Upgrade bitcoin.org

[blockgenesis]

Thanks for your feedback and pull requests. We have already many updates completed based on them. I'm keeping the website always up-to-date with all recent commits. Feel free to provide more improvements.

[jim618]

It's looking good blockgenesis.

A minor comment: the MultiBit website is best served up as https://multibit.org rather than http.
I remap all the http to https but it is a bit smoother for the user to specify the https directly.

[deepceleron]

Here's my new "how it works" to give time for everybody's useless comments before I check in the source.

http://we.lovebitco.in/how_it_works.html

I created the content with a few goals:

• Efficient use of language,
• 100% accurate, no misleading analogies,
• Starting simple, read as long as you want before you feel you can trust Bitcoin,
• Technical info in sidebars, in the style of "For Dummies" books.

I also noted a bug in the site template - the buttons have images with alt-text that duplicates what the buttons say, creating a mess when images don't load or are disabled. The alt should be simply "icon" or something that reflects the picture.

[hazek]

Here's my new "how it works" to give time for everybody's useless comments before I check in the source.

http://we.lovebitco.in/how_it_works.html

I created the content with a few goals:

• Efficient use of language,
• 100% accurate, no misleading analogies,
• Starting simple, read as long as you want before you feel you can trust Bitcoin,
• Technical info in sidebars, in the style of "For Dummies" books.

I also noted a bug in the site template - the buttons have images with alt-text that duplicates what the buttons say, creating a mess when images don't load or are disabled. The alt should be simply "icon" or something that reflects the picture.

Good effort but it's just not ".. a very short and concise summary of the system.". For regular users I think this needs to be way shorter and way simpler.

[deepceleron]

Making things suck for the benefit of noobs is why we have Windows 8. Read this board and see how many questions could be answered in a five minute read. I answer the question "how it works" though, which may not be the first link a curious reader needs.

If you want to make it more accessible, read the above while picturing it as a script for a weusecoins-style video with corresponding graphics.

"Some Bitcoin words you might ear" also has some terms that use "new user" as an excuse for inaccuracy.

[herzmeister]

I think there need to be some grammar fixes:

* Bitcoin has its own unit
* it is valued independently on the merits of its usefulness and scarcity.

[blockgenesis]

Here's my new "how it works" to give time for everybody's useless comments before I check in the source.

http://we.lovebitco.in/how_it_works.html

I created the content with a few goals:

• Efficient use of language,
• 100% accurate, no misleading analogies,
• Starting simple, read as long as you want before you feel you can trust Bitcoin,
• Technical info in sidebars, in the style of "For Dummies" books.

Nice work. Though I think we can't make this the default starting point. This is a known rule when creating website : if we fail to explain things to the user within a few seconds, then we just lose these visitors. Period. We can gain full attention of our visitors only if we succeed to explain things in a very concise way first. And only then, more extensive content can be added (and is in fact very needed in my opinion). But it should never be the starting point otherwise the website will do the opposite of what we want : it will confuse or scare people.

I am not against adding this content as "the long/extended version" of how it works. We could add a link at the bottom of the page saying something like "Want to read more, see the extended version of this page, or Bitcoin wiki..". And if we don't do that, I think that all points in your texts must end up somewhere at least in the future.

Also if we go in that direction, I will comment your texts and prepare a list of suggestions. I think your general approach and texts are good. The geek facts bubbles is a good idea.

[SgtSpike]

This is amazing, well done.  I've been waiting for an update like this to the bitcoin.org page for quite some time.

When can/will it go live?

[deepceleron]

I think there need to be some grammar fixes:

* Bitcoin has its own unit
* it is valued independently on the merits of its usefulness and scarcity.

http://garyes.stormloader.com/its.html

Possessive = no apostrophe.

it's =  only used as a contraction of "it is".

edit, I just found two more "it's" in the page, thanks. I didn't run a spell checker either, so I just caught the word "aboout" too...

[blockgenesis]

This is amazing, well done.  I've been waiting for an update like this to the bitcoin.org page for quite some time.

When can/will it go live?

Thanks!

It's up to the developers I guess. So far, this project gained their attention and I've adapted the content to a lot of feedback already. I think it's just a matter of time before it is considered mature enough to be used.

As Mike said earlier, this is only a starting point. We are probably not going to wait for the FAQ to be complete before publishing the first version.

At least two issues that remain are :

1. The design (many people seemed to say that the current design needed improvement, but didn't go into details).
2. Blockchain/my wallet (there is so far as many people that wants blockchain in the "choose-your-wallet" page then people that wants to remove it)

[herzmeister]

I think there need to be some grammar fixes:

* Bitcoin has its own unit
* it is valued independently on the merits of its usefulness and scarcity.

http://garyes.stormloader.com/its.html

Possessive = no apostrophe.

it's =  only used as a contraction of "it is".

