Hello,
so probably not everybody on this list knows me already and therefore cares about my opinion, but I just think this is important enough to raise my voice. ;)
I already really like the Wiki and so I'm somewhat opposed to a redesign. However, one thing the Wiki does need is organization. As developers are the main source of information on the Wiki and Sham has been the only one actively trying to keep it clean and presentable, much of the information is, say, less-than-friendly.
Honestly, a good designed website is a big necessity as soon as the primary audience drifts from developers to end users.
"Nobody" (ie, no Joe User) likes to "dig through a lame wiki", even if it's so damn well structured and all. If someone tells me about some nice media player that's better than others, I (Joe User) won't buy into just another MediaWiki. Look at all those other free software projects that shine on their website - you like this software and even want to try it out, even if you don't have a use for it at all. Look at the opposite, some software published through SourceForge, w/o any dedicated website. SourceForge gets you straight forward to the download, but Joe User won't click it ("Is this project really alive?"). XMMS2's Wiki at the moment is right in between, and this won't change, even if the download link gets a little bit bigger.
First principle of a good Wiki design for a free software project is to _not let it show it's a Wiki at all_ (don't hide that fact completely, though). A website doesn't have the single purpose to give information. It's also about advertising this information (or in our case, software). Joe can't get excited at XMMS2 if he gets bored at the website before.
And BTW: Editing a Wiki most users don't even like to start reading into isn't very attracting, too..
I would suggest to rather than a simple "design" contest, the proposals should also include a reasonable navigation concept, and as part of that, main structure of the website. The design should incorporate this navigation/structure so that the two build a visual and logical union.
Regards, Johannes Jordan _______________________________________________ Xmms2-devel mailing list Xmms2-devel@lists.xmms.se http://lists.xmms.se/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/xmms2-devel
