User talk:BrentSimpson/Community Portal Redesign

Brent -

mmmm - The community portal page is looking pretty good mate!

Given that we're shifting front page news to the Community portal page - we need to think about how we fill the space on the Main page. I think that it would be a good idea to have a RSS feed from the News page feeding into the Main page. Not too much - perhaps just the last 2 headlines. Don't want to slow down the load of the main page too much.


 * Wayne, I don't know about the news. Perhaps the other way is better, that news stays on the front page and an rss feed from that news could come into the portal. I'm thinking that the news in the portal might be a bit more speficic than the front page one, by which I mean more directed towards the goings on in the wiki itself, or also perhaps a bit 'outwards' looking - things going on in other wikis, etc. brent 00:07, 21 May 2007 (CEST)

Could you create a page off your User page as a draft of the new main page. It would be good to see you're thinking in action - and to have something concrete to comment on. I'm also thinking that the "we need your help" section on the front page needs to move to the community portal.


 * It's interesting that you should say this. I've started a learning project over on Wikiversity, see: http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Web_architecture_for_Wikis about this kind of process of Information Architecture for large scale wikis and have started work on a tool for helping re-do, re-think, etc these large pages. Will probably borrow a bit from the LT Template but be more directed towards information design, ontologies/labels, etc. I'll reproduce the tool over here and we can see how it works. brent 00:07, 21 May 2007 (CEST)

So the question is - what should be on the main page? I think the purpose and values must stay. Do you have any ideas for visual appeal/design of the main page? Perhaps a random photo image generated from a list of community photos?

What is your thinking on the browse link?

I'd love to keep our front page simple - unlike Wikiversity, which in my view is too complex.

Lets get a draft page going on what you think is the optimal Main Page for Wikieducator.

You're doing great stuff on improving our information design. As I've said many times - I'm glad you're on our side!

--Mackiwg 22:40, 20 May 2007 (CEST)