[sword-devel] Sword "News"

[Christian Renz]

Just took a look at the Sword Homepage again
(http://www.crosswire.org/sword/) and noticed that the most current
news item is from June... did nothing happen in the Sword project for
the last two months? ;-) 

Joking aside, we recently talked about attracting new users and
authors. I do think the website plays a big part in that. Not only
software releases are news items, but also new modules etc. Some items
that come to mind are:

- qpsword

- Translators wanted for locale files

- Quick update on the status of the new release (because not everybody
  that is interested will subscribe to sword-devel).

- new modules

The news items don't have to big such a big thing (even layout-wise,
they could be smaller), but having regular news would create an
incentive for users to check back regularly -- a first step towards
creating a user "community".

Also, right know the main links (e.g. software). If you come to the
website to download the software, you can easily overlook the link on
top and scroll your way through all the news items. 

I suggest:

Keep the header as it is; for the body:

- Devote one column (maybe 35%-40%) for the news

- Use the other column for important links together with some nice
  graphics. My definition of important would be (for now):

  * What is the sword project?

  * Download Software / Modules
  
  * Join us / Help us / How you can help (can't come up with a nice
    title, it's too late)

  * Contact us / Support


Greetings,
   Christian

-- 
crenz@web42.com - http://www.web42.com/crenz/ - http://www.web42.com/

"What we call Man's power over Nature turns out to be a power exercised
by some men over other men with Nature as its instrument."
    -- C.S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man