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Re: Marketing TXP
Bloke wrote:
The distributed model works here, and the recent additions of the ‘flag it’ and ‘state’ boxes on textpattern.org are very useful tools for users to indicate the current-ness of a plugin. Perhaps these need more visibility?
Yes they do need more visibility. A ratings system would also help. It’s better to start fresh with a proper new site under the main TXP site that is properly designed from a user perspective, in addition to the new TXP branding. What would a user want to know? The favourite plugins of others, any comments, which version it is compatible with etc.
Personally, I would really like to be able to update my plugins from inside TXP Admin, rather like Vanilla does it. At a minimum find out if my plugin needs upgrading.
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Re: Marketing TXP
jstubbs wrote:
A ratings system would also help.
There is one, I believe. At least, there are thumbs up and down things next to each plugin (using wlk_helpful?). I’ve not tried it yet, though… always feels kinda fraudulent to rate your own plugins :-D
which version it is compatible with etc.
A compatability box might be useful but if it’s not updated in ages, how does anyone a year down the line know if it works on TXP4.0.9? Plus one person may say it works but anouther might not due to differences in setup/PHP/MySQL versions.
Between the comments system, the rating, the state, and the flag system there should be enough tools to at least give people a warm or cold feeling about a plugin for a particular version of TXP. If these tools were used. Are there ways of sorting by “most helpful” etc? I’ve not looked.
Personally, I would really like to be able to update my plugins from inside TXP Admin… At a minimum find out if my plugin needs upgrading.
Me too! If there was a central plugin repository and some API that could check a version it’s probably not rocket science to add a line in the zem/sed plugin template that points at the official download location. Then, on plugin installation, this path can be read and stored with the plugin, allowing a “check for updates” feature to be added.
Whether that is actually desirable/maintainable long-term is up for debate.
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Re: Marketing TXP
hcgtv wrote:
Honestly, the only way to stop fragmentation is to manage the situation. Don’t ignore enthusiastic users in this day and age of sub $10 domain registrations and multi-domain hosting plans.
Any idea like or commentary like this used to get a big *shrug* from the development team if any commentary at all. So it’s no wonder everything went off on their. How many times has the topic of moving .org and .net under .com come up over the years?
I definitely do not feel that is the case with the current leadership so maybe something can happen with the fragmentation. The momentum in terms of upgrading the copy on txp.com is a great step.
Bloke wrote:
If there was a central plugin repository and some API that could check a version it’s probably not rocket science to add a line in the zem/sed plugin template that points at the official download location. Then, on plugin installation, this path can be read and stored with the plugin, allowing a “check for updates” feature to be added.
Rob Sable made some mentions of releasing his upgrading checking code into the wild. Don’t know if that actually happened. Might be something worth looking into.
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Re: Marketing TXP
hakjoon wrote:
Honestly I kind of feel like the last thing textpattern needs is one more site.
We already have txp.com, txp.net, txp.org, txpmanual, textgarden, textplates, We love txp, txpq, textpattern pro, txplanet, and txpmag
Consolidating all these efforts I think could go a long way.
I agree.
When some of those sites were born (particularly, txp.com, txp.net and txp.org) , TXP was still a young project. If I’m not wrong (correct me, please), they weren’t “official” sites because they started as individual efforts by some TXP enthusiasts (as most, if not all, of the sites hakjoon listed, of course).
In this effort of consolidating TXP-related sites to improve marketing and perception of TXP (as a mature project, not just as mature software), I feel that two of the sites listed above should be integrated to txp.com. Those sites are the Textbook (txp.net) and TXP Resources (txp.org).
An example (a case of success, in my opinion) is jQuery website: they have integrated the documentation (a wiki), and plug-ins as parts of the official site (which also has a blog).
Consolidating (at least) documentation and plug-ins on txp.com is a considerable effort that could be done gradually (as any other effort we are willing to do).
The Textbook runs on a wiki software, and Textpattern Resources runs on TXP. Couldn’t those be moved as txp.com subdomains and then permanently redirect the old domains to the new location?
——
re txp-templates.com (wasn’t on hakjoon list).
wet (a core dev) was taking over this domain donated by the original owner.
This one is also, in my humble opinion, a candidate to be part of txp.com (mainly because wet is behind it).
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re txpmanual.com, txpmag.com, textgarden.org, textplates.com and textpatternpro.com
I hope not to offend anyone (particularly, the owners and the people which has put a great effort on those sites) with my rusty english: doesn’t those sites look like abandoned?
A site being abandoned isn’t something necessarily bad, as long as it is useful and it isn’t confusing for people who visits an abandoned for some reason.
From a marketing standpoint of an open source project, they may be negative if people look at them as being something “official” that has been abandoned and outdated.
I usually prejudge software by their site and by the last time a software was updated, particularly if the software belongs to the web development area, where things are changing really fast.
In other software categories, applying this prejudgments could make me lose some great gems (example: pngquant).
