"Paul Giaccone" <paulg@cinesite.co.uk> wrote
"Essentially, Boost needs to sell itself as something that no C++ programmer would want to be without. Think how the adman would write
it:
"C++ getting you down? Spending hours tracking down that memory leak? Then try Boost! It will change your life!" Well, maybe not, but something along these lines would certainly go a long way to showing
why anyone should be using Boost.
(Apologies for the messed-up indentation.) Some people seem to have taken my proposed advertising spiel seriously. Please note that I said "Well, maybe not, but something along those lines." The ad-speak was intended to be facetious but also to provoke discussion of the issue, which it clearly has.
Contrary to what some have said, Boost *does* need to be sold. The website currently does little to inspire the new user to want to use it. A few paragraphs like those I posted would draw the user in and have them downloading it in an instant. At the moment, I suspect that the keen user doesn't come to that realisation until they have browsed several pages, and the casually interested user will just not bother. You developed Boost because you want people to use it, so it makes a great deal of sense to tell them *why* they should use it, and not just how to. Paul