Website Re-Organization | The Egyptian GNU/Linux User Group

Submitted by NewComer on Mon, 10/01/2005 - 06:27.

( categories:

Website

)

Ok, I've been here since the beginning yet I'm totally lost when browsing this site. I know that alot of effort have been put in organizing the content but I still feel it's a total mess. For example, there's like 4 to 5 nodes about the upcoming elections distributed between articles, forum and wiki.

Anyway, Put yourself in the place of somebody who knows nothing about GNU/Linux visting the website for the first time (a potential EGLUG user). I think he'll be distracted.

What he needs to see first are links to the following:

1) A very brief discription of GNU/Linux.

We could use one of the zillion good introductions found on the web.

2) Links to the rules and the about us

3) A guide on how to use the website and the IRC channel.

Content distribution description:

Explaining how and why the content is organized into articles, wiki and forums i.e what's the use of each. (I personally need that)

Techincal descritpion:

The wiki syntax Howto and formatting tips
The IRC/XChat Howto (just because I wrote it)
How to tease na6oosh
How to search the website
A link to the Glossary and explaining the hovering effect
The usage of the user menu.

4) Where to Get GNU/Linux

Few last points to talk about

We can put all the above links in one "New to EGLUG?" page or better, a "New to EGLUG?" horizontal bar with just the main four links and have four separate pages corresponding to each link.

What about a site map? Even if we don't create a site map every single page on this website should have an explicit link in an appropiate place. For example, I couldn't get to the glossary except by typing http://www.eglug.org/glossary in the address bar.

Content should be navigatable by two ways, according to format categories ( whether it's an article, book, wiki ... etc) and according to the content itself regardless whether it's a damn article or wiki.

One last off topic thing, consider this part of my elections campgain (although that wasn't why I wrote it).

And remember my campgain slogan,

Vote for NewComer, because he understands the newcomer.

Login or register to post comments
1430 reads

Well.

Submitted by YoussefAssad on Mon, 10/01/2005 - 10:53.

You got my vote so far. Thanks for the input NewComer. This is precisely what we need.

-- Panem et *burp* circenses

hmm ?

Submitted by whirlpool on Mon, 10/01/2005 - 12:28.

NewComer the above is a nice read and everything but,

One last off topic thing, consider this part of my elections campgain (although that wasn't why I wrote it). And remember my campgain slogan, Vote for NewComer, because he understands the newcomer.

if you read this http://www.eglug.org/mcap

Canidates are not allowed to campaign at all, violating this rule will be a violation of their mandate.

BAFH !!

Submitted by whirlpool on Mon, 10/01/2005 - 12:44.

well the above reply sounds like I am a bastard admin from hell. Well, I will not try being one and to tell you a small tip. Increased activity now will not be considered campaigning.

So I advice you to contribute to the articles, either by writing new articles or correctng any inaccuracy in them. Blog frequently, may be about your personal activities. Which will give people some vague insight about your personality. Translate some stuff. Remember everyone looks at the tracker and will be impressed by your work. Adding new content will sure make eglug a better place and will make the community trust you more and give your more responsiblities.

The reason to prevent campaigning is to prevent spamming the website with campaign nausiance, that is not useful afterwards. Remember, after any elections in real life, streets are usually littered with flyers, banners, etc.. We don't have trash collectors and this stuff will always stay on our database, increasing the noise.

So, certainly adding content that is useful is something valued.

also to avoid negative campaigns

Submitted by Alaa on Mon, 10/01/2005 - 13:38.

this i also to avoid negative campaigns.

for instance one can make a campaign slogan that appeals to the oldcomers and bashes newcomers etc.

but most important of all it is to encourage voters to research who the candidates are.

anyways I'm sure this time NewComer was just joking, but please everyone be careful.

and Newcomer shame on you as a candidate it is your duty to read ou rules, understand them and abide by them.

cheers,
Alaa

http://www.manalaa.net "i`m feeling for the 2nd time like alice in wonderland reading el wafd"

Yeah, that was a joke. For so

Submitted by NewComer on Mon, 10/01/2005 - 16:13.

Yeah, that was a joke. For some reason the comment I posted just after starting the thread didn't make it's way here. It's a shame I missed that part in the MCAP :(.

good ideas all around

Submitted by Alaa on Mon, 10/01/2005 - 13:51.

I like the new to EGLUG idea, maybe we can try to figure out a way to push people to it after they register too.

now for the questions:

we have links in the frontpage to the rules and about us pages, are these not good enough?

>explaining the hovering effect

dunno I prefer to let people discover something, I'm sure they'll eventually get around to pointing at the weird colourful thing, and the AHA effect must be enjoyable.

do you actually think the link to the glossary would be useful?

>The usage of the user menu

frankly I don't like the user menu, I've always said we need to redesign navigation, no one ever offered to help thats all.

> What about a site map?

there is a module that does that, I never use sitemaps so I never bothered (always assumed sitemaps where made for search engines).

however there is one problem with a sitemap it will expose links that are highly confusing, for instance our wiki is actually a single book in the drupal books heirarchy, the other books are used for internal organization stuff most people would be confused if they visit the books page no one is actually supposed to visit it but since we're an open community we don't block anything.

same goes for galleries no one should be browsing the article images gallery its totaly useless.

a sitemap will not know the difference.

>Content should be navigatable by two ways,

not sure about that.

the wiki is mostly used to develop content, this content is either used in activities or pushed to the article area when it is ready, not sure if we should mix under construction stuff with the ready and polished stuff.

what do you think?

cheers,
Alaa

http://www.manalaa.net "i`m feeling for the 2nd time like alice in wonderland reading el wafd"

> we have links in the frontp

Submitted by NewComer on Mon, 10/01/2005 - 16:19.

> we have links in the frontpage to the rules and about us pages, are these not good enough?

Yeah, because they are only on the frontpage.

As with the site map exposing confusing pages, it doesn't have to be a site map in strict sense. Just a page containing all the useful links in an organized manner will do it.