[theforum] improve w.e.o, first items

[Erika]

Martin Burns wrote:
> Plus:
> Thoughts about what could work better/be useful functionality *for which 
> there are Drupal modules* (or you're prepared to write and maintain 
> Drupal modules and ideally contribute them back to the Drupal community.

One thing I would like to know, is who is LOVING Drupal.  I wasn't here 
during the migration to this CMS, but I have gotten several offlist 
emails from ex-admins who indicate that they don't like it, that it was 
a "mistake." I don't know how many of them have had the opportunity to 
get in, use the CMS, and have an educated assessment of it.  For those 
who are willing, I think we should find a way to give them opportunity 
to work in the CMS if possible.

I am not ready to question the CMS at this time, but I hope to see at 
least that the evolt community of support around this chosen CMS is 
alive and active.  and if not, how are we going to fix that?

I am a content (not conTENT, CONtent) person.  What I know, is that for 
the site to work, the software needs to work for us.

> Stuff I'd really like to get done:

duly noted... :)

> uber-glossy as a high priority goal - I fundamentally don't believe the 
> explanation in ALA's 10th anniversary spiel as the site appears to be 
> far more front-end focused than the article suggests. 

My take (having followed Zeldman's work for 10 years) is that Zeldman 
has always been a CONTENT + DESIGN guy.  It's really his writing along 
with visual presentation, that made his work stand out.  (his background 
was advertising guy as he's often pointed out.)  My SENSE is that he's 
felt that ALA has strayed from the *content* end of things, and that's 
something he would like to bring back in.

Anyway, I cited that more as an example of another 10 year retrospective 
from a sibling site.  Evolt has always been its own thing.  This IMO is 
not about any kind of change in that, more a clearer presentation of 
what we already are and have been.

We don't have a ton of time to toss around front end designs, anyway. 
So I don't see a lot of structural change.

> (Sidebar: why the hell *haven't* we had more Rails/Django/etc people 
> active in our community? 

Sadly, a lot of people feel that our community is "dead." (I have heard 
this from 5 ex-admins, some of whom I know hold hope that it's not true.)

> *Some* reference to the current style so it's at least recognisably the 
> same place would be nice.

agreed!

Erika