Envelope-to: rlpowell@digitalkingdom.org
Delivery-date: Tue, 15 May 2007 16:10:45 -0700
Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 18:09:24 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Adam D. Lopresto" <adam@pubcrawler.org>
To: jbovlaste@lojban.org
Subject: [jbovlaste] Process for adding new words
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.64.0705151752510.12754@hive.cec.wustl.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Sender: jbovlaste-bounce@lojban.org
Errors-to: jbovlaste-bounce@lojban.org
Precedence: bulk
Reply-to: jbovlaste@lojban.org
Content-Length: 3631
Lines: 70

So talking with Robin and others on IRC, I was encouraged to try out the
process of adding a new lujvo to jbovlaste.  The process reminded me of why
it's been a few years since I've attempted it.  I'm writing about my
experiences, to try to show those who have been initiated how it looks to
outsiders.  Pretend you aren't familiar with it.  At the end, I try to
explain how it *should* work.  Feel free to tell me if my "should work"
glosses over something important, but the whole idea is about streamlining.
I really shouldn't have to submit more than a single form to do everything
(probably with one other form to say "yes, all of that is indeed what I
wanted").

First a general note about the language of all the forms.  They seem to be
written to instill as much anxiety as possible.  "Are you sure you really,
honestly, and truly know what you're doing?  Really?  Ok, then hit the button
five times, and maybe it'll work."  Basically, everything makes it sound
error prone, "well, it looks like that word got added correctly.  I think."
Not confidence instilling.

But aside from that, the process is much more complicated than it should be.
To test, I added {kafxu'i}, "caffeine".  

So first I put the word into the box, and click the "Add the word" button.
It warns me about how horrible a thing it is to contribute, but if I'm
*really* sure...so it's added.  At least, it tells me it thinks it probably
added it, but I should go there just to make sure.

At this point, the word has no definition.  I'm not sure how often people
want to add words without defining them, but there you go.  I go to add a
definition.

Ok, twenty different boxes to fill out.  Lots of hyperlinked help files.  Not
too bad, though.  Fill in the definition.  Fill in the gloss word (I've only
got one).  Click ok.

Now we come to the most annoying part of the whole process.  It doesn't know
that "caffeine" is a word.  Of course it's a word, or I wouldn't have just
used it, you moron.  So now I need to go through a completely different form
to add it.  Have to click ok twice (where the second time seems to be just to
annoy me, "are you really sure?").  Great, now I'm at "caffeine".  Now I have
to go back in my history, and resubmit the original definition.  Now I have
to go *back* to the gloss word to vote for it.  At least I automatically
voted for my own definition.

Here's how I'd much rather see things go.  "Adding" {kafxu'i} takes me
straight to the "add a definition" page.  No need to add the word until it's
got a definition.  After I fill out the form, it checks each of the gloss
words and keywords.  Then give me a list.  "These gloss words exist.  Your
new definition will link to them.  These words don't exist yet; they will be
created.  If any of that isn't what you want, edit your definition".  Then I
click "ok" once, and it goes away to add all the records at once.  It lets me
know (really!) whether everything worked, and tells me "Cool, added".  While
it's at it, it should vote for anything it needs to.  If there are any
problems, let me know, but don't bother me about it unless you have to.

I understand that we're really creating records in a lot of different tables
to add one definition, but from a user's point of view, I'm adding one thing,
and everything else is implementation details.

That was probably pretty ranty, but there it is.  
-- 
Adam Lopresto
http://cec.wustl.edu/~adam/

'You are a very fine person, Mr Baggins, and I am very fond of you; but
you are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all!'

'Thank goodness!' said Bilbo laughing, and handed him the tobacco-jar.