576059 - Implement beta features feedback mechanism

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Thunderbird :: General, enhancement)

Description

[Ludovic Hirlimann [:Usul]]

Thundrbird needs a new Feedback Add-on in its collection! It’s a high-er touch feedback mechanism intended to funnel in what our users would like to tell us in terms of positive/negative experiences during the Thunderbird Beta Program. In order to see/use it, you’ll have to get onto a beta build for Thunderbird Next (when it’s available) and head over to the right side of your navigation toolbar.

Comment 1

[WADA:World Anti-bad-Duping Agency]

Because Bugzilla(software developed for B.M.O system) is excellent software for tracking of insidents, and because B.M.O system(based on customized Bugzilla) is excellent system not olnly for tracking of pure bug of software but also tracking of support/help/feedback insidents from user, new feedback(and/or supporting user) mechanism can utilize B.M.O system.
To fully utilize B.M.O for them, enhancement of Bugzilla and B.M.O system will be required to isolate pure bugs of software and feedback/support/help in order to avoid chaos in B.M.O system.
Currently, such isolation is possible by Product/Component only. I think Product/Component is sufficiently powerful to avoid chaos in B.M.O system, if well managed.

I think next can be a new feedback mechanism for negative user's experiences.
(1) Generate new Product(s) and Component(s). 
    Product=Thunderbird-Feedback, Component=Thunderbird 3.1, 3.2pre, 3.2, ...
(2) Implement add on, or prepare a page to put report in B.M.O system
    with Product=Thunderbird-Feedback.
(3) Activity by first level analyzer or QA peoples. 
    If bug of Tb is suspected, ask additinal data to user, and if Tb's bug is
    sufficiently suspected, change to Product=MailNew Core or Thunderbird
    open bug with correct Product/Component with crisp problem desription,
    with attaching sufficient data for analysis by developers, with precice
    steps to reproduce. 
    If enhancement of Tb can resolve problem user experienced, open bug with
    Severity=Enhancement, with statements of sufficient reason why the
    enhancement will be required and how the enhancement will be effective.
    If support/help like insident, first level analyzer answers to user.
    And mark them by putting appropriate annotation.
    eg. [support] in whiteboard, ...
(4) Utilize the markings etc. for gathering statistical data.

Above is similar to current use of B.M.O system for Evange bug(report of not RFC compliant web sites).
For user, "search bug for opener=himself" is powerful tool to track his own incidents. It's one of big gains by use of system what is based on Bugzilla.
Feedback to user about his Feedbacks is also an important thing.

Problem is:
Current system like B.M.O is not approariate for positive feedbacks from general users.
System based on Bugzilla at site of Mozilla Messaging company, say
"FeedbackZilla", may be better for feedback from general users or support/help for general users.
Customized "Advanced Search" page of B.M.O may be a solution, if appropriate wording for Feedback is used in the web page.

Comment 2

[WADA:World Anti-bad-Duping Agency]

Oh, Mozilla Messaging company already started similar utilization of B.M.O with Product=support.mozilla.messaging.com(Components is General and Knowledge Base Articles only yet, though.)
If we can conduct many general Thunderbird users to Product=Thunderbird-Feedback or Thunderbird-Troubles or Thunderbird-Problems, and if we QA peoples can efficiently change hard-to-understand reports to real bug of READY status, developers and Triage team will be freed from reading of many help requests, support requests, hard-to-understand reports from general Thunderbird users. 

By the way, I'm trying to create a document(see Bug 580202, please), in order that I can merely write "read thru a document and re-write report, please" when I meat hard-to-understand *BUG* from general Thunderbird user. I'm very tired to write link to Mailnews-Logging and to write "attach mail data after save in .eml" in many bugs.

Comment 3

[Ludovic Hirlimann [:Usul]]

Wada this bug is about the fact that we want to be able for people to tell us easily if they like/dislike a new feature just after it's been introduced in nightlies builds.

Comment 4

[WADA:World Anti-bad-Duping Agency]

(In reply to comment #3)
> like/dislike a new feature

Friend of feedback of "reason of uninstall"? I see.
Sorry for my misunderstanding about feedback of "negative experiences". I thought such feedback from beta testers involves troubles with new feature, insufficient functionality, idea for improvements etc.

Comment 5

[Andrei Hajdukewycz [:sancus]]

Since we have a feedback mechanism from bug 1773900 now we don't really need this.