Help, Styles Team II!

[ninetydegrees]

There are several submitted styles which need testing and have needed it for ages and the few people doing that in dreamscapes can't do it all on their own. Baggyeyes and Turlough have been beyond awesome but it's just two people and we need more feedback, more resolutions, more font sizes, more browsers, etc. so please, if you can, help out.

Hopefully, this post will get more answers than my last one. :/

Edit: What's involved?

* We currently have four styles which need testing: http://dreamscapes.dreamwidth.org/tag/needs+testing
One of them, Strata, has a link to a preview. You can click on the link and navigate through the various pages to see if anything looks odd (boxes overlapping, text not displayed correctly, something odd with colors, etc.). Then comment to report what you've noticed or tp say that everything looks fine to you. It's always a good idea to mention which browser/resolution (and sometimes font size) you saw the layout in.
Otherwise you need to install the layout. I can explain if you're not familiar with this process.

* We routinely need people to test color themes. What's really important is to make sure text is always visible; it can happen that there isn't enough contrast to make it easily readable and it's ok to politely say that to the designer; it doesn't imply that you expect them to change their style. Some will, some won't.

Comments

[foxfirefey]

Sounds like we should figure out what we have covered and word something to go up in the dw_news updates next week to drum up some more people!

I have access to:

* Latest versions of Mac: Firefox, Opera, Safari, Chrome, Camino
* Not-so-latest but not ancient versions of Firefox on Ubuntu
* The latest versions of IE and Firefox on Windows, could also expand this to include Opera and Chrome

I can go all the way up to 1080p HD-level resolution (my TV can hook up to my computers).

If I absolutely, absolutely have to, I can find a computer running IE6.

The easiest things for me to check are definitely the Mac ones, though, since I am pretty much bonded to my laptop like a cyborg.

I hereby swear to resubmit the search module today for review and commit. After that I need to figure out community imports and persistent style=mine, but after that, I will dedicate more time to styles conversions!

[ninetydegrees]

A post in dw_news would be awesome. I mean conversion isn't necessarily hard but you can't get started on it if all issues haven't been identified/cleared up so we're kind of stuck right now, especially since so few people are active in style dev.

[foxfirefey]

Okay, I'll see what I can do to round up some people to mentor in styles! I'll make a post to dw_styles about it before next Monday, have denise link to it in dw_news, and have prospectives comment so we can sort them out. I'll also review our documentation and see what could be added.

I'm figuring we need two levels:

1. People watching dreamscapes that just comment on whether or not a style works for them on their browser.
2. More people converting themes and styles.

[ninetydegrees]

I'm figuring we need two levels:

Exactly!

[poulpette]

I'm 6 weeks removed from my finals and I still have a few projects to work on for class, but once they're done I should have more time to devote to dw. (I should be free around start-mid july.)

For now I have access to a Ubuntu 10.4 PC with firefox & chromium (last versions) installed, with a 1024x768 screen resolution. So if you need some testing done on those, just point me to which style is most in need.

[ninetydegrees]

Among the four we have (http://dreamscapes.dreamwidth.org/tag/needs+testing) I think Strata is the one which is closest to being ready to be converted. If would be great if we could remove the 'needs testing' tag so that someone could start working on it.

[baggyeyes]

I've been trying to get the Crossover 8.0.1 Mac thingy to install Internet Explorer 8 on my iMac. I need it for so much - Drupal stuff, and this. But the dang thing just won't take. Does anybody have a lower version of IE install.exe they can toss up on a box account?

[lim]

VMWAREfusion is much easier to use than Crossover, IME. But you can get all versions of IE from oldversion: http://www.oldversion.com/Internet-Explorer.html

[baggyeyes]

< grovel > thankyouthankyouthankyou </ grovel >

I appreciate this!

