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Why make a sexy homepage? To convince people to use it? Don't you want to make it work real well first, and then make the sexy homepage, when it's, you know...
by throwaway823882 5y ago
Why make a sexy homepage? To convince people to use it? Don't you want to make it work real well first, and then make the sexy homepage, when it's, you know... good software?
Back in the day, you would release your software on Freshmeat.net (https://web.archive.org/web/20010528211603/http://freshmeat.net/ https://web.archive.org/web/20010528211603/http://freshmeat....). You would get excited if people clicked on your project (https://web.archive.org/web/20100627062409/http://freshmeat.net/projects/gtkwave https://web.archive.org/web/20100627062409/http://freshmeat....), but you'd get more excited if people downloaded your software, because it meant people were actually trying it out. (I can't find the graphs anymore, but it used to show you if anyone had clicked on the .tar.gz of your source code. It also used to have comments, but in later versions seems like comments were removed)
Anyone else remember back when the web was useful?
- tomcam 5y agoWell I’m having fun with this post, your objections are completely warranted. If you’d like to email me the address in my profile I will post a serious response in my blog. Long story short, I think an attractive, credible looking webpage helps enormously in user acceptance.
- throwaway823882 5y agoI get that a nice looking project can make people want to use it more, but what I'm really asking is your motivation. Why is it important that people other than yourself use it?
- tomcam 5y agoMaking it work well first is my first priority by a country mile. Making it maintainable is my next priority. Documenting it well, third. Following those are: 1. Professional vanity. 2. Personal vanity. 3. Public service. 4. Backup business idea.