[squeak-dev] squeak.org

Chris Cunnington smalltalktelevision at gmail.com
Wed Dec 5 18:30:59 UTC 2012


On 2012-12-05 1:25 PM, H. Hirzel wrote:
> 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
>>
>>
OK. I'll make a change and upload it tomorrow. I'll make the TPITI one 
of the six boxes and we'll see how it looks.

Chris


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