StrategyWiki talk:Community Portal/2007/August

Thumbnail size standardization/policy
Recently Procyon or Prod informed me that thumbnails get resized as to user preference (which I have now customized to my liking). Thus, when using thumbnails shouldn't we forget about using the #px parameter? --Notmyhandle (talk • contribs) 17:37, 6 August 2007 (CDT)
 * I may be mistaken, but I'm fairly sure the thumbnail sizing would only affect thumbnails that lack the width parameter. Regardless, a lot of people don't sign up or don't change that setting, so for them the images will still appear as intended. GarrettTalk 18:03, 6 August 2007 (CDT)
 * I'm all for dropping the "*px" parameter; I've never used it, and I've removed it from every guide I've cleaned up if it's been used in conjunction with "thumb". --DrBob (Talk) 18:17, 6 August 2007 (CDT)
 * Yeah, once logged in it doesn't make a difference, and the default size is good enough for it, so I'd say drop it. If at all possible, we should have any image that uses the #px or #em (as em is accepted with thumbs as well, I believe) be categorized in some category so a bot can take care of removing them. -- 18:36, 6 August 2007 (CDT)
 * Garrett, yeah. What I'm saying is "DROP THE WIDTH PARAMETER ON THUMBNAILS!"  We don't need it.  --Notmyhandle (talk • contribs) 19:18, 6 August 2007 (CDT)
 * Time out... I need it. It's really valuable for maps.  I use it through Pokemon RBY and Link to the Past.  NMH, I mentioned that for you because you were slamming some thumbs to 150px, and that seemed to be your "default" size, so all I meant was let the user settings determine the default size.  I did compliment you on your choice of selecting certain key screenshots to be 250px.  It's up to you if you want to keep that or not, but I choose very specific thumb widths for a lot of maps.  So I would say if all you're thumbing are screenshots, leave the width parameter out.  If it's something else, and you have a valid reason for setting it, we shouldn't take that ability away.  Procyon (Talk) 22:14, 6 August 2007 (CDT)
 * I think what people need to understand is the difference between thumbnails, and images in general. Images are only thumbnails if you use the "thumb" parameter; and if they're a thumbnail, I think you shouldn't set a specific size for them. If they're not thumbnails, then setting a size is fine (or they'll consume all the space they can). --DrBob (Talk) 04:37, 7 August 2007 (CDT)
 * Piggy-backing on DrBob's point, there are regular images, frames, and thumbs. An image can be resized, but you don't get a caption.  A frame gives you a caption, but can't be resized.  I tend to go with thumbs because you get the best of both features.  You can resize it, and you can give it a caption, which tends to be useful for labeling maps. Procyon (Talk) 08:57, 7 August 2007 (CDT)
 * The thumbnail size parameter is a feature, not a bug. There's no point standardizing it apart from a few places.  Boxart I think is set to 250px, but other than that it's up to the writer.  Every policy has to be policed, and a policy like this could go wrong quite easily. -- Prod (Talk) 22:22, 6 August 2007 (CDT)
 * And this is why I started the discussion. At the time I couldn't think of any reason why we would need to specify it, even on large pictures like the maps of LTTP, but yeah I see that they are good and that we need it for stuff like boxart, etc.  Now, as Procyon says and I totally agree with, "I would say if all you're thumbing are screenshots, leave the width parameter out."  Excuse me for being so rash with my words, I didn't really mean "cut it out;" I was just forgetting where it becomes useful.  --Notmyhandle (talk • contribs) 22:53, 6 August 2007 (CDT)

More Infobox improvements
I think it would be a good idea if we modified the infobox so that it automatically categorised a page as Category:Pages needing an infobox if certain parameters weren't filled out. The list of parameters I've got so far is: I'm primarily looking for feedback on the list of parameters, but feedback on the idea itself is welcome. --DrBob (Talk) 16:45, 9 August 2007 (CDT)
 * title
 * developer
 * publisher
 * released
 * genre
 * systems
 * First of all, great idea. This way we can reduce the number of edits and extra 9 characters per main page.  Secondly, we don't need the japanese title as a requirement.  I think we only need the title, publisher (easier to find than developer at times), release date, genre and system.  Developer could be required, but the publisher is usually the one that people find out most easily (online games, for example, always have a publisher however the developer is sometimes hidden).  But hey, this can be rare at times so... it's up to everyone except me.  --Notmyhandle (talk • contribs) 23:49, 9 August 2007 (CDT)
 * I've implemented it, using the original list of parameters, since they're the parameters which are never hidden (i.e. the row is displayed in the infobox even if no value is given). --DrBob (Talk) 16:36, 10 August 2007 (CDT)

Misspelling Corrections - Everything?
I was wondering what you guys thought about fixing literally 99% of the spelling mistakes on SW (we can't get rid of the ones listed on the Mispellings page). Besides guides/image pages, what about user pages and talk pages? I'm requesting that we allow everything be spellchecked 1) to make my spell check (and others') job easier and 2) to make everything more accurate. The second point is definitely not as strong, but the first is. Right now for some words we have like 1-25 pages that are talk or user page related. In another 1400 guide pages how many do you think we'll have? It could get messy, and everytime we go to spellcheck we have to go slowly through the list to identify what pages need it or not (not that we aren't careful anyways). It's minor, but is anyone against it? --Notmyhandle (talk • contribs) 19:03, 9 August 2007 (CDT)
 * I'm against this. However much I'd like to correct everyone's spelling and grammar, it's rude and unnecessary to fix misspellings on talk pages. You should be able to exclude talk pages from the search results by limiting the search to the main namespace. --DrBob (Talk) 04:01, 10 August 2007 (CDT)
 * i'M knot fore it ether. Eye thnk tat it is a wird idea. On another note, Spel Chek™ FTW! -- 16:22, 10 August 2007 (CDT)

System and Genre portals
Since we have the new system browser, the pages it links to need an overhaul. Right now, they are pretty barebones Category pages, some with a bit of content, like Category:Nintendo GameCube. We should make Portals, like Wikipedia. They still have category pages, but with no extra content. Example: Portal:Arts and Category: Arts. The portal pages are great. They have category specific featured content, a todo list, and a link to the list of articles. We can add top ten lists, and gaming specific things, like the content on GameFAQs' system pages. Example: Wii. Portals would look a lot nicer than our current pages: a dull list of guides, with no way of knowing how finished they are. -- 14:41, 11 August 2007 (CDT)
 * Check what I've done to Category:Nintendo GameCube. -- Prod (Talk) 23:49, 11 August 2007 (CDT)
 * I like, but I think it's going to be largely ignored if it's on the right. You should make a template for it which uses a coloured border (green? I feel we need some green...) to highlight it, and stick it in the category page itself. --DrBob (Talk) 04:37, 12 August 2007 (CDT)
 * That would be possible to do, but it needs mode=usermode. Also, the template would work because (*gasp*) DPL actually accepts parameters when used as (which is another way to use it). I'm working on the template right now, it's going to be called, fittingly, Portaldpl, as it's being used in the 'portals'. -- 10:08, 12 August 2007 (CDT)
 * It's been superseded by modifications Prod and I have made to system, which will now display a list of popular guides for the described system in the system's infobox. --DrBob (Talk) 11:40, 12 August 2007 (CDT)