http://www.perlmonks.org?node_id=221991

I was really wowed, yes, the front page is changing too quickly. I know some days it is like this, but I really do have my two-penny concerns: I know every one has a different view, as what types of posts really worth the front page, but I just want to provide some of my opinions:

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Is the front page change too quickly?
by rob_au (Abbot) on Dec 23, 2002 at 23:28 UTC
    There are other threads questioning the slow turn-over of frontpage posts and now one questioning the quickened turn-over of posts - This is really a non-issue from my perspective.

    The front-page of the site is not intended as a reward for posts, but rather to represent a cross-section of recent posts which may or may not provoke thought or consideration. As to whether these represent the best of the community or daily posts is fairly unimportant, it is the cross-section and discussion knowledge base as a whole which they represent that is significant and indeed, the value of this site. Furthermore, given the wide and diverse usage of Perl, the focus of this cross-section is necessarily broad in scope, in turn, further adding to the value of this site and it's place in the Perl community.

    For a previous discussion on this topic, see Rampant Frontpaging.

     

    perl -le 'print+unpack("N",pack("B32","00000000000000000000001000000110"))'

(wil) Re: Is the front page change too quickly?
by wil (Priest) on Dec 23, 2002 at 23:32 UTC
    No.

    Please read the documentation and the FAQ and all the other extensive documentation and nodes that has ever been written about this.

    The front page should 'showcase' the entire site. Not just the elitist, 'k'ewl questions, complex regexes, or anything like that. It's to show the first point of presence (for most newcomers) what we're all about. And we're about everything Perl. If there's a simple question like 'hey, where can I find CGI.pm?' then let's front-page it. I'm sure that will actually generate substantially more hits than your fancy regex anyway and cover a lot more ground.

    - wil
      Yep, that's just why I voted 'keep' on the consideration to remove Push onto arrays in a hash? from the frontpage. It may be "a simple question" that "has been answered just a couple of days ago", but I figure that is exactly why it should be there. The 'gates is where newcomers make first contact. If this is a question that came up multiple times recently, why not put it on the frontpage so that maybe the next bunch of newcomers that might have the same question will step on it first thing?

      Makeshifts last the longest.

Re: Is the front page change too quickly?
by gjb (Vicar) on Dec 24, 2002 at 01:25 UTC

    One can look at the issue either way.

    Suppose a note is submitted that has been dealt with in SoPW just a few days ago having an almost identical title there are two options:

    1. tell the second seeker of wisdom to do some research before submitting a question (or if one is more "lenient" deal without without front paging it.
    2. front paging it since apparently several monks have trouble with this issue.
    Both approaches have their pro and cons. On the one hand, if such questions get on the front page, experienced Perl programmers might be put off thinking this is a site for newbies. On the other hand, a lot of experienced seekers of wisdom already know about PerlMonks and are not even accessing the front page anymore (personally I hardly look at it).
    If the former is the case, one should concentrate on bringing those notes to the front page that attract the "elite", where if the latter is the caes, the front page should be representative for the site's purpose/contents.

    This leads to an interesting question: how do the "experienced" monks improve their skills? By attracting those to the site that are their peers, or by reflecting on more basic stuff and hence gaining a more thorough understanding where Perl is concerned, but also on how to communicate ideas?

    I wouldn't want to be the judge in such a matter, but it seems to me that a healty compromise would be ideal, even if it doesn't suite all (a compromise hardly ever does). Everyone from friar upwards should think carefully what to front page, but I think we should trust one another's personal judgements (and if in doubt, communicate those feelings). After all, an online community such as PerlMonks exhibits a very interesting dynamics that is (probably) self-regulating.

    Apart from this, I think the front page contains too many items at the moment. I'd say some four notes in SoPW and two Meditations along with the other categories should be enough. Otherwise one simply looses overview, probably also as a newbie and that would diminish the attraction of the site and hence harm the community.

    Just my 2 cents, -gjb-

      Good points. My thoughts are that SoPW posts should be selected by size of potential audience - and there are far more inexperienced programmers than magicians around. In the other sections nodes should be chosen by "brilliance" (for some value of brilliance that is up to everyone for themselves to define) - a mundane meditation or plain puzzled discussion doesn't really warrant frontpaging.

      Makeshifts last the longest.

      Good points.

      I disagree about the front page containing too many items presently. People wading through the web to PM can certainly handle a long page at the gate.

      Some think of the front page as, uh, the front page. Others think of the Monastery Gates as the, uh, gates to the monastery. These are two different functions.

      A front page should change fairly often, the welcome mat at the front door has a longer usable life. Residents never pay much heed to their welcome mat, but to clean it now and then.

      If PM is not first a community which attracts and keeps the exalted, the mundane will find no blessings here. So I'm willing to oblige those who treat it like a front page.

Re: Is the front page change too quickly?
by jdporter (Paladin) on Dec 24, 2002 at 23:50 UTC
    My opinion (FWIW) is that the content of the fp, and the rate at which it turns over, are indicators of the vitality of the PerlMonks site. Since there is (fortunately or unfortunately) no better mechanism for controlling which and how often nodes get frontpaged, we should err on the side of pushing new stuff to the fp for that reason alone.

    jdporter
    ...porque es dificil estar guapo y blanco.