The problem with examples is that some of them a very specific, when taken to the size of Jolla companies. Large stories like Toyota are very simple to communicate, it is much harder to translate life experience working with SMBs in various fields to a comment on TMO. It's the same in reverse: I've seen Jolla compared to the likes of Red Hat, when in reality size-wise we should compare Jolla to much smaller companies.

For example, I've dealt with one company, more closer to the size of Jolla than Red Hat, whose CEO spent considerable time on online forums for two or three years in a row, when their business was starting. When they had delivery issues with their first product, he personally emailed everyone who had ordered one and explained in gruesome detail what went down during the process.

Frankly, these examples are so numerous in the tech world that anyone who has dealt with small companies knows some of these stories. I know several people who design hardware products who are frequenting forums etc. and discussing their products very frankly with their respective communities. These guys get a following, because people love this level of participation and transparency.

If you really don't believe such companies exist, perhaps I can dig some proof for you, but really - look in the mirror for a moment - you know they exist.

Jolla has chosen a more "big company" style, yet they are not yet a big company, nor one that doesn't need its early adopter community anymore. Jolla could still benefit from the early adopters and the FOSS people, so improving relations there can still help their business. I think it would do them good to be more personal, more "brutally honest" as jalyst put it:

http://talk.maemo.org/showpost.php?p...1&postcount=29

That's my point.