How to Write Compelling Release Announcements

This is good. I realized last year that every time I release a new version of my software is a chance for people who have never heard of that software to get their first exposure to it.

As such, I've tried to put more effort into my release notes - based on the idea that some of the people who read them may not have experienced the software before.

I had not considered the difference between release notes and a release announcement as described here. I will be thinking about that in the future.

Thanks for reading, Simon!

>I've tried to put more effort into my release notes - based on the idea that some of the people who read them may not have experienced the software before.

That's something I try to be mindful of as well. If I think someone might discover a release announcement that isn't already a user, I want it to be easy for them to understand what the software does at all.

I see so many posts reach the front page of HN that are like, "OpenVQ7 reaches 1.0 release" and the post never explains what the heck OpenVQ7 is at all. And I always feel like, "Just add one sentence explaining what this is." You're not going to alienate your existing users with a one-sentence explanation, even if it's something they already know.