Re: RFC: web site reorganization
On Fri, Dec 14, 2001 at 07:53:16PM +0100, Josip Rodin wrote:
> On Fri, Dec 14, 2001 at 12:39:33PM -0500, James A. Treacy wrote:
> > My idea of a main page is one that let's you quickly find a subpage that
> > will get you the information you want. With that in mind, the new front
> > page will have less information than it currently has.
> >
> > Links:
> > About Debian
> > News
> > Getting Debian
> > Developers' Corner
> > International Pages
> > Documentation/Support Pages
> > Security
> > Supported Architectures
> > Supporting Debian
> > Site Map
> > Search
>
> Looks like you would have the main page provide links the most important
> other pages. I think this would be okay, but it's ignoring the types of
> users.
>
I strongly disagree. This is the only way to serve the different kinds
of users. :)
> I was thinking of a little bit different approach. I think the people who
> are visiting www.debian.org (and mirrors, of course :) can be divided into
> the following categories:
>
> * random surfers (just cruisin', or interested in installing Linux -- to
> us there is little difference due to the nature of our
> distribution)
> * Linux users, merely heard about Debian
> * Linux users who want to install Debian
> * Debian users
> * Debian developers (and wannabees)
>
I would simplify this to newbies, people who know something about
unix/linux and developers. It is fine to break down people by the
different kinds of experience they have, but an experienced unix person
is still a newbie when it comes to installing linux. In the end we're
shooting for the same goal (make it easier to navigate the site) so
let's ignore this for now.
> Now, each of these needs attention, if we intend to keep them on the web
> pages. Also, we'd want to convert group 2 to group 3, and group 3 to group
> 4. :)
>
That sounds a bit like we are proselytizing. Perhaps we are, but I
prefer to be more subtle about it. You can't beat giving the users
a good experience to gain new users.
> For each respective category, I think we need to provide the following:
>
> * general information about Debian, quick and dirty
> * extended general information about Debian
> * information on getting Debian, and some information on using Debian
> * everything about using Debian
> * everything
>
> I think we should remove the blue box, and make four to five smallish boxes
> (paragraph groups) for each category of users. The opening lines we have now
> can stay in the first one. The second one should have links to the stuff in
> intro/about (we should separate that one into a few pieces) and a few other
> things. The fourth should have links to the stuff that can be downloaded and
> the installation docs. The fifth is a bitch :) because it will have to be
> big. The sixth can basically be a pointer to the developers' corner.
>
One of the primary goals in pushing this is to make it easier for people to
find the information they need. Currently, there is:
Too much information on the main page
people looking at something new can't focus on more than 8-10 items
on a page. We have over 40. Even the new proposal has 11 items,
which is pushing it.
Some of the information in other pages is not well organized.
most of it isn't bad, but there is a lot of room for improvement as
recent threads on debian-www show.
I prefer to look at how someone will navigate the site under different
situations. For example (for simplicity using the rfc I submitted):
Someone looking to install Debian:
Proposal
Sees an obvious link called 'Getting Debian' and goes to that page
Sees links 'installation instructions', 'installing off the net',
'buying CDs' and 'downloading CD images' (this is a new addition.
After the latest thread on this I checked out cdimage.d.o and read
up on the uber cool pseudo-image-kit).
Currently
The existing Distribution page is awful. The current links on the
main page are too terse for newbies. With them on their own page
they can be accompanied by a line of explainion.
Someone who stumbles on our page and wonders what this debian thing is:
Proposal
Sees an obvious link called 'About Debian' which has a nuber of topics
well laid out. The About page has only 1 paragraph of explanatory
material and links which expand on the ideas. They can read as much
or as little as they choose.
Currently
Ah, there is a nice link called 'About'.
Ugh. It is 8 screenfulls long (quickly runs away).
Someone looking for latest security advisories:
Proposal
Sees an obvious link to the security page.
Current
After reading through two screenfulls of text and links finally sees
a bunch of security advisories on the third screen. Oh wait, after
reading the blue box again, I notice a link under Support to the
security page <quietly curses Debian webmasters>.
> Thinking about design, we could probably apply the same theme we have in
> /devel/, or something along those lines.
>
I wouldn't bother changing /devel/. Debian developers are interested
only in information and that page presents most everything. It is too
long though, so if any of the items group naturally, another subdir or
two would be great.
> At the bottom, there should be a links to the site map and the search box,
> along with the rest of the footer stuff.
>
site map and search are the last two items listed in the proposal.
> > Where should the following go:
> > awards page
> > related links (about debian page? documentation page?)
> > debian-jr project is currently in devel corner
>
> Miscellaneous? Dunno about debian-jr, though.
>
Why would you click on it unless you knew what you wanted is in there.
Things should be EASY to find. I want the miscellaneous page to go
away forever.
--
James (Jay) Treacy
treacy@debian.org
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