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Alternatively, your front page could be the editing interface, but with the default contents set to an explanation as described above. So the user would just get started by removing your content and adding their own.
I understood your front page, but only after a moment of confusion. Your average user is just going to be confused and scared away by that page. (They have no incentive to put in the effort to figure out what's going on, so it has to be obvious.)
Just my two cents.
A front page should provide a value proposition, either implicitly (allow the user to sample your service in a way that makes its value clear, like google) or explicitly (by stating your value prop, like photobucket). I think the best front pages are hybrids, much like Flickr, which allow you to both quickly sample the service and read how you should be using the site.
Just some food for thought!
If I saw your getting started page that said something like, 'Make your own webpages! Put text anywhere!', I'd leave. The only thing you have going for you is that people can literally click on the page anywhere and type text in.
Why? Can someone explain the name to me...?
Add links. Ditch the social networking shit. Make it less kiddie (or make one for the kids and one for the adults). Bingo. Good-bye Dreamweaver. Hello THE de-facto place to make a website.
This could seriously rock the world, man.
Thanks Prrometheus, we just have to keep on spreading the word.
Update: IE now works a lot better.
You guys should have a demo site. You can use mine.
Don't worry about the Comic Sans haters, of which I include myself. I think it's great for this site because it communicates being approachable and homemade. I think the very fact that it's used so much more widely by individuals than advertisers or corporations gives it that kind of "a person made this" feeling. Then again, this weekend I saw a church whose sign out front was in Comic Sans... sigh.
Very nicely done though, I'm impressed.
if i click on a picture and go back before it's finished loading, a page shows up momentarily, saying "The image [...] cannot be displayed, because it contains errors." nice formal english there btw
the button onclick action triggers from clicking on the text of the button (for example, "Privacy") but nowhere else. i'm using firefox
private frames can have the object border around them even though they can't be edited
ideas/suggestions:
those sample pages need to be actual pages. currently they're images. i saw a working version of one so i'm guessing that's currently the only way to link from a picture
a "settings" control for widgets (alongside the font/color stuff) for configuring widget-specific things such as links. i'm guessing you're already working on something like this
a few templates would be good to start people off
what's "Blank Button?"
some might find it useful if the top frame of the google custom page could be edited, to put links in for example. making the frame persistent might also be desirable -- hide/show on hotkey? drag & drop from host page? into a "look at later" box?
a text widget that automatically shifts/hides/tabs/scrollbars text when resized. supporting multiple entries would make it a nice blog widget
when clicking on a picture, show the enlargement without leaving the page
allow movement of multiple items by click & dragging a selection box around them
-- just some heuristics. i like the site so far. gl
If that's your target market, I think your chances are good; I don't think I'd use it, but if I had a 14 year old sister I'd show it to her.
Agreed. But I'd settle for either
- Text description of medium length - yuk!"
- Here's a picture of how to make something with text - Sort of ok
- Watch the video- Best
Since this is a tool it's probably better to create a viewable demo so you can get an idea BEFORE you start. Especially for people who are not really sure what is going on. One other thing that annoys me a tiny bit is there is no menu so I can't really navigate anywhere so I can find out who made it, instructions, blog, etc.
One other point. It might help users to have a graphic indicating where they can click to edit an object. You run your mouse over an object and the controls appear, move it away and the controls disappear. It is not immediately apparent where to move your mouse again.
A bit later...
Yep it's a pain to find the edit point. I would have liked some visual clue (outline, dotted text around the control) where it is until I accept the edit. I know the page is an "in-edit" page but I'd like some visual clue to controls I have edited, and bits that still need work
I should have posted the video link.
Here's the video Demo of our site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og7GBtFLZhA
Thanks. If you can add the link it to the demo page.
Had play with it and it does work and made a sort of messy myspace inspired page. Couple of things I found.
- it wasn't obvious you needed widgets to type stuff in but once I found "options" it was
- background + profile image upload worked fine
- text resizing ok but as you increased the size to say 72pt the edit outline stayed at old size
- no problems moving controls around screen but noticeable delay (but not unworkable)
- worked as advertised but a bit slow but not too slow.
- thought I would have needed grids so I could nicely lay stuff out but realised this really not needed.
One question on style. Why have you chosen to have Ajax style edit dialog and not say a plain html page on a separate url? I'm noticing this on lots of sites (for me it's a pain but livable) why is it chosen?
Another Q? How do you make a hyperlink?
A bit later ...
Had some trouble with the login on the homepage. Logged in via the main page ~ http://www.clutterme.com/bootload
And that background thing has me stuck there in Firefox.
You should really consider redoing the home page...but other than that...it's simple enough to use.
I am having a great time using the site and I suspect other people will too. I'm getting close to my 50MB limit already. It's a blast to use!