I know, that's why I posted the corrected version already. 

[calian]

I would change the word Vocabulary. Terminology sounds better.

[SgtSpike]

This is amazing, well done.  I've been waiting for an update like this to the bitcoin.org page for quite some time.

When can/will it go live?

Thanks!

It's up to the developers I guess. So far, this project gained their attention and I've adapted the content to a lot of feedback already. I think it's just a matter of time before it is considered mature enough to be used.

As Mike said earlier, this is only a starting point. We are probably not going to wait for the FAQ to be complete before publishing the first version.

At least two issues that remain are :

1. The design (many people seemed to say that the current design needed improvement, but didn't go into details).
2. Blockchain/my wallet (there is so far as many people that wants blockchain in the "choose-your-wallet" page then people that wants to remove it)

I think the design is excellent myself, but I don't really have an eye for graphical things.  I would add that I am a huge proponent of blockchain.info, and definitely would like to see it stay as a wallet listed on the site.

[novusordo]

I'd remove the random vertically-scrolling text on the sides. It's a neat effect, but it also makes the page unnecessarily complicated, and Bitcoin is complicated enough to understand for noobs already. We want people to go to this site and think "Oh, this is simpler than I thought it would be!"

Also this:

I would change the word Vocabulary. Terminology sounds better.

[potato5491]

Really nice site. As a newcomer to bitcoin I found this offers an appropriate level of detail. A few suggestions for you to consider are below.

Home page:
Bitcoin uses peer-to-peer technology to operate with no central authority: managing transactions and issuing money are carried out collectively by the network. Through many of its unique properties, Bitcoin allows exciting uses that could not be covered by any previous payment systems.
->
Bitcoin uses peer-to-peer technology to operate with no central authority, transaction validation is carried out collectively by the network. Through its unique properties, Bitcoin permits many exciting applications not possible with traditional payment systems.

About page:
As of February 2013, here are some statistics. -> Below are some statistics (valid at the time of writing, February 2013).

Vocab page:
Some Bitcoin words you might ear -> Some Bitcoin words you might hear
And I suggest that the current Private Key entry in the vocabulary (see below) should note that in the case of eWallets, they hold the private key.

Private Key

A private key is a secret piece of data that proves your right to spends Bitcoin from a specific Bitcoin address through a cryptographic signature. Each Bitcoin address has its own unique private key. Your private keys are stored by your Bitcoin wallet software in your computer. Private keys must never be revealed as they allow you to spend Bitcoins for their respective Bitcoin addresses.

[just1nmc]

Sorry if this has come up before, but there doesn't seem to be information about buying bitcoins?

On the "How it works" page, it says "So all that is left to do that this point is to buy a few Bitcoins and to keep them safe."
It seems like half the trouble people run into is actually purchasing their first bitcoin; could a link be added there?

[blockgenesis]

I have made a bunch of little design polishing for those who didn't like the current design. More gradients, less extreme contrasts, some colors are less bright, some icons that were too abstract were replaced or improved, it is now easier to notice that the top menu is a menu. Etc.. No major change there. But a lot of little improvements.

Before you comment, make sure that you empty the cache of your browser correctly. Otherwise you will most probably see deprecated styles.

Here are comparing before/after screenshots :

(deleted)

[blockgenesis]

I would change the word Vocabulary. Terminology sounds better.

I changed it, then I questioned what I see, and reversed it..

Don't you feel that "terminology" means the same, but is just less common speaking?

Terminology sounds more "scientific" but less "everyday words" to me.

[blockgenesis]

Some Bitcoin words you might ear -> Some Bitcoin words you might hear
And I suggest that the current Private Key entry in the vocabulary (see below) should note that in the case of eWallets, they hold the private key.

Ah, good point. Thanks!

I am not answering each comment, but I read them all and keep notes.

[blockgenesis]

Sorry if this has come up before, but there doesn't seem to be information about buying bitcoins?

On the "How it works" page, it says "So all that is left to do that this point is to buy a few Bitcoins and to keep them safe."
It seems like half the trouble people run into is actually purchasing their first bitcoin; could a link be added there?

Totally true. Unfortunately, I doubt that bitcoin.org will be the right place to do promotion because of its official status. I think there is a need for a nice website to promote wallets, exchanges, merchant tools, merchants, and everything around this. Weusecoins already does this to a certain degree and we link to it. The wiki also contains a lot of information, but just cannot have the same qualities than a friendly website.