562297 - Support multiple start/what's new tabs according to context of starting Thunderbird

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(www.mozilla.org Graveyard :: Thunderbird, defect)

Description

[Mark Banner (:standard8)]

I discussed this with David over irc. We should redo our start page and what's new page system to better serve our users according to the installation or update they have just done.

Currently we have:

- What's new tab, same version shown for major and minor updates. Not shown on initial installation.
-- This can also be accessed via Help -> What's New.
- Start page, shown once per session. We support two different urls - one for initial installation and one for normal sessions. However the page is the same in both instances.
-- The normal session url can be changed and can be accessed via Go -> Mail Start Page.

The initial proposal would be to rework this so that we obtain the following:

- What's New page for Major Updates (tab)
-- Obviously just shown for major updates. Includes highlights of changes, where to get support with upgrading etc.
- What's New page for Minor Updates (tab)
-- The focus here would be that the user has just updated for a stability & security release with links to more info. We can also use the space to advertise extensions, personas?, surveys etc.
- First Run page for initial installations (tab)
-- Here we need to focus on getting the user going, where they can get help etc.
- Start page
-- This could retain the existing format with pointers to support, general information and we can also use it to echo some announcements from the what's new page.

I would also propose that we fix Thunderbird so that Help -> What's New goes to the last page that the user would have seen, e.g. Major/Minor update or new installation.

Possible blockers to fixing this:

- Support within Thunderbird. Easy to do once we agree the basics.
- Support for the urls on the website. Again easy to do.
- Initial content for the pages.
- Support for L10n. We need to do something better for L10n.
-- Filing a set of bugs and getting them to update svn feels slow and not dynamic. We also rely on a set of people to push the change through.
-- What I think we need to do is to have a system where we have a web based interface for l10n (e.g. like I think they use on amo), and where we can push changes to all locales or subsets thereof and have them appear once the locale has completed the changes. This is probably a separate discussion to work out the details, but I think its necessary to mention here as IMO we'll want it to get this system to work.

Comments and suggestions welcome. Once people have had time to chime in I can look at getting bugs blocking this one set up for the specifics.

Comment 1

[Charles]

I'd like to just see the changelog (changelog summary ok too), in context for the update, ie:

If the update was to 3.1.x from TB2.0.x, show basically what is showing now.

Although, to be really effective, the major update from TB2 should go through the profile migration stuff first, *then* present the user with the 'Whats New' tab, otherwise it can easily get lost in the flurry... or maybe just a checkbox to 'don't show this again' on the Whats New page, so it shows at startup until the user checks the box - this would make sure the user gets a chance to really read it in case they get frustrated or confused and just close it without thinking right after the update.

If it is a minor update - say 3.1 to 3.1.1 - just show the changelog for the changes from 3.1 to 3.1.1...

Dunno how hard this would be though...

Comment 2

[Mark Banner (:standard8)]

I think this is a wontfix at the current time. Bug 690316 improved the minor versus major situation, and at the moment we're happy with just the one start page.