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Shortcomings of DC and How to Improve

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app103:
A few thoughts just crossed my mind with regards to theme changes (changing the look without changing the content)...

Who exactly would we be doing this for and why?

Is this for the new users we don't have yet? Or is this for the existing users?

Is this because there is something wrong with the look we have? Or is this because a few people here are bored with it? Or is this because someone thinks a site is supposed to completely change its look every few years?

Does a new user that lands on the site today know what it looked like yesterday? If they have never seen the site before, they would never know when it was last changed or what it previously looked like.

If this is for existing users...keep this in mind...

Whenever a major site changes it's look, there is always a sizable vocal group that hates it...sometimes enough to leave the site. There is no shortage of groups on facebook dedicated to hating the new change of the month (facebook changes the look of profiles more often than most people change their underwear)

The same kind of groups can be found on Friendfeed.

The same kind of haters can be found complaining about sourceforge's smurf puke.

When you change the look of a site that is the home of a community, it's like barging in to each member's home and throwing away all their furniture and replacing it with something else, and rearranging it. If what you replace it with is agreeable to the user and they perceive it as better than what they used to have, they will be happy with it maybe, but it will still leave them with a disoriented feeling for quite some time. Others will be upset that you tossed out their beautiful antique desk and replaced it with modern crap. And some will never get over losing their favorite comfy chair. Some will become detached, caring less about it, afraid of reattaching, afraid if they get used to the new look and allow themselves to like it, as soon as they do you will barge in again and do it all over again.

What I am trying to say is that changing the look of a site can be traumatic to current users and should never be done just for the sake of change, unless you really want to upset a percentage of people enough to make them want to leave and not come back.

Even a change as small as taking everything on the site that is currently blue and turning it green, could be enough to upset a sizable amount of people.

mouser:
Since i think there is some general agreement that we have structural features we want to address (software repository, some more group-editable wiki like pages, clearer organization of content), i think it probably makes sense to agree that giving the site an aesthetic face lift is at the very bottom of the list of priorities. Personally i'm fine with the basic look of the site, though i'm not against a face lift.  

So no change just for the sake of change -- we don't have the time for such stuff.

BUT i think perhaps most of the suggestions of improving the look and feel of the site should be taken in the spirit of: *ASSUMING* we are going to move to a proper CMS for the site and the look will change anyway, here is how the look could be improved.

So I think if we can all agree to that basic framing of the issue:

* Focus on specific areas of functionality improvement that the site needs,
* In the process of discussing possible solutions, think about how a CMS or other restructuring might give the site a facelift (almost as a side effect), and how changes in organization and aesthetics might make the site easier to navigate.

wraith808:
So no change just for the sake of change -- we don't have the time for such stuff.
-mouser (March 03, 2011, 12:08 PM)
--- End quote ---

This x1000.  And it should be the driving mantra during any changes- IMO they should be linked back to a purpose that either (a) mouser has prioritized or (b) has been pointed out and affirmed by more than one person as a priority requirement for some tangible reason.

Armando:
they should be linked back to a purpose that either (a) mouser has prioritized or (b) has been pointed out and affirmed by more than one person as a priority requirement for some tangible reason.
-wraith808 (March 03, 2011, 12:46 PM)
--- End quote ---

exactly...

timns:
Ok well if I were to pick ONE thing it would be: DC's home page.

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