We’ve just started rolling out a new improved version of the JotSpot Wiki. Instead of looking like this…
…JotSpot Wikis now look like this:
Aside from looking a lot better (JotSpot css hacker Diane Soini affectionately labeled our old design “the Blue Tabs of Death”) the new interface is a lot easier to navigate. The sidebar in particular is a big upgrade: instead of static content, you’ve got your own list of favorite pages, plus recent changes. It’s really easy to add a page to your Favorites:
Screencast geeks: that’s an animated gif made with Byzanz on Linux.
We’ve also added some dojo-powered ajax goodness around the UI. For example, you can add comments and upload attachments without leaving the page (click the link for another mini screencast).
We’re currently serving up the redesign to new accounts. Existing customers will be updated soon (we’re doing additional testing to make sure we don’t step on the toes of people who have customized the old interface). It’s been fun to work on making our wiki better, and I can tell you that there we have lots more cool features in the the pipeline. Watch for more in the coming weeks.
This is a HUGE improvement! The new look is fantastic. Very slick.
I can say this after working with the jotspot wiki with a group to two dozen users with heavy daily use of wiki pages and blogs.
I’m glad to see that you’re adding new “without leaving the page” functionality. That will definitely help productivity. I think the favorite pages will be a great help. Previously I had to remember the trail of pages, or go to the page index. Going to the page index or recently changed pages is all right when its a small wiki and not updated frequently. When the number of pages increases, and the changes are more widespread and frequent I think the favorite pages will be a much more efficient way of getting to the pages you need.
I noticed this when I visited the dojo wiki a day or two ago. That was my biggest gripe with Jot (well that and the fact that I can’t on the platform). The software is fantastic but the aesthetics leave a bit to be desired.
[...] Abe Fettig announced a new improved JotSpot Wiki which features new ajax components. [...]
[...] Second, we just released a major redesign of our core wiki product. Abe talks a bit about it on his blog — you can create your own wiki and try it out. It is a great step forward and it bakes in a lot of the feedback we have gotten since we first released the wiki. [...]