Re: Index.html updates

[Jason Pincin <jpincin@ashtech.net>]

> > I find "Choose your application" in the search form really confusing.
> > What is it supposed to do?  Limit the search or something?
> I definitely agree here.  And often people won't be looking for

OK.  We don't want people to search on application specific stuff?  I was under the
impression that if you drilled down through the categories, you'd eventually hit
the bottom rung in any given category which would be the applications in that
category.  Since I can't make a choose your category drop down, I figured I'd do a
quick drop down that would allow people to significantly narrow there search if
they knew up front what it affected without having to wade through layers of
category pages.  That would be left to people with broader questions or those that
really weren't sure on which application a certain thing affected.  

If we follow some set rules closely on how we layout the categories, we could build
the applications list off of the categoryis list by plucking out the ones with no
child categories... because by definition in my mind, if you have nothing beneath
you, then you are not actually a category... your an application.

Thoughts?

> > Also the JavaScript pop-ups, hide the left (main) nav bar.  This is a
> > no-no IMHO.   I don't see the need for the pop-ups if the same
> I found these horribly annoying too.  If we need those functions, why not just
> add them to the main nav bar?

Well... someone earlier mentioned that the pop-ups on php.net were cool.  And
wondered if we had a use for such a thing.  I think it was Micah... so Micah - what
are your thoughts on JScript... lets get both sides here.  I know that it
duplicated the functionality of the main page... but the purpose of that "tool bar" 
on top is to follow you everywhere... on every page... and obviously you
won't always be sitting at a search page.  But since this is the main purpose of
the site... you may want to execute one... the site will be large... and you may
get side tracked, or be looking at an article and want to launch another search.

#1 ) You click search, wait for another page to load, enter the search, hit
submit... and yur on your way

#2 ) You mouse over search, enter it, and click... your on your way

More convenient in that sense.  Of course only 4.x + browsers can use it, but the
techie community that will be employing the most use of this tool are either going
to be using Lynx, or the very latest Netscape or IE (talking %'s here).  It's easy
to pull off so it works in all browsers... we don't even have to do it in SSI... we
can completely eliminate server overhead in the entire process and do all detection
client-side like php.net does.  Makes the download a little bigger... so ya gotta
decide... conserve bandwidth or CPU?  The age old question :)

I think dynamic features on sites liven the web up a little.  Browsers have
advanced and I wonder why most sites don't.  If I'm outvoted thats fine... we'll go
back to straight html and ditch the newer stuff... but lets discuss this.

Lets here everyones gripes, suggestions, thoughts, and concerns on the matter :)

> This worries me, if we have to do things like browser detection, that our site 
> is not sufficiently standards compliant and we should simplify.

Don't worry.  It's life on the net :)

Jason