-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA512 Hi, as a new user to macports I have some possible improvements for the homepage because the first visit to it was a bit confusing: As I first visited the homepage I couldn't find any information what macports is; only after digging in the links I found out. I knew already what it is but new users should get a quick overview. So I suggest an introduction sentence like "macports is a project which allows you to run different unix software on your mac very easily" or something similar at the index page. I also think the links should be better categorized. The first link should be "Getting started" which links to a real introduction how to setup macports (for starters and also for programmers), with a good example like Gimp or OpenOffice. What irritated me was that some links point to macports.org (like contact or news) and others to macosforge.org (like subversion) and there was no easy way back to macports. I think these links should be moved to an own section like "external help" or so. Also the links change when you access the trac "part" of the page. I think all pages should have the same links section. There should also a quick access to the documentation. At first I couldn't find a good documentation at all; only some files in the trac wiki which wasn't so good. Only after digging in the svn repository I found the DocBook guide which is really good. I think it should be compiled and stored on the page, preferably as a link in the "Getting started" link system. But maybe I'm just missing a link which I didn't find. What is also missing is a good quick start introduction. The DocBook manual is very detailed but too confusing (and too long) for new users, so we should create a small page with all necessary information to use macports. There are also old links to the darwinports which looks like it's not accessible anymore. These should be removed too. I very much like the macports system and will working with it regularly in the future but I think by improving the webpage it could be made much more easily for starters to get macports working and preventing them from giving up, which was what I did after visiting the page some months ago. If you allow patches or other ways to improve the webpage I would very much like to help you with this because I think macports is a very good system for every mac user. I'm not so a good (Objective-) C programmer but I think I know enough about web applications to help you there. If anybody has other ideas or improvements or critics on my ideas I would like to discuss it here to get a better macports page. Thanks for your great affords with macports and all your answers on this topics, Simon - -- + privacy is necessary + using http://gnupg.org + public key id: 0x6115F804EFB33229 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.7 (Darwin) iD8DBQFGXGY+YRX4BO+zMikRCilBAKCmPprqygcEj8swMFaFEFi1epUVEACfQXEK iNQmowxc8oDkK8dZRxdjGoI= =QLsI -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
On May 29, 2007, at 12:43, Simon Ruderich wrote:
as a new user to macports I have some possible improvements for the homepage because the first visit to it was a bit confusing:
I agree with everything you've written below. We're still experiencing some growing pains since switching over to the MacPorts name and the new Mac OS Forge hosting.
As I first visited the homepage I couldn't find any information what macports is; only after digging in the links I found out. I knew already what it is but new users should get a quick overview. So I suggest an introduction sentence like "macports is a project which allows you to run different unix software on your mac very easily" or something similar at the index page.
I also think the links should be better categorized. The first link should be "Getting started" which links to a real introduction how to setup macports (for starters and also for programmers), with a good example like Gimp or OpenOffice.
What irritated me was that some links point to macports.org (like contact or news) and others to macosforge.org (like subversion) and there was no easy way back to macports. I think these links should be moved to an own section like "external help" or so.
Also the links change when you access the trac "part" of the page. I think all pages should have the same links section.
There should also a quick access to the documentation. At first I couldn't find a good documentation at all; only some files in the trac wiki which wasn't so good. Only after digging in the svn repository I found the DocBook guide which is really good. I think it should be compiled and stored on the page, preferably as a link in the "Getting started" link system. But maybe I'm just missing a link which I didn't find.
You're right, the documentation went missing in the move from DarwinPorts to MacPorts.
What is also missing is a good quick start introduction. The DocBook manual is very detailed but too confusing (and too long) for new users, so we should create a small page with all necessary information to use macports.
There are also old links to the darwinports which looks like it's not accessible anymore. These should be removed too.
I very much like the macports system and will working with it regularly in the future but I think by improving the webpage it could be made much more easily for starters to get macports working and preventing them from giving up, which was what I did after visiting the page some months ago.
If you allow patches or other ways to improve the webpage I would very much like to help you with this because I think macports is a very good system for every mac user. I'm not so a good (Objective-) C programmer but I think I know enough about web applications to help you there.
If anybody has other ideas or improvements or critics on my ideas I would like to discuss it here to get a better macports page.
I have been slowly working on a redesign of the web site which I will post to the dev list soon for feedback. I will attempt to incorporate your suggestions.
Ryan Schmidt <ryandesign@macports.org> on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at 2:57 PM -0800 wrote:
I also think the links should be better categorized. The first link should be "Getting started" which links to a real introduction how to setup macports (for starters and also for programmers), with a good example like Gimp or OpenOffice.
I agree with everything you've written below. We're still experiencing some growing pains since switching over to the MacPorts name and the new Mac OS Forge hosting.
I disagree only with the "getting started" part. I think it is too ambiguous. If getting started means introduction then why not call it introduction? If it means something else, then why not give it an apt descriptive title? Getting started means one thing to a developer, another thing to a beginning user, and yet another to the rest. Mark
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA512 Ryan Schmidt wrote:
I have been slowly working on a redesign of the web site which I will post to the dev list soon for feedback. I will attempt to incorporate your suggestions.
Thanks for your quick reply. If I can do anything to help you with the homepage or the documentation, please let me know. Simon - -- + privacy is necessary + using http://gnupg.org + public key id: 0x6115F804EFB33229 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.7 (Darwin) iD8DBQFGXKy+YRX4BO+zMikRCiAjAJ0Stnu4WHdpzbInJMfDJM+rvAf1rACgkp7E ZDGDHKlXlG8BnYvUYaBFD/I= =W+VH -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA512 markd@macports.org wrote:
I disagree only with the "getting started" part. I think it is too ambiguous. If getting started means introduction then why not call it introduction? If it means something else, then why not give it an apt descriptive title? Getting started means one thing to a developer, another thing to a beginning user, and yet another to the rest.
Mark
I think you're right. Introduction is in deed better. We should use it. Simon - -- + privacy is necessary + using http://gnupg.org + public key id: 0x6115F804EFB33229 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.7 (Darwin) iD8DBQFGXKzOYRX4BO+zMikRChZ3AKDRu3QD3qmwwXuVlsqSlG+R9RThlACgrWY2 Req1xnlPX4W9C4IcA2TDUQU= =JDmD -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
participants (3)
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markd＠macports.org
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Ryan Schmidt
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Simon Ruderich