Forum:New Wikia Home Page Design

Share your comments on the new home page!
There is a danger that wikia might end up becoming 'geek' only tool, personally i think its a great idea but you guys need to make it more easier for the 'normal' users.

I think the About Wikia page should be linked to with far more prominence on the main page. A lot of first-time visitors to the Wikia main page will not understand the concept of Wikia from the short blurb there now and will look for a link to more info. At the moment the only link is right at the bottom next to the small Wikia logo. Bobo12345 03:38, 21 June 2007 (UTC)

On the "user tools" line (Preferences, Watchlist, etc.), the link to the user's talk page is erroneously labeled "Discuss this page". This needs to be fixed. --Algorithm 07:51, 21 June 2007 (UTC)

I hate to have to nudje about this again but there are still problems with the new skins in Hebrew wikia and also when Hebrew is used as the interface language. The main thing is lack of "direction=rtl" style directives which causes texts to align to the right, table cells to appear in an opposite order, etc. There are also some  grammar and writing style mistakes in some of the skin's Hebrew texts. --Oshani 13:15, 25 June 2007 (UTC)
 * It's confusing! I finally understood Wikia last week, and now this! (exasperated sigh) 141.157.13.159 00:52, 27 June 2007 (UTC)

I just logged on to the Wikia main page and I have a few comments on it. It doesn't really fit in to the Monobook style, personally I was very fond of the previous main page was very attractive having the active wikis, featured articles and collaboration of the month. I do understand the importance to maintain the front page of a website but has anyone thought that you could have basically the same picture and text using the old format of the main page? Also, I find the new one hard to navigate vs. having my user links on the top right of the page and the left sidebar. In User:Muppets101/Sandbox I'll try a test main page on what I suggested above. Phillip (talk) 17:30, 29 June 2007 (UTC)


 * I don't really like it. The original was easy to navigate all around the site, this one I can't access the forums and can't see the collaboration of the month. Sorry. Oh it's really narrow; I'm on a widescreen laptop and 50% of it is blank space; the original filled it all up.--Richard (Talk - Contribs) 22:14, 29 June 2007 (UTC)


 * Another plea for a forums link. I was instantly lost on the new page, partly because the lefthand panel wasnt displaying. Not too keen on the yellow lettering and the search box should be an empty box I think at the minute it looks like a yellow flash - it took me a while to see what it was. I like the white space although the layout of the columns at the foot of the page doesnt look right, the headings floating too far above the content. Probably neds more work and getting used to itDr Joe Kiff


 * Special:Recentchages to. Thats the page I visit the most, but I can't find a single link on the homepage to bring me to any page I can navigate from. ~Daniel Friesen (DanTMan, Nadir Seen Fire) (talk) tricks Jun 30, 2007 @ 07:31 (UTC)


 * Thanks very much for the suggestion - I just added a link to the Recent Changes page under the Help section. This page remains a work in progress, and we really appreciate your help in improving it.  Alexmoskowitz 08:06, 10 July 2007 (UTC)

Most of the links on the new home page are not working for me. (I'm using Safari, if that matters.) So far the only working links I've found are the one to create a new account or to go to my user and talk pages. -- CocoaZen 01:15, 30 June 2007 (UTC)


 * Hmmmm, I haven't checked the homepage in Safari, but I will do that right away. Please let me know if the problem persists, and if you can send me a screenshot of the error messages you're seeing, that would be very helpful.Alexmoskowitz 08:06, 10 July 2007 (UTC)

I like it. It seems like the right kind of page for first time visitors. It looks great on the 800x600 reolution i'm using currently. Oldies will notice shortly that any click while logged in, restores our beloved left hand panel. Yet, it would be a good idea to add a link to the older version of the main page until we get used to. Permanet links to the forum and recent changes might be a a good idea too. The new page kills the collaboration of the month, but that project didn't really work, so I'm not sure there's anything we should miss.

Only problem I see is the selection of links on the "what people is doing" section. Forum posts shouldn't appear on "what people is editing", and user pages shouldn't appear on "what people is discussing" (I don't think all users would like to be highlighted in ths way).--Rataube 12:11, 30 June 2007 (UTC)
 * I liked the old main page WAY better! Now it has an ugly skin, and a weird and terrible looking main page that is so confusing. I don't even know how to do anything anymore, like edit, because it's so confusing. PLEASE bring back the old wikia! 24.77.35.158 16:40, 30 June 2007 (UTC)
 * The "free Wikipedias for your special topics"-idea you got from the old frontpage is now gone as it looks like a arbitrary social-networking site and not like a MediaWiki anymore. --Matthias 17:13, 1 July 2007 (UTC)

It doesn't fit very well. While I understand the whole "Web 2.0" design fashion is really "in" right now, I don't like functionality being given up for a shinier but less useful layout with a cheesy picture of smiling people. Concerning what Wikia is about - wikis, and the hosting and running thereof - it'd be a large step downwards, making Wikia look less serious and conciderable a wiki host. For every new visitor that would find it prettier and more socially engaging or however that community-oriented stuff is meant to work, I think atleast another is going to be left thinking Wikia more vapid than it really is. --The Divine Fluffalizer 19:42, 1 July 2007 (UTC)
 * Yea, agree, it's bit... it just looks fine but works bad. SkywalkerPL 08:12, 2 July 2007 (UTC)

