Current state of the website is not the best. It looks obsolete. Images are pixelated in most instances. And even if they were not pixelated, they would still be archaic, because they are basically windows xp era icons.
Second problem: website is badly structured. Too many unnecessary pieces if you ask me. Also the website does not make the organization clear.
Also the name kicksecure is just too long. And also, having a .com domain makes the wrong impression.
Suggestion:
Modernize images
Too many images also tbh, you don’t need to declare thunderbird and vlc are default on the homepage. Also the thunderbird logo is more than a year old. Anyway
Modernize logo (simplify)
Consider using kicksec instead of kicksecure
Write a manifesto where you declare the principles (can draft one if you like)
Write policies and stuff clearly
Lay down a structure. What is kicksecure? I don’t know some random set of repos and a website. Make it more organized and organizaiton like. Make it possible to become members. Levels of memebership I don’t know something. Make the impression that you are organized (and also be organized).
Consider posting regular blogs or whatever, keep in touch with the peasants
Where is the sauce? What if I have a pull for the website? Consider making it public or making it easier to find out
Have a voting and proposal mechanisms based on members
Declare principles and whatnot like other free software projects (clearly)
What is kicksecure? If the answer is something other than “whonix without tor”, than the website gives the wrong impression. 450 links and sections for virtualbox and kvm and stuff. Wow, is this a virtual only os? Well I guess, no one ever has this kind of stuff on the front page.
So I suggest: No vm stuff ever. One link and one download to rule them all, a live installation image. For this another post is coming.
Current state of the website is not the best. It looks obsolete.
Images are pixelated in most instances.
I butchered many old images in the past by mistake. Was using MAT2 to
remove Metadata not because it matters but as part of size optimization
which reduces load time and traffic. Didn’t notice that it lossy
conversion instead of lossless.
Since the images folder on the server is git version controlled, many
images are still available in their original unprocessed version. One
day I might get to manage a script to restore them from git and then
re-apply lossless optimizations.
And even if they were not pixelated, they would still be archaic, because they are basically windows xp era icons.
Second problem: website is badly structured. Too many unnecessary pieces if you ask me. Also the website does not make the organization clear.
Also the name kicksecure is just too long.
Microsoft
Kicksecure
It’s just 1 letter more.
Project name discussion happened here in the past:
Renaming would be a huge effort. So it would need to be super worthwhile
for this change to be worthwhile.
There’s a number of criteria / checklist (which I don’t remember where
documented, notes) for project name selection. So if needed, would need
to be re-invented. Among these:
Not easily auto completed to unrealted search results.
Globally unique (or almost unique at least), not yet found in search
results of major search engines, video platforms.
Domain names with the same name and social media accounts (mostly)
available.
And also, having a .com domain makes the wrong impression.
.com is the most popular domain. Biggest websites are mostly .com. It’s
the mobile phones offer as special button to type .com with 1 tap on the
touchscreen.
Suggestion:
Modernize images
Too many images also tbh, you don’t need to declare thunderbird and vlc are default on the homepage. Also the thunderbird logo is more than a year old. Anyway
Modernize logo (simplify)
Consider using kicksec instead of kicksecure
kicksec that ends with letter c is just 1 letter away from x.
We had a similar issue with your YouTube channel PrettyGoodSec and it
was letter x what local spell checkers and online search suggestions
such as by Google or YouTube.
Now using full name PrettyGoodSecurity to avoid that issue.
Write a manifesto where you declare the principles (can draft one if you like)
Write policies and stuff clearly
Don’t we have policies and explanations on most conceivable topics in
the wiki already? Please let me know what’s missing and let’s see.
Lay down a structure. What is kicksecure?
I don’t know some random set of repos and a website.
Basically that. Major things include contributors, source code, website,
wiki, forums, APT repository, downloads, above link.
Make the impression that you are organized (and also be organized).
Consider posting regular blogs or whatever, keep in touch with the peasants
This is where I am currently cutting corners.
Make it more organized and organizaiton like.
Can mean many things. Maybe covered below, not sure.
Where is the sauce? What if I have a pull for the website? Consider making it public or making it easier to find out
Editing the wiki (that is all except the homepage) is quite simple:
Editing the homepage is a bit harder. Documented just now:
Make it possible to become members. Levels of memebership I don’t
know something.
I don’t know either. Dunno what that would entail. Best discussed in
separate forum thread.
That’s quite a task to invent such a system. What the requirements are
to become a member, etc. One would need to compare how others where this
(somewhat) works is done such as in Debian.
The membership, free, paid or both. Privileges and responsibilities. In
Debian, becoming a Debian Developer is free of any membership charge but
requires a lot contributions to Debian, a proposer to be eligible.
Privileges includes the ability to upload packages for which they are
maintainer or NMU (non-maintainer upload) any other packages, subject to
the rules in the Debian policy.
It would be a gigantic effort to study, understand, fork Debian’s
structure. That includes Debian constitution, DSFG, Debian policy and
probably much more.
Doesn’t necessarily need to be Debian but seems a good starting point as
Debian survived for decades and I am already knowledgeable about a lot
bits and pieces of above mentioned.
Not useful to say “do it like OpenSUSE” or “do it like RedHat” as these
have sponsors and/or investors / capital / full-time employees and
whatnot. That’s not easily replicated. Something like Debian or Arch
Linux easier to replicate as these are apparently community projects
based on volunteers.
Instead I finally wrote up an alternative idea:
Have a voting and proposal mechanisms based on members
Proposals (usually called feature requests) are frequently arriving.
Voting is… Quite harder… If too loosely defined, people could vote
on the nicest but most unrealistic things. Votes what other people
should work on. Most likely wouldn’t happen and be meaningless.
In Debian votes are more useful as it involves decisions on things which
are very realistic to implement where Debian Developers are already
committed of doing the necessary work but need to get a controversial
decision done in cases where the whole project is affected. That is just
my short summary and interpretation.
Declare principles and whatnot like other free software projects (clearly)
What is kicksecure?
On the homepage is “Learn What Is Kicksecure?” which links here:
If the answer is something other than “whonix without tor”,
That phrase I’d avoid at all cost since that would be super confusing.
than the website gives the wrong impression. 450 links and sections for virtualbox and kvm and stuff. Wow, is this a virtual only os? Well I guess, no one ever has this kind of stuff on the front page.
The VM stuff can be reduced, more hidden, once an ISO is available.
Meanwhile homepage says:
“Pre-release - Try it for FREE
Kicksecure is still in development and contributions are welcome.”