Date: 2004-07-11T05:23:58 Editor: RobertBurrellDonkin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Wiki: Jakarta Wiki Page: InfrastructureIssues/WebSite/DownloadPages URL: http://wiki.apache.org/jakarta/InfrastructureIssues/WebSite/DownloadPages
no comment New Page: = InfrastructureIssues - WebSite - DownloadPages = These are the central pages where Jakarta releases (and other artifacts) can be downloaded. ---- == A Bit Of History == The download pages (in their current form) were devised when Jakarta releases were moved onto the mirrors. The aims were: * Create a single page for all Jakarta downloads. This page is much easier to monitor than all the old download pages in all the subprojects. * Stop users download releases from the main ASF servers. * Educate users about the need to verify releases downloaded from the mirrors. In those terms, it was a great success. But usability and scalability never featured amongst the aims and they were sacrificed. == The Long Term Problem == As the number of releases increases, the current design is not scaling well. The usability problems that the page has always grow greater as the number of releases that need to be shown grows. ---- = Change Suggestions = == Rethink Education Strategy == At the moment, there's a lot of talk at the top of the page. It was put there to educate users. Really, users need only worry about checking MD5 sums. Signatures are very useful for Apache purposes but are not useful unless the user understands about signatures, webs of trust and so one. I'm inclined to give shorter, more precise advice at the top of the page (maybe moving the content to a subsidary page) and emphasis the MD5s by putting them directly on the page (rather than linking them). Maybe even move the KEYS and signature links onto a separate page intended for expert users who either understand the mechanics or who are willing to read up on it. This might result in a website that is more usable as well as being better at encouraging users to check the releases in the right way. == Index for Releases == Create an index for all releases near the top of the page so people can more easily find each product. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
