So I sat down tonight to do http://drupal.org/node/223977, and in just looking at this list, it's bloody awful. :P

- At 800x600 it goes on for more than 2 page scrolls
- There's a mish-mash of documentation-related things, coding related things, references, stuff for end users/testers, etc.
- There's stuff for different target audiences too. New developers, experienced developers, people just interested in looking in on the development stuff, etc.
- There's no clear order that things go in.
- Any of another 100 other things you could find wrong with it.

In an informal survey in #drupal, we all agreed that we only use at max like 3 of those links (mainly the queue ones), and the rest are just taking up space.

So should we:

a) Split the block into multiple blocks... developer / docs team might be the start of such a split.
b) Create an actual /page/ (or pages) on d.o to act as a "portal" for these various types of users, and have links jump off through those.
c) Figure out what larger, broader navigation/visibility issues we have that we thought would make it a good idea to lump all this stuff together in the first place, and address /that/ instead.

I'm open to suggestions.

Comments

sepeck’s picture

sepeck commented

drumm and I already have plans to split documentation out. I've had some other thoughts as well but no time.

drumm’s picture

drumm
he/him
Location NY, US
commented

I think someone should go ahead and:
- Remove the documentation links.
- Add a well-thought-out set of documentation links to new block.
- Put it on the left with the other handbook thingers, only on handbook pages.

Any PHP or other hackishness must go into the drupalorg module because we should turn off that input format in the future.

webchick’s picture

webchick
she/they
Primary language English
Location Vancouver 🇨🇦
commented

Well, the docs tools are only a very small selection of the links available. I count 5 out of 39.

In fact, let's break this down:

Issue queue-specific:
    * Advanced search
    * Queues
          o My issues
          o 48 Pending bugs (D7)
          o 43 Critical issues (D7)
          o 517 Patch queue (D7)
          o 154 Patches to review (D7)
    * Patch spotlight
          o Registry
    * Play patch bingo!
          o Drupal core
          o Contributions
    * Play bug bingo!
          o Drupal core
          o Contributions

Developer links:
    * CVS log messages
    * Core CVS messages
    * Dev references
          o CVS repositories
          o Drupal APIs
          o CVS quickstart guide
          o Managing releases
          o Coding Standards
          o Write secure code

Documentation links:
    * Handbook tools
          o updates
          o w/ comments
          o most popular
          o issues

Tarball links:
    * Drupal 7.x-dev tarball
    * Drupal 6.x-dev tarball
    * Drupal 5.x-dev tarball

"Support" links:
    * Mailing list archives
    * Drupal.org webmasters
    * Drupal.org server administrators

Random links that are mirrored already in places like /contribute:
    * Web links
          o Planet Drupal
          o Drupal talk
          o Drupal dojo

I'm thinking we could make:

- Developer links (issue queue + developer links)
- Documentation links (these links + possibly some others, all documentation-focused)
- Tester links? (tarballs + patch bingo/patch spotlight + review queues)
- Ditch the rest, and use /contribute as the mother page.

catch’s picture

catch
he/him
Primary language English
commented

I think that's pretty close.

I'd probably go for this, which off the top of my head might be a little less duplication:

core links (issue queues, tarballs, core cvs messages, tarballs, core patch bingo, patch spotlight)
contrib links (developers guide, cvs messages, cvs guide, contrib patch bingo)
Documentation - including link to webmasters issue queue because that's handy for spam reports and finding issues like this :)

webernet’s picture

webernet commented

Of the existing links, I know that I use the following most frequently:

- Core CVS messages
- Handbook updates
- Mailing list archives

Direct links to the following would be helpful:

- All core issues
- All webmasters issues
- All infrastructure issues
- All documentation issues

sepeck’s picture

sepeck commented
Assigned: Unassigned » sepeck

Let's agree on what the block divisions are and what goes in each specifically. Also, we should probably use the menu system rather then maintaining the current HTML block we are using.

zirvap’s picture

zirvap commented

Suggestion: Make the docs block a "doc/support" block, and add links to recent unanswered posts in the support forums -- preferably with a count, like:

(Ref. this issue: http://drupal.org/node/231061)

add1sun’s picture

add1sun commented

OK, here is my stab at it. Not sure about the issue/support one but frankly I may want dev tools handy and not want any of that issue queue stuff in there.

*Advanced search* is useful for everyone, not just devs, so I don't know where this one goes. The top of each block? I dunno.

