[ZWeb] Re: A tree in the Forest: Zopelabs

Zopista zopista@zopezen.org
Thu, 28 Feb 2002 07:54:25 -0800


> Speaking from my experience contributing to zopelabs:
>   * its very difficult to launch a successful zope community site (update
> DAILY!)

Yup, eg: http://www.zopegeeks.org

>   * the site obviously has to support a niche that is not fulfilled by
> either zope.org or any other zope site
>   * its very difficult to get the word out unless its listed at zope.org
> __on the frontpage__
>        and even then people dont goto zopelabs! although they *do* want
> recipes!
>   * your Information Archicture (I dont like that word) should be sound.
> All elements of the website should be easily
>     accessible and have many paths to get to your content.  zopelabs has
> become a victim of its success (like zope.org)
>     its design/IA does not scale and now suffers from problems on getting
> information.  if you see the need in the future
>     for adding categories or changing your site, DO IT SOONER than LATER.

Yup, going to CMF over Squishdot for example.

> what is zopezen's traffic? zopenewbies traffice?  my-zope's traffice?
this
> data is very valuable.

To whom? ZopeZen gets about similar to slightly less traffic.

> on another idea.  it would be nice for all of us to implement a banner
> system.  I know AndyM has shown disapproval about this.  but we need to
> 'seem' like a normal thriving community and one element of that is
> cross-pollinating with banners.  I'm pretty anti web-ring as they are not
> graphic oriented.  Banners provide 'random blips of informative data' and
> links to where the source of that data resides.  Maybe one day we can even
> share banners with other web development sites ;)  controlled
> cross-pollination like this is *good*.  RSS is just as *good* but I
believe
> banners add
> a sense of tangible linkage that RSS, Web-Rings, or Hyperlinks just miss
out
> on.

My objection is aesthetic and load time. I think ZopeZen is good looking and
I will work hard to keep it that way. RSS or other systems are good. However
I think the problem is getting traffic from people outside the ring of
Newbies/Zen/Labs.
 --
  Andy McKay