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From: Apache Wiki <wikidiffs@apache.org>
To: Apache Wiki <wikidiffs@apache.org>
Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2012 21:22:32 -0000
Message-ID: <20120417212232.20423.64291@eos.apache.org>
Subject: 
 =?utf-8?q?=5BCouchdb_Wiki=5D_Update_of_=22Website=5FDesign=22_by_MilesFid?=
 =?utf-8?q?elman?=
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The "Website_Design" page has been changed by MilesFidelman:
http://wiki.apache.org/couchdb/Website_Design?action=3Ddiff&rev1=3D10&rev2=
=3D11

+ <<Include(EditTheWiki)>> <<TableOfContents()>>
- <<Include(EditTheWiki)>>
- <<TableOfContents()>>
  =

  =3D Intro =3D
- =

  Read the [[http://s.apache.org/NsT|mailing list thread]] that spawned thi=
s page.
  =

  =3D Guidelines =3D
- =

  We do not vote for changes to the website design. This leads to a design =
by committee situation. And design by committee situations always produce b=
ad designs. A good design is usually the result of a unified vision. That m=
eans it is usually driven by a single individual. As such, comments and sug=
gestions should be given to that individual, and they can use it to inform =
their vision.
  =

  At the moment, we do not have a designer with that vision for our website.
@@ -65, +62 @@

   * We should have links to Twitter and Facebook accounts.
  =

   * The website needs a clear demographic target.
-   =

    * ''Commentary: Are we targeting new users, new contributors, or existi=
ng contributors? Potential new users are our biggest slice, and carry the m=
ost potential, so we should focus on those. Getting contributors is importa=
nt too, but maybe we over do it? Existing contributors probably don't need =
the website at all, and managed perfectly fine with the old one. Sorting ou=
t the answer to this question will help the solutions to other comments see=
m obvious.''
-   =

+ =

    * ''We need to support the entire community - ranging from evaluators w=
ho have not yet decided to use CouchDB, to new users, experienced users, sy=
s admins, to developers.  The front page is primarily an entry point - it s=
hould provide navigation and links to pages tailored to more specific audie=
nces.  In particular: ''
+    * ''For evaluators (and I do a lot of software evaluation), the questi=
ons are: - what is this thing - what are the details (functionality, archit=
ecture, implementation) - is the project "alive" (not in terms of a pretty =
site, but in terms of an active community of users and developers) - which =
implies things that change (blog, news, events, mailing lists with lots of =
activity, bug tracker that shows things getting fixed, etc) - who's using i=
t - details of what's involved in using it (demo, install instructions, doc=
umentation, some slideshows) - a sense of the community (blog, archives, fo=
rums, links to related sites)''
  =

-     * ''For evaluators (and I do a lot of software evaluation), the quest=
ions are: - what is this thing - what are the details (functionality, archi=
tecture, implementation) - is the project "alive" (not in terms of a pretty=
 site, but in terms of an active community of users and developers) - which=
 implies things that change (blog, news, events, mailing lists with lots of=
 activity, bug tracker that shows things getting fixed, etc) - who's using =
it - details of what's involved in using it (demo, install instructions, do=
cumentation, some slideshows) - a sense of the community (blog, archives, f=
orums, links to related sites)''
+    * ''For new users, what counts are documentation, tutorials, FAQs, an =
active and friendly support community, etc.''
  =

-     * ''For new users, what counts are documentation, tutorials, FAQs, an=
 active and friendly support community, etc.''
+    * ''For experienced users, updates, detailed documentation, code libra=
ries (when users are developing stuff), support for odd problems, etc.''
  =

-     * ''For experienced users, updates, detailed documentation, code libr=
aries (when users are developing stuff), support for odd problems, etc.''
- =

-     * ''For contributors it becomes a matter of technical documentation, =
community, Git, JIRA, lists, and community, etc''
+    * ''For contributors it becomes a matter of technical documentation, c=
ommunity, Git, JIRA, lists, and community, etc''
  =

   * There should be an additional section that gives new users a tutorial,=
 or getting started guide
  =

   * There should be an interactive tutorial, like the one MongoDB has
  =

   * We should link to the Markmail interface for the mailing lists.
+   * ''Against: We already link to the official ASF interface, and that sh=
ould be enough for this site. The Markmail links can be put on the wiki.''
+   * ''For: search is important, the ASF interface doesn't provide it.''
  =

-   * ''Against: We already link to the official ASF interface, and that sh=
ould be enough for this site. The Markmail links can be put on the wiki.''
+  * ''Web sites are, by and large, NOT like print ads - they generally are=
 not'' ''the first point of contact that someone has with a "product." Rath=
er they<<BR>>are "collateral" - akin to brochures, spec. sheets, case studi=
es, and the<<BR>>like.  Someone is likely to go to the CouchDB web site AFT=
ER<<BR>>hearing/reading about CouchDB somewhere else, and goes to<<BR>>couc=
hdb.apache.org (or more likely couchdb.org) looking for details -<<BR>>spec=
s, white papers, slide shows, a list of who's using CouchDB, a live<<BR>>de=
mo, and signs that the project is alive, widely used, and supported by a<<B=
R>>strong community of maintainers and developers, (and perhaps a commercia=
l<<BR>>ecosystem that can provide hosting, development, and other forms of<=
<BR>>support).''
 =20