Free Software Directory:Backlog Admin Group/Main page

This project is to redesign the FSD's front page to be more accessible to all users.

Group info			User info
User	Real name	libera.chat nick	Time zone	Title
Craigt	Craig Topham	craigt	America/New_York	FSF Copyright & Licensing Associate
Panos_Alevropoulos	Panos Alevropoulos	panosalevro	Greece/Thessaloniki
David_Hedlund	David Hedlund	David_Hedlund	Europe/Stockholm
Adfeno	Adonay Felipe Nogueira	adfeno	America/Sao_Paulo

Objectives

The Free Software Directory's main page is due for an upgrade and should be modeled after https://wiki.endsoftwarepatents.org/wiki/Main.

General

• Identify the types of visitors and how to make the front page useful for each.
• Reduce the need for scrolling down the page. Make everything as accessible as possible.
• Modernize the current language, but keep it simple.
• No proprietary anything on the main page, "new to free software" or "first time here?" sub- page can have those links.
• Some sort of ranking system that brings the best of each software category to the top and get people using the "best" (so they are more impressed).
• Free Software Directory; the analogous "free beer" of software freedom.
• Feature the big popular projects that people know or may be looking for, gnu, blender, inkscape, office, the big ones.
• More use of logos that we want people to recognize.

Visitors new to free software, "new to free software" or "first time here?"

• Make it easy for nonfree software users to get introduced to their first free software program.
• Assume they are here to find a software replacement <https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Free_Software_Directory:Free_software_replacements>
• Connect with <https://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:Freedom_Ladder>
• <https://www.fsf.org/working-together/moving> points to <https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Free_Software_Directory:Free_software_replacements>
• You want the "free beer" of software freedom. This is it. What is your OS?
• Get more people actually using free software. Have anyone who is actually interested in finding and using free software feel welcome, whatever the motivation is.
• The word replacement needs to change. Free software is not a replacement, it should be the de facto.
• Include links to specific OSs on the FSD pages, and why they are terrible, horrible, no good, very bad software.
• Should have an android as well as replicant.

Visitors who know why they are here

• Suggestion from rms to make the search box easier to see RT#1636381.
• People who know how to use the FSD, do not need to be catered to on the main page.

Visitors who are looking to volunteer

• Upfront summary to set expectations and getting them interested.
• Participate should be equally visible as new to fs.

About page

• <https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Free_Software_Directory:About>
• This should contain the history of the FSD.
• It should explain the FSD is THE conduit for victims of proprietary software to find relief.

Welcome to the Free Software Directory
A collaborative catalog of free software

The Free Software Directory (FSD, or simply Directory) is a project of the Free Software Foundation (FSF).

“Free software is a matter of liberty, not price. Think of “free” as in “free speech”, not as in “free beer”. Free software is a matter of the users' freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software.”

We catalog useful free software that runs under free GNU-like systems, not limited to the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants. Many of those programs also run on proprietary operating systems which can be used to replace nonfree software.

If you are looking for a full operating system for your computer, please see our list of free GNU/Linux distributions.

Welcome to the Free Software Directory
A collaborative catalog of free software for GNU and GNU/Linux:

The Free Software Directory (FSD, or simply Directory) is a project of the Free Software Foundation (FSF).

“Free software is a matter of liberty, not price. Think of “free” as in “free speech”, not as in “free beer”. Free software is a matter of the users' freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software.”

We catalog useful free software that runs under GNU and its variants like GNU/Linux. Many of those programs also runs on proprietary operating systems which can be used to replace nonfree software.

If you are looking for a full operating system for your computer, please see our list of free GNU/Linux distributions.

Previously Proposed About text by Adfeno

This assumes that FSF voting members will choose to head the Directory towards free software that runs on distributions that use GNU by default (in the default install), no matter which kernel these have.

If FSF voting members choose to head the Directory to general all free software, then please ignore this proposal.

Welcome to the Free Software Directory
A collaborative catalog of free software that runs on distributions that use GNU by default

The Free Software Directory (FSD, or simply Directory) is a project of the Free Software Foundation (FSF).

“Free software is a matter of liberty, not price. Think of “free” as in “free speech”, not as in “free beer”. Free software is a matter of the users' freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software.”

We catalog useful free software that runs under distributions that use the GNU operating system by default, no matter the kernel. Many of those programs also run on proprietary operating systems which can be used to replace nonfree software.

If you are looking for a full operating system for your computer, please see our list of free GNU/Linux distributions.