http://funnyfox.org

I usually try and get out of supporting peoples computers when I’m not getting paid for it, so I really don’t offer too much support, but I can turn that around and say, I don’t support any browser but Opera - as there are plenty of places they can go for help about FF or IE, which I don’t know that much about anyway.

I’ve also often gotten people going with proxomitron and they usually don’t have too many problems, which is amazing given how much it can accidentally break the web. I just show them how to bypass it for a page, and update the filterset when I’m around and have time. Some people love not getting ads, others don’t care and stop using it.

So generally I just talk about Opera occasionally and people take note that it exists.

1) better toolbar icons by default (they are stale, stale, stale!)
2) features like Start Bar and Tab Preview (with all that geeky info) DISABLED by default. It confuses and obfuscates information. It offers nothing but confusion to 99% of those who try Opera for the first time (AND they’re very hard for new users to figure out how to turn them off, assuoming they even feel they can). You don’t baffle new users with something too different to what they’re used to. You gently guide them in their new adventure, and allow them to discover why Opera is better as they use it, day-by-day. They have to grow into things…
3) Cleaning up the Preferences dialogue COMPLETELY. It’s illogical.
4) Making customisations to the browser FAR MORE INTUITIVE (it’s nonsensical to a new user)
5) Importing cookies from SeaMonkey/Firefox! When?

Technically, Opera has no peer. Usability-wise, it needs improvement. That’s why many don’t stick with it in my experience. Bad out-of-box usability. And “too different” to what they’re used to (icons MATTER!)

Ok, I do. But, I still use Firefox primarily. I think the only way to do it is to get them while they are still using IE. Preferably, IE6. Tabs and security, along with speed of browsing, should be enough to just get them to try it out. Then, you’re home free…

Until they try out certain “other” alternatives, at least.

That’s where the real challenge lies.

Then once they accept the challenge, I start teaching them how to do things like importing their favourites and such. So basicly from basic features to more advanced features.

For promoting opera, you have to highlight great features of opera and at the same time show the user that they have freedom to fit it to their liking. Its more about telling googd things to people you have access to directly(people you interact to) or indirectly(people living around).

On the other hand, to convince someone to try opera, first you have to pick audience who is mentally ready to adventure. Then, you will start with promoting opera with telling good things about it and finally, you have to come up with one or two eye-catching features demo so that he/she prompts to try opera. For example, do you know if you accidentally close some page in the middle of something, you can get it back in opera? Something like that!

Thats about short run. In the long run, we need to build satisfied customers/users of opera who will themselves be spokesperson of opera. Words spread faster when it is talked in your friend circle!! Old saying. For this reason, I joined Opera forum to help out opera users and also to contribute my poor ideas to help opera realize the need to rise up. Opera is too good a product to be in the 1% market share for more than 10 years. We need to get out of it. may be Happy new Year’s resolution??
Enjoy opera.
Thanks.

p.s congrats on the nuptials mate.

Rgds,

J.J

I’m not asking so much _how_ people are promoting Opera, but _why_, which I think is a very different question. Getting to the heart of the matter, why do we care that Opera is well-known and well-used? How does this benefit you as an individual, and how does it benefit others (including the people you’re trying to convince?).

That said, it’s always very interesting to hear what people are doing specifically to promote Opera.

Now I think about it, I’d like to see some kind of light version of Opera: no integrated mail, news and IRC client, no widgets. Possibly even no sidebar. Less menu’s, less menu items. Just the lean mean browsing machine that is Opera. But yeah, it will be harder to distinguish Opera from Firefox. Maybe Firefox just got it right for the majority? I don’t know.

I know you can customize the hell out of Opera, but people are not going to do that unless they’re already in the power user department.

So, if it’s not the cool factor that will make the basic user turn to Opera, what is it? Tabbed browsing, popup blocking, passwords remembering, both Internet Explorer and Firefox have it. Crash recovery comes with Firefox, as well as content bloacking via an extensions. The speed is not an argument: why care, when you only have your browser and Windows Live Messenger opened? For these users, session saving and quick notes can be interesting.

I’m sorry to say that until Opera doesn’t have the cool factor, people won’t use it, even if it’s surely one of the best browser.

One more thing: there may be an opportunity with the Wii, by saying: Opera is the browser that you use on your game console!, but, since I don’t think that datas can be shared between the desktop and the Wii version (bookmarks, history, passwords…), it isn’t a really valuable argument…

Today I’m going to install Opera on my mother’s laptop. I’m sure I’ll bring new Opera user today.

Browsing the web is about retrieving information. Everyone wants that retrieval process to be as fast and as streamlined as possible and Opera is the fastest browser.

I generally don’t try and force someone to use Opera; no one likes having someone try and force something down their throats. I promote Opera by just using it and if people ask me about it and/or why I use it I tell them why. And my number 1 reason is speed.

Most people unfortunately don’t care about standards and don’t even know what the Acid 2 test is and less than you think even care about security.

But if you tell them or they see for themselves that they can browse the web faster, then they’re very interested.

People try Opera for its speed and keep it for its features.

Although Opera does offer superior control and customisation, that’s not really a good incentive to get people to try Opera seeing it has a learning curve.

The internet is like a great information highway where everyone is trying to get to their destination as quickly as possible. Sure any old bomb will get you there in due time but wouldn’t you rather get there faster and in style? I always imagine Opera as being a Ferrari on the information highway. And just like learning to drive a manual, Opera takes a bit of time getting used to, but once you do you’ll never want to turn back because of the control it gives you.

I use Opera because it’s start up time, rendering speed and features like mouse gestures, bookmark nicknames and searching from the address bar means that with a few seconds and a few key touches I can get the information I want. This is why so many people use Opera - it’s incredibly efficient and quick to access the information you want.

As for non-techies, Opera is still good because of features like Wand and Notes that allow people to easily log in to sites.

If you want to promote Opera, use it everywhere. Get Opera Usb so you can even use it on computers where it’s not installed.

When you get comments like:

“Hey what is that?”
“Whoa, that’s freaking fast! What the hell is that?”
“Huh? How come you don’t have any ads on that page?”
“Oooh pretty!”

Then you can start promoting Opera.