Hello all,
Great to see there is a specific mailing list about the pd website. I'm writing a mail here, in reaction of the discussion on the mailing list.
I also feel that the pd web site is too complex to be easily used.
I think there is two important problems:
- the lack of symmetry between the menu on the left, and the main content. For example, if we click on "community" http://puredata.info/community in the main content, we have a page titled FrontPage (I know this is due to the plone architecture) and then we have a beautiful detailed list, but it's not the same with the list on the right. Worst is the "Subtopics" in the end of the Page that is often not so much related. This is specially visible in the "Documentation" category: http://puredata.info/docs where the effort of the FrontPage has not been done. I think this is an important step to facilitate exploration of the Pd website.
- The complex sublevels / and unclear hierarchy For example : in the "docs" category, I think there is too much subtopics. "Tutorial / howtos" should be united with "workshop", and "style guide" must be a subtopic within this category I think. This problem leads to a hierarchy problem that makes categories important, when they should not. For example "Pd-logos" is at the time as important as "mailing-lists". I find this difficult for people to find informations, as well as to add informations in the good categories. Having a clear hierarchy, persistent over the years should improve both.
These two topics are somehow related, what I should propose is to discuss a tree of the website, and then to create an architecture that could only be modified by admins, and that should last nearly the same for years. But adding articles in most of this categories / directory should be open to every member.
The main problem I see, is how to move / reorganize all the existing content in a new architecture. and how to modifiy plone in a way i described first.
Anyhow, I'll be glad to help to any evolution of the site, even if my knowledge of plone is limited. Best,
Nicolas