[Pydotorg-redesign] Tweaking the top page

[Steve Holden]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: pydotorg-redesign-bounces at python.org
> [mailto:pydotorg-redesign-bounces at python.org]On Behalf Of
> A.M. Kuchling
> Sent: Friday, July 11, 2003 9:59 PM
> To: pydotorg-redesign at python.org
> Subject: [Pydotorg-redesign] Tweaking the top page
>
>
> Here's a revision of the top page of python.org:
> http://www.amk.ca/python.org.html .  Comparing it with the current
> contents of www.python.org will be helpful.  My goal is to get it all
> on-screen at once, but that goal is still distant. Changes:
>
> * The sidebar links have been rearranged.  The existing headings of
>   "Special Topics", "Popular Links", "Exits", "Commercial Exits",
>   "Python Help" are rather vague.  My revision reorganizes the links
>   under "Python versions", "Documentation", and "Development"
> and drops
>   redundant links.  The sidebar is still too darned long,
> though; can we
>   drop some of the Exits and most of the Commercial Exits.
>
Why not a left-=hand and a right-hand sidebar. I'm currently looking at
a redesing of my own site, don't know whether it might inspire any
thoughts for pydotorg:

	http://www.insigniodesign.com/holdenweb/scaled/

> * The eight links in the top bar aren't repeated in the body any more.
>
I would suggest that for the front page we drop the eight top links and
keep them in the sidebar instead, or at least put them under the header.

> Other changes I'd like to make:
>
> * Drop the OSI logo; show it on the "About Python" page.
>
Alternatively, incorporate it proudly into the page header fopr all
pages!

> * Shrink the big logo.
>
Yup! Or at least stop it from using up a huge amount of real-estate by
making it a part of the header design rather than leaving it on a line
all by itself.

> Other suggestions for changes?
>
I suggested http://www.holdenweb.com/Python/python.org.htm a long time
ago to little effect, and clearly XS4ALL could be ackowledged in less
space. We *definitely* need a highly visible statement right on the
front page to say something along the lines of "Python is an open source
agile programming language ideal for many different types of tasks,
nowadays often installed with the operating system by computer vendors".

Eventually my site will be driven by relational data, and I'd like to
see pydotorg adopt the same idea: manipulating data is much easier than
editing page content, and would allow us to broaden webmaster
responsibilities. Tim O'Reilly would approve :-)

regards
--
Steve Holden                                 http://www.holdenweb.com/
Python Web Programming                http://pydish.holdenweb.com/pwp/