[ZDP] DISCUSS: Zope Front Door mockup

[Rik Hoekstra]

> There's been a fair amount of discussion on the Zope lists about redoing
> the opening pages on Zope.org to better communicate what Zope is and
> what it can do for you. It's clear that many people have had difficulty
> feeling like they knew what Zope was and of what value it might be to
> them.
>
> We'd like to learn from you about how to do a better job communicating
> about Zope.
>
> I've prepared a mockup of a new Zope.org front door based on feedback
> from the lists.
>
  http://www.zope.org/Members/Amos/FrontDoor/

> This mockup includes a number of new pages including a Zope tour and a
> new summary of the Zope architecture based on Evan Simpson's post. I'm
> eager to get this up on Zope.org, but first I want to make sure that
> we're on the right track.

>  * Does the new front door explain what Zope is better?

I think the intention is good, but still too verbose. (I wrote when I
started this message, but eventually found myself producing something very
different - sorry Amos, I never meant to tear your page apart, but couldn't
help it ;-))

About the homepage:
I like the division in paragraphs.
I like the links under each paragraph.


But: use consistent terminology (zope add-ons vs Products).

I believe the side boxes are way too busy for a homepage (they distract the
attention from the main message)

Ban your credentials (all the pictures with Zope, redhat etc) to the very
bottom of the page. The main message of the page is in plain text, which in
IMHO is a Good Thing (TM), but the pictures distract the attention from
them.

I think the 'Zope feature' has little to add to the homepage and it tries to
bring across too much in too short a time - though it's there on many
corporate sites. Consider making this a list of one line quotes from the
testimonials (or make some up yourself... - or is that immoral)

(Just to be pedantic: about verbosity and outlines see the unprecedented
Jacob Nielsen column about "How Users Read on the Web <URL:
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html>")


**Welcome to Zope,**
*The leading Open Source web application server.*

[link:]Get Zope[/link]

**Zope - for**

- Dynamic web-based business applications
- Intranets
- Portals

**Zope- is**

- Unprecedented Flexibility
- Sites that are easy to maintain and extend
- Collaboration in Web Creation and Management
- Seamless integration of
    * XML
    * Relational Databases (Oracle, Sybase, ODBC.....)
    * things I forgot
- Completely Web based
- Advanced/sophisticated security system
- Open Source
- Things I Forgot

(actually I stole some of these items from the what makes zope unique page
in the tour)

**Zope - include**

- news
- site search,
- personalization
- e-commerce

easily in your web applications


**Get Zope**

- [link:]Download Zope[/link] -it's free!
Zope comes with everything you need to get up and running including
- a built-in web server
- an integrated search engine

Zope runs on almost all Unix computers and Windows NT
(remark: shouldn't this be win32? I have been running it for development on
Win95 boxes, icluding a P133 quite happily).

**Zope - Community**

One of the main features of Zope is it's active community.
It has it's home on Zope.org. Zope.org provides information about Zope and
resources for the community.

Join Zope.org
- get your own free Zope account
- get in on the excitement
without having to download or install anything!

(here perhaps some examples what the Community has provided for Zope
recently and links to other contributed products/whatever)

--------
  * Are there important messages we've omitted?
  * Are there better ways to communicate our messages?

see above


> Thanks for your help and input!

My pleasure ;-)

> P.S. The mockup does not address it, but I also think that the "Zope
> Exits" and "Related links" could use a little work. Any suggestions?

Kick the related links out, put them on a member homepage. I'm not quite
sure about Zope exits. At least to me it is not even clear what they are and
why they're there


 I have much less remarks about the other pages, except that there are many
crosslinks, which is confusing and appears (to me at least) too much like
'we have no more to offer, but still wanted to fill our pages'
I liked the tour
I loved the architecture page (though it's not easy enough to find)

pff. That was more work than I intended. Once again, sorry to have been
breaking apart your homepage Amos, but it was with good intentions.

Rik