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Date: Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:36:48 -0700
From: Andy Brown <andy@the-martin-byrd.net>
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To: ooo-dev@incubator.apache.org
Subject: Re: How to handle the downloads?
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Gavin McDonald wrote:
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Andy Brown [mailto:andy@the-martin-byrd.net]
>>
>> I have to agree with Marcus on this.  It has to be simple.
>
> Example, see this page:
>
> http://forrest.apache.org/mirrors.cgi
>
> Now , forget all the developer oriented content on that page and focus on
> the
> part that says:
>
> Current official release (closest mirror site selected automatically)
>
> Now, it has chosen the closest mirror already, the link to the file is
> there, they click on it
> and download it - what is the difficulty here, please explain?

I see how this would be usable for users.  Very good.

> Perhaps the download link needs to be a big shiny blue/green graphic Icon
> with the words 'Download now!'
> on it to make more user intuitive, no problem there, you can do that.

A button would help but not required, something that is a little more 
obvious than a link as it is easily missed.

> On the page is an 'Other' mirrors section where one can optionally choose
> another mirror if
> the chosen one is having issues for some reason (it should not, as all
> mirrors are checked hourly
> for their usefulness and removed from being  a automatically chosen mirror
> if there are issues.)
> (this too is optional)
>
> So, effectively, you can remove everything and replace it with a pretty
> Download Icon, can't get
> any simpler than that. In other words, it can work in exactly the same way
> the current OpenOffice.org
> program downloads now.
>
> Oh, actually  just checked, the nice and easy 'Download now!' button on
> openoffice.org redirects to
> http://planetmirror.com/pub/openoffice/  (for me)
>
> oops, now what is a user to do? My program didn't download, where is it,
> what's the filename I'm looking for,
> what does stable mean, hmm, ooh theres the word developer, perhaps Im in the
> wrong place, HELP!

That is a problem that has showed up lately and has had that very 
reaction.