Website to promote Mint as well as Linux's basic features

[RedWagon]

One problem I have noticed with Linux distro promotions is that they most always assume the user knows what Linux. I recently got a friend to try Linux and almost forgot to explain to him what a package manager or the repos are because I'm so used to it, but when he did find out about it he was blown away by the amount of good, free software so easily available and updated. I was going to pull up a list of Linux Mints features and say we should also include this and this, etc. but I couldn't even find that.
I think we need a new website not to replace this one, but to work as a "store front" for promoting Linux Mint. Something similar to this:

http://www.verdow.com/

This is a website I hand-coded for a final in an intro web-design class. It has some issues (use Opera if possible) and was written about Linux in general, but the general idea behind it is exactly what I'm thinking we need.

I was looking at the other thread for promo banners and then I started looking at the website we have now and I realised, we have nothing good to link to. The website we have now is good for us who already know and use Linux Mint, but if someone sees a banner somewhere and clicks on it out of curiosity and comes to this site, they're not going to have any clue what Linux Mint is.

I have lots of other promotional ideas, but right now I think this needs to be done before anything else. I also know you guys (the official Mint people) are probably pretty busy and creating an additional website would be a lot of work, but think that if this is left completely up to the community with no clear leadership it might never get done, or get done very poorly from lack of a clear or common vision. Consequently, I would like to be put in charge of creating and maintaining this new website.

I had been looking for a way to get more involved and just recently started by subscribing to the Newbie Questions thread and answering as many questions as I could. I also did a few panels on Linux at a gaming convention earlier this year, but have yet to be officially involved in the community.
I am not a professional web developer, but I have a good eye, I can write clean html/css code, and I have the vision and drive. This sort of site is static, within my capabilities and is something I'd like to take on. I recently created a website for the photography studio I work at that you can see here (I did use a template though): http://www.lakeviewphoto.com
I have a very clean and simple design philosophy that I think fits Linux Mint very well. Now I'm not planning on creating the whole website by myself and I will be asking for ideas and help from the community, but I do think we need at least one person in charge who has a final say so that this thing gets completed in a timely manner.

Let me know what you think. If you think I'm insane and this idea is stupid, you can tell me that too.

EDIT: If anyone from the Linux Mint team would like to speak to me directly, send me a PM and I can give you my phone number.

[emorrp1]

I like the idea, something like http://www.ubuntu.com/products/whatisub ... 4features/ perhaps?

[RedWagon]

Yes, I started on a mockup but got interrupted by moving to a new place (hence the lack of posts the last few days) but will post the mockup and outline as soon as they are done.

[professorsnapper]

Yes, I started on a mockup but got interrupted by moving to a new place (hence the lack of posts the last few days) but will post the mockup and outline as soon as they are done.

RedWagon, I think this is a great post (perhaps I think this because you seem to view things in a similar way to me).

Many of the ideas you mention are things I've been considering myself, and have commented on elsewhere on the forum, such as the view that the LM homepage currently caters best for those who already know what Mint (or at least Linux) actually is. I hope that Clem / Husse / etc actually pick up on this - it's a crucial point when considering promoting LM to a MUCH wider audience than existing Linux afficionados.

I saw your "Linux for the masses" website, and think it's an excellent start. In beginning to rustle up a team of people to promote LM via videos/screencasts etc, some of the points you make and the angle you've taken are very much in line with some of the things I have in mind for the videos. So please check out the threads on videos under this promotion subforum, and post on the video/screencast thread or PM me if you're interested. In any event, we might get value from ensuring a line of communication between the website project you're proposing, and the video one - there's HEAPS of overlap there IMO.

Here's to your good work!
Snapper.

PS: Your photography website got me thinking - in conjunction with the website project you're proposing, maybe there's a call for some professional photography of people & computers etc (not necessarily always together) for the site? might be an idea to begin a thread under the promotion subforum, putting up a callout for photographers who can produce professional-quality images to suit...

[professorsnapper]

RedWagon,

I found this newbie-friendly "welcome to Linux / FOSS" site recently, & thought you (& others) may like to make a look:

http://makethemove.net/

While it's promoting Linux in a generic sense, it does a great job of explaining Linux in an easy-to-understand way, & IMO ticks many of the boxes that you mentioned in this thread. I especially like his "gently, gently" approach, suggesting that even if a person isn't yet ready to take the plunge with installing linux, they can familiarise themselves with FOSS apps on other platforms in the meantime... niiiice.

Perhaps a mintified version of the "Make The Move" website (with a nod to it's creator?) might be an idea?

Even better, maybe Clem could incorporate such a thing into the official LM website - imagine how much clearer that would make things for those who don't even know what Linux really is yet...

Snapper.