Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Userboxes/Archive 4

An end to the War?
May Userbox policy poll has been created, and may well be the end of the Userbox War - • The Giant Puffin •  12:45, 23 May 2006 (UTC)


 * The May Userbox policy poll has been ratified as an official policy on the English Wikipedia. Rfrisbietalk 20:18, 29 May 2006 (UTC)
 * Apparently, I didn't count to ten, check the history for details. Rfrisbietalk 20:32, 29 May 2006 (UTC)

Archived
I have been bold and archived the page - • The Giant Puffin •  08:01, 24 May 2006 (UTC)

Not sure where to list these
User WS-S User WS-H User WS-E User WS-G User WS-L are all new userboxes I created to display wikistress in a manner paralleling the Homeland Security Advisory System.However, I'm not sure where to list them, so I'll leave that to the experts.

KV 21:38, 31 May 2006 (UTC)

A capitulation to end the war?
Jimbo has (see WP:JOU) endorsed the German solution.That apparently amounts to moving most userboxes to userspace as examples rather than templates.If this is to be done, I'd like to think this group is the most capable of doing it effectively.What do you all think?GRBerry 22:39, 31 May 2006 (UTC)
 * For more detail, see The German solution GRBerry 14:33, 1 June 2006 (UTC)

Auto-add user categories to userboxes?
Is there any policy about whether or not it is kosher to automatically add user pages to a user category through userboxes?

User category inclusion has been a fundamental tool of userboxes, ever since they were just Babel boxes.Yet User:Drini has been deleting category inclusion from userboxes that he feels have the potential for "user networking by belief system."In the case of user rc he even locked that page after users reverted his change.

Now, I actually do not have any template-based "belief system" boxes on my own user page (although I have some self-made non-template "belief" boxes).I firmly support NPOV as a Wikipedia principle, and am opposed to vote-stacking.But why shouldn't users be allowed to add themselves to long-established user categories via long-established userboxes?

Also, pretending I were into vote-stacking, I would simply see "What links here" from the template page, and generate a list that way. So what's the point of prohibiting it anyway? &mdash; Eoghanacht  talk 21:35, 7 June 2006 (UTC)


 * One of the argument for deleting userboxes is that they are supposedly used in vote-stacking.The evidence is more that the category is a problem than that the userbox is.(This is especially true because using a subst: call to the userbox means that it doesn't appear on "What links here?")Given that we've had a months long conflict about whether userboxes can exist at all, handing extra ammunition to the deletionists just doesn't seem like a good idea.Take a look at The German solution for the solution that we seem to be arriving at, T1 and T2 debates for a summary of recent debate about what userboxes can be speedy deleted, and User:StuffOfInterest/Userboxes for an example of how userbox archives can display a relevant category without automatically putting people into the category.


 * Finally, the community is sufficiently divided that no policies have been formed.GRBerry 22:01, 7 June 2006 (UTC)

Userbox deletions
Does anybody know why Template:User Pascal's Wager was deleted?I don't see why it couldn't have stayed as one of the religious humour user-templates.Thanks. --Aquarius Rising 20:30, 10 June 2006 (UTC)
 * Submit it to WP:DRV if you think the inappropriate, but the deletion log shows T1 as the reason. &mdash; Arthur Rubin |(talk) 15:16, 11 June 2006 (UTC)
 * Given the variety of humourous user-templates in existence, it looks like it was a case of an admin going overboard. An admin shouldn't be able to delete tastefully humourous user templates of the nature of this one "on sight". --Aquarius Rising 22:02, 11 June 2006 (UTC)

Ideas page
I dont know if its just me, but when I went on there to see if I could help, it looked like a complete mess and I didnt know which suggestions were completed or which ones were still pending. Cant we reorganise the page back to the To Do and Done sections like before; instead of people creating sections for each suggestion they make? I was considering doing it but I didnt want to step on everyone's toes if it was just me that found it unorganised and impossible to navigate through. Plus it seems like quite a task to reorganise it and I havent been on there for ages so I dont know which suggestions belong in To Do and which ones belong in Done - • The Giant Puffin •  15:52, 15 June 2006 (UTC)

