[Qgis-community-team] http://qgis.osgeo.org/ is online for testing

[Tim Sutton]

Hi Stephan

Sorry for delayed reply.


2008/6/27 Stephan Reber <stephan.reber at sr-gis.de>:
> Hi!
>
> So I made some of the suggested changes. But there are a few things I
> haven't done yet. The only thing I am not sure about is the project
> information

The project information is one case where e.g. Markus Neteler has
referenced the proj info url in a scientfic article so we need to
preserve the content and the link.

This is further information which isn't very interesting for
> every visitor of the site.

Yes I agree it looks odd on the front page. How about just a link on
the header artice pointing to it (but not a menu item for it).

 I put the osgeo logo on the right side to the
> project description. It is now only displayed in the frontpage.

For me it looks a little odd there but I can see you are in the midst
of template modifications so maybe its better to get the core look
sorted and then we can start figuring out how to best place it.

> The title of the website is now "Quantum GIS", because it is short
> enough to be displayed in the tab of your browser (if you are using tabs).

Good.

> I am not very experienced with SEO URLs. But the address
> http://qgis.osgeo.org works. If I  use the Home button in the menu, the
> result is the long and unfriendly URL.

SEF is easy to set up:

1) rename htacces.txt to .htaccess
2) edit configuration.php and change SEF=0 to SEF=1
3) in http.conf make sure to allow overide all
4) update any statically made links to the SEF versions of the links
if you used hand crafted links around the site.

Is this what you have already done?


> Also I added a topmenu which is able to display the submenu and deleted
> the black menu. And yes, I  like to have a one click access to
> wiki/blog/forum etc..

I think my previous suggestion about top meny was misunderstood. I was
suggesting to remove the blue accessibility bar at top, and place the
accessibility icons left justified into the black menu bar area.

So I put the menus together. On the other hand I
> like to separate the two menus because the wiki/forum/blog are not
> essential information and not located direct on website. And I like to
> keep the menu simple. Therefore I added three graphical modules as a
> link. I was only searching for an alternative. It's not more than a try.

I think this could work, but I would like to redo the graphics and
make them same width as left col and a little more attractive. I
assume then you will remove these links from the top menu?

> Right, it is import to have an element showing where you are.

My opinion is that its redundant to use 'breadcrumb' bar - if the site
is simple enough and the page clearly marked and we dont have many
levels of content nesting, I just dont see the use for it.

 We can put
> a header graphic. on the top This must not be too large (e.g.
> 800x150px). I added a placeholder until we have something nicer. Does
> anybody like to design a header for the webpage? Or something smaller to
> put on the left side?

I think we should mock up a few options and take some kind of vote
which is best. I'll try to make some mockups too if I get time.

>
> Now the things I haven't done yet. I would like to delete at least one
> of the grey borders, too. Also I like to change the look of the new top
> menu. But I can't get access to the .css files. Otto, did you change any
> permissions, when you made the last changes?
>
> As we take some efforts in changing the current template, I think it
> isn't necessary to have any alternatives. If we continue working on this
> template we get a nice website. OK?

Yes lets focus on one and use the 'idea pooling' approach we are
currently using to perfect it. Where small components are under
contention we can make a few mockups of those parts.

>
> Until now I put the website together from parts of qgis.org. Because of
> this there may be some points on the website which are not important,
> too old or will move to other parts of the qgis web. I like to resume
> the discussion about the content of the website. In the moment the
> website provides information about:
>
>    * Home (general information, download, project: rare updates)
>          o current release (information about the current release:
>            regular updates)
>          o screenshots ( of the current release: regular updates)

On this point i think we should archive off older screenies when we
update so you only see screenies for the current release.

>    * Downloads
>    * Documentation (manuals with downloads, brochures etc.: update when
>      needed)
>    * News (latest news about QGIS, release, conferences...)

I think news should be confiend to a small module & pointing to the
blog etc. Lets try to keep the ephemeral bits on the qgis.org site
down to as few as possible. The site should aim to answer only these
questions about qgis:

- What is it?
- Where is it? (i.e. download)
- How can I find more resources (lnking off to blog, docs, plugins  etc)

>          o Archive (older news)

I would restrict access to archived articles by direct url and a
search box, but not try to have formalised access to them in menus
etc.

>    * Plugins (in development)
>    * and Archive of qgis.org (?)

as above.

>
> Plus the link to wiki/forum/blog within this menu or separated from it.
> Is there something to add or delete? If we got this structure, then we
> can work on the contents and update them.
>

Yes good plan.

> And Tim, did you get my email? I sent you the zip file for installing
> mosets tree. I tried again and again. It doesn't work.
>

What is the status of this now? Sorry I didnt help yet - my computer
was broken. I'll pick this up again if needed.

> So finally, I think I wrote enough. Good night and

Hope you got some sleep :-) One last thing I should mention is that i
have been playing a bit with a new users map implementation. The last
one got quite broken to then end and it was incredibly popular -  I
was always getting emails from people complaining they couldnt add
their name/pos to the list anymore. I think the new site should
definately maintain a community map. I've been implementing the new
version in cakephp and its still very much a prototype:

http://linfiniti.com/cake/users/

I think we should make space on the site for a small users map thumb
with a line above it saying 'click to enlarge / add yourself' that can
take you to the cake site Im creating (which can live on the same
server). I havent done any of the mapserver stuff yet, but I will be
adding mapping into the site too. No promises on when it will be done
though. If anyone else wants to collaboratively hack on it please
contact me - I can check it into svn or something.

Best regards

Tim


>
> Regards,
> Stephan
>
>



-- 
Tim Sutton
QGIS Project Steering Committee Member - Release Manager
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