[Koha-devel] Website Homepage
Thomas D
koha at alinto.com
Wed Aug 3 00:48:00 CEST 2005
Sorry, I had failed to test my first suggestion until after posting. I wish
I could have retracted it moments after it had been sent. My first
paragraph would have needed to be divided into multiple paragraphs and even
then would not have looked presentable or led the eye quickly enough to the
elements appearing afterwords. There is too much empty space at the top of
the page and the style sheet is not flexible enough for most of my first
paragraph to have come close to working even if subdivided. I retract the
mini feature list and other verbose elements of my original first paragraph
suggestion. As I had written originally, there would be better way to
convey this information in a new website design.
Additionally, my non-breaking spaces were attached to the wrong end of
adjacent words.
Here is my suggested revised first paragraph. I do stand by my previous
suggestions for everything prior to and after the first paragraph.
<p>
Developed initially in New Zealand by Horowhenua Library Trust and Katipo
Communications Ltd. and first deployed in January 2000. It is
currently maintained and continuously developed by a team of software
providers and library technology staff from around the globe. Koha
offers a full-featured ILS including integrated acquisitions, cataloguing,
online public access catalogue (OPAC), circulation, and administration
modules. Control the power and freedom of Koha and open source
software yourself at your library.
</p>
Thomas D
Quoting Thomas D <koha at alinto.com> :
> ---------------- Beginning of the original message ------------------
>
> 1. PROBLEM
>
> What were the winks for exactly? The salient difference that
> I see is ,
> aside from the derivation of koha, is that Joshua has
> substituted "software
> providers and library and technology staff" for "volunteers"
> in the
> original. Is 'volunteers' the concept at which the library
> professionals
> were winking?
>
> I would suggest that the colour scheme, graphics, and other
> elements of
> appearance are as likely to contribute to contribute to the
> 'homebrew'
> impression as the actual text. There is an aspect of the
> graphics adjacent
> to the Koha logo images that does seem a little out of place
> for a
> significant application intended to reliably run the most
> vital operations
> of a library. The way that the "download koha" balloon is
> presented on the
> home page is one example. The way the logo image at the
> bottom with the
> background colouration and hard outline edges appears
> disjointed from the
> page at the bottom of the home page is another example. I
> would not expect
> the graphical presentation to be adjusted until it is
> presented as part of a
> coherent new website design.
>
> People's expectation of web page appearance has been corrupted
> by the glut
> of poorly designed corporate websites and their imitators.
> High bandwidth
> consumption as an advertisement for shareholders at the
> expense of
> functionality and usability is a distinguishing characteristic
> of far to may
> corporate websites. Thankfully, that problem does not plague
> any Koha
> related website.
>
> I have noticed a form of possible redundancy in the original.
> Although,
> perhaps it is clarifying redundancy. When is an OPAC not a
> catalogue?
>
>
> 2. REVISED TEXT
>
> I would suggest the following amendment of of your proposed
> text with the
> consideration that Chris had suggested for HLT. My suggestion
> tries to
> provide a minor feature summary and compelling motivation for
> adopting Koha.
> The importance of development options in addition to
> installation and
> support is emphasised.
>
> There would certainly be better ways to convey this
> information in a new
> website design. This is my brief attempt at the current one.
>
> 2.1. BODY
>
> <h1><span class="heading">Koha </span> (Maori for 'Gift') is
> the first
> open-source Integrated Library System (ILS).</h1>
>
> <p>
> Developed initially in New Zealand by Horowhenua Library Trust
> and Katipo
> Communications Ltd. and first deployed in January 2000.
> It is
> currently maintained and continuously developed by a team of
> software
> providers and library technology staff from around the globe.
> Koha
> offers a full-featured ILS including integrated acquisitions,
> cataloguing,
> online public access catalogue (OPAC), circulation, and
> administration
> modules. Koha is multilingual and uses MARC 21, UNIMARC,
> or non-MARC
> records. It contains integrated Z39.50 client and server
> services.
> It supports the latest advances in patron accessiblity
> and self
> checkout circulation. It is fully customisable from
> template options
> down to every line of open source code. New features are
> being added
> constantly. Control the power and freedom of Koha and
> open source
> software yourself at your library. Do not be dependent
> on one vendor.
> Available for free download and free use at your
> library. Many
> installation, support, and feature development options are
> available from
> providers locally and internationally.
> </p>
>
> <h1>that's right ... it's free</h1>
>
> <p>
> Koha is released under the <a
> href="http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html">GNU General Public
> License</a>
> and is available to <a href="/download/">download</a>.
> </p>
> <p>
> If you would like a quote for <a
> href="/installation/support.html">installation and support, or
> additional
> feature development</a>; there are providers available
> throughout the world.
