Re: RFC: web site reorganization

[Josip Rodin <joy@cibalia.gkvk.hr>]

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 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)

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. :)

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.

Thinking about design, we could probably apply the same theme we have in
/devel/, or something along those lines.

At the bottom, there should be a links to the site map and the search box,
along with the rest of the footer stuff.

> 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.

-- 
     2. That which causes joy or happiness.