User:Whatsupkid
I'm not sure where to put this so I'm putting it here in hopes that if nothing else, someone can get the wheels moving on resolving this. The user above has created quite a few boxes including his own categories that are completely unique to him; often they are duplicates of existing boxes. His userspace needs a major cleanup. I've listed his sports-related ones for redirection/deletion at WP:TFD and WP:CFD, but I think that some admin with time on his hands really needs to do a major cleanup. BoojiBoy 15:32, 17 June 2006 (UTC)

Subcategorization
While not a member of your project, I took it upon myself to subcategorize some userboxes in Category:User templates. Well, I am not getting thoroughly tired of it after only 1 day, since I am doing it all by hand without the use of a bot. The last subcategory I was populating was Category:Location user templates, and I stopped in the Ts of the parent category. I may come back to it, but if some would jump in and help, I may come back to it sooner. Other subcategories created by me are Category:Pet user templates and Category:Language user templates. Just FYI. &mdash;Lady Aleena talk / contribs 02:16, 21 June 2006 (UTC)

Proposal for new category
I was thinking it might be able to create a new category for comedy. There is already a large section in the Media sections, and there are other comedy related userboxes in books, comic strips and anime. Other comedy userboxes could also be made, such as userboxes on certain stand-up comedians, or one of those sets of userboxes where people can type in the name of a comedian into a box with a certain rating (Similar to the Actors section in Media). ISD 11:36, 30 June 2006 (UTC)
 * As long as admins dont go crazy and do a mass deletion, the category should be ok. However, no matter how much better the userbox purge situation is now than it was a couple of months ago, there is still a risk that giving comedy userboxes their own category could ultimately lead to their deletion - • The Giant Puffin •  13:49, 30 June 2006 (UTC)

So can I go and do it straight away? ISD 17:29, 30 June 2006 (UTC)
 * Yep. Be bold! Ian ¹³  /t  16:48, 30 June 2006 (UTC)

Category:User templates
Please see Category:User templates for all the work that has been done to date. Also see the category's talk page for more on the effort to shorten the parent category and get the subcategories created and populated. Also, ALL user pages in that category MUST be dealt with soon. User pages in the category could only get in from a userbox that doesn't have  . The noinclude is absent. A thorough search of those pages needs to be done to find the errant userboxes. &mdash;Lady Aleena talk / contribs 09:10, 5 July 2006 (UTC)
 * PS. Once I am done with the main effort, I will probably fade into the background as soon as I am sure that the effort will continue.
 * The sorting is DONE! ...or as done as it will get.
 * WillowW and I blitzed that category today and got it down to one page. Keep it that way! I really don't want to look at another user template right now. I am sick of them after over a week of sorting. There are over 50 sub-categories and sub-sub-categories. Please look through them. Have a nice day. &mdash;Lady Aleena talk / contribs 22:02, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Sexuality Userboxes
Does anyone know where the sexuality userboxes have gone to? Have they been deleted, and if so why? ISD 15:18, 8 July 2006 (UTC)
 * They have been deleted, though I am not sure exactly why, though I am not opposed to them being deleted.It was probably because Wikipedia is not a dating website. &mdash;Akrabbimtalk 19:05, 8 July 2006 (UTC)


 * The page Wikpedia:Userboxes/Sexuality has been deleted, but the userboxes themselves live on in user space. They can be found at User:MiraLuka/Userboxes/Sexuality. — Shayl talk 21:19, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Wikipedians by location/nationality/ancestry
The curently available userboxes to indicate one's location, nationality and ancestry are inconsistent. I am of Dutch nationality (and ancestry) and live in Bulgaria, and would like to indicate this on my userpage. I now have a choice of I think it would be useful to have a kind of Babelbox in which one can indicate one's location, nationality and several ancestries (all optional, of course). Preslav 11:56, 12 July 2006 (UTC)
 * User Bulgaria, which says I'm from Bulgaria (suggesting nationality or at least place of birth), which isn't true,
 * User Netherlands, which makes me a member of Category:Wikipedians_in_the_Netherlands, which isn't true, and
 * user Dutch, which doesn't stress the fact that not only are my ancestors Dutch, but I am.

