applies to what they want to accomplish as well as how it fits in
with the new "connected" world. They should be excited by how quickly and
easily it installs.
Next I went right to the demos section from the desktop and fired up
V-Balls, Paint, and Gel. Making sure to show them how you can pull up the
editor and see the source for any reblet on the desktop. Then I went to the
Docs folder and showed them Ref-Words, Easy-VID, and Easy-Draw (take a
little time to get familiar with them so you know exactly which parts you
want to show off). My audience was impressed with the embedded executable
sample code in Easy-VID and Easy-Draw.
I went to the Sites folder on the desktop to show them what other REBOL
users have published (pick some good, small, examples that you think will
appeal to the various groups in your audience). Finally, I went to the
Library folder to show them what kind of examples are out there (again, pick
a few good examples ahead of time so you can go right to them during your
presentation. Don't waste time searching for things. Be prepared).
I was sure to mention how RT uses REBOL to help them do everything with a
very small team. Their team of about 5 people builds REBOL for over 40
platforms, maintains their web site, provides technical support, and is
constantly improving REBOL and creating new things like IOS.
Make sure they know that the hardest part about having so little time is
that you can't even begin to demonstrate its potential. Dialecting, built-in
compression and encryption support, standard networking protocols,
reflective capabilities, dynamic layouts, external library access, etc.
The most important thing is to be prepared. Practice your demo as much as
possible, saying the words out loud. This will help you to be less nervous.
Another thing you can do is have a little demo script like this to help you
with your timing.
REBOL [
Title: "Demo Timer"
]
start-time: now/time
end-time: start-time + 0:15:00
view layout [
backdrop effect compose [gradient 0x1 (sky) (water)]
across
origin 5
banner "Time Remaining"
banner 100 rate 1
feel [engage: func [face act evt] [
face/text: end-time - now/time
show face
]
]
]
Now, you can use that while you're practicing, so you'll know if you're
staying on track, going faster or slower, or need to add or remove elements
from your presentation.
If you're feeling really confident, you can write the script "live" in front
of your audience as part of your demonstration. If you want to do that, make
sure you can write it from scratch, flawlessly, at *least* 20 times before
doing your demo. Coding under the pressure of a live audience is hard
enough. Introducing one little glitch can be embarrassing and ruin your
entire demo. Don't do it unless you feel *extremely* confident about it. If
you can pull it off, it can work very well.
HTH!
--Gregg
[3/9] from: slok00::yahoo at: 27-Dec-2001 10:51
As a follow, I am thinking of adding the TOP 10 reasons why people choose
REBOL over other
languages (be it scripting or system languages).
For a start, I have these in mind and would like to hear from the community
their opinions.
1. Rapid development
2. Graphical user interface
3. Cross-platform applications
4. Standard network protocol support
5. The REBOL community
Others reason which I am not too sure if REBOL fits the bill
- Extensible applications
- Flexible integration
Is it easy for REBOL to call Java, C, VB etc... or vice-versa
- Enterprise Ready
What is required for REBOL to be considered Enterprise Ready?
- Easy to learn
Seems subjective, but so far I find it easy enough to learn from the codes
of other people
and learn through trial-n-error and more importantly getting help from the
community.
I would appreciate any feedback on the TOP 10 reasons.
Thanks
YekSoon
At 12:07 PM 12/26/2001 -0700, you wrote:
[4/9] from: voltarol94065:y:ahoo at: 26-Dec-2001 20:56
--- Lok Yek Soon <[slok00--yahoo--com]> wrote:
> As a follow, I am thinking of adding the TOP 10 reasons why people
> choose
> REBOL over other
> languages (be it scripting or system languages).
>
Problem with this approach is that you are defining YACT (Yet Another
Cool Technology) - and if you are dealing with corporate buyers you are
highly likely to get a big cynical yawn. I would suggest you need to
define your need / requirements, match Rebol's requirememnts to it and
then note how much better overall it is than completing tools - ie,
what is Rebols fitness for purpose relative to other technologies. If
in a corporate environment, you will need to take in to account the
company's financial health, product mnaturity and stability, critical
mass of supporting technologies, availability of trained staff and what
impact on the IT shop it will have by adding yet another technology to
their inventory of technologies.
Looking at your list below, firstly how important are they? (I would
say to a large corporate supporitng mulitple hardware / OS platforms is
limited use as most want to simplify and standrdize their platforms.
Also, strengths such as GUI, RAD etc - is Rebol really better than
competing existing technologies such as VB, Clarion, Java (JBuilder,
webGain etc)? Can you prove it?
Depending on your apps, Rebol may not even be suitable for what you are
doing, so you will need to make that case (which brings us back to
defining the requirements first).
[5/9] from: carl:cybercraft at: 27-Dec-2001 17:58
On 27-Dec-01, Lok Yek Soon wrote:
> As a follow, I am thinking of adding the TOP 10 reasons why people
> choose REBOL over other languages (be it scripting or system
<<quoted lines omitted: 18>>
> from the community.
> I would appreciate any feedback on the TOP 10 reasons.
Dialecting should be in there, and perhaps that it's a functional
language. And that it has loads of datatypes?
