Hi André,
- part II -
I think one difference to consider is size. OpenOffice.org is >10 times
bigger in download size than Firefox, and the JRE makes that >11.5
times. This is why CDroms and other methods (like p2p etc.) are somewhat
more important. You won't order a CD-Rom for 9MB, even if you're on
dial-up that's kind of do-able... (I think, I'm getting used to
broadband internet).
Can't accept that point completely. If we'd be consequent about that, we
wouldn't offer a prominent download at all, or at least that button on
the front page would be a "order a CD" button rather than a download
button.
There is no download button, but a 'Get OpenOffice.org' button. Yes it
is green and has an arrow, but nowhere states that it is about
downloading. Maybe we should complement the down arrow with a disc icon,
in the same style.
[...]
Furthermore Firefox is a browser, and that's it.
Everybody knows what a browser does, and browsers are considered to be
free, so nothing special. OpenOffice.org is an office suite. But for
free? Where is the catch?
This, though, seems a pretty good point. Makes me think if a
one-click-downlaod button is the right way at all. You're right...we
don't offer a little one purpose tool that you need to download quickly
when you need it.
But on the other hand, we also don't offer take away boxes in shops and
ordering CDs is just too unimmediate. So we are thrown back to the
download option.
However, this makes me think that guiding the user to a separate "get
OpenOffice" page isn't such a bad option at all. So i'll focus on coming
up with a better approach to that page.
I like your thinking aloud :)
If you have other ideas please post them... but I am afraid we already
doing much of what is possible. Maybe setting up another website besides
openoffice.org is a better idea... but I don't have the resources for that.
Where is discussion about the main page happening, though? Is this the
list for it? Really, the main page is bad. For one simple reason: it
lacks user oriented resources (besides big attractiveness issues).
This is the place. I've been involved quite a lot in the redesign that
was already some time ago. I still think this page was a great
improvement considering the previous one, but still this one is not
perfect...
But we have to keep in mind the different audiences, at least that is
what all others are telling me. I would really want, probably just like
you, to have a purely end user focussed website, with every now and then
some hints/links to pages that explain how people can help.
My experience is that if you offer an attractive enough way of doing
things, people will adopt it willingly. I.e., if a stylesheet would be
created that is at the same time attractive, simple to use and comes
with enough predefined stylings for the content of project pages, people
will be happy to adopt it rather than doing the work of creating their
own.
But imho larger changes are needed, and sometimes (well... kind of got
enthusiastic in my argument of creating a page from scratch, which may
indeed not benefit the group) that makes me think why not create a
completely separate, accessible, fresh (and constingly) looking page for
OOo from scratch.
So I'd rather propose a styling team who's task it is to create such a
thing rather than trying to force styleguides on people which will only
make you hunt after them. The idea is rather to convince that this
styling team is doing good work.
Time for a new subproject, style.openoffice.org ? :)
you may be right... I don't know it. If you have the time: just create
proposals, that's basically how it works (keeping the practical
constraints, maintainability, size (traffic) etc. in mind of course) :)
My focus is currently mostly on short-term fixes (my todo list is
already long enough...).
g.,
Maarten
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