Re: GNU Herds mockup -- Proposal analysis

[Davi Leal]

Nicodemo Alvaro wrote:
> > Matt Lee @ FSF has asked for improving the project usability, as
> > depicted at  http://gnuherds.org/gnu-herds-mockup.png
> >
> > First step to integrate that new user interface:
> >
> >  1) Make it easier to create a job offer.
> >
> >  2) Move the current "Home" page to a new one "Who we are?" page.
> >
> >  3) Create the new "Home" page with such guide to help to create
> >     an offer.


> It sounds like he is making a suggestion that we list all the offers
> (volunteer, job, and pledges) in one form, with "List all offers".
> From there you could list the offers and state which type they are.

It is a good addition to the project. I like it!


> It sounds like the "Post New Offer" link leads to a text that helps
> the user decide which type of offer they are looking for.

It is an improvement. I like it!


> His example states some improvements for the volunteer offer.
> Currently, this form does not have a few of those fields. You could
> change the "Short Description" to "Title of the Free Software Project"
> and add a new field for the website of the project.

After analyzing the Matt's proposal I think the design of the 
donation-pledge-group and look-for-volunteers forms [1] is simpler to use, 
more clean and easy to understand, and more generic than the Matt's proposal. 
See [1].

 [1] http://gnuherds.org/gnu-herds-mockup.3.png

More generic?  Note that the work flow which the Matt's guide propose is IMHO 
even more complex than the current one used to fill a donation-pledge-group 
or a look-for-volunteers entry.

Matt's proposal is _project_ oriented, which does not fit with all cases. For 
example, some times users create a donation-pledge-group to try to force the 
conclusion for a bug fix, that is to say, not always to create a new FS 
project. See [2].

 [2] http://gnuherds.org/pledges?id=61

Therefore IMHO one of the rules here must be to keep such form _generic_, not 
project oriented.

The current form fit perfectly in such _generic_ behavior, IMHO.

     Tasks
       Short description
       Description


Additionally, the text of the Matt's guide assumes somebody is going to review 
such notices.  Our experience tells us the project will not review notices 
due to lack of human resources.  Lack of human resources is always the rule 
in FS projects.

Therefore, as it was exposed some years ago, we must work out it so that GNU 
Herds has a very low management hit.  We must automatize anything which can 
be automatized.

IMHO, GNU Herds must be a machine not a human.


> My conclusion is that by adding the link "Post new Offers" might make
> it easier for people to realize they can make job, pledge, and
> volunteer offers. The navigation bar links "FS * Offers" look fairly
> vague, and do neither describe what FS is nor help to lead the user on
> to make an offer. I think that is what you mean by make it easier to
> create a job offer.

Yes, that is.  The direct link at the heading could help.


> Is the "New job offer" form hard to use?

No, it is not IMHO.  It is just:

  * Log in
  * Fill in fields
  * Next
    ...
  * Next
  * Finish

However it is good we allow not logged users fill a job offer as easy as it is 
to create a new donation-pledge-group or look-for-volunteers entry.


> My interpretation is that those two new links go in the banner as
> alternative navigation replacing "Free Software Association."

IMHO the project can not delete the "Free Software Association" text from the 
heading because it is the base over which the project is built, that is to 
say, a democratically managed association.

The project can not delete the AGPL link either, due to source code licensing.



We can follow thinking about it to get a better final result.
As usual, any comment, correction, disagreement,...?


P.S.
 I have been busy. So the delay on the reply.
 I will be out of line for a week. Later I will move home, so more delays.