DEVELOPER LINKS
===============
* CVS log messages
* Core CVS messages
* Dev references
    o CVS repositories
    o Drupal APIs
    o CVS quickstart guide
    o Managing releases
    o Coding Standards
    o Write secure code
* Drupal 7.x-dev tarball
* Drupal 6.x-dev tarball
* Drupal 5.x-dev tarball

DOCUMENTATION LINKS
===================
* Docs issue queue
* Docs mail list archive
* Style guide
* Handbook lists
    o latest updates
    o w/ comments
    o most popular
  
ISSUE QUEUES and SUPPORT LINKS
==============================
* My issues
* Core queue <- points to all core issues
    o 48 Pending bugs (D7)
    o 43 Critical issues (D7)
    o 517 Patch queue (D7)
    o 154 Patches to review (D7)
* Webmaster queue
* Infrastructure queue
* Documentation queue     
* Patch spotlight
* Play patch bingo!
    o Drupal core
    o Contributions
* Play bug bingo!
    o Drupal core
    o Contributions
* Mailing list archives
* Unanswered support forums
add1sun’s picture

add1sun commented

Any thoughts on getting this done? I know very few have the power. I am antsy to get it done because I want to make a series of videos along the lines of "Drupal.org for newbies" and I'd like to have the contrib blocks set up for the videos when I show people what's there, what they mean and how to use them.

nicholasthompson’s picture

nicholasthompson
Primary language English
commented

Personally, I think the Issue Queues one is too large. As much as I'd LOVE to help out with core issues, I simply dont have time. I'd imagine this is true for the majority of people who would use that block. The only link's I'd be interested in are My Issues and maybe Unanswered Support Forums...

Thought... Can My Issues be moved to the user block? That would solve the problem...

keith.smith’s picture

keith.smith commented

Hmm. Honestly, though I'm quite used to (and fond of) the contributor links block as it currently exists, how breaking the links up into small, logical "groups" and make each of those a user-configurable block?

For instance, I rarely use the "Patch bingo" links, and would likely not have this block enabled on my profile if it were a separate block. Similarly, there may be people who use the issue queue but not the documentation links, or vice versa.

Looking at addison's post in #8, I see at first glance the following groups, each of which could be its own block:

DEVELOPER LINKS
DOCUMENTATION LINKS
ISSUE QUEUES and SUPPORT LINKS

We could even add a "Forum" block with similar handy links for those folks who like to hang out there.

(And yes, I guess if all the blocks were enabled, you would be giving up potential vertical screen real-estate (or at least more than a single block would take, due to headers). But, pages are often very long on d.o. and there's lots of vertical real-estate to be used up.)

add1sun’s picture

add1sun commented

Well, My Issues is in the account block but it is one level down. I know this discussion came up before somewhere (don't have time to search) but I agree that making My Issues top level in the account block would be a nice thing.

add1sun’s picture

add1sun commented

@keith.smith, yes the separate blocks id the idea here. Each of the "groupings" is indeed meant to be its own block.

keith.smith’s picture

keith.smith commented

add1sun: Oops. I'm sorry. I see now where webchick had this sentence in the initial post "a) Split the block into multiple blocks... developer / docs team might be the start of such a split."; I must have only skimmed and did not pick that up reading through the issue. Thanks!

catch’s picture

catch
he/him
Primary language English
commented

+1 to my issues in the account block.

Could we also swap "my projects" down into contributors links - since only people who contribute projects will have any?

webchick’s picture

webchick
she/they
Primary language English
Location Vancouver 🇨🇦
commented

Documentation links is done. I made a menu for it, allowed the block to be optionally turned on and removed handbook links from the contributor block.

webchick’s picture

webchick
she/they
Primary language English
Location Vancouver 🇨🇦
commented
Status: Active » Needs work

Uh. For lack of a better status. :P Working on developer links now.

webchick’s picture

webchick
she/they
Primary language English
Location Vancouver 🇨🇦
commented

Ok, developer links done now too.

That's all I have in me for today. I can try and pick this up in a couple weeks if no one else does.

add1sun’s picture

add1sun commented
Status: Needs work » Active

Woohoo! Progress!

In looking at things further, I realized that the support forums link can't be "one" link so I'm thinking maybe that could be a whole block for folks that want to track support. So maybe the remaining would be:

ISSUE QUEUES
==============================
* My issues (unless moved top-level in the account block)
* Core queue <- points to all core issues
    o 48 Pending bugs (D7)
    o 43 Critical issues (D7)
    o 517 Patch queue (D7)
    o 154 Patches to review (D7)
* Webmaster queue
* Infrastructure queue
* Documentation queue    
* Patch spotlight
* Play patch bingo!
    o Drupal core
    o Contributions
* Play bug bingo!
    o Drupal core
    o Contributions

SUPPORT LINKS
===============================
-- one link per each support forum e.g.:
Installation Support (http://drupal.org/forum/1?sort=asc&order=Replies)
Upgrading Support (http://drupal.org/forum/21?sort=asc&order=Replies)
- etc.
Support mailing list (http://lists.drupal.org/pipermail/support/)
zirvap’s picture

zirvap commented

For the support links, we should also have a link to the support request issues for Drupal core.

catch’s picture

catch
he/him
Primary language English
commented

+1 for open drupal core support issues (with numbers ideally :P )

Nice work getting this done!

avpaderno’s picture

avpaderno
he/him
Primary language Italian
Location Brescia, 🇮🇹 🇪🇺
commented

It seems the blocks have been already changed as suggested, or in an equivalent way. Am I missing anything, or this report could be marked ad fixed?

webernet’s picture

webernet commented
Status: Active » Fixed

Status: Fixed » Closed (fixed)

Automatically closed -- issue fixed for 2 weeks with no activity.