Re: Where can I download the Lua 5.1's manual?

[Niccolo Medici <niccolomedici@...>]

On 7/1/16, Niccolo Medici <niccolomedici@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 6/30/16, Luiz Henrique de Figueiredo <lhf@tecgraf.puc-rio.br> wrote:
>
>> I wonder what led you to download lua-5.1.tar.gz instead of
>> lua-5.1.5.tar.gz.
>
> It's very simple:
>
> - I went to the site.
> - I clicked "download".
> - I clicked "versions".
> - I scrolled down to the "Lua 5.1" header.
> - I clicked the "Lua 5.1" link at the beginning.
>
> [...] It's the internet, man, the internet. No one is
> reading on the internet. We're "scanning". The link
> said "Lua 5.1", so I clicked it. Why shouldn't I?

First, sorry about the bickering.

Now,

I have a suggestion for a little improvement to the "versions" page
that could solve the behavioral problem I described:

The following repeating formula:

   "[Lua 5.x] was released on ... "

Should be change to:

   "Lua 5.x was released on ... "

(That is, the link should be removed; except for Lua 3.1 and prior.)

Or, better, it should be changed to: "Lua 5.x.0 was released on ... ".
We're talking about a specific release, so "5.x.0" makes sense. It
also visually matches the text "Lua 5.x.n" that comes in the actual
link. The words "Lua 5.x.0" perhaps should be made bold; this will
*semantically* match the "Lua 5.x.n" link (and will also visually
balance them with the links for Lua 3.1 and prior).

Why remove these links?

(1) As I described earlier, users are liable to ignorantly click these links.

(2) Because... what's their purpose? If the user wants to wear the
archaeologist hat, why would he be interested in Lua 5.2.0 of all
versions and not, say, in 5.2.2? There's already a "Download area"
page with all the versions. By not providing a 5.2.0 link you force
archaeologists to go the the *correct* page for them.

If you're not convinced, I suggest you check the HTTP server's
statistic to see if people are more likely to land on the "versions"
page than on the "Download area" page. (I suspect this is the case
because the "download" page (not "Download area", which is another
page) has a prominent "versions" link at its top. So users looking for
earlier versions are more likely to land there.) If the "versions"
page is visited more you'd know it's the de-facto Download Area and
you don't want the masses making a mistake there.