[squeak-dev] squeak.org

H. Hirzel hannes.hirzel at gmail.com
Wed Dec 5 18:25:51 UTC 2012


Hi Chris

Thank you for taking the time to answer.

On 12/5/12, Chris Cunnington <smalltalktelevision at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 2012-12-04 1:06 AM, H. Hirzel wrote:
>> Hello Chris and Darius
>>
>> with the part Darius suggested added 'Take Part In The Innovation'
>> (TPITI) there is now quite some redundancy with the menu at the left.
>> e.g
>>
>> Project Links (Menu)    ==>  'Discover Squeak's projects' (TPITI)
>> Documentation (Menu)    ==>  'Explore the documentation' (TPITI)
>> Developer Links (Menu)    ==>  'Find tools via the developer links.'
>> (TPITI)
>>
>> Web  users normally look at the menu and need to to be told so.
>>
>> Maybe the TPITI info and the menu can be combined resulting in a more
>> attractive wording of the menu entries (verb plus object)?
>>
>> This would as well shift up the six boxes below which makes it more
>> attractive at first glance as everything fits on a regular screen?
>>
>> --Hannes
>>
> You'd like to remove the TPITI and style the menu as Smalltalk code. I'm
> not sure either of those is a good idea.

OK, fine. No objection.

 Casey wanted more color and I'm
> not sure that's a good idea either. I don't think the webpage should be
> the attraction. A little dull is probably better.

Eeh?

> I figure a site has to work on two levels: immediate impression; and,
> subsequent usefulness. People being people, they like a bit of noise and
> chaos in the immediate impression.

Really?
Where is the noise?


 The current squeak.org gives a great
> first impression, because its so busy and colorful. It's utility isn't
> great.

The redundancy of the TPITI, which you see as a defect, I see as
> a contributing to immediate impression. The items in the TPITI overlap
> with the menu and emphasize the menu.


This is my main point. What people see is the TPITI section which is
redundant with a menu which people expect in any case visiting a web
site for an IDE/computer language. The standard things. And the
non-scrollable area at the top isn't used properly either. So the
first impression is to see half-finished redundant stuff and and a
nearly empty horizontal menu.

The important news are obstructed and look like an after-thought.


> I also think that people are attracted by what they can only partially
> see. To give you an example from cinema, a director will often put
> something in the way of an object the audience wants to see to increase
> their desire to see it. An example from Lord Of The Rings - The Return
> Of The King: after much preamble about the witch king of Angmar riding a
> dragon, our first view is obscured by a castle spire. Spielberg does it
> all the time. Obscure to increase curiosity.

This happens with the 6 intro boxes and the 'more' buttons. Very neat.

> My point is that because you can only see half of the six areas at the
> bottom of the screen, your curiosity is nettled, and you scroll down to
> see the rest of the page. Did you not do exactly that, Hannes?

Sure, because I was forced to. Not particularly great.

Isn't
> that what you are protesting against being forced to do?

Yes

 You would like
> to see the whole page without having to scroll.

Yes.

 I would like to see this
> "defect" as prompting people to interact with the site.

Interaction is good and great but not this type of cheap interaction.

We actually have 6 'more' buttons.

another  proposal

Why can-t we move TPITI into one of the six boxes and have a relative
newcomer write a short article how to get into Squeak....?

--Hannes

> Chris
>
>


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