Just go ahead and do it with the raw code.That way you'll be able to tailor exactly what you want.-- Cyde↔Weys 02:43, 17 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Or, probably a better solution that involves slightly more work, create a new template to select from and put it in the appropriate list. —AySz88\ ^ - ^ 07:45, 17 July 2006 (UTC)

Userfying userboxes
Someone needs to get working on these.-- Cyde↔Weys 02:04, 20 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Pick a generic account like User:box or whatever, and I'll be happy to move them there. Rfrisbietalk 02:20, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Oh, I don't care where they go, they're either going to be deleted or moved out of the real namespaces.-- Cyde↔Weys 18:33, 20 July 2006 (UTC)

Merging userboxes
I am against the German userbox solution of what to do with userboxes, so suggest that we use template language to its fullest potential. Userboxes need to be created with variables so that the need for several under one topic or with the same theme are unneeded. Please see the following userboxes.
 * User:UBX/Doctor Who Doctor will replace 10 userboxes.
 * User:UBX/Star Trek series will replace 6 userboxes.
 * User:UBX/Monty Python will replace 9 userboxes, this userbox is also customizable to whatever the user wants it to say.

This will require that Category:User templates be patrolled to keep an eye on new userboxes created. It will also require a useful userbox creation manual be written for novices.

I am already looking at the merger of two more small groups of userboxes. Another group I am thinking about will be so controversial that I am not sure that I want to attempt it, but it would replace 100s of userboxes in one fell swoop. I am not savy enough to know how to do it yet either. There are probably plenty more out there that can be merged. The fewer userboxes there are the better. It will quell the sentiment against them and make finding a favorite subject userbox easier. &mdash;Lady Aleena talk / contribs 20:01, 20 July 2006 (UTC)


 * I think this is a very good idea, but I have a few pointers:
 * Don't let it get in the way of ongoing implementation of GUS
 * As long as activity remains in user space, don't discourage users from creating possibly redundant boxes (i.e. different colors, etc.) for personal variety
 * Keep the mergers so that they only consolidate multiple boxes that have indentical characteristics, other than the messages
 * As far as template namespace use is concerned, I'm all for it.However, if and when most userboxes are relegated to userspace, I don't think it's as necessary or useful. &mdash;Akrabbimtalk 21:34, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
 * I want to see the German userbox solution halted and reversed. User templates are still templates and they belong in the template space not user space. I will never use a user template from user space. The code for them is clunky and unsightly. They are hideous to look at in user template categories. The names alone are an eyesore. The simple Template:User X is so much better to look at than User:Someuser/someuserboxs/User X. It gets worse when variables are involved.
 * If to stop and reverse the German userbox solution means that we must reduce the amount of user templates, then we need to find a way of keeping the content by merging as many like templates as possible and provide variable usage. That is my goal here. And the one idea I have to merge those 100s of templates, is to have 1 language template with variables so when adding it to a page it may look something like this...
 * If that template were in place, and everyone used it, think of how many user templates could be deleted from template space. That template would generate template text and level colors, if we had a color convention for all languages, and add the user to the appropriate language Wikipedian category. It would probably be the most used of all templates. I just wish that I could write it, but at the moment I am not that good.
 * If we can show those against user templates that there is a viable solution to keeping them under control while keeping them in template space, the need to userfy them would disappear. That would be a good thing. - LA @ 22:19, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
 * PS. The reason to delete the mergers is clean-up and to make the merged template the only one available. We don't need all of the redundant ones taking up space on the servers, even if it is only a few bytes. You have to remember, those few bytes have to be multiplied by however many times that template is edited. A template that is 100 bytes, edited 10 times, is now taking up 1000 bytes of space or more.
 * PS. The reason to delete the mergers is clean-up and to make the merged template the only one available. We don't need all of the redundant ones taking up space on the servers, even if it is only a few bytes. You have to remember, those few bytes have to be multiplied by however many times that template is edited. A template that is 100 bytes, edited 10 times, is now taking up 1000 bytes of space or more.

