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Important Updates on Wikia’s New Look

Sannse Sannse September 28, 2010
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SannseAdded by Sannse
We’re getting close to the end of the private beta, and the public beta -- which involves the new look being tested on five wikis -- began last week. This has been a very useful process and we are still gathering feedback and bug reports from all testing groups. We will update you here on what we learned from the beta testing once it’s complete.

TimelineEdit

The next step is to slowly but surely move all wikis over to the new skin. While there may be some tweaks, the projected schedule is below so that you know what to expect over the coming weeks.

October 6, 2010
  • The new look will continue to be default for logged-out users on the beta wikis
  • All logged in users will be able to “switch on” the new look for themselves on any wiki they visit.
  • All new wikis created will automatically use the new look.
  • Every wiki in the Wikia Lifestyle Hub will showcase the new look.
October 20, 2010
  • All users will see the new look on every wiki.
  • Logged in users will have the temporary option of viewing and editing wikis in Monaco.
November 3, 2010
  • The option to use Monaco will be removed.

Transitioning to the New LookEdit

We know you’ve put a lot of work into making your wikis look great in Monaco, so we’ve worked on our end to minimize the amount of effort needed for you to move to the new look. Still, there are some things you’ll want to do in order for your wiki to look its best in the new skin. We strongly encourage you to use our Wiki Transition Guide to make this process as smooth and seamless as possible.

Starting tomorrow, our new theme designer tool will be available to all beta testers, and will be released to everyone during the first stage of sitewide roll-out on October 6th. This gives you time to experiment with different themes and chat with your community about what looks best before all visitors see your wiki in the new look.

We know that many of you are Wikia experts, and have a ton of experience to share with newer users, who may need more help with the transition. To tap all your knowledge, we will soon be setting up a page where users can request and provide help on the transition.

Terms of UseEdit

In keeping with the goals of the new look, our Terms of Use have been updated as well. Admins will no longer be able to completely remove core features for all users by using custom CSS or JavaScript. This is to protect the universal layout and functionality of every wiki on Wikia and ensure that users have access to all of the features available in the new design. Remember, these new terms only apply to the CSS of the wiki as a whole -- they don’t apply to your personal pages.

To give a few practical examples of what this means: It’s not permitted to remove the right sidebar modules, blogs, and image attribution or add a banner that shifts the entire content area down the page, or alter the fixed width. You can still personalize your wiki with different colors and themes, add large, standout images to the wiki background, create styled templates and tables within the content area. There are plenty of ways to be creative! While these terms will limit what you can do to the overall layout, creativity is still an essential part of Wikia.

We’ve come a long way since we started this move to the new look, and we are nearly there! This next month or so is an important transition time, and we’ll all be working hard to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible.

Update: Thanks for all the comments everyone. We are looking through them again now, and will add some more replies. We’ve also just posted a new blog post, which should answer some of your questions.

There seem to be quite a few comments here that are people just saying "hi", or trying to increase the comment count without adding anything useful. This makes it more difficult for everyone to follow the conversation, so please don’t do that. Thanks.

Update: For international migration, please be aware of the following dates.

November 3, 2010
  • All users will see the new look on every wiki (es and de users switch earlier with en together)
  • Logged in users will have the temporary option of viewing and editing wikis in Monaco.
November 10, 2010
  • The option to use Monaco will be removed.

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Retrieved from "http://community.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:Sannse/Important_Updates_on_Wikia%E2%80%99s_New_Look"
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2,562 comments


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  • Sarah Manley
    Thanks for all the comments and feedback on this post everyone. We are now closing it to new comments, so we can concentrate on the more recent blog posts and the other places we are talking to you all. If we didn't answer your specific comment, we may have replied to a similar message -- we've tried not to repeat ourselves too much! Thanks for all of your contributions here. To keep up with the latest Wikia news, be sure to follow the staff blog!
    by Sarah Manley
    • GrantB

      I'd love to see if my comment was replied to in another post, but it's near impossible to browse through the 42 pages here. Is there some way to get these all on one page? ("Show all" doesn't appear to work.)

      Better yet, is there a page which summarizes responses to recurring questions/complaints?

      by GrantB
      history
  • GrantB

    Is there a discussion somewhere on why Wikia thought image attribution was a great idea? Because I can't figure out how someone in their right mind would think so.

