4 ms·

https://github.com/chadillac/MoshPit.js https://github.com/chadillac/MoshPit.js

hownottowrite 13y ago
I thought it might be that one instead, but I wasn't sure. So why did Fluidity get more upvotes? Here's my opinion: 1. Fluidity had a better subject line - I knew immediately what it was about and I was very curious. Linkbait? Sure, but it worked. 2. Fluidity demonstrated the concept immediately on click through - I didn't need to muddle through a clever metaphor to figure out the concept. I saw it immediately. 3. Fluidity used a kitten. People like kittens unless they are bad people. - it may sound like I'm making a joke but I'm not. "Kittens" are any facial image that triggers what Konrad Lorenz referred to as Kindchenschema. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuteness http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuteness It is a common trick in advertising and marketing. Fluidity uses it perfectly. By contrast, MoshPit's README is complicated. The density of the text alone is likely to be off putting to 90% of the intended audience. I gave it a serious read myself because I was curious about your question. I am still wondering what it is for. To provide a bit more context, I have been a developer for more than 30 years. More of a hobbyist the last 10, but I regularly pick up new frameworks for fun. Last summer I ran through all the latest js frameworks (ember, angular, backbone, etc), so I'd say MoshPit is something I should be interested in but I'm not entirely sure why it matters to me. Please know that this is not a reflection on you personally or on the project itself. I am just providing an opinion based on my impressions upon entering the page and trying to decipher what you were trying to accomplish. I hope this helps.
- chadillac 13y ago
  I understand and I agree, I tried to spell it out as simply as possible and put the demos at the forefront for the project, but it's hard explaining a new approach to solve and old problem in a simple way without getting verbose. I think I need a prettier demo with "tips" and "hints" about what exactly is different... 90% of people will click through the demo, see nothing they haven't seen before and move on, which is a shame.
  - hownottowrite 13y ago
    Yep, taking the complex and making it simple is never easy. Sometimes it's about dialing back on features. Sometimes it's about kittens. Don't get frustrated though. Take each opportunity as a chance to learn and experiment. I've often wondered what would happen if someone launched three identical projects on github with totally different approaches to marketing. I suppose one could compliance this with multiple versions of the README, but I'd go as far as testing different names too. I suspect some may see this as a heretical approach to open source development, but it's naive to think that any group of people are somehow resistant to marketing techniques. Anyway, the key is having a great product. Keep at it and eventually you'll be able to explain it in a single sentence that makes the concept instantly clear.

I thought it might be that one instead, but I wasn't sure. So why did Fluidity get more upvotes? Here's my opinion: 1. Fluidity had a better subject line - I knew immediately what it was about and I was very curious. Linkbait? Sure, but it worked. 2. Fluidity demonstrated the concept immediately on click through - I didn't need to muddle through a clever metaphor to figure out the concept. I saw it immediately. 3. Fluidity used a kitten. People like kittens unless they are bad people. - it may sound like I'm making a joke but I'm not. "Kittens" are any facial image that triggers what Konrad Lorenz referred to as Kindchenschema. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuteness http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuteness It is a common trick in advertising and marketing. Fluidity uses it perfectly. By contrast, MoshPit's README is complicated. The density of the text alone is likely to be off putting to 90% of the intended audience. I gave it a serious read myself because I was curious about your question. I am still wondering what it is for. To provide a bit more context, I have been a developer for more than 30 years. More of a hobbyist the last 10, but I regularly pick up new frameworks for fun. Last summer I ran through all the latest js frameworks (ember, angular, backbone, etc), so I'd say MoshPit is something I should be interested in but I'm not entirely sure why it matters to me. Please know that this is not a reflection on you personally or on the project itself. I am just providing an opinion based on my impressions upon entering the page and trying to decipher what you were trying to accomplish. I hope this helps.

chadillac 13y ago
I understand and I agree, I tried to spell it out as simply as possible and put the demos at the forefront for the project, but it's hard explaining a new approach to solve and old problem in a simple way without getting verbose. I think I need a prettier demo with "tips" and "hints" about what exactly is different... 90% of people will click through the demo, see nothing they haven't seen before and move on, which is a shame.
- hownottowrite 13y ago
  Yep, taking the complex and making it simple is never easy. Sometimes it's about dialing back on features. Sometimes it's about kittens. Don't get frustrated though. Take each opportunity as a chance to learn and experiment. I've often wondered what would happen if someone launched three identical projects on github with totally different approaches to marketing. I suppose one could compliance this with multiple versions of the README, but I'd go as far as testing different names too. I suspect some may see this as a heretical approach to open source development, but it's naive to think that any group of people are somehow resistant to marketing techniques. Anyway, the key is having a great product. Keep at it and eventually you'll be able to explain it in a single sentence that makes the concept instantly clear.