Talk:Main Page

2015 June Discussion

It improved since last year, but I'm still not entirely happy with it... I just reduced the number of results returned for each tab from 15 down to 12, primarily to decrease loading time. I'm pretty happy with the format, but I'd value thoughts on how to improve it. I'm thinking about the following changes:

• Larger images - since they are not really identifiable at the moment. I just upped them from 26 to 30px.
• (Re)moving the class icons - since they look odd next to the images.
• Rethinking which tabs are needed, since they all slow loading time.
• Removing at least one of the strips above the tabstrip
• Using some of the semantic data (e.g. Property:Description) to provide some information either as a tool tip, or on the page itself

I still almost never use the front page (too bandwidth heavy, too slow). As last year, ideas welcome. Robin (talk) 19:35, 23 June 2015 (IST)

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Reduction of the number of results will have negligible impact on the page load time. That said, 12 does look more 'in proportion' on the current page geometry/layout - IMO.

• Larger images do look better
• I'm agnostic about the class icons
• If simple(ish) to do, a useful interim measure which would greatly reduce page load time, would be to execute only the 'Latest Edits' query on initial page load; then execute any others as, when and if selected. I still intend to install an html reverse proxy which will dramatically impact on the current page load time, but there are some tricky technical issues involved so an interim measure would be useful. It would also be useful to have a Further results link at the bottom of each Main page list.
• I agree the info-box strips above do need a re-think
• Over to you on the last idea, which again would be a solid useability enhancement.

--Peter P (talk) 11:03, 24 June 2015 (IST)

2014 June Discussion

I've just refactored the source code for easier readability. In the process I've lost the orange (easily reinstated, but actually prefer just blue. I was never convinced orange was a good match:) but deliberately left it otherwise unchanged for now. However, since it's SMW based, adjusting the content should be a breeze. Issues to work on:

• Lack of images
• Inclusion of relative junk (e.g. Test/Main-page-panels - visitors don't want this)
• Lack of structure (people, events, etc. all jumbled together, in a way this reflects the software structure, which doesn't interest people, not the semantic content which does)
• Lack of details
• Quite a lot of space used up - seems not good for small screen devices
• Annoying "File:" at the start of the list of files
• Lack of excitement?

This is not an exhaustive list. I never use the main page. I wonder what it would take to make it helpful for me. I note a test page which includes image/video...

Robin (talk) 05:28, 27 June 2014 (IST)

I use Feedly pro as my RSS reader. I scan a vast number of articles every day and tag maybe a dozen or so as worthy of proper review - reduced to maybe 6 on reading. I would like to be able to display the linked titles of those tagged article - probably on the Main page but certainly linked from there. Since I include new WS pages in the reader, tagging those would result in links to them too. I'm bogged down in the technicalities and may cry help --Peter P (talk) 06:55, 27 June 2014 (IST)

I'd also like to be able to put a simple bit of linked text on the main header where the site maintenance warning goes, in order to draw attention to some other cause du-jour. For example Denis Rancourt is a long-standing colleague who has just lost his 3 year long defamation case for a cool $1 million - See here. I want to link to that appeal. I'd like to be able to have the space blank or to show an appropriate link with brief detail and be over-ridden by the site maintenance warning when necessary - Simply!!! --Peter P (talk) 07:06, 27 June 2014 (IST)