    • These credits do not enhance the content described. In fact, they distract from it.
    • The user likely didn't create the images (in my wiki, most images are fair-use), so it's not about authorship
    • It makes the relatively easy task of image uploading into the most overtly recognizable contribution, when other contributions are usually much more valuable
    • Was anyone asking for this feature in the first place?

    PLEASE let us remove it.

    (PS browsing 2500+ comments in this interface is really hard, and the "Show all" is not working for me. Is this a bug?)

    by GrantB
  • Wikian13000

    My say:Article width is fixed to just 660 pixels. (In other words, the article can only be 660 pixels wide.) This leaves most of the screen unusable for actual article content on any modern computer monitor, and causes crowding in many articles. The sidebar is now almost 50% wider, causing it to use up almost ⅓ of the already reduced screen area. The sidebar has also been moved to the right side of the page. Because the sidebar and the content area are centered together on the page, the article content is actually off-center. This causes infoboxes and other floating elements that should be aligned along the right side of the page to be displayed in the middle of the page. A Wikia banner has been placed on the very top of the page, drawing attention away from the wiki's own branding. The amount of space dedicated to ads has been increased. Relatively little customization of the new skin is possible, and even less is permitted. Wiki administrators are no longer allowed to place site notices (or anything else) along the top of the wiki's pages. Wiki administrators are no longer allowed to remove 'core features' for all users by using custom CSS or JavaScript. Image attribution is enabled for all wikis. This means that every image displays the name of the user who uploaded it right in the article. Because of the above rule, this behavior cannot be disabled for the wiki globally. The logo area has been resized. The new skin will remove widgets and their functionality. (A big one people are disappointed about losing is Shoutbox.) The links for moving articles, viewing page history and viewing links to a page are only accessible in drop-down menus. All wikis are being forced to transition to the new look except... ...one wiki, and one wiki only, Uncyclopedia, which has been exempted from the switch. The staff is unreceptive to repeated pleas from editors not to make this skin mandatory. Please reply

    by Wikian13000
  • Rammingspeed

    Ikimono1 - agreed.

    by Rammingspeed
  • Ikimono1

    "i hate the new look and will leave every wiki i am a part on if the new look stays and i am a part of almost 15 so plese do not keep the new look everyone hates it!"

    Copy pasting quotes to save time and state my opinion.

    by Ikimono1
  • Ikimono1

    Recommendation: Reinstate Monaco, remove NewWikia. It's horrible.

    by Ikimono1
  • GeneStarwind

    On the Monster Hunter Wiki we asked our users what they thought about the new changes. This is what they have to say. Over 240+ replies so far.

    by GeneStarwind
  • 71.238.31.206

    Recommendation: Reinstate Monaco, remove NewWikia. It's horrible.

    by A Wikia contributor
  • Supremegogeta

    i hate the new look and will leave every wiki i am a part on if the new look stays and i am a part of almost 15 so plese do not keep the new look everyone hates it!

    by Supremegogeta
  • Dehue

    I just created an account to say that this new layout is the worst piece of navigation I have ever seen. Not only does the black to white contrast hurt my eyes, its almost impossible to read anything when all the text is barely visible. Its confusing, unprofessional looking and in general very poor design.

    If you don't change the skin back, could you at least make it so that all the text is black and the background is white? Most sites have it that way for a reason. Users like to be able to easily read the content and not have to stop every 5 seconds because their eyes hurt. All the white pictures pop out and add to the clattered feeling of the layout. I pretty much gave up after trying to read a couple of articles, I don't think I'm going to visit these wikis much if you do not change this.

    by Dehue
  • Wikian13000

    What the heck?Why did Wowwiki get better version of the Oasis skin?

    by Wikian13000
  • Wikian13000

    Well I have to re:post my previous comment cause I got no response. Here it is: To Sannse:

    Dear Sannse,I am now willing to use the new look much more but I must ask can you please fix the withd of it?Please everything is maximaxed it really hurt's my eyes alot of people agree with that I do to its very maximized and the article space is to small please fix that and allow us to edit the background for our wiki.Ok?Also please reduce the size of the main listing bar its 50% bigger it doesnt need to be that big,and the ads for other wiki's below are to big aswell why is everything so big and has so much valuble space to use yet is still cluttered?Also there's not many link's to use we need more links and the empty space should be filled with recent edits you know like on monaco.It show's recent edit's on the lower left of the screen below the mainlisting bar please add that to the new look aswell.Please fix all those problems those are the main reason people dont like it.Thanks :).