There is no easy/visible/any(?) link to forums from main page. SkywalkerPL 08:12, 2 July 2007 (UTC)

A few quick thoughts on what's missing - community portal, translations of the home page, forums. The tour isn't useful and can't include the new home page. I think most people won't understand what "Free culture starts right here" means. I'd rather the "Discussing" part only included article talk or forums, not user talk pages. The "...and many more" link under popular articles should link to the new Big wikis hub. "Try our new skin now!" should just link to the page where you can save the new skin, not an article about new skins. Angela (talk) 10:16, 2 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Angela, thanks very much for your comments. I made all the linking changes you mentioned as of today.  As for excluding user talk pages from teh "discussing" section, that is being worked on right now.  I will keep you updated.  Thanks for taking the time to offer some constructive criticism.  Alexmoskowitz 08:06, 10 July 2007 (UTC)

I like the overall look of it but there are a few things missing, like i can't find where to get to "My preferences" so I can change the skin. Also the gaming hub link actually sends you to the gaming wiki which should be fixed to make it easier to browse through the different gaming wikis -- Thai420 Talk to me! 21:41, 4 July 2007 (UTC)
 * There is a preferences link on the new skin except that it is called Preferences, not My preferences. And as for the gaming link you have mentioned, perhaps you can also look up this link (you will find it in the featured section at the top five on the top of the page). – nh.jg talk 22:10:11, 4 July 2007 ( UTC )
 * The three main things I don't like about it is that I can't figure out how to edit it so I can do a few aesthetic fixes (like replacing [[Image:Crowd.jpg]] with so it can't be clicked), I don't like it that there is now no page history, and I can't use any type of navigation whatsoever because the navigation bar doesn't exist on that page! While I can easily just type what I want in the URL, having a navigation bar would certainly help other users get around. --Skizzerz talk 16:22, 6 July 2007 (UTC)
 * You can easily edit the page by replacing the "wiki/" in the web address with "index.php?title=" and adding "&action=edit" at the end. However, the fact that the Main Page at least looks non-editable might discourage potential vandals from, well, vandalising the wiki. 05:52, 7 July 2007 (UTC)
 * Yes, but when you do go into the edit box, all that is in it is a very large comment and the inclusion of home. However, the home template houses the old version of the page, so the new version must be software-sided, and therefore, non-editable. --Skizzerz talk 17:21, 7 July 2007 (UTC)

I think the Collaboration of the Month should be mentioned on it if it's gonna stay this design. What is the point of having Collaboration of the Month if people don't even know what it is? The main page is a great place to show it, but now it's just a small "Collaborations" link at the bottom of the page. People need to know what the project is to actually start helping contribute to it. Swannie talk to me 15:28, 25 July 2007 (UTC)

Related topic

 * New main page and ways to Society Gardens (Society Gardens features some 26 - I think, including recently added - wikia. I'd like to keep this initiative going and have some ideas for possible improvements, but seems a need to set up a (not too obscure) way for people to discover that it's there. Thoughts welcome Philralph 16:09, 3 July 2007 (UTC)

No skins?
It would be nice if the main page actually used a user's preferred skin. I don't like smoke. I don't use smoke. I find smoke nothing but confusing, so I have my preferences set for monobook. Which works on every page except the new main page. That's not a pleasant experience. ~WestonWyse ! 15:09, 13 July 2007 (UTC)


 * I agree. The home page looks like it is a different site.--Pat 15:54, 14 July 2007 (UTC)


 * I think that the home page should change depending on the skin. -- 18:17, 20 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Bring back the original Main page! Nowadays i always have to use some other page to make navigation and all the other things work like the rest of the wiki. Wikia is about wikis, so its Main page should be REALLY MUCH more wiki-like. --Nipsu 14:25, 24 July 2007 (UTC)
 * I agree with you 100%. I really don't like this new home page. Swannie talk to me 15:24, 25 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Bring back the original home page! --Nipsu 12:36, 26 July 2007 (UTC)


 * I second that. -- 18:34, 26 July 2007 (UTC)
 * I third that. I hate the new design.  Will SWC  21:57, 30 July 2007 (UTC)
 * Remember that the home page is intended primarily for newbies. We did try to add some links so that those using it for entry on a regular basis would have a somewhat intuitive way into the rest of the site. We'll look at other options. Thanks, -- BillK  (talk ) 05:31, 31 July 2007 (UTC)
 * Fine, Remembering that I find it confusing. If WE find it confusing what do you think a newbie is going to think? I doubt they'll even spend the time trying to figure it out.  Will SWC  05:49, 31 July 2007 (UTC)
 * I hear you WillSWC and I am certain that the homepage doesn't meet everyone's needs. :) I did offer the various mock ups for discussion here. Some of your sentiment is echoed in those discussions. We have found that the new homepage is causing our bounce rates to drop, so someone is finding it useful. So... can you offer something a little more constructive than "I hate it?" What specifically don't you like? How would you make it both appealing to newbies and useful to you? Newbies or those that drop in as the result of a Google search or press release may have reacted to the old home page the same way you react to the new one. I look forward to hearing more! Thanks, -- BillK   (talk ) 06:17, 31 July 2007 (UTC)