Re: Update to docs root pages and navigation

On 11/24/20 12:48 PM, David G. Johnston wrote:
> On Tue, Nov 24, 2020 at 10:42 AM Jonathan S. Katz <jkatz(at)postgresql(dot)org
> <mailto:jkatz(at)postgresql(dot)org>> wrote:
>
> On 11/24/20 12:30 PM, David G. Johnston wrote:
> > On Tue, Nov 24, 2020 at 9:29 AM Jonathan S. Katz
> <jkatz(at)postgresql(dot)org <mailto:jkatz(at)postgresql(dot)org>
> > <mailto:jkatz(at)postgresql(dot)org <mailto:jkatz(at)postgresql(dot)org>>> wrote:
> >
> >     On 11/24/20 11:27 AM, Magnus Hagander wrote:
> >     > For the suggested changes to the frontpage, I suggest the
> attached.
> >     >
> >     > Or should it link directly to the /docs/current/ url?
> >
> >     +1 for just /docs/ -- good for all users.
> >
> >
> > If it doesn't go directly to /current I don't think including it is
> > worthwhile - the main navigation gets you to the full page.
> >
> > All users benefit from reading the current version documentation
> even if
> > they are running older versions.
>
> Except that /docs/current/ does not contain links to the translations,
> nor the PDFs. The docs root page also contains links to other materials
> as well that serve as documentation.
>
>
> Have the button read:
>
> "Current English Web Manual"
>
> ?
>
> Someone who doesn't want that can click "Documentation" in the navigation.

I poked around some other examples from OSS projects around, and it does
appear their homepage links tend to go to the equivalent of the
"current" documentation (though some make it easier to get to
translations, etc. from within the current documentation). So this
appears to be an acceptable workflow.

However, now that we'd be giving the "Documentation" URL prominent
real-estate on the home page, and given we made the Documentation root
page much more readable / navigable, I think we do our users a slight
disservice by putting them in the latest manual. First, there tends to
be a delay when users start running the latest PostgreSQL, supported by
traffic numbers. And again, there are all sorts of resources on the
documentation root page beyond just the manual.

It also helps to ensure a consistent workflow, whether you click on the
"Documentation" button on the homepage or the top bar. This also
coincides with the present verbiage we have on the site, where
"documentation" is the collection of manuals, books, resources, etc.

Anyway, I won't strongly object if the final decision is
"/docs/current/" as I don't have sufficient quantitative data to do so,
however, I would still +1 "/docs/"

Jonathan