Date: Sat, 15 Oct 2005 15:42:30 -0700 From: "Devon H. O'Dell" <devon.odell@gmail.com> To: Dan Ponte <dcp1990@neptune.atopia.net> Cc: freebsd-www@freebsd.org Subject: Re: new web site - bring back the old one Message-ID: <9ab217670510151542x23e1f286w@mail.gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <20051015220304.GA61284@neptune.atopia.net> References: <4350D8D9.4040303@mail.ru> <200510151649.03865.danchev@spnet.net> <Pine.BSF.4.63.0510151155290.96402@manganese.bos.dyndns.org> <20051015220304.GA61284@neptune.atopia.net>
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> And that is a big problem. I am willing to bet some money that most > visitors to freebsd.org *are* current users who use the materials on > the site as a reference. If you make a site pleasing to people who use > it most, new users will follow through. > > Sites that cater to new users are fine for businesses and such with > marketing departments. Not for technical sites whose primary purpose > is to provide documentation and support for a product. All sites undergo changes at some point or another. The new site has a new interface and has been reorganized. This brings up two points: a) Current users will need to relearn how to navigate the site. The new layout is a progression. It is not a regression. As current users, we should realize that a new layout is in the best interests of the project for new users and should adapt to it so that we can do two things: i) Sufficiently use the new site, and ii) Cater to new users requesting support who are using the new site. b) The old site is still available at http://www.freebsd.org/old/. If you need to find something and don't have time to figure out where it exists on the new page, you can still go here. Thus, the request to bring it back is silly: it is still available via a different location. I consider the latter point to be moot. The old site is deprecated and will eventually no longer be maintained. All the old data still exists even if it is in another location. Spending an extra 10 seconds to find that data once doesn't seem unreasonable to me. This argument is comparable to changing APIs. At some point, the old one no longer fulfills the current computing situation. New algorithms may exist that require different information or provide better functionality. The APIs are supported for a time until they are no longer applicable, in which case applications should be rewritten to use the new code. As I know you're a developer, you should understand and appreciate this point. The case for the site is similar. For new users, it is exceedingly difficult to navigate and it's very cluttered. While webpages are a tool for conveying information, it is also becoming increasingly clear that they need to have a certain aesthetic aire about them. The problem here is that aesthetics are very subjective. Despite this, most people consider the new site to be more visually pleasing than the old. I have personally also (though only initially) struggled with finding content on the new site. Once you know where it is, though, you don't have to get it a different way the next time. It's just like learning a new API. Once you know how to use it, that's all there is to it. I think that it is thus unjust to petition the `return' of the old site. A decision was made, work has been executed, it is now done. If you've ideas on how to make it better, everyone is open to hear them. Wasting time and bandwidth with a request that is obviously not happening is only counterproductive. I'm a fan of the new site. I think it gives us a good image. It gives new users the idea that we are modern. It is not difficult to navigate when you have remembered the way the new organization is. If you see it this way, it seems impossible to me to not like it. Though, as is always shown, tastes differ. These are the last 2 cents I'll put into this discussion. I've made my point, I think it's a damn good one, and in the end, I think everyone benefits. > -Dan > -- > Dan Ponte > http://www.theamigan.net/ > "Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain." > -- Lily Tomlin --Devon
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