A plea: developments for users of the web (not for Firefox, Internet Explorer and Flock alone) - 77 views
started by Graham Perrin on 06 Dec 08
started by Graham Perrin on 06 Dec 08
/ Diigo Community/ A plea: developments for users of the web (not for Firefox, Internet Explorer and Flock alone)
started by Graham Perrin on 06 Dec 08
> Please, please, avoid making Diigo any more browser-specific than it is already.
> open to change :) but highly resistant to browser- and platform-specificity.
> love Diigo to be as portable as possible.
Please don't misunderstand: I don't wish to stifle browser-specific developments.
However: can we have a reassurance that the most desirable features of Diigo features will, in due course, become more _web_ compatible?
Many thanks
Graham
* our users of institution-configured computers can not install Diigo Toolbar for Internet Explorer
* on these computers, I can not install Diigo for IE
* Mozilla Firefox is present; and whilst users can install Diigo Toolbar for Firefox, their preference for Firefox is lost after each Windows session (Toolbar remains installed, but OS browser preference defaults to IE)
* on these computers, I can not install Diigo for Firefox; users must perform the installation themselves
* I could suggest institution-wide installation of Diigo for IE, but I suspect that the suggestion will be rejected; assessors will sense some overlap with existing installations, and may not 'get' the benefits of Diigo.
That's the enterprise example, over which I have no control.
My personal reasons for rejecting Firefox are greater ;) …
Thanks Joel.
In my own experience (others will vary):
1) the majority of _unregistered_ users gain their first sense of Diigo through Diigolet, in the form of annotated links
- the immediate presence of highlights (with the exception of annotated home pages†) tends to gain a 'wow' factor from most viewers (with the exception of users who find the toolbar intrusive, and with the exception of users who already use site-specific alternatives to Diigo)
- pushing the Diigolet in this way is a subtle but effective (demonstrative and useful) marketing tool
2) the majority of _new_ (registered) users are _necessarily_ using Diigolet
- within our Centre: most uses are Mac OS X, all such users except one defaulting to Safari
- within our building: most users are Windows, most such users probably unable to install Diigo Toolbar for IE
- campus-wide: new network registrations reveal that a _surprisingly_ high percentage (I should not disclose the figure) of uses are Mac OS X, where the default is Safari
3) critically: as I introduce the majority of new (registered) users to Diigolet, I must forewarn that some important features are (a) _missing_ from Diigolet and/or (b) _missing_ from, or _obscure_ within http://groups.diigo.com/
- that combination, of obscure and missing, is a less than desirable introduction
4) rarely, to someone who is using Firefox or IE, I encourage installation of Diigo Toolbar
* so now my training, hints and explanations to the groups lack consistency; doing so becomes a _chore_:
- a range of training, hints and explanations for Diigolet, most of which do not apply to users of the Toolbar
- a separate range for Toolbar and sidebar, most of which do not apply to users of Diigolet
- a separate range for http://www.diigo.com/ the most appealing of which do not apply to http://groups.diigo.com/
- a separate range for http://groups.diigo.com/ and here, exceptions become remkarkable
- a separate range for http://message.diigo.com/ and here, moreso than in groups, exceptions are remarkable.
= Summary =
The _basics_ of Diigo are _greatly_ appreciated (thanks!) but many of the more desirable features (not necessarily advanced) are difficult to convey/learn as a result of the mash.
I'm sure that there's no mash in the parts of Diigo that are closed, but the experiences of end users' are certainly mashy ;)
= Suggestion =
By focusing some (not all) developer attention on http://www.diigo.com/ and its siblings, to make it _at least_ as appealing as a sidebar or toolbar:
* the number of TTW clicks will increase
* the number of views of advertisements (and clicks) will increase
* you'll gain a greater number, and wider (more representative) variety of suggestions from users, on how the web UIs may be further improved.
That approach can be consistent with current and future 'read later' features of Diigo.
= Specific suggstions =
For the web UIs, I have some ideas on rearrangement. These:
* should not involve demotion of advertisements
* should not involve additions or subtractions
* do allow space for customisation by end users (maybe of tabs)
* do allow space for customisation by Diigo.
I'll sketch these suggestions, but not immediately.
Best,
Graham
----
† As a subsection of a separate topic, there's an improvement suggestion concerning highlights on home pages.
Postscripts:
* added a reference from the footnote, to the relevant topic
* completed a half-sentence.
>
> For the web UIs, I have some ideas on rearrangement. …
> I'll sketch these suggestions, but not immediately.
Maggie's February 2008 comment at http://www.diigo.com/annotated/b937f7c09b50851f464766f425e9ec0e is noted and respected. To clarify:
* I'm not pushing for improvements to Diigolet (though improvements there will be welcome)
* I'm keen for http://about.diigo.com/ http://groups.diigo.com/ http://message.diigo.com/ http://www.diigo.com/ to be more consistent, more harmonious, easier to use, more appealing :)
Tag: resolved