Styles and Design Development Poll

[foxfirefey]

A while ago, denise posted a poll to dw_dev to try and improve the process of development. Although there is some overlap between development and styles or design, there's a lot of differences, too, and I think we should have a poll that caters to helping the community around styles and design grow and flourish. You can fill out this poll if you're interested in styles or design on Dreamwidth, where you've done anything with them or not. We know there's a lot that we can work on and improve--this poll will try to give us a baseline to compare against later!

If you've got any further feedback you'd like to provide about styles or design, or if you want to clarify your answers in any way, you can comment here, or privately message me or afuna.

A little note on terminology: Dreamwidth doesn't have S1, which is LiveJournal's old style system where editing was done on HTML with variables. It does, however, have two versions of S2. Core1 is close to the version of S2 found on LiveJournal. Core2 is the revamped version of S2, developed for consistent CSS classes across styles and built in modules.

There are some scale questions in this poll; 1 means you strongly disagree with the statement given, and 5 means you strongly agree. 0 means it doesn't apply. You can also just skip over any questions you don't feel are relevant to you!

Poll #858 Styles and Design Development Poll

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 138

View Respondents

Your design-related history with Dreamwidth so far (check all that apply):

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I've contributed a style to be included on the site, whether it's up yet or not.
5 (8.3%)

I've contributed a site scheme, whether it's available as a choice on Dreamwidth or not.
3 (5.0%)

I've converted a style into S2 Core2.
8 (13.3%)

I've answered styles related Support requests.
5 (8.3%)

I've assisted someone with their style outside support.
31 (51.7%)

I've shared a style with a design community for others to use.
6 (10.0%)

I've contributed a mood theme to be included on the site.
0 (0.0%)

I've done development on styles related code, such as core2.s2 or S2.pm.
10 (16.7%)

I've made my own custom style for my journal.
40 (66.7%)

I've worked on styles related documentation.
8 (13.3%)

I am interested in doing the following (check all that apply):

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Designing official styles.
28 (38.9%)

Converting submitted styles into full fledged S2 themes.
11 (15.3%)

Creating alternative color schemes.
44 (61.1%)

Designing graphics for styles.
28 (38.9%)

Creating official mood themes.
13 (18.1%)

Styles development--coding new modules and S2 capabilities.
9 (12.5%)

Assisting others with their styles, in Support or communities like style_system.
25 (34.7%)

Mentoring other styles volunteers.
6 (8.3%)

Working on styles documentation.
18 (25.0%)

What is your familiarity with the S2 system?

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I don't know anything or almost nothing about it.
57 (42.2%)

I know a little--enough to set variables, copy paste instructions, and manage styles and layers in the advanced customizaton area.
58 (43.0%)

I'm comfortable enough to write my own override functions.
15 (11.1%)

I'm very familiar with the S2 language.
5 (3.7%)

How experienced are you with CSS?

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Extremely familiar with CSS (can make layouts from scratch, use advanced techniques)
23 (16.8%)

Moderately familiar with CSS (can make layout tweaks and rearrangements)
54 (39.4%)

Vaguely familiar with CSS (can do simple changes, ie link and font colors, borders)
33 (24.1%)

Not very familiar with CSS (have never done anything)
27 (19.7%)

How experienced are you with graphic design?

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Not at all -- I can only use images I find.
7 (5.1%)

A little -- I can crop/resize images, add text
17 (12.4%)

Moderately -- I can do some image tweaking, color effects
57 (41.6%)

Very -- I can dramatically change existing images, do simple designs of my own
45 (32.8%)

Extremely -- I can do advanced digital art from scratch
11 (8.0%)

What is your current experience with web design? (check all that apply)

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I've made designs for LJ styles (S2 Core1).
40 (45.5%)

I've made designs for LJ styles (S1).
33 (37.5%)

I've made designs for DW styles.
22 (25.0%)

I've made designs for other blogging systems.
31 (35.2%)

I've made designs for non-blogging websites.
75 (85.2%)

Which of the following would help you most to contribute DW system styles?

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Better documentation of the submission requirements and process.
3 (2.7%)

Better documentation of Dreamwidth's style CSS.
28 (25.0%)

Better documentation of Dreamwidth's S2.
21 (18.8%)

Better tools for developing styles, like the_style_kit
24 (21.4%)

Communities geared for discussion and assistance
36 (32.1%)

I feel like the process and requirements for contributing styles is well-documented, where 5 is strongly agree, 1 is strongly disagree, and 0 is N/A.

View Answers
Mean: 1.49 Median: 0 Std. Dev 1.69

0		61 (51.7%)
1		3 (2.5%)
2		11 (9.3%)
3		26 (22.0%)
4		12 (10.2%)
5		5 (4.2%)

I feel like designing for Dreamwidth is a rewarding use of my time, where 5 is strongly agree, 1 is strongly disagree, and 0 is N/A.

View Answers
Mean: 2.45 Median: 3 Std. Dev 1.89

0		39 (32.2%)
1		3 (2.5%)
2		7 (5.8%)
3		24 (19.8%)
4		32 (26.4%)
5		16 (13.2%)

I feel like the Styles department in Support answers my Styles questions in a satisfactory way, where 5 is strongly agree, 1 is strongly disagree, and 0 is N/A.

View Answers
Mean: 0.64 Median: 0 Std. Dev 1.45

0		97 (82.2%)
1		0 (0.0%)
2		5 (4.2%)
3		5 (4.2%)
4		5 (4.2%)
5		6 (5.1%)

If I have styles questions, I know where I can go for assistance, where 5 is strongly agree, 1 is strongly disagree, and 0 is N/A.

View Answers
Mean: 2.66 Median: 3 Std. Dev 1.57

0		15 (12.3%)
1		17 (13.9%)
2		20 (16.4%)
3		30 (24.6%)
4		23 (18.9%)
5		17 (13.9%)

I have a good understanding of the changes in the style system compared to LiveJournal, where 5 is strongly agree, 1 is strongly disagree, and 0 is N/A.

View Answers
Mean: 1.78 Median: 2 Std. Dev 1.46

0		30 (23.6%)
1		31 (24.4%)
2		27 (21.3%)
3		22 (17.3%)
4		10 (7.9%)
5		7 (5.5%)

Comments

[lapistablet]

As it turns out, I mentioned this to my ubernerd partner, who said "Perl? Perl? Oooh! What's all this?" and I said S2 and sent him the links you gave me above, and the next thing I knew he'd downloaded the entire DW codebase and was busy chucking chunks of it about and calling S2 an "enormous ghastly horrible thing". So I think I may have someone on hand who can do the necessary at this end! (And yes, I have suggested that if he gets too into it he should sign up and request a sandbox...)

When I do have any updated docs, what should I do with them? Park them on the wiki somewhere, or is there a specific docs process?

[foxfirefey]

I actually recommend using the wiki wholesale! It makes it very easy to do incremental edits, and other people can see the progress and help out if they have anything to add. Put all the pages in a category and make a table of contents page and you should be good to go.

And yes, much of the codebase is an enormous ghastly horrible thing! If he has any questions, dw_dev is a good place to go. If anybody needs wiki help, dw_wiki is a good place to go.

[foxfirefey]

It looks like we do have a little bit on the wiki already:

S2 properties and S2 functions and core2 functions. There is an S2 category ready for the filling.