[sword-devel] Icon bar and redirects. (new website)

[Daniel Owens]

Peter,

I am really glad you're going at the website to make it more accessible 
and usable (and up-to-date). This is excellent work.

I have been following the discussion and wondering if you could employ 
another approach to listing software that would solve the icon bar 
difficulties. Why not have a table on the main page listing each of the 
applications along with icons for the platforms on which that 
application runs. Have  separate table for mobile devices because they 
are totally different, but the main table could have a column for 
employing icons for Windows, Mac, and Linux, a column with an internal 
link to a basic description (one application, one page), and finally an 
external link to that project's website. That would keep things concise 
but bring the casual browser to their desired application more quickly. 
I've seen other pages that look like that, but I can't remember one off 
the top of my head. I whipped up an example quickly, and I will send it 
to you privately. It's just a though.

Daniel

Jonathan Morgan wrote:
> More nitpicking (do what you like with it):
> 
> "Bible Study Software
> 
> We have an abundance of applications, small and large,..."
> 
> If the section is entitled "Bible Study Software", I would expect a
> mention of software, rather than talking about applications.
> 
> Also, the "abundance of applications" link takes you to a page that
> looks superficially identical to what you have just left (it has the
> same section on Bible Study Software at the top with a little text
> added, and the same chooser for your particular platform).  If you are
> going to have a separate page for applications, I think it would be
> preferable to list every application (though maybe with the platform
> chooser icons at the top still).  While this does make an unwieldy
> list, it seems to me that is what I have asked for - I have asked to
> see the abundance of software, and you haven't shown it to me.
> 
> Web writing should aim to be concise and to the point (a thing my
> writing very rarely is).  Based on this I have redrafted the Bible
> Study Software section, which you are welcome to pick to pieces or use
> as you like.  I would be inclined to think to the average user the
> Bible Study Software section is probably more important than the
> description of the Sword project, and so should possibly be first
> (though I do understand that the Sword project is much closer to
> CrossWire's core than the Bible study software around it.
> 
> "We have many different software packages on different platforms to
> support you in your Bible studies.  Since all these packages can use
> the same Bibles, dictionaries, commentaries and other books, you can
> try several and see which one you end up liking best.  Please use the
> icons below to find software for your platform."
> 
> I don't like the words "packages" or "platform" either, but can't
> think of a better alternative (software is not pluralisable).
> 
> The differences with rationale are:
> * Removed "small and large" since I don't know what it means and don't
> consider it important.
> * Removed mention of cross platform applications, since it seems to me
> utterly irrelevant when the user is choosing a platform to get
> software for anyway.
> * I don't think the user cares too much where the library is stored
> (though I agree it is preferable to use the same location).
> * Expanded "module library" (which doesn't have a huge amount of
> meaning) to "Bibles, dictionaries, commentaries and other books"
> (which IMHO does).  I know there are other types of modules, but those
> are probably the important ones.  I would suggest if you adopt this
> that Bibles links to the display of available Bibles (e.g.
> http://www.crosswire.org/sword/modules/ModDisp.jsp?modType=Bibles),
> dictionaries to dictionaries, commentaries to commentaries, and other
> books to genbooks.
> 
> I think this text would be suitable for the front page.
> 
> Jon
> 
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