[lim]

Oh, hey, I have available for testing:
res 1280x800

Mac 10.6.3:
Firefox edge
Firefox 2
Safari
Chrome
Amaya
Camino
Flock
iCab
Lynxlet
Opera
FANGS

all defaults

Windows XP virtual

IE6, IE7, IE8 all defaults
Firefox 3
(but these are super slow so only for emergencies)

Also have access to but do not use a Firefox no touch setup (Mouseless Browsing, Gleebox & MacSpeechDictate in combo)

Talk me through what you need?

[lim]

I also have IE 5, 5.5, and NN4, but only for style emergencies.

[ninetydegrees]

Here's the list of styles which need testing: http://dreamscapes.dreamwidth.org/tag/needs+testing

Strata has a link to a preview so you can simply click on the link navigate through Reading, Archive, etc. then comment to say if it looks fine to you in the browsers/resolutions you've tested it in.
If you want to test things further, you need to install the layout. Do you know how to do that?

[lim]

I can probably install a layout, aye.

When you say testing, I've looked through the comm you linked and the memories and tags, but I can't find anything detailing what sort of testing you require. Is there a script or series of steps you like us to follow? If there isn't a formal one, can you briefly lay out the tasks and interactions I should perform?

Edited: I realise you've covered this with "navigate through Reading..." but I have no idea what your assumptions are wrt usage and would appreciate a system. I can help lay out a system if you need a hand with that.

[ninetydegrees]

There is no formal process testing. People simply use the layout and remark on anything odd they've seen. Major issues to watch for are overlapping, invisible text (font color is the same as or too close to background color), misalignment, broken display when changing resolution/font-size.
If you really want to test this thoroughly, then making sure short entries, long entries, locked entries, entries with restrictions, entry without subject, entries with long subjects, entries with/without icon, entries with/without metadata, with comments disabled, with a lot of comments, etc. display fine. Same thing if the journal's a community. But a cursory look would already been a huge improvement.

Edit: I've just remembered I'd written a list about this. It can be found at the bottom of this entry: http://layoutmakers.dreamwidth.org/4463.html

[lim]

Thanks!

Is it your decision that you do not want a system laying out? I can't figure it out from your response.

[ninetydegrees]

Is it your decision that you do not want a system laying out? I can't figure it out from your response.

Oh no! If you want to write something, go ahead. It would be great to have guidelines.

quick draft before bed

[lim]

Testing a Journal

Key Usability

Contrast

Can you read the words easily? Are the colours outside this recommendation? That's worth mentioning.

Text sizing

Can you read the words? If the font is too small, can you size it up without words breaking out of their bounds or overlapping?

Layout fail

Is content overlapping? Are there blank areas that hold content in other browsers? Are there horizontal scrollbars?

Links

Can you click on the links? Can you tell what text are links? Can you tell what links you have visited?

Checklist

Journal, Post, Read & Network View Regions

Check the five regions in order, asking the key usability questions about each area.

1. Header

• Banner
• Title
• Subtitle

2. Main Navigation

Links to all views:

Journal (user.dreamwidth.org)

Single Post (user.dreamwidth.org/1234.html)

Reading List (user.dreamwidth.org/read)

Network (user.dreamwidth.org/network)

Archive (user.dreamwidth.org/archive)

Subjects (user.dreamwidth.org/2009/01)

Tags (user.dreamwidth.org/tag)

3. Sidebars

Try the layout with one sidebar, two sidebars, and no sidebars. In each configuration, does content overlap? Do you get horizontal scrollbars? Can you click on the links?

(Probable content to look at:)

• title
• module
• links list
• page summary
• calendar table

4. Main Content

• subject
• date
• userpic
• post contents
• meta data:
  • mood
  • music
  • other
• actions:
  • memory entry
  • share entry
  • track entry
  • permalink
  • read # comments
  • post comment
• spacers

Can you post a comment? Turn on custom comment pages. In post view, can you read the comments easily? Can you understand who is making each comment, and where it fits in the thread? If there are lots of nested comments, does the layout break?