Something to correct in the User box "toomanyedits user page"
I am a Wikipedian who always edit my own user page so I use the userbox "toomanyedits user page" but I found there's something wrong in the sentence.

This user spends too much time on editing THEIR user pages.

????

Perhaps I misunderstand something, would anyone solve the problem for me please?

--Nxn 0405 chl 21:17, 28 July 2006 (UTC)
 * You don't like the Singular they, I guess? Then change it to his/her or his. --tjstrf 21:53, 28 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Or, change it to say The users with this userbox spend too much time editing their user pages. - LA @ 22:24, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

Userfying Monty Python userboxes
Please userfy the following userboxes per WP:GUS.Due to a Tfd that they were involved in back on July 18 they have a deadline to be userfied of 2006-08-08, at which point it will be assumed nobody wants them enough to adopt them into userspace (thus saving them), because when the outcome of a Tfd is "Userfy", they can't just stay in template space indefinitely. -- Cyde Weys 00:19, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
 * This template is not to be moved to user space. It is the master Monty Python user template and all masters should stay in Template space where they belong. It should have replaced the 9 below, but the TfD was inconclusive. If you look at the template, you will see that it was written to be kept in Template space so it will be usable in multiple applications. - LA @ 21:26, 4 August 2006 (UTC)
 * A second TfD was taken out against this template for it lack of transclusion and redlinked image. - LA @ 21:26, 4 August 2006 (UTC)
 * A second TfD was taken out against this template for it lack of transclusion and redlinked image. - LA @ 21:26, 4 August 2006 (UTC)
 * A second TfD was taken out against this template for it lack of transclusion and redlinked image. - LA @ 21:26, 4 August 2006 (UTC)
 * A second TfD was taken out against this template for it lack of transclusion and redlinked image. - LA @ 21:26, 4 August 2006 (UTC)
 * A second TfD was taken out against this template for it lack of transclusion and redlinked image. - LA @ 21:26, 4 August 2006 (UTC)

Duplication
Seems to me there is a tremendous amount of duplication among userboxes. There are two navigational templates floating out there that point to two different directories, generally. One goes to Wikipedia:Userboxes/* while the other goes to User:Rfrisbie/Userboxes, who has basically copied out the whole darn thing with, presumably, the intention everything be userfied, German style. Makes it a little difficult for us non-AWB equipped types to keep track of. Is there perhaps some sort of dialog we can start between the two halves to get this all put into one place? -- BlueSquadron Raven 17:10, 4 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Forcing userboxes out of template space made duplication inevitable. If the dust ever settles on which types of boxes should go where, I'll be more than happy to remove directory pages that only include links to template and/or wikipedia space. Rfrisbietalk 17:48, 4 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Thanks for the clarifications, both here and on my talk page. Guess you have yourself quite the task of being the current new directory for the whole shebang. -- BlueSquadron Raven 20:30, 4 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Not really, lots of people work on the various catalogs, archives, directories, nav boxes, etc. I just copied some pages to help track whatever migrations took place.Welcome to the show! >;-o) Rfrisbietalk 22:10, 4 August 2006 (UTC)

Possible Userbox Solution
Or perhaps this solution will be better.

This is a form letter, please don't reply directly. Do, however, feel free to discuss this solution I've come up with.

I've made an unofficial place for all User Boxes (hopefully) safe from overzealous Admins. Feel free to add any you like, edit any there, or just list your already made userboxes there. Also feel free to edit the main page (the user page) in any way that you think might help. Please note, however, that this is a user page and not an official Wikipedia page, so almost any User Box will be tolerated as long as it's within reason. UserBox 03:04, 6 August 2006 (UTC)


 * I may be missing something by coming into the UBX discussion late, but can't userboxes relating to TOPIC be filed under TOPIC/userboxes or something similar?The toolbox for a page could have a link to "./userboxes". -- ChristTrekker 18:42, 21 August 2006 (UTC)

Userbox for WikiProject Userboxes?
I'm new here but, out of curiosity, is there a reason that this project's userbox (as per bottom of project page) isn't in Template:User form?

