CPAN is Unusable
Lightning talk 2002 June 27 by
David W. Crawford.
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A typical user experience with CPAN deters module use.
8.
This page does not contain the words
download or install or manual or example(s).
There are no conspicuous examples on line to remind
the user what this module can do, or to show how
simple it is use.
The available text is this FOADish boilerplate:
general tools are in the examples top directory. RSS examples are
located in their respective version directories along with any
specific scripts for that version. !
|
Docs available only if you download and install the module
do not help you do decide which module to get.
In the left pane there are links to a 'FAQ' and a 'home'.
But these links are in a separate pane from the module info,
and are under a 'Programming Republic of Perl' logo.
From the screenshot below, can you tell if this FAQ link leads to:
- Programming Republic of Perl FAQ ?
- Perl FAQ ?
- CPAN FAQ ?
- Searching CPAN FAQ ?
- Perl modules, finding, choosing, installing, and using FAQ ?
- An XML-RSS FAQ ?
- An XML-RSS module FAQ ?
Screenshot 2002 June
Note: During the live talk at YAPC, I misspoke, saying
'FAQ does not appear on this page',
which of course should have been,
'FAQ does not appear on this [right hand side, module info] pane'.
At least the hecklers were amused.
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