--
Carl Read
[6/9] from: ammonjohnson::yahoo at: 26-Dec-2001 23:14
Well said!
Ammon
[7/9] from: jasonic:cunliffe:verizon at: 27-Dec-2001 0:10
Hi Yek Soon
I think Gregg's answer was right on.. Don't forget:
REBOL is FUN!
Why is REBOL fun ?
- Interactive CLI development
- Missing most of the wired syntax and punctuation which lcutters up other
languages
- Intuitive 'forward-forth' structure whicc evokes nautral language and
'net-streaming mind
- Great Community
- It is something new, elegant, different and interesting
> For a start, I have these in mind and would like to hear from the
community
> their opinions.
> 1. Rapid development
> 2. Graphical user interface
> 3. Cross-platform applications
> 4. Standard network protocol support
> 5. The REBOL community
Yes good.
+ very __tiny__ footprint for system + scripts
+ very very easy to install [compare Unix or Windows headaches avoided]
+ low cost!
+ well timed for people-people development
> Others reason which I am not too sure if REBOL fits the bill
> - Extensible applications
.. are not all langauges..? what do you really mean here?
> - Flexible integration
> Is it easy for REBOL to call Java, C, VB etc... or vice-versa
Good Question
REBOL/Command has 'call'
> - Enterprise Ready
> What is required for REBOL to be considered Enterprise Ready?
[duh:] A business must use it ?
seriously: Security and ODBC features in REBOL/Command are plus,
but lack of many REBOL progammers in Job market minds may be an obstacle.
> - Easy to learn
> Seems subjective, but so far I find it easy enough to learn from the codes
> of other people
> and learn through trial-n-error and more importantly getting help from the
> community.
I agree, but documentation lacks especially View/VID
> I would appreciate any feedback on the TOP 10 reasons.
> Thanks
> YekSoon
I think you should be prepared for answering potential negatives questions
too:
1. documentation
[is scattered adn laggin behind tech deevlopment, the official book has NO
INDEX = amateurs yikes!!!! ++ the RT web site is still pretty lame with big
holos in it, funky links, and lots missing]
2. low-profile [never heard of it.. or not for several years]
3. proprietary kernel source
4. lack of books or recent media coverage [try google adn you will see what
I mean]
5. very small community [see Enterprise above]
good luck
./Jason
[8/9] from: sunandadh:aol at: 27-Dec-2001 10:17
Good stuff, David,
> Problem with this approach is that you are defining YACT (Yet Another
> Cool Technology) - and if you are dealing with corporate buyers you are
> highly likely to get a big cynical yawn. I would suggest you need to
> define your need / requirements, match Rebol's requirememnts to it and
> then note how much better overall it is than completing tools - ie,
> what is Rebols fitness for purpose relative to other technologies
And Yek Soon, it's worth remembering four of the basic rules for any sales
presentation:
1. Highlight benefit statements not features
A feature is a flat statement of some aspect of the thing you are selling:
* Has chrome alloy wheels!
* Dual power supply!!
* Starring Brad Pitt!!!
* Built-in SMTP support!!!!
A benefit statement is a reason why your audience will benefit from the
feature. It adds a "so what clause" to the feature:
* Has chrome alloy wheels so it's as strong, but half the weight
and will never rust
* Dual power supply, so you can use it anywhere in the world
* Starring Brad Pitt, so your fiancee will definitely want to go see it too
* Built-in SMTP support, so no need to supply third-party add-ons.
But it's only a benefit if it is a benefit to your audience (if they are
never going to leave Kansas, the dual power supply may be plain irrelevant).
2. NEVER knock the opposition
Show how your product is better than the opposition in ways that appeal to
your audience without belittling the opposition. Many in your audience
probably make a career out of being specialists in "opposition" technologies:
tell them they are wrong and they'll just switch off.
This means you need to know the strengths of Rebol compared to whatever the
audience is likely to suggest as alternatives (C#, Perl, Python. Ruby, TEL,
VB. etc). Which is fair enough. You are recommending Rebol for a reason which
means you have evaluated the field and decided on Rebol for a reason.
3. Never give too many reasons
If you list 10 reasons why Rebol is better then, inevitably, reasons 6 and
onwards are weaker than your top 5. Given a hostile or indifferent audience,
they'll unpick your case from the weakest link upwards. Better give them
three solid benefits. If they suggest others that's great: it shows they are
on your side.
4. Don't ask for too much in one go
No one is going to switch their entire company over to a new language in one
go. If you ask for that, you'll end up with nothing. Suggest a couple of
small R&D-style projects that Rebol can be field tested on. No one's going to
say no to that if the company has any sense of adventure.
And good luck!
Sunanda.
[9/9] from: slok00::yahoo at: 28-Dec-2001 10:24
Thanks everyone for putting in various thoughts and perceptions into this
thread.
Definitely, very useful.
YS
At 10:17 AM 12/27/2001 -0500, you wrote:
<snip> all the good stuffs to keep message size small.
Notes
- Quoted lines have been omitted from some messages.
View the message alone to see the lines that have been omitted