--Renice 19:58, 7 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Because at one point in the discussion of WP:GUS, it was thought that all WikiProject templates should be moved to subpages of the projects themselves. (This message is an example of this. The current viewpoint seems to be that this is unnecessary, but I don't really see the point in reverting what's been done. — Mi ra  00:58, 8 August 2006 (UTC)

user helper
This is just the second userbox I've made; the previous one was for another WikiProject, so I knew pretty much what to do with it. I just made. I think it's in an appropriate category, but I'm unaware what (if anything) I should do to follow up on that. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks. :) Luna Santin 06:38, 9 August 2006 (UTC)


 * I would suggest adding it to the appropriate subpage of WP:UBX. It looks like Userboxes/Wikipedia would be the best choice. — Mi ra  06:40, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Done. Easier than it looks, editing that page, thanks to that nice template. Thanks. Luna Santin 07:17, 9 August 2006 (UTC)


 * No problem.

— Mi ra  07:24, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Law & Order: New template, same name
If you are interested Law & Order userboxes, please comment here. - LA @ 03:42, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Religious affiliation or knowledge userboxes?
I've created one on my userpage if you'd like to see it. I'm currently unaware if any others are in existance, or if they aren't in existance for a reason. I realize that perhaps it's too controversial for it to be included in the archive of userboxes. If this is the case, then I will simply keep the one I have on my userpage and others may do the same of their own volition. Also, the reason I came in the first place was a small question relating to linking in a userbox. If I would like to make a word a link to an article, how do I do so without changing the font color of said link? Any solution or reply on this is appreciated! -Shazbot85 04:09, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

There used to be userboxes for everything under the Sun, including every religious denomination you can think of, "This user is a pedophile," etc.Understandably we've cut back on them considerably to things that are non-divisive and non-inflammatory.-- Cyde Weys 04:11, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

Certainly understood. I noticed no category for them, or perhaps I over looked it. If they aren't already, will or could they be a part of the userbox archive in the future, or is it simply to inflammatory a subject? -Shazbot85 04:20, 16 August 2006 (UTC)


 * You can add  , or one of its subcategories to a page to add it to the proper category. For adding color to links, use   what you want to see   instead of a normal link (see here for an example). Lastly, for other userboxes, including ones displaying religious affiliations, see User:GRBerry/German userbox solution and User:UBX/Userboxes/General Nav. — Mi  ra  05:50, 16 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Thanks much! - Shazbot85 19:59, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

List of userboxes
I have managed to obtain an update to this page. It is 68 days out of date (last time toolserver was updated), but now also lists creation time. Ian ¹³ /t  15:36, 18 August 2006 (UTC)

Splitting templates with multiple options into separate templates
Splitting templates with multiple options into separate templates doesn't match up with Lady Aleena's userbox consolidation activities.Which way is it? Rfrisbietalk 04:18, 20 August 2006 (UTC)

Userbox template
Apparently 99% of the ouserboxes out there is not using the template, either because they didn't check it out or because the templte is not flexible enough: so I'm coming up with a new template, sadly I didn't see the old one until I got too far in the developement of my new version, so the parameters are not compatible (I'd appreciate some help in fixing that matter, I also have to add the color css setting but I won't blame anyone who does it before me :P). --2dMadness 05:59, 24 August 2006 (UTC)

Wanting to add new userbox
I want to add a new userbox to the main comics section, but recently whenever I add a new userbox to a page, it gets deleted. It is currently on my comics userbox page, User:ISD/Userboxes/Comics. The userbox is (see below). I was wanting to add it to the webcomics section, as Kevin and Kell was the first comic strip syndicated exclusively via the internet.

User:ISD/Userboxes/Kevin and Kell

User:ISD 08:09, 25 August 2006 (UTC)