[Pythonmac-SIG] Organizing the MacPython website

[Kevin Ollivier]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jack Jansen" <Jack.Jansen@oratrix.com>
To: <pythonmac-sig@python.org>
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2003 2:58 PM
Subject: [Pythonmac-SIG] Organizing the MacPython website


> Folks,
> I'm at a dead end as far as organizing the new MacPython website is
> concerned, and as I want to have this finished soon I need a couple of
> kicks in the right direction.

I'll be glad to supply a couple kicks, although I'm not sure if they will
help or hurt. ;-)

Let me also make a disclaimer that most of these ideas are off the top of my
head, and should be taken with a grain of salt. ^_-

> In order of importance, I don't know what has to be on the site, I
> don't know how to organize it, and I don't know what it should look
> like. Well, I have some ideas, but not enough. Shoot away.
>
> First on the content. Here's what I think should be there (note that
> these probably don't all need to be on a page of their own):
> - A quick (2 paragraph?) introduction to Python, pointing to
> www.python.org for more detail.

I found this blurb on the Python.org site that may be a good fit:

http://www.python.org/doc/Summary.html

However, I think the definition of the word "python" should be removed and
that last paragraph should be removed or shortened.

> - An introduction to MacPython-OSX, explaining what extra goodies there
> are when compared to Python on other platforms.
> - An explanation of the various Pythons for MacOSX (MacPython-OSX,
> /usr/bin/python, other unix distributions including 2.2.2 and fink,
> maybe more).
> - A documentation section (mainly pointing to www.python.org)
> - A community section (listing this mailing list,
> comp.lang.python{.help}, and again pointing to www.python.org).
> - Developers info (listing alfa and beta releases, cvs access, and
> again www.python.org).
> - A download page.
> - An FAQ.
> - A page with older MacPythons (MacPython-OS9 and older), plus
> platforms they run on.
> - Information on Jython?
> - Comparison of /usr/bin/python, MacPython-OSX, fink-python, Jython?
> - Sections on special topics. We definitely need a section on GUI
> programming and applescripting, possibly later also on scientific
> computing and more (although for these we could again refer to common
> pages on www.python.org or so).
>
> Anything I miss?
>
> As to organization things are even muddier. The standard commercial
> breakdown of Products/Download/Support/Company doesn't work, I think,
> and I don't see a a simple modification that does. I also don't like
> the organization of 99% of the open source sites I visited, as they all
> seem to think that you come to the site already knowing what you need.
> And as we can see from the questions here a lot of people don't know
> what they need, possibly not even what they already have (hence I want
> the info on Apple's Python too).

For organization, here's what I'm thinking:

- Home
  - Intro paragraph (link to Python.org)
  - New to MacPython? (a sort of "tour" of links with getting started info,
advice for *nix/Windows switchers, etc.)
  - News
- Download
  - Latest MacPython
  - Link to Python.org for source version
- Docs/Reference
  - Mac modules (IMO, it should be a separate link even if it goes to
Python.org)
  - MacPython FAQ
  - Python.org link
- Developer Tools
  - PythonIDE
  - Python Package Manager
  - PythonLauncher
- Mac-specific Guides/HOWTOs/Tutorials
  - embedding in Mac applications
  - MacPython and AppleScript
  - Controlling Mac apps
  - GUI scripting (and bundle building!)
- Python on OS X
  - compiling/installing *nix modules
  - different Python flavors on OS X
  - command-line tools
  - Framework vs. command line
- Support
  - Mailing Lists
  - MacPython FAQ
  - Link to Python.org docs/help page
  - Pointers to relevant pages/FAQ on the site (i.e. different Python
versions, etc.)
- Developers
  - CVS
  - Developer docs (?)
  - bug/patch submission rules
  - Python.org link

> I've done mental experiments with the www.python.org organization
> (logical organization, that is, as presented by the layout of the
> homepage), with sections at the top and subsections at the left side,
> where the sebsections of the home page are the "quick navigation"), but
> I can't get it to work either.
>
> Design is probably the least important, but here I really have no clue.
> On the one hand sticking to www.python.org style would have the benefit
> of being recognizable to old Python hands, but when compared to other
> Macintosh pages it looks like something from the dark ages. The good
> news here, though, is that other people are thinking about
> www.python.org, so that may lead to something.

Just off the top of my head, I think maybe a layout like CrazyAppleRumors
may work for this site. The look and feel should be different, but I think
the basic layout of a big banner with links going down the side is a good
fit. It looks simple and clean, not crowded or intimidating, is similar to
Python.org's look and feel, and looks "Mac-like" to me.

http://www.crazyapplerumors.com/

Well, hope this was of some help!

Thanks,

Kevin