> </p>
>
>
> While there are modest overlaps at the end of my suggested
> first paragraph
> with the preexisting second paragraph, the emphasis is
> different. I do not
> believe that it is redundant.
>
> Check the existing tags. The current paragraph tags do not
> have valid
> opening and closing tags which is not a significant problem
> for browsers.
> My valid tags may not provide properly rendered spacing.
>
> I would also suggest removing the possible implication that
> Koha may be
> difficult to install from the final paragraph. It might be
> depending on the
> installer and the system but the installation script works
> quite well aside
> from some minor glitches and the installation process is well
> documented.
>
> <p>
> We've put up a <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/koha/">Koha
> store</a>, so
> that even if your library is not ready for Koha yet, you can
> still wear it
> proudly.
> </p>
>
>
> 2.2. SPELLING AND USAGE CONVENTIONS
>
> Whether international (British) English or American English
> spelling and
> usage is used, I have no definite preference. The IFLA uses
> and
> international English as do many international bodies
> including the UN in
> New York. I presume that people at Katipo and Horowhenua
> Library Trust use
> New Zealand English spelling and usage.
>
> My own preference, as a US national, in my own use is for
> international
> English where that seems generally appropriate and American
> English where
> that seems appropriate following Fowler's example. Sidewalk
> is a more
> sensible contemporary term than pavement when most roads in
> well developed
> countries have been paved. American English spelling and
> usage dominates
> widely exchanged computer applications and the internet. I
> use program for
> computer applications but programme for events. I also follow
> the sensible
> practise of using spelling that is the same in a maximum
> number of dialects,
> when appropriate. I use dramatic arts instead of theatre or
> theater, when
> appropriate.
>
> American English spelling and usage have increasingly tended
> to dominate
> library science. The initiative and greater financial
> resources of the
> Library of Congress have brought the world's largest library,
> MARC, and
> Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). DDC, like
> Library of Congress
> Classification, is also US based. Many other examples could
> be given of
> American English dominance in library science. UDC uses
> international
> English but is less detailed and less well updated than DDC.
> Other English
> language subject thesauri competing with LCSH and based on
> more carefully
> considered designs have fallen out of use and been replaced by
> LCSH; because
> of the high cost of maintaining competing thesauri and
> disadvantage from the
> greater difficulty of international cooperative record
> exchange and use with
> multiple thesauri. While international English spellings are
> included in
> LCSH authority records as references, the American English
> form is the
> authorised form. American English has become the dominant
> English dialect
> for the exchange and interoperation of library records in
> English and the
> point to which major non-English systems have been paired.
>
>
> 2.3. HEADER
>
> Whatever spelling and dialect choice is taken alternate
> spelling and
> language forms for important terms should be include at least
> in the
> keywords meta tag.
>
> <meta name="keywords" content="Koha, ILS, acquisitions,
> cataloging,
> cataloguing, online public access catalog, on-line public
> access catalog,
> online public access catalogue, on-line public access
> catalogue,
> circulation, administration, MARC 21, UNIMARC, Z39.50, open
> source, GNU,
> customisable, customizable, templates">
>
> I will leave it for others to suggest what would be
> appropriate keywords for
> other languages than for me to use mistaken forms outside my
> native language.
>
>
> Thomas D
>
> Quoting Joshua Ferraro <jmf at liblime.com> :
> > ---------------- Beginning of the original message
> ------------------
> >
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I propose that we immediately replace the first paragraph on
> > the
> > Koha homepage. I've gotten several winks from library
> > professionals
> > that the current language makes Koha sound like a homebrew
> > project
> > rather than an enterprise-level ILS.
> >
> > Here's what I propose:
> >
> > Koha (Maori for "Gift") is the first open-source Integrated
> > Library
> > System (ILS). Developed initially in New Zealand by Katipo
> > Communications
> > Ltd. and first deployed in January of 2000, it is currently
> > maintained
> > by a team of software providers and library technology staff
> > from around
> > the globe. Koha offers a full-featured ILS including a
> > catalog, OPAC,
> > circulation, cataloging and administration components.
> >
> > etc ...
> >
> > How does that sound?
> >
> > --
> > Joshua Ferraro VENDOR SERVICES FOR OPEN-SOURCE
> > SOFTWARE
> > President, Technology migration, training,
> maintenance,
> > support
> > LibLime Featuring Koha
> > Open-Source ILS
> > jmf at liblime.com |Full Demos at http://liblime.com/koha
> > |1(888)KohaILS
> >
> >
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> > _______________________________________________
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> > Koha-devel at lists.sourceforge.net
> > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/koha-devel
> >
> > ------------------- End of the original message
> ---------------------
>
>
>
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