URGENT: create landing/splash page
There's been a huge influx of people since the PRISM revelations (I see the numbers mounting up from the Diaspora HQ account, to which everyone is added when they sign up).
About 95% of these people have signed up to joindiapsora.com. This is because, I think, historically it was the pod which was publicised by the founders, and is the one which is being used in a lot of articles recommending Diaspora, such as http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/06/17/identi_ca_diaspora_and_friendica_are_more_secure_alternatives_to_facebook.html
At the moment there is no page we can direct people to. The diasporaproject.org site is hopelessly out of date, and the wiki front page is rather forbidding, and doesn't give a 'getting started' guide.
To this end I've bug up a design by Laci Videmsky (https://www.joindiaspora.com/u/lacividemsky) which he created about 18 months ago to replace the outdated project site. I've written text which is I hope simple and straightfoward, and tells people what the need to do to sign up, and also how they can get involved with developing etc.
It's a real rough-and-ready attempt, and needs improving. However, it is something! And we could slap it up on the root of diasporafoundation.org just for now, until we can create something better.
You can see a draft at [link removed]
I must admit I found some of Laci's html and css to be a bit opaque and not as simple as it could be - but this might be partly because of my own lack of expertise, and also because he was creating the page as part of something more complex. However, again I'm sure it can be vastly improved in the future.
However, can we slap this up now and ask people who are blogging about Diaspora, and those articles already written, to link to this page at diasporafoundation.org and not to joindiaspora.com? What do you think?
ps: I don't want my personal domain publicised - I've put it there only so that you can see it.
goob Wed 19 Jun 2013 11:46AM
Hi Jonne, all those things you point out are elements of the original design (by the founders). It's not how I would have set about writing a page, but it's what I got handed. I agree it's a bit of a mess. I've done what I can to sort it out. Yes, of course they can and should be ironed out, but for now my main concern is to get some up-to-date, accurate and easy to digest content out there so that newcomers can know a bit more about Diaspora - and particularly how to sign up without all going to joindiaspora.com. Thanks for your useful comments.
I've been updating links and the contributor lists this morning. The contributor lists are of course incomplete, but I've removed people who haven't been involved for a year or more.
Fla, agree that 'features our community loves' should be included, but on a separate page, 'more about Diaspora' - not on the front page. The front page should contain as little text as possible. I think there's a bit too much text as it is, but it will do for now. I had originally added 'more about this' links at the end of the various elements, but I have removed these just so we can get this page out. Once it's up we can write supplementary pages and add links to them.
Sean, I see you've added text from the old project site on to your copy-ed doc. Some of that is good, but please don't let's reintroduce horrid phrases such as 'Diaspora won't force your awesomeness'!
I think links and information are at least up to date now, even though incomplete (in case of contributors and supporters), and there are design issues, but I think it's right now to get these three pages (index, contribs, supporters) up there on diasporafoundation.org asap and then people can edit them afterwards.
Sean, I'll email these files to you. Let me know if you don't receive them.
Flaburgan Wed 19 Jun 2013 1:03PM
Is https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora-project-site the current website on diasporaproject.org? We need to put the website on github to work on it.
For the moment, I'm for removing everything on the get involved page from "Diaspora*'s Contributors The people who work on Diaspora* every day " because it's not really useful and not up-to-date, we'll work on that later.
About the home page, I agree it should contain the minimum, but just adding the description of some features is important. Most people coming in this page don't know what's Diaspora*, it's even not indicate that Diaspora is a social network! If we want users to register, we have to explain how they can use Diaspora.
I'm for replacing the "Want to help?" part (which is a summary of the "get involved" page) by "features our users love" :)
Dennis Schubert Wed 19 Jun 2013 1:52PM
@seantilleycommunit and I are working on a relaunch which will be live in the next days. stay tuned.
goob Wed 19 Jun 2013 3:12PM
Good thinking, @flaburgan . I've added the features section.
Have sent the files to Sean. If you can work out a place on Github where I can upload them, I will, although if that involves cloning the repository I'll leave it to Sean to do it.
Right, must rest now. Silly of me to do so much work when I'm not well, but it needed doing. At least there's a base on which others can build.
Thanks everyone for your comments, very useful.
@seantilleycommunit , let me know if you don't receive my email or can't download the files.
Flaburgan Wed 19 Jun 2013 3:31PM
Thank you for your amazing work ;)
Jason Robinson Thu 20 Jun 2013 9:14AM
Awesome stuff, looking forward to seeing the site live and the code on github :)
goob Fri 21 Jun 2013 12:40PM
Thanks everyone for all your feedback. I've been making revisions, using some new copy from Sean, and writing fuller explanations of various elements.
There are updated files back at http://diaspora.goob.me.uk/
I think at this stage I need to pass it on, once @seantilleycommunit has OKed it @dennisschubert will work his magic on it, and I'll try to find a way to get it on GitHub so others can build on what I've done, as it's only really a stop-gap measure.
I had to create some graphics for things like Freedom and Aspects, tried to respect the existing designs, hope mine fit in OK. I've also created a new logo, with a slight gradient on it, as the 'THE DIASPORA* PROJECT' logo was a real alpha logo from way back. Hope it's OK, but anyone else is welcome to create a better logo.
Thanks again for all your help.
Jonne Haß Fri 21 Jun 2013 2:34PM
@goob nice work. On the supporters page one link to the wiki misses the http:// prefix. Also I think we have to revisit the text about Ilya :/
goob Fri 21 Jun 2013 2:59PM
Well spotted! Thanks. Have fixed.
You're right about Ilya. I didn't really feel like writing an obit. In fact, the whole contributors page needs a big overhaul. All I did was remove people who haven't been involved for over a year, and add a few I knew about. But my knowledge of contributors is not extensive, so others will need to give their input, I guess you or Florian for developers and Sean for other contribs. It definitely needs further work once the pages go up. Likewise, I haven't touched the supporters page, and that only lists the original Kickstarter funders.
There are two options: either put up these versions for now and collate and upload new data as soon as possible, or replace the 'get involved' and 'supporters' pages with a 'coming soon' placeholder until the pages can be improved.
Jonne Haß · Wed 19 Jun 2013 8:57AM
Oh and having the headline container the same size as on the main page would be nice.