--- In
Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Stefan Trethan <stefan_trethan@...> wrote:
>
> I like simple HTML websites.
>
> I understand the concept of ads and accept them as a way to keep free
> information online.
>
> You have paid me personally a nice sum of that ad money in exchange
> for hosting some of my info about direct inkjet printing.
>
> That said, I still have to concur with the previous critics that your
> page has some very serious drawbacks. They are serious to the extent
> that I did not feel inclined to discover the other, no doubt very
> interesting, information located there.
>
> Some points I wish to list individually:
>
> ∗ There doesn't appear to be any structure apart from a general
> sorting into topics, which are often not well named.
This is exactly the sort of criticism that makes me nuts. Go look at
http://techref.massmind.org/techref/pcbs.htm and then tell me what "structure" there should above and beyond what you see there? Specifically, what should I add?
Specifically, what topics are not well named?
You have time to slam my organization of the page and say I haven't named things well, but you don't have time to register, take the page, and fix it. or even to make specific suggestions to me so that I can incorporate them.
"It's bad" is not useful.
> ∗ Topics make no attempt at all to be complete. Individual comments
> about one thing or the other seem to make up the content. Even if no
> detailed information is available at least there should be a list of
> all the common options. It is like someone wants to explain how to
> bake a cake, and all he talks about is how the icing is applied.
What? Sooo... if someone starts a wiki, and doesn't finish the entire thing in one whack, but just starts adding what is known and hopes for further content and assistance in the future, that makes the whole thing trash?
OH for god sake... what a pile of crap.
> ∗ It is hard to see where the content ends and the ads and navigation
> elements start, because it is all one color and style.
First off, they ARE a different style. The color, I agree, is the same. If you make them a different color, people don't look at them.
Does it occur to you that the ads might have value? That people advertise things that relate?
The ads I'm seeing on the page right now are for a CAD program, a design service and a PCB house that is specifically targeting the hobby user. Someone viewing that page might very well be interested in those things.
> I am sorry, to me it is confusing and disorganized. My reaction to
> your site, in as few words as possible: "huh, what's that?".
> It's sad that you want to quit now, because this could have been a
> very good thing, but on the other hand I can't help but feel it was a
> bit of a wasted effort to start with if the majority of people can't
> get to grips with the website.
>
> Consider this, you have set this site up, you know every nook and
> cranny and it makes perfect sense to you. But we haven't. If you write
> a page for other people they should be able to use it.
>
> I hope you'll not dwell on the criticism too much, it's really not
> meant in bad spirit.
It for damn sure is in a bad spirit and I'll tell you why: It would be one thing if you said: "You know, that site would be a lot better if you installed this style sheet on it, or if you set the font to X or the background to Y or if you added these categories or this outline or whatever" But you don't. You just say "it's bad" and you stop. You pretend to take time making a list, but the list also doesn't offer ANY advice on what to do to make it better.
> I'd help with a FAQ or wiki, as long as I can get my head around it,
> hosting/moderation is stable and long-term, and an effort is made to
> somehow allow all the differing opinions about how to do things to
> co-exist.
Bull Shit. It's been there for years, you've been invited repeatedly, I'm always open to specific suggestions for improvements. You just want an excuse to do nothing.