[Haskell-community] Request for comment: New haskell.org download page

[Gershom B]

On September 24, 2015 at 11:45:51 AM, Michael Snoyman (michael at fpcomplete.com) wrote:
> On Thu, Sep 24, 2015 at 6:38 PM, Gershom B wrote:
>  
> > On September 24, 2015 at 11:37:08 AM, Christopher Allen (cma at bitemyapp.com)
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > To be clear, my priority is that Platform get _off_ the downloads page
> > for
> > > now.
> >
> > We can discuss the order of the downloads page, but I think it will not be
> > acceptable to remove the platform.
> >
> >
> I have to say Gershom, in a discussion that is otherwise full of logical
> justifications and well thought out reasonings, this comment comes off as
> out of character. Can you give a rationale of _why_ it won't be acceptable
> to remove the platform?

I have to ask Michael, since we just had an extensive correspondence in which removing the platform was not once discussed, in order to come up with the draft proposal which John sent, and which was written with your input, do you now want to change your mind on the process which got us there?

I mean, I’m happy to expand, but I honestly had thought we were on the same page there.

The short story — and there are many more reasons — is that while beginners may go to the page to look for “what first,” experienced users are accustomed to go there as well to look for the latest versions of things — and many of them still want/prefer the platform. Students may also be directed by professors to download the platform, etc.

So while we may want to say “whatever is first should be optimized for the new user experience” (whatever that means) we must also bear in mind that the page is used by others as well, who are not new, and they may want the platform (whatever you personally think of it), and it would be a terrible shame if it were not easy for them to find it.

—Gershom