We now have better, user-friendlier display for apps and libraries and scripts:
http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2011/02/stack-exchange-api-1-1-and-improved-app-gallery/
We infer a number of things about the app or library, but we also offer the following overrides for tweaking the listing to get it "just right":
<!-- thumbnail: http://example.com/thumb.png -->
<!-- tag: iphone -->
<!-- version: 1.0 -->
<!-- excerpt: This text will appear in the listing -->
However, since the thumbnails are featured prominently on the home page, it's important that they be properly chosen, particularly for applications and scripts (not so much for libraries). We want app thumbnails to have the following characteristics:
- Be cropped down to a reasonably small size, so they are legible at ~144 x 119 res.
- Show the user a hint of what the application will do.
- Don't show a generic icon or logo, unless the generic logo communicates what the application does in a meaningful way.
(none of this really applies to libraries, though I think libraries would do well to include some visual cues to indicate of what platform / language they are for.)
Because thumbnails appear on the home page for all visitors, we want them to be exemplary -- and we reserve the right to exert editorial control over app thumbnails as necessary, to make sure that visitors to Stack Apps have a clear idea of what the applications are and do.