Back to the sites I listed above, if they are abandoned, maybe owners are willing to redirect them to some other TXP site, or better, keep the site online (to keep the content available), and just add a note somewhere (for example, as a header) stating the site is no longer maintained and linking back to some other TXP resource.
Last edited by maniqui (2008-06-16 23:51:00)
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Re: Marketing TXP
i basically co-sign everything that julian has said and i’d like to add a little idea that just came to my mind from reading this. how about a (maybe) bi-monthly digest in the textpattern blog (or a blog on plugins.textpattern.com/blog) that introduces new plugins? at the moment it seems as if a ton of useful plugins are released (look at all those incredibly useful smd_ plugins :)) but only avid forum users really have the chance to know about all of these enhancements.
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Re: Marketing TXP
hakjoon wrote:
I definitely do not feel that is the case with the current leadership so maybe something can happen with the fragmentation.
I hope that’s the case, I also have seen signs of cooperation, but Dotster is just a click away ;)
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Re: Marketing TXP
jstubbs wrote:
Personally, I would really like to be able to update my plugins from inside TXP Admin, rather like Vanilla does it. At a minimum find out if my plugin needs upgrading.
bloke wrote
Me too! If there was a central plugin repository and some API that could check a version it’s probably not rocket science to add a line in the zem/sed plugin template that points at the official download location. Then, on plugin installation, this path can be read and stored with the plugin, allowing a “check for updates” feature to be added.
I really like Rob’s Plugin Installer.
Amit tried to take it another step.
asv_plugin_installer
asv_pluginfeed
Manfre had his own version but as far as I know never released it.
If it were workable a textpattern.com/resources or textpattern.com/plugins with a way to syndicate plugins and updates would be a plus, imho.
Mike
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Re: Marketing TXP
sthmtc wrote:
how about a (maybe) bi-monthly digest in the textpattern blog (or a blog on plugins.textpattern.com/blog) that introduces new plugins?
Do it. You are a freelancer at textpattern.com, and I have the strong confidence you won’t cause havoc. Just keep in mind that we won’t officially endorse/certify/judge the safety or usefulness of any plugin mentioned at the project site. This is mainly Bloke’s fault, of course ;-)
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Re: Marketing TXP
This is what I suggest:
- textpattern.com is the main TXP site, and will shortly have a new design
- plugins.textpattern.com for the latest plugins (all plugins that work with 4.06/4.07 and up). Must have a proper rating system for new users
- templates.textpattern.com for templates or themes. Whether this should be re-named themes.textpattern.com depends on future versions of TXP. I don’t know if there are any plans to change the term “pages”. Admin side templates should also be available, and future versions of TXP should make it easy to change the admin look and feel
- docs.textpattern.com should be the sole official source of TXP docs, tutorials etc. Or wiki.textpattern.com, but personally I think docs is better because most people know what a doc is, but wiki’s are harder to relate to.
Point here is that it does not matter what other sites are out there, the only thing that is important is to ensure that the official TXP site has the appropriate content. If a new design is currently being developed, its important to consider all aspects of what the site will actually do.
Other important things from a user perspective:
- Plugin updaters are really cool, and if you have any of Bloke’s plugins, you know how often he updates them :-)
- Blog postings about plugins is a really nice idea, but needs to be linked to the plugin posting under plugins.textpattern.com
- Admin side (bit off topic here, but related to future TXP versions) it would be nice to be able to style more easily, and I find aro_myadmin to be a perfect start. Why not include latest TXP news/blog postings in the dashboard? I know people like this.
I probably missed something…
Edit: Yes, I forgot Peter’s (zero) idea about blogging. I would suggest a slightly different TXP download targeting bloggers. The forms, pages and plugins included could be different from the regular TXP download. A package, perhaps.
Last edited by jstubbs (2008-06-17 08:07:44)
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Re: Marketing TXP
jstubbs wrote:
Why not include latest TXP news/blog postings in the dashboard? I know people like this.
-1.
If there’s one thing which really annoys me with WordPress, it’s this “slap in the face” approach they have with their “recent happenings” dashboard widgets. Keep in mind, Textpattern targets self-maintained business sites at least as much as Joe Average’s “my cat & my g/f” journal, and the decision to enter the backend directly at the “Write” form and bypass any kind of dashboard is one of Txp’s key features.
Which of course won’t negate the usefulness of client-specific dashboards, but then again what would those clients gain from receiving updates on alls thing Textpattern? IMHO, the reaction would equally be divided between confusion and curiosity.
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Re: Marketing TXP
jstubbs wrote:
Why not include latest TXP news/blog postings in the dashboard? I know people like this.
-2
(wet already said why)
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Re: Marketing TXP
Robert, the main issue being discussed is marketing TXP better. Sending out recent happenings is only an idea, and personally, I don’t really care, because I visit TXP sites every day so I know what’s happening.
Thing is, if you want to expand awareness of TXP, this is a good idea. I had one client who used and loved WP, but after using TXP for a while it started to grow on him. That’s the point – TXP grows on you, WP hits you immediately. The more dissemination of TXP news the better.
What about enabling a dashboard with TXP news, but having a turn off this feed button?
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