On Fri, 2007-09-14 at 12:41 +0200, Frank Peters wrote: > Jean Hollis Weber wrote: > > Interesting article: > > > > "Open-source strategy: Documentation = dollars", by Matt Asay > > http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13505_1-9774567-16.html > > > > Here is a quote from the article: > > "People don't visit a software company's website to read about > > the executives. They visit the website to get information on the > > software. If your website is light on that information, you're > > killing sales, especially in an open-source software company." > > If only our sales people would understand that ;-) > > > I think it's especially relevant to the OOo website. IMO the > > changes Frank has made to the Documentation Project's first page > > (and his addition of the Getting Help page) have helped greatly > > in making the Docs pages more useful for users. > > > > However, I still have issues with the emphasis on the first page > > of the main OOo website. > > You are not alone. We need more focus on the user.
+1. The difficulty for a web site appealing to a wide range of different interests is that it can't simultaneously satisfy them all. However, that isn't a reason for satisfying none of them! A big prominent download button is a no brainer but after that what would a casual user want to know as opposed to established community members? The New User link is the most important one on the page if we want new blood. The information supplied there has two key issues to me. One is that its all too dense with nothing to catch the eye and interest. Do I really want to read through all that to find something I think is relevant to me? OpenOffice.org is both a fully-featured office suite compatible with leading office products, and a virtual community working through OpenOffice.org's numerous projects. The community comes together at www.openoffice.org to develop, support, and promote the use of OpenOffice.org. For information on joining the OpenOffice.org community, visit our Introduction page. Why not The OpenOffice.org Community is working to create the best possible office software for YOU! If you work in education, business or at home we can help and its entirely free. Link education, business and home to compelling reasons that would interest a casual reader further and try things out. Make the text much bigger and use some graphics and colour. Compare to say http://www.ubuntu.com/ for visual appeal. Ian -- New QCA Accredited IT Qualifications www.theINGOTs.org You have received this email from the following company: The Learning Machine Limited, Reg Office, 36 Ashby Road, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B79 8AQ. Reg No: 05560797, Registered in England and Wales. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
