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| 6f02e7 | Samuli Seppänen | 2025-01-29 06:40:08 | 1 | ##### Discussion on Product Namespaces |
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| 3 | To address the confusion among users regarding GPL code and the copyrighted/EULA governed code by OpenVPN Technologies Inc, we must tackle several issues related to namespace, identity, and copyright. |
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| 5 | This list is designed to pinpoint potential issues for further discussion to determine the best resolutions. Feel free to contribute additional ideas or concerns that are not mentioned here. |
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| 7 | - **Webpage Cross-Linking** |
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| 8 | - The community landing page features multiple 'Download' links that lead to different actions: |
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| 9 | - The download link from the left index directs to GPL software. |
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| 10 | - The first download link under the "Download" hover-menu leads to "Access Server Downloads" without additional clarification (Note: this comes from Joomla). |
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| 11 | - The second download link in the "Download" hover-menu is "Community Downloads" -- the difference is unclear and unexplained to users. |
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| 12 | - Under the "Community" hover-menu, "downloads" link to GPL downloads. |
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| 13 | - The community landing page includes "VPN Service" and "VPN Solution" hover-menus (also from Joomla): |
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| 14 | - Several links to Licensing/Pricing appear here, which may confuse users into thinking this Service/Solution is part of the community offering. |
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| 15 | - Shifting from the prominent "Community" hover-menu-tab to one of these tabs does not strongly signal that the user is leaving the Community page, especially considering the transition from the main openvpn.net page buttons. |
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| 17 | - **Fixing the Website (Ideas/Solutions)** |
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| 18 | - An initial discussion proposed creating a well-designed landing page as part of Trac's wiki: |
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| 19 | - This would circumvent Joomla's content layout limitations. |
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| 20 | - Cross-linking to AS/Connect URLs could be clearly explained where necessary. |
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| 21 | - The wiki could be community-editable, with possible restrictions to wiki admins if needed. |
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| 23 | - **Product Confusion** |
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| 24 | - Several users struggle to differentiate between GPL OpenVPN, OpenVPN Connect, and OpenVPN Access Server: |
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| 25 | - The current layout of the community landing page does not alleviate this confusion. |
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| 26 | - New users face difficulties understanding the differences between: |
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| 27 | - (GPL) OpenVPN |
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| 28 | - OpenVPN Access Server |
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| 29 | - OpenVPN Connect |
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| 30 | - OpenVPN Client (an old/deprecated name for a former Connect product, less relevant once removed from downloads). |
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| 31 | - It should be made clearer that GPL OpenVPN can function both as a server and a client. |
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| 33 | - **Fixing the Product Confusion (Ideas/Solutions)** |
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| 34 | - Ideas? |
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| 36 | - **Forum Confusion** |
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| 37 | - The banner image on the forums displays "OpenVPN" "Community Support Forum." |
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| 38 | - However, this forum also presents non-free forums and their sub-forums under the same banner, causing confusion: |
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| 39 | - It portrays closed and EULA-bound software as community-supported products. |
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| 40 | - Users seeking commercial products/support find that the "OpenVPN.net" link (correctly) redirects them to the "Community" index page. |
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| 41 | - The transition between FOSS and commercial support forums is almost imperceptible unless a user is already familiar with the product names. |
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| 43 | - **Fixing the Forum Confusion (Ideas/Solutions)** |
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| 44 | - Consider separating the corporate (AS/Connect/PrivateTunnel, etc.) forums from the FOSS forums. |