User blog comment:Rupert Giles/Prototype for a new article layout/@comment-10898177-20141215222408

I agree with what appears to be the majority of all other commentors - this is not a good idea. I implore you to read my reasoning - it will only take two minutes of your time.

1. Removing the right sidebar is a horrible idea. Despite it being a magnet for ads, it is a quick, accessible region for content and navigation. Having the article occupy the entire page may require lengthy scrolling to access features at the top or bottom (that would normally be in the right bar), which will annoy and/or deter users. 2. Ads sitting in the middle of the article like images? No thank you. It distracts the user from the article content, whereas ads in the right bar are less noticeable, yet still viewable. The right bar helps separate the ads from the article. 3. Vague icons representing tools - why? While this works on mobile devices due to the lack of screen real estate, desktop computers have large screens (and a full mouse and keyboard instead of limited touch input). Users may feel uncomfortable with having to trial and error their way through finding out what each tool does; I know I do. Give it to me upfront so I know what it will do and can then feel confident in my decision - users like that.

And overall, the whole concept of changing desktop Wikia to look like a mobile site as opposed to a desktop site is not effective. Don't mash the two layouts together; instead, either give the user a choice, or separate them. While the original article layout has it's own quirks, it's much more comfortable with users, and it better fits what desktop websites look like. Keep the original layout - converting the world of desktop websites to mobile sites is a poor idea.