Plugins: NOT User-friendly! MyHTPC allover again:-( (1 Viewer)

[msj33]

Hey Everybody
Forums, and plugins is VERY confusing for noobs and others.

I'm checked out both Mediaportal webpage, forum and Plugins page. I think there a major lack in webdesign and categorizing of plugins.

1: The Mediaportal Menu should not be a dynamic button with rolldown effect. It took me several times to figure out the navigation on the Front page. Maybe its just me, but i think is should be more user-friendly
Solution: Menu should be visible at all times.

2: The plugins are found at 3 different places
Your link http://download.mp-fr.com/en/
This Tips & Tricks link http://nolanparty.com/mediaportal.sourceforge.net/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=11
This Plugin link http://nolanparty.com/mediaportal.sourceforge.net/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=29

This is too confusing to the cummunity - In the forum there are lots Tips, Tricks and Plugins that work 100%. But also a lot of plugins that are out of date or not working. Also lots of the plugins is without any description, so you don't know what they do.

Solution:
These plugins and tricks should be controlled by an admin who puts it all on 1 page - and only 1 simple page with the following(Description, manual to install) Not all the comments and replies to the author(This should still be left in the forum).

The Plugin/Tricks by the end-user is what keeps this project alive og going.
Some should be implemented for good in mediaportal, others to be installed manually.

But one thing is for sure - The community is getting bigger and so are the different plugins/tricks, so we'll have to present it more clearly and user friendly like when Mededio implemented categorized Plugin section with easy-to-install system in meedio.

Why don't do like Meedio projects Plugin page: http://www.meedio.com/maid/
Or Winamp: http://www.winamp.com/plugins/
Or Mozilla: https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/?application=%7bec8030f7-c20a-464f-9b0e-13a3a9e97384%7d

Working plugins on the plugin page should be categozied same way as the above websites.

Is it possible? Do anyone have the time and knowledge to do so(Cuz i don't:-()

If this was made possible I think I would contribute a lot to getting the Mediaportal bigger, better and a LOT easier)

Greetings from Morten

 

[Jean-Max]

Hello

As author of the add-on and plugin page , I find your ideas as useful.

My page was originally my personal page to gather the most useful add-ons and plugins for MediaPortal
Following the request of French Media Portal forum team, I translated it in English and uploaded it on French MP forum server
I try to update it, with the help of PM received from Plugin authors and from reading the Intl MP forum

Actually, the alphabetic order was my personal choice to retrieve more easily the add-ons and plugins, but I separated them in different main categories

I am interested to hear about any idea to make this page better or let it integrated in a new bigger system

Best regards

 

[FlipGer]

Hi,

this problem is already recognized! You are right, the most problems came through the fast growing of MP. Many pages raise up here and there.

Part of the team is working on a solution. A new webpage is in progress.

Flip

 

[captainspanky]

Holy crap! Where'd that downloads page come from? Never seen that before!

I'm being a bit sarcastic for fun here, but that's the first time I've seen that page... I guess my approach to reading the forums doesn't match others who post to them...

From the point of view of someone who isn't all that involved in MP, but reads the latest posts on the forums fairly regularly there does seem to be a fair bit of frustration on both the n00b and developer ends of the project. Maybe improving how things are communicated could ease that frustration all around...

Appreciate all the hard work people do.

 

[luke]

As FlipGer said, we're working on a entire new site with a dynamic backend. Downloads will be much much easier to find as will be all of our sister sites such as Jean-Max's site.

If it wasn't for users such as yourself, we would never know what we're doing wrong. Thanks for your input on helping us do a better job.

Anything else on your mind concerning the website we should also think about?

 

[johnbobjamesson]

still, with your first post and the fact that MediaPortal is by far the best supported and most advanced htpc software around - let's laugh about MCE while we're at it - a post that includes a "thank you, but I have some suggestions" kind of style would have been more appropriate. Sounded so bitchy. Don't want to rant, just noticed.

Othat than that - suggestions are very true, I keep discovering intersting plugins every day on sites I never heard of before Good to hear devz are trying to tie things together.

J

 

[msj33]

Damn).......only a couple of hours since i made the topic, and already so many replies.

Sorry if I sounded bitchy:-P, this is not the case, I just wanted that this tobtaken seriously, because i really think Mediaportal is one of the best and promising projects on Sourceforge a the moment.

And it really has the potential to beat both meedio, Showshifter and MCE.

But to do so it needs User-friendlyness.

It has alreaduy been partly achieved by the Setup guide and installation gyuide for Mediaportal. Many things to come, but i was just afraid that the webpage would be left as it is.

But now i can hear that the authors are working on a new webpage design, and hopefully a better plugin view.

First impression is important, and therefore the design should be professinal but easy to use.

I would gladly help as much as possible - but how? I don't have any coding capabilities, but if u can use me ain any other way then just say so)

Further Suggestion....hmmm......

For the plugin Section:
The categorizing should be: Top downloads alltime, Topdownload within 7 days, Category, Author, Alphabethic.
Clearly Description and install instructions is vital
Rating system and possibility to mail the Author.

For the Webpage:
1:All menu options should be visible at all times. ("Site Navigation bar should be removed" - users does not notice the dynamic menu)
2: Development process should be more visible(What are the development team working with at the moment)
3: Now when its still in Alpha/Beta state it should be more easy to see bug-list with priority(like sourceforge).
4: Menu text on left should be another colour.
5:News on page should be updated more frequently with other updates than just development and neew releases.

Last but not least......thx for a freeware software and all the contribution from all the users and authors of mediaportal. Its a major project, but keep up the great work

If I can help in any way, then reply to this post or send me a private message.

Morten from Denmark

 

[luke]

Ironically, I think every feature you requested is a current feature on our new test site. But from your post, we see that we're doing things right in relation to what users want.

We'll make an official statement when we're ready for testing of the new site, both on the webpage and here on the forums.

Thanks!!!

 

[msj33]

Our praisers has been heard....yihaaaaa

Thx again....i'll wait with patience)

/Morten

 

[Jean-Max]

Holy crap! Where'd that downloads page come from? Never seen that before

???
It's official and its link is, for a long time, on the upper left of the front MP site page :

Site navigation
add-ons/Plugins

What's more easy to find ?