URGENT: create landing/splash page
goob
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Seen by 18
There's been a huge influx of people since the PRISM revelations (I see the numbers mounting up from the Diaspora HQ account, to which everyone is added when they sign up).
About 95% of these people have signed up to joindiapsora.com. This is because, I think, historically it was the pod which was publicised by the founders, and is the one which is being used in a lot of articles recommending Diaspora, such as http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/06/17/identi_ca_diaspora_and_friendica_are_more_secure_alternatives_to_facebook.html
At the moment there is no page we can direct people to. The diasporaproject.org site is hopelessly out of date, and the wiki front page is rather forbidding, and doesn't give a 'getting started' guide.
To this end I've bug up a design by Laci Videmsky (https://www.joindiaspora.com/u/lacividemsky) which he created about 18 months ago to replace the outdated project site. I've written text which is I hope simple and straightfoward, and tells people what the need to do to sign up, and also how they can get involved with developing etc.
It's a real rough-and-ready attempt, and needs improving. However, it is something! And we could slap it up on the root of diasporafoundation.org just for now, until we can create something better.
You can see a draft at [link removed]
I must admit I found some of Laci's html and css to be a bit opaque and not as simple as it could be - but this might be partly because of my own lack of expertise, and also because he was creating the page as part of something more complex. However, again I'm sure it can be vastly improved in the future.
However, can we slap this up now and ask people who are blogging about Diaspora, and those articles already written, to link to this page at diasporafoundation.org and not to joindiaspora.com? What do you think?
ps: I don't want my personal domain publicised - I've put it there only so that you can see it.
Jason Robinson Tue 18 Jun 2013 8:31PM
@goob that is awesome.
Can we put this on diasporafoundation.org? ASAP IMHO :)
Jonne Haß Tue 18 Jun 2013 9:26PM
Hm, I fear I do have some remarks:
- The contrast on the subheading is way too low, just remove the gradient IMO.
- Link the wiki in the header
- The Sign up button in the text needs a display: block or whatever it takes to take it into it's own line.
- Do not link getsatisfaction
- I don't think a link to the Rails guides is important either
- Let the sign up button in the header scroll to the explanation text
goob Tue 18 Jun 2013 11:10PM
HI, thanks @jonnehass - fantastically useful comments. I thought I'd stripped out all the out-of-date stuff, but missed the footers.
I've amended re all the points you make. The one thing I don't understand is your comment about contrast and gradient on the subheading. Which subhead is this? I don't see any gradient, and I wonder whether you're seeing the page differently from me. Would appreciate clarification.
@seantilleycommunit @jasonrobinson - I've grabbed the 'get involved' page from the old project site, and have ditched the 'supporters' page as it's so out-of-date. A newer one can always be added back in later. What do you reckon, put up these two pages for all their faults, and then edit once they're up there? We desperately need something to point people to, and this is at least something, with correct information on it. If you agree, I can send Sean the files tomorrow.
An amended draft of the welcome page, with a 'get involved' page, are now up on my site.
I realise now the CSS and JS files are adapted from the old project site. It might be that a lot of the information in them can be stripped out, as it's no longer needed. That tidying up can be done later.
goob Tue 18 Jun 2013 11:51PM
I've just changed the location of the files, so please click the revised link in the main post, rather than using a cache from your browser. Thanks.
Sean Tilley Wed 19 Jun 2013 12:33AM
@goob I love it. I have updated my copy-editing with some suggestions that could make things flow a lot better.
I also think we should reduce our contributor list to those specifically actively working on Diaspora, whether it's in documentation, codebase, social media, or somewhere else. We could probably organize the contributors based on what they do, too.
Links also need to be updated for the Get Involved page. I can write that up on a separate page of the copy-editing doc.
We also need to promote an area for our donors and supporters. I think it's a nice courtesy to keep the names up, to thank those that have financially supported the project. If it weren't for them, our project may not have gotten this far.
Flaburgan Wed 19 Jun 2013 8:24AM
@goob nice work! I'd love to see the "Features our community loves" part from http://diasporaproject.org/ in this page. Maybe by replacing "community" by "users".
Don't worry about the code, let's put it online for the moment, I'll refactor it soon ;)
Flaburgan Wed 19 Jun 2013 8:25AM
We should maybe put this code on github to add the possibility of pull requests?
Jonne Haß Wed 19 Jun 2013 8:39AM
Jonne Haß Wed 19 Jun 2013 8:54AM
About the get involved page:
- Please update the links to point to the new wiki
- I'd try to avoid using linkshorters
- The hashtag links are broken
- Remove the "Email us" notice.
Sean Tilley · Tue 18 Jun 2013 7:20PM
Goob, this looks great! :D