Re: PostgreSQL website redesign

On Wed, Nov 16, 2011 at 7:10 PM, Thom Brown <thom(at)linux(dot)com> wrote:
> So with that, I'd like to open this topic for discussion.

First, thanks for taking an interest in this. Here's my $0.02.

The website is in sore need of attention, but a large-scale redesign
of the look-and-feel (which is what your description sounds like
you're angling for -- correct me if I'm mistaken) isn't what's most
needed.

IMHO, basic maintenance issues are more pressing. For example, why do
we keep out-of-date information about defunct alpha/beta releases
http://www.postgresql.org/developer/alpha

hanging around? Or much worse, the recently-discussed problem with
subscribing to the mailing lists, which from a post a few days ago on
-hackers sounds like it's still broken. That's got to be a *huge*
turnoff to a potential new member of the community, when just signing
up for the list hangs and appears broken.

A few adjustments to the docs pages could go a long way. (I read the
Postgres docs online extensively, so I have admittedly strong feelings
about this area). The layout (i.e. CSS) of the pages themselves is
decent enough. I'd like to see cross-links between the /static/ and
/interactive/ pages. I'd also like to see cross-links between the docs
pages to the other versions (e.g. the 9.0 version of the UPDATE page
should also link to 9.1 and perhaps 8.4, 8.3, and 9.2). The Django
docs handle this nicely. This would likely also help the
Google-ability of doc pages for newly-released versions.

And comments posted to the doc pages from version X.Y should be
visible on the corresponding doc page for version A.B. I like the PHP
docs in this regard, though they don't break out their docs by
version. (Assuming posting comments on the web docs still works at
all.. I have a dim memory of posted comments disappearing).

Josh