So the WordPress Plugin Repository finally launched just now, which is great. Except of course that it’s a usability nightmare. I mean seriously, I have absolutely no idea what I’m supposed to click or why…
Sorry, but I don’t think I’ll be spending too much time over there just yet. Not until I have the time to really dig in. The Wiki certainly seems more immediately accessible.
If you read the announcement then you will notice that “Wordpress users can: Browse all the plugins and themes”.
The way to browse the files is throught the browser.
I totally agree that there could easily be a lot more explanation, but at least you can find stuff this way around. I don’t know how you get to the browser from the front page.
Hehe, yes it does indeed say that, but ehm… No seriously, I think it’s a great step they’ve taken, but it really needs a better package.
Just noticed the following:
Guess they know it’s no good.
Yeah, I’ve been looking at it and have been completely lost as to how use the damn thing … and I can usually figure out arcane UIs. Eesh.
Yeah, they threw the default trac look and feel up, which is great for people cranking through a standard SCM on a large project, but not so much from a end-user/browse-and-select point of view. They need something more like the skin sites, at least somewhere for developers to write a little intro/description/etc., screenshots would be cool in some cases, etc.
Ping matt, I’m sure he wants feedback.
I agree completely!
So i’m not the only one. I encountered it last week (as i was looking to see if anyone had already done the plugin i was working on, so i wouldn’t have to do it) and was like ??? How do i just search for a plugin? too much Techese!
I’m wondering why they never solicited help with usability (and even aesthetics) before “going public”.
j.
I’m glad I’m not the only complete n00b to sit there and go “where are the plugins?”.
Bad idea making an announcement, when every Tom, Dick and Harry will go and have a look, get turned off by the UI and then never return.
Thats me that is, I visted a while ago and didnt return for ages, is it separated into themes also in some way? Ive now emailed about my plugin to find how I can add it.
It’s really not as confusing as it looks. Just use SVN to install plugins. If your server supports ssh, you can ssh in and do somthing like this…
svn checkout http://dev.wp-plugins.org/wp-hashcash/trunk/ ./
And you’ll be good to go :)
By the way, I hate Trac, but SVN rules.
I got signed up and put the Favatars plugin in the repository. As a developer I’m really happy this exists, and I think it’s awesome.
HOwever, I agree that there definately needs to be a home page like this:
Your source for WordPress plugins.
USERS: Looking for a plugin or support?
DEVELOPERS: Get hosting, version control, and bug tracking for free!
Naturally, those would be links and the users section would not just be a bland ‘ol list. Maybe a list, sure, but how about ratings, or short descriptions (as opposed to the last revision note :-/ )
I am sure that something nice will evolve out of this now.
(By the way, I see the “Change” feature on this blog now too. Sweet javascript :D )
I thought the devblog post was peppered with a lot of links. There is a wiki, and lots of documentation at the site too, and it takes 5-10 to familiarize oneself with the system, after which its usefulness compensates for any usability problems.
You should check Kubrick in, sometime :)
I had a look at to how to add my plugin and I cant make head nor tail of it./ Its liek some arcane command line thing I think. I dont want to try for fear of breaking it.
I think the navigation ssytem in the repository is pretty self-explanatory. At least for me. Sometimes you can just cut-and-paste the codes and save it as a new php file and upload it into your web space. I think this is a brilliant idea as before this i had to search in the support forum area hoping quietly that the plugin i wanted did exist. So bravo!
But that’s just me.
That’s the great thing about versioning systems – if it breaks, you just revert a step or two back ;)
Note how the website is DEV.wp-plugins.org — in its current iteration it is aimed solely at providing a rich enviroment for developers to interact. It’s a chicken and egg thing, we can’t create a compelling experience for users until we get the plugins into a structured and high-quality dev enviroment, rather than scattered across the web on sometimes-up blogs and issues tracked in comment threads hundreds deep.
Thank God. I was beginning to wonder if my geekIQ was being lost with age…:D
I had the exact same reaction when I visited it. Couldn’t fathom the interface at all. I do however understand Matts viewpoint that the resource needs to exist before users will be able to get some plugins from it.
BTW: The “You said” feature is fantastic. :)
As much as I hated the Wiki, at least I could find things … sometimes. The new site? Yeah, same reaction. I can’t find anything. I’ve dreamed for a long time of a solid plugin site (I even offered to host and maintain it), but I was very disappointed by the current site. I look forward to the usability improvements.