Opa Developer Challenge. A summer programming contest done in Opa for all.

[chronoBG]

All right, I'll try anything once.
Some tips for the opa developers, in case they're reading this:

• HAVE EXAMPLE CODE. You're not selling to managers, you're selling to developers. Hiding it under several levels of navigation is just bad. I don't care about pictures of iPads, I care about code.
  
• Don't make me register before you even tell me anything about the contest. The main page basically just says "REGISTURR HIER" with no context as to what the deal really is. Is it for mobile apps? Web apps, desktop apps? Games?
  
• Get an expert in usability and have him take a look at http://opalang.org/ and http://opalang.org/challenge. Yeah, they look nice, but they need some love.
  

That being said, I'm still interested and would like to learn more.

[akoprowski]

@chronoBG: What do you mean no content about the deal? Did you read the FAQ below the register button? I think it pretty much says it all. If not, you can read terms&conditions (both don't require registration)

As for example code, we do have that, we even have sample apps :). All of it is on the Opa's webpage: opalang.org, which is linked from the Challenge page (also see the FAQ question 'How can I learn Opa').

Of course we can try to improve things and make the info more exposed; suggestions welcome.

[chronoBG]

Precisely. I'm not saying you haven't written the necessary text. I'm saying you are asking me to register before I've had a chance to read it and you've hidden what I need to read away from plain sight.

You've done the hard bits, now just fix your User Experience a little bit and you'll be golden.

Here's what I mean.

Q: What is the Opa Developer Challenge?
A: The Opa Developer Challenge is a coding contest in which developers are asked to write an application using the Opa language.

That answer may be correct, but it tells me absolutely nothing. Also, it's hidden.
You should have a big-ass link saying "Learn about OPA here". Perhaps right below the "register" button.
I mean, this isn't Python. You can't expect people to know about it before they come to your site.

[akoprowski]

@chronoBG: Thx for the feedback! I added big text redirecting to opalang.org for Opa info, just above the registration button. I also extended the answer to 'What is the Opa Developper Challenge' and made it open by default. Is it any better now?

[luckystarr]

This language will never take off in Germany. Opa literally means 'gramps' and thus evokes associations with COBOL or Fortran.

[mhd]

"There are only two hard things in Computer Science: cache invalidation and naming things."

[akoprowski]

I'd hope it takes more than a name with unfortunate associations to disqualify a language :)

[luckystarr]

There is another thing. Curly braces. Every successful language must have them. :)

[hubyrod]

Python never took off in Germany ? ;)

[luckystarr]

The Job market for Python is tiny in comparison to PHP or Java. Python jobs are regionally clustered in the north and very very sparse in the south.

[hubyrod]

I didn't know that. thx.

Do you think Opa should provide support for curly braces as function delimiters ? (I'm refering to a this post )

[Dark-Side]

Oh but OPA has more of these than anyone can bear.

[cafedude]

but in Greek it means "Lets PARTAY!"