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You linked me to a source control repository instead of a product page. Have you never downloaded apps from SourceForge, Google Code, GitHub, etc? It's really

by miles 17y ago

You linked me to a source control repository instead of a product page. Have you never downloaded apps from SourceForge, Google Code, GitHub, etc? It's really not that unusual or difficult. There's a download button, but it seems to want to give me source code. No, the download button gives you PNGSquash.tar.gz, which contains PNGSquash.app, the application, not source code. Since you are opening it on an operating system other than OS X, it opens like a directory when double clicked. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APP_(file_format) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APP_(file_format) reading comments here, it seems that the source is actually only compilable on a Mac. Yes, it is a Mac app - at the top of the page it says "Description: A PNG compressor app for OS X." And no, it does not require compiling if you download the binary (the huge "Download" link next to the logo). In short, you have not produced an App. Yes he has. Witness all of the comments from folks who have used it. Even if I wanted to use your product, and had the right system to use it on, I couldn't. You could learn to do it in a few seconds: http://guides.macrumors.com/Installing_Applications_in_Mac_OS_X#Application_Bundles http://guides.macrumors.com/Installing_Applications_in_Mac_O... That site will need to describe what it does (which, incidentally, your github description fails to do) Again, at the very top of the page: "Description: A PNG compressor app for OS X." provide me with a prominent Download button that links to an installer or at least an executable. That is already the case.

jasonkester 17y ago
Try not to blame the messenger. He asked to have his application reviewed, so I reviewed it. That was my customer experience trying to download and install his product. Here, for a counterexample, is the homepage for a different open source software product: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/firefox.html?from=getfirefox http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/firefox.html?from=getfi... You'll notice some key differences. That page describes exactly what the software does and how it will benefit me as a user. It includes a prominent link to an installer right off the page. That's what the public face of a software product should look like. That's the message I was trying to convey to the original poster. Dropping potential users off at Github is a dead-end for most of them. An explanation as to why can be found here: http://www.kalzumeus.com/2009/03/07/how-to-successfully-compete-with-open-source-software/ http://www.kalzumeus.com/2009/03/07/how-to-successfully-comp...

by miles 17y ago

jasonkester 17y ago

Try not to blame the messenger. He asked to have his application reviewed, so I reviewed it. That was my customer experience trying to download and install his product. Here, for a counterexample, is the homepage for a different open source software product: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/firefox.html?from=getfirefox http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/firefox.html?from=getfi... You'll notice some key differences. That page describes exactly what the software does and how it will benefit me as a user. It includes a prominent link to an installer right off the page. That's what the public face of a software product should look like. That's the message I was trying to convey to the original poster. Dropping potential users off at Github is a dead-end for most of them. An explanation as to why can be found here: http://www.kalzumeus.com/2009/03/07/how-to-successfully-compete-with-open-source-software/ http://www.kalzumeus.com/2009/03/07/how-to-successfully-comp...