[sword-devel] New front page CrossWire

[DM Smith]

Great start.
Couple of thoughts:
The page has always been a bit terse. I think a very short introduction 
would be in order.

I suggest listing the front-ends first and the "projects" second. Or 
moving the projects (aka development entirely to the wiki). Several of 
us postulate that this page is of the most use to end-users and not 
developers.

I'd also suggest that we have add the wiki and forums to the page, 
perhaps in the top level menu.

WRT the platform distinction, I agree that it needs to be re-worked. 
With BT going cross-platform and with GS being compiled for Windows, it 
needs to be different. Since most of our users are Windows, this still 
needs to be prominent, easy and obvious.... Maybe a platform icon next 
to each application with the apps being sorted by Win then Mac and 
finally Unix. I think SwordWeb should be near the top, if not at the top.

With regard to what is listed and what is not listed: I don't think that 
apps that are under initial development should be listed, unless they be 
near 1.0, i.e. useful without much support. Apps that aren't actively 
being maintained should be dropped, unless they are mature or currently 
widely used.

It may be a good idea to point to other non-CrossWire apps that serve a 
distinct niche that is not served by the SWORD engine. But it should be 
distinctly marked. Having a link to another page might be good.

In Him,
    DM

Peter von Kaehne wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Following previous discussions on the list I have started reworking the front page of the project. I have no ambitions as a web designer, but simply wanted to update the page, remove dead links (micros, diatheke CGI, BibleStudy) and add links to active projects which compile on the current library (Rapier and BpBible)
>
> Problematic for me - and I would like your consensus - are two groups of applications linked previously
>
> 1) 2 non CrossWire applications for Palms. At least one was kickstarted by CrossWire:
>
> http://www.crosswire.org/pipermail/sword-devel/2003-January/017741.html
>
> but the link has always been tenous and has become even more tenous since an export facility for Sword modules to the format for Palms has been removed from our site (diaspora.exe). 
>
> My suggestion would be to remove these two programmes totally, but create a link section to programmes not associated with CrossWire for other platforms
>
> 2) several old programmes which were last updated a few years ago - Dagger and QPSword which worked for various Linux handhelds. I have found in one of teh crevices of our site a folder with downloadable modules etc for Dagger, so i guess it would be worthwhile to link the programme somehow,  but I feel bad to have it on the front page when we have increasing numbers of modules which will not work on it and when no one feels responsible to sort out bugs etc.
>
> And then there is LCDBible - is it still under development? Last i heard was the guy who wrote it went proprietary with his front end and a different engine - if it is not anymore updated, i think I take it out too.
>
> And obviously also GoBible. I am not sure whether it was announced or not, but we have started hosting here on CrossWire, David Haslam has an account and plan is to continue development by CrossWire as the original developer is too busy. So it needs to go somehwere on the front page, even if it is not a sword engine based programme.
>
> Finally - is Manu Mittal still about and developing? LCDBible's guy wrote me that Manu has joined forces with him and stopped developing his programme. 
>
> Other than this - I am going to put up Bibledesktop up and I think I should put it up separately from JSword as there are now three Jsword front ends (BD, Al Kitab and a firefox toolbar)
>
> The currenty page is at www.crosswire.org/index.jsp (it remains under development) the one that was is under www.crosswire.org/oldindex.jsp
>
> Further - the strict separation of Windows, Mac and Linux application has become increasingly wrong. There is BD and AlKitab, but also BpBible has aspiration of being cross platform, gnomesword is on its way to a windows release (it compiles and works to a fashion) BT is apparantly aso going this way.
>
> Suggestions and comments are welcome.
>
> Peter
>
>
>
> Your thoughts please.
>
> Peter
>
>
>  
>