Ok just a few suggestions from myself: 1) we can detect the language and platform from a user's browser via javascript. Mozilla can do this, why can't we? The javascript button can then have a link to idea (2):
2) why not use a php script to do downloading. Almost nobody cares which mirror they are using. we can have a script that can be linked to: /oo/get.php?filetype=install&lang=en-us&plat=win32 other optional fields: /oo/get.php?filetype=install&lang=en-us&plat=win32&linktype=bittorrent /oo/get.php?filetype=install&lang=en-us&plat=win32&linktype=metalink /oo/get.php?filetype=install&lang=en-us&plat=win32&server=switch /oo/get.php?filetype=install&lang=en-us&plat=win32&version=2.0.1 This intelligent script can then pass on a download link based on the user's location (obtained from reverse dns or ip/location tables or something) and server load (by rotation or something). Finally it can prod the link to make sure it is active before sending it back to the user (similar to the way sourceforge does). Another advantage is that people from other websites can put up links such as "Download the latest version of openoffice _here_", and not have to worry about when versions change, because the script will default to the latest version. 3) put up an "advanced download" link that links back to our current page or similar. 4) with regard to the JRE downloads, I personally think they are stupid. For starters, they don't have the option to install jre once you are in the setup program, it just goes ahead and launches it. Also it doesn't detect whether I already have jre installed before launching the setup program. (it figures this out after it is halfway into the jre setup). Why can't we just integrate the jre-web-setup into all oo-setup's (or at least the windows one, I don't know whether there is a jre-web-setup for other platforms), and have it as an option in the install. If people want to make custom install cd's, then they could drop a pre-downloaded jre into a specified folder for the installer to find. If jre-web-setup is not available for other platforms, then just leave it out. Other platform users (perhaps excluding some mac users) can figure out how to install jre for themselves. Chances are, they are not even using our download page anyway, because they have access to decent package management systems. Having the jre-web-setup integrated into oo-setup would minimise confusion, and half your server space issues. Let me know what you think about the php scripts etc. Adrian On 3/31/06, anthony l. bryan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > We get a reasonable number of these, and I am sure that many > > people do not > > even ask, so we loose many users because they cannot figure this out. > > > > Can anyone offer a reasonable solution ? > > This weekend, I did a very small usability study of the OOo download process > with non-technical users. There were a lot of complaints & questions. From > what I've read, things need to switch from technology oriented to > user-centered design. JRE, download site, MD5sum? This is all above people > who don't care about computers, and just want to use em. > > These are the people who are probably slowest to adopt OOo anyways, we want > to make GETTING it as easy as possible, much less installing or using it. > > Some of their comments: > > "The multiple download sites for USA are confusing." > "The average computer user would not want to do all these steps." > "English should be the default choice. I bet the majority of their downloads > are in English, why isn't that the first choice? I have to scroll way down > for the sites. First I have to know geography, what's nearby, why don't they > give me a map?" > "I would never bother to verify a download with checksums. It just seems > like it is being difficult for its own sake." > > (All American English speakers, I'm not saying all of their comments are > valid). > > Here were some ideas: > > Maybe a direct link for the most popular download for average people, which > I would assume is the Windows English version. > > 2 Got Java (JRE)? It's recommended but not required. Without it, some > features will be missing. > > Linux (x86, I have Java now) JRE not included > Linux (x86, I want Java) JRE included > Windows (I have Java now) JRE not included > Windows (I want Java) JRE included > > 3 Pick a server close to you. Any server will work. > > After the download has completed, you can verify its integrity. > > > Also, if you have time check out my project which works on some of these > problems: http://www.metalinker.org/ > > ant > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >
