Comment 10 for bug 339951

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Toni Ruottu wrote:
> The user-focused page needs a complete redesigned.

Hi Toni! Julian was trying to point out that the user-focused page just
had a redesign (I wasn't sure if you realised), based on feedback like
your bug :) We've tried to ensure that this landing page addresses the
varied needs of potential PPA users, with "Adding this PPA to your
system" section and latest updates etc., some statistics to evaluate
activity etc. (soon to have download counts).

Now, on to your specific points...

> It should be
> something users can understand. The most important goal for the page
> would be explaining what it is. I'd go with something like:

Great point... it is very important that people who do not know what a
PPA is can get an idea what they are looking at.

Currently we have left this the responsibility of the PPA owner - to use
the description, like:

"This PPA contains a lot of Mozilla related projects, some libs and some
apps I'm interesting in.

If you have any questions about those packages, please come on irc and
ask me. I'm "fta" in #ubuntu-mozillateam (on freenode), I'm also on moznet."

But without a decent description like this, the PPA index page currently
 makes the assumption that a user knows what they are looking at even if
they're not sure whether they want to add the PPA to their system.

Perhaps we should have a brief sentence before the PPA description as
you've suggested. What do you think Julian?

>
> "This is a site used by _Bazaar Developers_ to provide some customized
> software packages for Ubuntu. They claim to provide fresh beta versions
> of Bazaar version control system. By subscribing to their software, you
> express your trust in them installing software on your system, and
> providing updates to your previously installed software. [subscribe]"

Great - perhaps "By adding this PPA to your system..." rather than "By
subscribing to their software", just so the "Adding this PPA to your
system" heading is an obvious next step.

And yes - it would be great to have a [subscribe] button :), currently
the best we can do (with Karmic) is as described in the "Adding this PPA
to your system" section, but I hope that we'll soon be able to make this
a link instead which will automatically bring up Software Sources on the
users computer with the ppa ready to confirm.

>
> ...and this is pretty much it. I understand there might be a need for
> filing bugs specific to their PPA or browsing the packages in some form,
> but any such functionalities should be low profile links somewhere on
> the side.

I'm glad you think so :), most of the feedback we've had so far has all
been from developers who want the package/detailed stuff to be back on
the index page.

> Currently the page is full of all kinds of stuff. Most of it
> is useful in some use case, but won't help my father start using the
> PPA, when I simply email him a url to this page instead of going to his
> computer and doing it myself.

Unless you've setup your father as an admin, I think it'll always
require you setting it up (but not needing to be at his computer), as
adding a PPA to a system requires adding/editing files that only an
admin can edit (sources.list entries). But the point still holds - users
who don't know what a PPA is (but are admins of their computer) should
be able to add it easily.

Thanks!

- --
Michael
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org/

iEYEARECAAYFAkrUcSoACgkQGSan/irvan1M2gCfbkhaJifqnZaSLqhWvt0HgRuR
P20AnAjHVhIiuo2FbdNxolGB/MHUlMlo
=TC7L
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----