5. Footer

Normally there are some skip links here. There might also be some journal credits or journal actions, like a search or an RSS subscription button.

Archive View Regions

tba

Subjects View Regions

tba

Tags View Regions

tba

I never use those views so I don't know them off the top of my head (I never use sidebars either, er, as may be obvious), but maybe that is helpful as a framework to add to.


DW default style (preview comment view) really collapses a LOT of list layouting! ERK!

Re: quick draft before bed

[foxfirefey]

This was a really awesome start to a good testing checklist! I hope you don't mind, I turned it into a wiki page to build on as a reference:

http://dw-styles.dreamwidth.org/16077.html?thread=315341#cmt315341

Re: quick draft before bed

[lim]

IDK where the wiki is *googles*

I also suggest, for ease of fixing idiosyncracies (I have wasted many hours trying to figure out Trident layout bugs somehow appearing in Gecko browsers because of inaccurate reporting!), that each tester reports their user agent. They don't need to read or understand the browser strings themselves, and it's much much less likely they'll give you the wrong info. IME it's vastly vastly quicker and simpler to say, like:

Reporting your findings

At the start of every comment, post, or email you write, include the user agent you tested with, so coders can identify browser specific problems. You can find this at whatsmyuseragent.com. You don't need to include your IP address.

--

And then add in the developer support section a quick "How to read a browser string", which is actually super simple. Could even just include a list of the big five.

Re: quick draft before bed

[ninetydegrees]

My apologies, Lim. I wanted to suggest you to create a Wiki page then I completely forgot.

Here's the Wiki article Fey's talking about: http://wiki.dwscoalition.org/notes/Testing_out_layout_submissions

You can log in to the Wiki using OpenID (your Dreamwidth journal for example) if you want to edit it.

Re: quick draft before bed

[ninetydegrees]

Thanks for doing that, Fey. I wanted to suggest Lim do that then I forgot because I'm lame that way. ;)

[matgb]

OK, for some reason I wasn't even subbed to Dreamscapes, am now, on my "check when you've got time to spare" filter, which means I'm more likely to respond to stuff when I've time.

So you need people to use the style in different browers, and report back on any problems, etc?

You'd also like people to learn how to convert styles into S2 layers and do that as well, right? I keep meaning to try to do that, never got around to it, now life's calming down a bit, will give it a go.

[ninetydegrees]

So you need people to use the style in different browers, and report back on any problems, etc?

Exactly.

You'd also like people to learn how to convert styles into S2 layers and do that as well, right? I keep meaning to try to do that, never got around to it, now life's calming down a bit, will give it a go.

Yes, themes are pretty easy to convert usually. The more people know how to do that, the quicker they go live and it leaves time for people who have more experience with S2 to work on layout conversions and other bugs. Also, it's fun! ;)

[kate_nepveu]

It would help if you'd recap what would be involved, please.

[ninetydegrees]

Thanks for the suggestion. I've edited the entry. I'm repeating what I've added for your convenience.

* We currently have four styles which need testing: http://dreamscapes.dreamwidth.org/tag/needs+testing
One of them, Strata, has a link to a preview. You can click on the link and navigate through the various pages to see if anything looks odd (boxes overlapping, text not displayed correctly, something odd with colors, etc.). Then comment to report what you've noticed or tp say that everything looks fine to you. It's always a good idea to mention which browser/resolution (and sometimes font size) you saw the layout in.
Otherwise you need to install the layout. I can explain if you're not familiar with this process.

* We routinely need people to test color themes. What's really important is to make sure text is always visible; it can happen that there isn't enough contrast to make it easily readable and it's ok to politely say that to the designer; it doesn't imply that you expect them to change their style. Some will, some won't.

[draigwen]

I could probably work on layout conversion in the future, although would need to refresh my memory. I want to get back into doing stuff for DW and this seems like a good, easy way in. But life's a tad hectic right now...

I can test on various browsers on Ubuntu (and maybe some in IE)... will see what I can do to help!