Is LinuxMCE dead or is it just the webpage (www.linuxmce.org)?

[Sigg3.net]

Smile, that was a joke :)

There is a lot of activity and hard work being done on the LinuxMCE project, but I don't think the project website reflects this in any sensible manner.

From the design I cannot tell whether the website is "selling" a PDA device, medical supplies or holiday apartments in Spain, when it should be the LinuxMCE portal to the world. The layout is a modified version of the Rocket Theme called Affinity for Joomla, if I am not mistaken.

Maybe a simple blog on the front page with project news (as in Developer and feature showcase) would make the project seem a bit more alive? It's a great way to attract more people. Just my 2 cents..

I am not a professional web developer but I do know my way around XHTML and CSS. If I can help out, let me know. Personally, I am learning Drupal atm, but skinning Joomla shouldn't present much of a problem.

[Marie.O]

Feel free to show us a replacement, and maintain it. Updates are always in the beta page on the wiki, so you could just cobble together what's there and make a nice looking blog entry out of it.

[Sigg3.net]

Alright, I'll post a mockup here when I have time!

[Sigg3.net]

Here's some sketches of the ideas I'm playing with.

The LinuxMCE website (more just a news page with links)



The stipled line is where I'd imagine the page break to be. The ratio is wrong for widescreen atm.


LinuxMCE features



This graphic would be on the front or the about page, to visualize what LinuxMCE is all about. Please let me know what you think!

[Sigg3.net]

I got some feedback from user TSCHAKeee in the chatroom that I thought I would reply to here as well:

(16:42:12) TSCHAKeee: (1) logo way too big
(16:42:45) TSCHAKeee: (2) the tagline kerning is very agoraphobic
(16:43:06) TSCHAKeee: (3) corners way too round
(16:43:16) TSCHAKeee: (4) borders are way too thick

Being more of a sketch than a mock-up at the time being, this thing exaggerates some of the sizes and does not take into account widescreen either, so (1) and (2) will not be a problem. Usually a border is 1 pixel, and that's what I would use. The corners are also way too round because of the size exaggeration.

TSCHAKeee also mentioned www.Crestron.com, www.Plutohome.com and www.control4.com as examples of sites that "sold the solution". This makes an interesting point though that we can form in a question; is LinuxMCE a product?

I think not. I am a member of several open source projects (distros mainly) and don't consider myself a consumer or customer. When I intend to use LinuxMCE I expect to give something back, though not necessarily in the form of money. Instead, I can test devices and perhaps do some development, documentation or design work. I don't even consider myself a user, but a member.

So to me LinuxMCE is an open source project more than a commodity. The philosophy of the project will have to be conveyed on the project's website so this is an interesting debate indeed. I don't want to be stepping on anyone's toes, not at all! But personally I feel that sites like crestron.com target business execs (e.g. the non-savvy consumer) and plutohome.com your average Ikea shopper. They both use Flash heavily which isn't even supported on Free operating systems. People who come to LinuxMCE will (in my mind) usually be either a) Home automation geeks or b) users that are not happy with Tivo/Mythbuntu/Boxee solutions, and the website should reflect this, thus encouraging new developers to join.

[golgoj4]

I got some feedback from user TSCHAKeee in the chatroom that I thought I would reply to here as well:Being more of a sketch than a mock-up at the time being, this thing exaggerates some of the sizes and does not take into account widescreen either, so (1) and (2) will not be a problem. Usually a border is 1 pixel, and that's what I would use. The corners are also way too round because of the size exaggeration.

TSCHAKeee also mentioned www.Crestron.com, www.Plutohome.com and www.control4.com as examples of sites that "sold the solution". This makes an interesting point though that we can form in a question; is LinuxMCE a product?

I think not. I am a member of several open source projects (distros mainly) and don't consider myself a consumer or customer. When I intend to use LinuxMCE I expect to give something back, though not necessarily in the form of money. Instead, I can test devices and perhaps do some development, documentation or design work. I don't even consider myself a user, but a member.

So to me LinuxMCE is an open source project more than a commodity. The philosophy of the project will have to be conveyed on the project's website so this is an interesting debate indeed. I don't want to be stepping on anyone's toes, not at all! But personally I feel that sites like crestron.com target business execs (e.g. the non-savvy consumer) and plutohome.com your average Ikea shopper. They both use Flash heavily which isn't even supported on Free operating systems. People who come to LinuxMCE will (in my mind) usually be either a) Home automation geeks or b) users that are not happy with Tivo/Mythbuntu/Boxee solutions, and the website should reflect this, thus encouraging new developers to join.

I know its not a product per se, but i still think we should approach it that way to give the most professional appearance possible.

just my 2cents
-golgoj4

[Sigg3.net]

Thanks for the input!

Perhaps a combination of the two would be an idea? For instance, you have the linuxmce.org adress for the LinuxMCE open source project (developers, users, the site that exists today) as well as a linuxmce.com for the showcase/brochure rationale?

Perhaps even linuxmce.com could provide a contact point for people wanting to hire linuxmce-savvy users to set it up in their homes? ("Click to find a LinuxMCE expert in your area..")

I still think it is sensible to change the current design to reflect LinuxMCE's real strengths: a) Linux kernel and b) the DCE Router in a way that attracts existing Linux users and developers, and one way would be to change the design to target its users and not (just) amaze those that will rarely learn and improve the software.

EDIT: Let me expand on my "product vs. project" constellation. A 'product' is merely the result of an action whereas a 'project' involves both the road to as well as the result of a process or collaboration. What I'm saying is that by emphasising LinuxMCE as a product, you are rendering its developers and the LinuxMCE community invisible, which IMO is harmful to any open source project (in which the project members are usually crucial).

[bongowongo]

Not saying you are wrong. But you are very new to this project, at least to us. I think it will be very difficult to convince die-hard linuxmce to listen to you, good or bad plan, especially such an overhaul.

[Sigg3.net]

I don't advocate an overhaul. As you say, I'm quite new to the project (though I've been reading), and without knowing it I would be making a fool of myself. I'm simply inquiring into people's perception of their own work and what would be an appropriate way to consider the project. And I add my own opinion, which people are free to reply to

But I think people generally would agree that the website on linuxmce.org must be changed, as was my initial suggestion. posde asked for a mockup, which I'm working on.

Suggestions should be welcomed and not shot down. That some people over-promise or fail to deliver at all is a separate problem, and shouldn't lead to turning down what could prove a positive resource to the project.

[Marie.O]

swift11,

are you volunteering to do that? Just watch the beta2 page, the trac tickets, svn commits and forum posts, and write some news each week.

Let me know, and I will get you priviliges to do so.

[Marie.O]

swift33,

I was not joking. Are you up to the task?

[Sigg3.net]

It could be possible to do this using the forum (specific thread in phpbb that posts in Joomla). Haven't checked this particular version, but that's how a lot of people do it.

[Marie.O]

hmm, I either am drinking too much, or someone has removed his/her posting. Luckily bongowongo offered to create news postings regularly. Let's all welcome him, and wish him the stamina one needs to get this thing done.

[Techstyle]

I check the Facebook page every couple of days and reply to any posts that come in, I also post there every so often when it looks like there hasn't been any posts for a while so it still looks current.  If the Website gets updated regular I would update the Facebook page regularly to match.

[Marie.O]

What is fakebooc?