Make the 'Get Knoppix' page suck less

[simon.hibbs]

My dad was trying to download Knoppix. He tried three times and every time he ended up at a google advertizer's page instead. How designed this page? I have already installed a BitTorrent client on his PC. All he needed to do was click on a link to the torrent file, but it was disguised in the text with a name that's meaningless to all but about 0.001% of the world's population, and even if you do figure out which link to click on, you need to know the knoppix version naming convention to figure out which image you want.

Can't someone make all this slightly easier for mere mortals to figure out?

Simon Hibbs

[Clinton]

I appreciate the problem. The blocks that state "Ads by Google" are served directly by Google and the actual text and links in there are completely in Google's hand and change each time you load the page. Normally, they're pretty well targeted as advertisers pay each time someone clicks and neither they nor we want people to click unless they are interested in what's offered in the ad. Sometimes, though, I'll admit that the ads are a bit off-target.

Unfortunately, the site needs the Google coin to pay the bills.

[Cuddles]

My dad was trying to download Knoppix. He tried three times and every time he ended up at a google advertizer's page instead. All he needed to do was click on a link to the torrent file, but it was disguised in the text with a name that's meaningless to all but about 0.001% of the world's population, and even if you do figure out which link to click on, you need to know the knoppix version naming convention to figure out which image you want.

Can't someone make all this slightly easier for mere mortals to figure out?

Simon Hibbs

Hmmm, if the person was running Linux already, you could simply send the person a link to the download in a nice e-mail (I think this would work for someone running a M$ OS as well) - but if they were running Linux, you could actually do all the "background" searching for the download for the other person, and send them the complete wget command for the person to enter in a sudo root screen (?)

Another idea (more for the forums than a personal thing), may be set up a nice forum / post to link to the "current" download? That way, as new versions come into being, we can just link a new post to the new image download? Something like:

Current Knoppix Download Image ????

All anyone would have to do is edit the link above to match the download image that is current, and Wham-O - simple, easy, and very quick to find - again, I apologize if this may already in place, or is being thought of already - I have been away for a while... I kinda went "walk-about" (LOL)

Cuddles (aka LadyCuddles / AcidPirate)

[edit]
Ok, just saw the page to download... the "get Knoppix" one... that is painful - the ads do get in the way - I went to the BT download page first (didn't need to, I already have and use rtorrent), and then realized I wanted the Tracker link for the download... DOH!

Seeing the page, and the link to the page with the Tracker downloads on it... my guess would be a nice e-mail to someone that wanted to get the newest Knoppix download image... would just include the link to that Tracker page (especially if they already have a BitTorrent program running/installed/etc...)

That way, the end user would only need to click on your link in your e-mail message, and be right at the Tracker download page.
[end edit]

[Cuddles]

...

Unfortunately, the site needs the Google coin to pay the bills.

Completely understand that one... with the economy the way it is... I can only imagine...

In my above comment / post, was not implying that the "ads" were not necessary, or needed, just that they do, "tend" to obscure the actual data - especially, when seen by someone who hasn't seen them before (as in my case).

Not sure if this "is" a quick fix then... possibly putting the links in bold to highlight them more? Dunno (?)

Cuddles (aka LadyCuddles / AcidPirate)

[Clinton]

Nice to see you Cuddles! :)

Thanks for all the suggestions above both of you.

OK, I've had another think about this. You both are right, the ads are a bit too too deceptively like other text/links on the page.

The quality of this site should take priority over the ads and I've made some changes. I've changed one of the banner ads to "image only", made the BitTorrent Tracker text link bold and removed the 234x60 ad altogether.

What do you think?

[Cuddles]

I like it. I see exactly where I want to click, the banner ad at the top was a "router" - so I knew that wasn't what to look for, and the text around the link made a lot more sense too... If I didn't have a BT Client, I would click on the the other link, and the bold of the actual Tracker link can be seen a lot more clearly.

Nice update, and thanks Clinton :D
LC

[Clinton]

I'd like to keep that page as it is now. Hopefully the impact on the earnings will be small. If not, I may have to do some small tweaking. But I'll keep your comments/feedback in mind.

[Cuddles]

Good point there, possibly move "banner" ads to the bottom of the page, so they don't get in the way of what we are trying to get people to click on? I don't want the site to go under for lack of funds, just thinking about the initial poster's issue of not being able to find what they were looking for within those ads (?)

[Clinton]

The site won't go down for lack of funds :) and, to be honest, it doesn't cost millions to run. However, I do need to recover the price I paid for the site which is an amount that would have bought me a little holiday property in Florida ;)

Don't get me wrong, this site is worth every penny and it's great fun to be here.

The earnings are on a per click rather than per view basis and I don't want to encourage accidental or "loyalty" clicking as that costs advertisers money and is not fair on them. But the more inconspicuous you make the ads the less likely people are to click and it is possible to earn $0. It's a delicate balance. But let's see with the current changes if anybody else has problems finding the links they need because that is, after all, the purpose of the resource!

[sdcougar]

.

...Can't someone make all this slightly easier for mere mortals to figure out?

Simon Hibbs

Thanks, Simon, for that question...could apply also to finding help for beginners

from a mere mortal