Mail Starting 5/16/98
8 messages, ending 5/29/98
Last modified: 6/1/98
This section is in chronological order, since it is being released as one piece.
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From: Eric Scheid
Date: 5/16/98
Subject: some feedback
aaargh!
I was on one page, and had a quick comment floating to the top of my
mind, but that page did not have the "email us" mailto link. I had to
trek back and forth looking for it ... I thought it might be on the MAIL
page, but it wasn't. Seeing this page prompted another two comments,
which I couldn't send as I still hadn't found the link.
Found it, eventually (obviously)
What of the quick comment I wanted to fire off? Lucky I didn't forget it
in the confusion!
I was on <http://www.gooddocuments.com/samples/thissitesample.htm>, and
thought to myself that the constantly changing frames sets was really
beginning to bug me. Also, there didn't seem to be a much consistency in
what does appear in the left-most 'navigation' frame. Case in point -- I
clicked on the "Good Documents" text on that page to get back to the home
page ... which didn't work of course as that's not the link, at least on
this page.
Suggestions ?
[1] decide on a frames style guide and stick to it. This can include
different framesets, the purpose being to eliminate the apparently
arbitrary changes in frame styles.
[2a] put a feedback/comments link on every page, probably in the left
most navigation frame.
[2b] definately have a mailto link on the MAIL page, and not just in the
leftmost frame.
[3] on the MAIL page, expand the outline of the mail bags so that the
visitor can have some idea of just what is under that link. That is,
instead of saying "19 messages", list for each message the subject and
the sender, preferably with #named links.
well, enough writing - back to reading your site!
regards
e.
I've added the mailto link on this page and will on others, too, as I rev the design. I'll be making some of the other changes you suggest on a later site-wide rev. (I especially like [3] about summaries, of course, except that maintaining the mail will get even harder...) In the meantime, use what you don't like as an example of do's and don'ts :) -DanB
From: Eric Scheid
Date: 5/16/98
Subject: more feedback
><insert obligatory nit here> The background texture on the left of the
>screen makes reading the overlaid text difficult. If you really want to
>keep the textured look then how about "boxing" the text with a solid
>color like on your top level page?
Danger Will Robinson -- the bg colour for tables don't work in earlier
browsers, which means you can end up with stupid results like white text
on a white background. For example, the list of links on the very first
page are all but invisible to me (netscape 2.02). I've found table bg's
to be useful for minor highlighting purposes, and not reliable for
complete contrast.
---
Why do you have this on your front page?
><BODY LINK ="#0000FF" VLINK="#0000FF"
I use the colour change of visited links for at least two purposes --
#1 knowing where I haven't been yet
so I can keep reading without stumbling
into redundant page loading,
#2 knowing where I have been already,
which helps when I'm trying to find a page
I viewed a few minutes ago, but don't remember
exactly where.
.e
The link color settings are done by my authoring tool. I neglected to set them consistently to something useful when I set up the site. Another thing to fix in the rev... -DanB
From: Michael Thorne
Date: 5/19/98
Subject: singular/plural disagreement
Dear Sirs:
The following copy is from
http://www.gooddocuments.com/Techniques/techniqueshome.htm:
> Aid the busy reader by telling them what they will find if they read
further.
It appears to be one of those singular/plural disagreements.
--
Michael H. Thorne
I'm sorry. You've caught me in my tortured attempt to be gender neutral... You also see why I'm more of a product designer and business person than a writer. As the Good Documents site gets more popular, hopefully we'll be able to devote the resources to it that it needs to be well edited.
In any case, I'll look into changing that particular line. Thanks for taking the time to help the site!
-DanB
From: Michael Thorne
Date: 5/19/98
Subject: Re: Re: singular/plural disagreement
Dan:
RE > I'm sorry. You've caught me in my tortured attempt to be gender
neutral...
Might I suggest the following:
Let the reader know the bottom line up front. Offer a brief introduction
that lets the reader know what information is being presented.
I found your site to be quite informative. Keep it up!
--
Michael H. Thorne
Done. Techniques now has your wording. -DanB
From: Al Gruber
Date: 5/24/98
Subject: Some tips for your site
First of all, I support your intention so please don't cry at my criticism.
Add 2 web-text rules:
1. Say the truth
You promise sample "do's and don't's". Ain't none.
2. Don't make me peel onions:
I cried by the time I got to the usability report; click/wait click/wait
click/wait. Some of us are using 28.8 modems.
Good luck
AlG
WRT the "do's and don'ts", check out the "How to write summaries" page, pointed to by both of the first two techniques, and the "Use typography and layout for skimming" page. While most of the other techniques are "do's", these have some explicit "don't" examples. I will, though, try to put in more. Got some examples? -DanB
From: Tom Holub
Date: 5/26/98
Subject: Good documents are cross-platform!
One of the advantages of HTML is that it is possible to create truly
platform-neutral documents; this can be particularly useful in heterogenous
networks where Unix machines are used as desktops. One of requirements for
platform neutrality is that documents must not specify fonts, because fonts
differ so radically between platforms. For example, your entire site is
virtually unreadable in Netscape running on a Mac, because Macs do not have
Ariel as a font. I suspect the pages are similarly unviewable on Unix
boxes.
---
Tom Holub
In a later rev I'll put in a list of fonts, rather than the single Windows one. In Intranets, though, this is not always the big problem it is in the full web, since often the workgroup sharing the documents is a single-platform group. People should be aware of it in any case, as you point out.
-DanB
From: Krystyna Zalaski
Date: 5/28/98
Subject: Comments
Like your site.
One tip I have is SURF, SURF, SURF.
- Take notes on the good AND bad sites. The bad sites teach you more.
- New surfers are impressed with the toys. Experience surfers look for
content - fast.
Perhaps you could nominate a bad and good site of the week, much like HIGHFIVE
does with web design.
If only I had access to the Intranets where I'd find these documents... -DanB
From: rmcmahon
Date: 5/29/98
Subject: Navigation
Navigation - Too many sites are without links back home. Always provide
a link back to where the user came from at the bottom. Always provide
book marks at the top for navigating a large page.