Nevertheless I also think that before releasing R14 we *do* need to make an effort to update website/wiki/documentation in general. Otherwise all the good work gone into R14 will be mostly wasted by poor first user impression.
My sentiments too. The current web site is functional --- no arguments from me. Yet a typical web user expects a little pizzazz from a web site.
I agree with the well tested adage that we have only chance to make a first impression. R14 is a big release. Let's update the web site. Let's release R14 the right way.
We don't have to get fancy. Just look around at other computer web sites. We don't have to engage in a major overhaul. Find a template we like and reorganize the links. Add come color to the web site.
Long ago we had a discussion about updating the web site. I was asked to post recommendations. I don't remember whether the recommendations are in the dev mail list archives or an etherpad, but that would be a starting place.
The grand challenge of these types of discussions: who will step forward and start working on mockups? I don't have that kind of experience.
If we want TDE to make a leap forward and be finally recognized as a proper DE (and not as I read on several websites a "one man show") we need to improve the public reception of TDE and updating documentation and website are at the top of the list.
Fact: for a long while Trinity was a "one man show." Then I came along and became constant nuisance and PITA, continually asking for changes and patches to run Trinity on Slackware. Tim and I busted butt doing that. Slowly Trinity transformed into a universal desktop rather than a desktop that started as being fine-tuned for Kubuntu. We've come a long way since then.
That said, we not that far from still being a one man show. We have only three active developers. There are other people helping, but they c ome and go and only three people are continually knee deep in the mud.
Improving upon the "one man show" image is a good goal. Updating the web site will help.
In the very worst case, once GIT code is R14 tagged, we should put on hold development for a couple of weeks and focus on updating documentation. Ideally though we should start earlier than that, especially the handbooks.
The etherpad was updated long ago to include those tasks.
Darrell
On Tue, 07 Jan 2014 12:11:58 -0600 "Darrell Anderson" darrella@hushmail.com wrote:
Nevertheless I also think that before releasing R14 we *do* need to make an effort to update website/wiki/documentation in general. Otherwise all the good work gone into R14 will be mostly wasted by poor first user impression.
My sentiments too. The current web site is functional --- no arguments from me. Yet a typical web user expects a little pizzazz from a web site.
I agree with the well tested adage that we have only chance to make a first impression. R14 is a big release. Let's update the web site. Let's release R14 the right way.
We don't have to get fancy. Just look around at other computer web sites. We don't have to engage in a major overhaul. Find a template we like and reorganize the links. Add come color to the web site.
Long ago we had a discussion about updating the web site. I was asked to post recommendations. I don't remember whether the recommendations are in the dev mail list archives or an etherpad, but that would be a starting place.
The grand challenge of these types of discussions: who will step forward and start working on mockups? I don't have that kind of experience.
Mmh. Looking at the website, my instinct is that what it needs is a little bit of framing for the main content area. Move the secondary menu (currently in the blue bar at the top) to a sidebar, create a wider and more colourful/graphical topping banner, and possibly add a bottom bar and a second sidebar on the side opposite the menu (maybe even move the download links there?). Maybe a bit more whitespace at the sides.
I'm thinking something kind of like lxde.org or gentoo.org or even debian.org (but not like kde.org or xfce.org, which have gone to the space-wasting wide-top-banner style--we need to differentiate ourselves as much as possible from KDE anyway).
I'm not the world's greatest designer, but I can give a shot at some mockups this weekend if no one else steps up.
E. Liddell
-
Darrell Anderson -
E. Liddell