WikiFur talk:WikiFur Central Version 2

Please comment below

Design Notes

These are just a few points to note about this design:

• Following the launch of this design, the Simple Version link will be displayed at the top. After a month or so I will move the link to the bottom of the page to tidy the design while still providing the functionality. The Simple page will link to the same templates so should not require additional effort to update.
• Almafeta Mentioned a featured Projects block. I have not forgotten this, however at the moment, no such projects exist. Following this pages launch I plan to renovate the Community Portal to be the root home for the planning of projects, once some are underway I will attempt to place a sutible block in to the front page.
• There are a number of red links on this page that link to what formerally were follow throughs to Wikipedia pages. Plus also there are a number of support links and history links for things such as tips, news and featured articles. These will be made ASAP post launch, I plan myself to use the Tip of the Day (though it is is more likely to be Tip of the Week) as a way of working on help files and linking people to them.
• The new layout of the Expand/Wanted/New blocks means people are always encoraged to refill them fully with 8 items.
• The Index link replaces the All Pages link in the special section, I will be importing this Wikipedia Page to perform the functionality. Also, a link to Special pages its self is removed, but then it is always on the toolbox. Likewise I have removed the Statistics link as you can click on the number in the top title for that. I've added a link to the Stats Record and All Images pages.

Comments

Three thoughts

Thought one: Now that we've got a corpus of 1000 articles to work with, how about a 'collaboration of the week' section for the front page? A collaboration could be a problem (such as stub pages, or pages that are wanted) that should be addressed, or a category (Category:Artists, Category:Animators, Category:Roleplaying games) that could use more topical articles and more coverage (and perhaps in-depth subpages) of articles that already exist.

Thought two: I'd rather that Wikifur's opening look much less like Wikipedia's.

Thought three: Could we keep a version of the 'special' bar somewhere on the front page? I use that bar a lot (I'd say 1/3rd of my views on Wikifur are to the front page, just to get to that special bar), and I'd like to keep some plain-text, organized version of it (Special:Specialpages isn't in plain text, and isn't alphabetized). Almafeta 17:54, 29 Aug 2005 (UTC)

I reply! :D --Nidonocu - talk 00:01, 30 Aug 2005 (UTC)

1. Good idea, I'll see if I can squeeze it in. o.O
2. Matter of taste, ;) I quite like WP's little bar thing, nicer than our current category listing, plus it will feature a link to an index. Plus I'm keeping our more nicely coloured boxes.
3. I'll place the links that were on special above news in a little bit of their own, see how it looks in a bit.

GreenReaper's musings

1. I, too, do not want WikiFur to look like a clone of Wikipedia. It is enough (indeed, probably too much) that the functional areas are like it, we don't need the front page. Having said that, it is well worth checking out Wikipedia's community portal and main page to tehnically see how they've done what they've done.
2. Please do not use boxes with tables for lists - look at them now, they're using twice the space to display less information! Bars (or just boxes filled with simple links separated with "-" or something similar), or actual vertical lists work a lot better than tables for this. Tables are not good with small amounts of text, because you get a large amount of wasted space no matter what resolution you're at; some links are simply longer than others, and you can never get a good fit.
3. We need a redesigned community portal, too! Possibly some of the stuff trying to fit on here (particularly some editing stuff) could go on there instead? Current Discussions comes to mind, as that is aimed at Wikifurries, as does the Join in text (which could be linked to there, or to a page talking specifically about how to join in).
4. Having some kind of news somewhere, as done, is a good idea. Perhaps this could be to one side, with a picture at the right or something? Or a bannerr? Not sure.

--GreenReaper^(talk) 03:55, 30 Aug 2005 (UTC)

Hmm.. I understand your views. I'm wondering if it would be better then if I simplified the Central page perhaps? Made it for readers more than editors. With some brief info of course about editing and forwarding to Help or Comm Portal. Community Portal would then become the home to all editing functions on this page, such as Article Adverts (Expand, Wanted, New) and Top Special Pages. New I think could also be duplicated but be expanded like WP's. So you have a new article and a fact from that article (Did you know?). I'll also see if I can come up with a different design for the Category listing and top heading if you'd not like WP's look there. I do however dislike our current category list as it only lists subcategories of two of our major top categories. Species, Tech and Characters are missing. Of course if I go this route I'll need to co-develop Community Portal at the same time so we don't lose functionality when we roll over to the new designs. --Nidonocu - talk 03:03, 31 Aug 2005 (UTC)

We should optimise the front page for readers, although I think that the New and possibly some of the Special lines should stay on there, so people can come along to see some of the latest articles and view (eg) popular and longest pages. I don't like the existing category display either. --GreenReaper^(talk) 03:28, 31 Aug 2005 (UTC)

Planning for redesign

Following the comments to my first attempt at a redesign, I'm listing up the sections that I feel should remain on Central and which should move to and be added to Community Portal.

WikiFur Central - Readers and First Time Users Opening website introduction Brief Information on the site (article count, what is a wiki, what are we, links in paragraph to correct areas for more detail) Category Listing, including some sub categories, but all six major categories listed in 'Version 2' Feature Article - Along with links to past featured articles and what makes a featured article Did you Know? - List of small facts picked from medium size articles News About the Wiki - Links to past news too Reduced list of Special Links, eg, Popular and Index New pages will remain Announcements as when needed, otherwise section collapses to nothing

Community Portal - Editors Information with what the Community Portal is and what you can do and access here News, shared with WikiFur Central More detailed information on editing, joining up and making an account, links to further pages where needed Tips, Tip of the Day, help links Wanted, Stubs and New (shared) article lists Full Special List as seen in 'Version 2' Collaborations (working title), for such things as: Article Drives, getting people to make major improvements and research one article that needs attention Projects and Groups, people getting together to perform a particular function on the wiki. Like formatting all articles in a category or cleaning up all typos. Polices - Links to major ones, ongoing policies under construction Discussions - List of major discussions going on in talk pages, such as the one happening right now in talk:Babyfur. Link to Village Pump like discussion area.

Splitting up these sections should help fix problems such as page overcrowding on Central (though the portal now will need to be designed to hold a lot of sections but display well, without resorting to a simple version).

Again, a number of 'support' pages will be needed soon after these pages launch. Its generally 'wiki' though to make your red link then write the page, so having the support pages for launch shouldn't be required.

Also, I feel we should have a unique name for our portal and pump as it seems traditional with Wiki's. Then we could also have a bit of fun with themeing the areas around this. The articles can of course remain official looking, but the WikiFur: namespace should be a little more 'relaxed' I feel. Should we hold a vote and suggestion page/LJ post about this?

Comments as always, very welcome and wanted. --Nidonocu - talk 04:26, 6 Sep 2005 (UTC)