    Sincerely,Lssj4

    Please reply.

    by Wikian13000
    • The 888th Avatar

      It is possible to change the background of the wiki through Theme Designer, which can be accessed from the "My Tools" menu for admins.

      by The 888th Avatar
    • Wikian13000

      Yes I know about theme designer I meant custom design.Theme designer is the only good thing about it.

      by Wikian13000
  • Drago99

    Ya know. If you have an ad blocking software like the Adblock Plus for firefox. It ain't that bad.

    by Drago99
    • Wikian13000

      Adds arent the only problem.

      by Wikian13000
    • Drago99

      True.

      by Drago99
    • 219.89.97.196

      Using ad blocking software is against the terms of use.

      by A Wikia contributor
    • The 888th Avatar

      Nowhere in the Terms of Use does it say that ad blocking software is specifically disallowed.

      by The 888th Avatar
    • Edward Chernenko

      That reminds me 2006 when LiveJournal accidentially put a new rule into their TOS (Terms of Service): "posting information about things that can hide ads is not allowed". So a blog post about configuring Squid would be a violation of TOS.

      I've written a post "everyone use squid to block LiveJournal ads!" and reported to Abuse Team about that, and they have excluded this rule from their TOS. Compare this with Wikia's zero-reaction to the complains of hundreds of users.

      by Edward Chernenko
    • SiPlus

      You can block ads for YOURSELF, but blocking ads for EVERYONE is violation.

      by SiPlus
  • Wikian13000

    -Tooken from other User Other I apoligize the staff needs to see it.After trailing the new skin for a 2 days I've switched to trying the only other option to the severely cripled new look that is supposed to enhance accessibility but for most editors does opposite as several key functions/tools have been demoted/hidden or made inaccessible or removed even from the new Wikia skin, as the site moves to catering for the lowest common denominator as user testing has show new users cannot learn to edit in wiki text.

    by Wikian13000
  • Wikian13000

    What on earth all new wikis cant use any other skins on monaco but default why?Your destroying monaco even before its removed?Why?Listen please fix all the complaints we dont like about the new look.

    by Wikian13000
    • Drago99

      Yeah!

      by Drago99
    • Wikian13000

      Thanks for agreeing so basically your sabotaging your own users?I would stop commenting but please respond or if you wont respond here send it to my talk page thanks.

      by Wikian13000
      history
    • The 888th Avatar

      If you continually post similar comments, rehash earlier comments, rant on and on about Wikia's shortcomings, and bash any users who dissent from your view, then you will find that staff will not be inclined to reply.

      by The 888th Avatar
    • Zyeriis

      Yeah, you have to brown nose.

      by Zyeriis
    • Wikian13000

      Im not bashing anyone.I keep reposting the same stuff cause I want a answer.Im not just say something then leave without a responce.I rant on because I hate it so since my comment is negative it gets no responce. Zyriis:What is brown nose?

      by Wikian13000
    • The 888th Avatar

      Reposting the same comment over and over isn't going to get it answered. Perhaps reconsideration of the tone of your comments and what you include in your comments should be undertaken before demanding others to answer.

      by The 888th Avatar
  • Drago99

    What happend to every skin except sapphire for Monaco????

    by Drago99
  • HavocReaper48

    Recommendation: Have wikis actually have a census if they want to convert to Oasis or not. You know, so it's actually, COMMUNITY BASED? Not tyrannical?

    by HavocReaper48
  • Wikian13000

    People I have many complaints for the new look fix those and I and many others will be much more happy for sure.

    by Wikian13000
  • HavocReaper48

    Look, after a while I have been slowly, slowly adjusting to the new skin. It's extremely gradual. I am will to convert, but, one major problem- the lack of emphasis on content. That, and the sidebar should be to the left, you know, like how a wiki sidebar is supposed to be formatted? If you move the sidebar left you could probably work out some way to increase article content (which, you know, is what wikis are for? Not for social networking standards?)

    by HavocReaper48
  • Wikian13000

    Thegreatbardock where are you why did you leave?

    by Wikian13000

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