What makes a good website for an open source project?

Question

(I'd like to apologize because this IS a somewhat subjective question, but it's one that I'd like to get some ideas on.)

So, an open source project I'm working on is working on redesigning its website. This kind of got me thinking: what exactly is it that people look for in an open source web site? So I'm asking that question to you guys:

1. If you're looking for an open-source tool to do something, what do you look for on a candidate's website?
2. Possibly more importantly, what do you expect NOT to see on its website?
3. What are some examples of good open source websites that deliver the things you want in number 1 and don't deliver the things in number 2?

One other thing to note: Since there's no "right" answer to this, I'm a bit hesitant to accept a single answer. But I'd also like to reward the person that I feel gives the best answer. Thus, I'd like to note that the answer that I choose as "correct" won't necessarily be the correct answer.

Answer 1

The biggest thing for me is simple, clear design. SQLite is a good example of this.

Make it easy for people to download your software, and clearly describe the intended usage.

Answer 2

The support forums are really key. Maybe a member directory showcasing successes with the open source project.

Examples:

http://www.dotnetnuke.com

http://www.joomla.org

Answer 3

For me, the tool doesn't have to be open source. If I'm looking for a piece of software to do something, then I will consider commercial and open source applications. But the main things I look for on a website are:

1. Screenshots

Perhaps the most important thing for me is to see how a program looks before I know everything it does. If the user interface is clear and helps me accomplish the task in hand, then it's likely that I'll give the program a try. If a website has no screenshots then I'm a lot less likely to download, given that there is a lot of malware on the Internet.

If it's a game, then presentation is just as important, if not more so. If a game looks good by the screenshots, it'll almost certainly be downloaded.

2. Feature list

Even if it's only a couple of paragraphs on the main page, I like to see an application's main features. Not an exhaustive list of what the developer thought was cool, but half a dozen or so key selling points.

3. Recent news entries

One of the key things is to have a website that is updated regularly. Software invariably has bugs and or missing features, and it's discouraging to see a website that's 3 years old and has only had a handful of minor fixes. Even if nothing has been done to the software, it is nice to have developer reports of why that is, rather than the occasional update every year.

4. Support Forums

An active community is a great advertisement for any piece of software. If there's a large userbase behind your project then it's easier to see the feedback, bugs, and features that will be added in future releases.

5. Documentation

One of the elements that is missing from many projects is documentation. Yes, you know what your program does, but do your users? No. When I've downloaded the program I need to know how to use it! Documentation is no good when it's out of date, so it needs to be updated regularly.

---

OpenTTD.org is a great example of how it's done. There's a large, active community, documentation (wiki), screenshots, and a news page. You can even donate to them if you like (I don't consider this an essential part of a website - but it is an important one nonetheless). Also, it's a great game that's come a long way, and new releases are regular.

Answer 4

All of the above are important factors for a project website, where you could replace forum by mailing lists or and IRC channel or a decent wiki.

However, what I find important is:

1. Frequent updates: keep your users informed about progress, let them know the project is still alive.
2. Make it look professional: Don't make the site look like it was made before 2000 by some kid who just learned that there is this cool <marquee> tag that makes things move. Make your site look professional.

Answer 5

Screencasts always get my attention. Plugins and an active community,in general, maintain it.

Answer 6

What is it for? / What does it do?

If a project's homepage doesn't answer those questions I get very frustrated. It's amazing how many projects fail to do that.

(I know I've read something recently that said the above but I can't remember where. An upvote to whoever posts a link.)

Beyond that the changelog should be easy to find, (preferably a prominent link on your front page), because when upgrading to a new version I like to know what to expect. It's also useful when deciding whether to use a new tool or when picking amongst tools that serve a similar function to look at the changelog to see how recent the latest release is and how often it is updates. (Note that I couldn't find a changelog for the earlier suggestion of OpenTTD.org after a couple of minutes searching the site, which is about my limit.)

I would also expect a feature list and screenshots, and a link to a forum and/or bug database.

An example of what I think is a good front page for an open source project would be winmerge.org