User blog comment:BertH/Wikia's evolution continues with VisualEditor/@comment-3441771-20131016145259/@comment-3441771-20131017033106

Clarification: I'm not opposing VisualEditor. If it's true that contributions to wikis are declining, I'm most perturbed by this. So a true WYSIWYG is undoubtedly what we're looking for! However, I question whether or not those figures are from Wikipedia which doesn't have the best light in the press, and is over-regulated for most. I'd like to see the figures for Wikia, which would almost undoubtedly tell a different story.

@T3CHNOCIDE: You've misunderstood my post. I know there aren't any plans to remove wikitext editing, I commented on that before, but there are plans to make a switchable VisualEditor. And that would make wikitext editing an after thought (again). As to your Wikipedia bit... well... I fail to see the weight in that. Wikipedia has coffers to fill too, and more users mean more donations. That's wrong anyway; viewers must give to Wikipedia too, just as viewers of Wikia must see the ads whether there are many users or few. Actually, that's the first flaw I've seen in my earlier argument. ;)

Goodness knows how people are going to make custom CSS and the like without even knowing wikitext. Kerry Stapleton I could kiss you, mate. ;) Wikia thinks that creating easier CSS editing is going to turn all its users into CSS wizards. That takes time, not a lot of it, but some time. My point is that Wikia, and MediaWiki itself for that matter, better not fail to see why there are "power users": wikitext! It gives users the bug for this sort of thing. Not all coders come from wikis, Starfleet! I hear you say, well no... but there are an awful lot of coders on MediaWiki wikis. Coincidence? Me thinks not.

@Master Ceadeus 27: Your primary point is excellent. :D Please refer to my reply @T3CHNOCIDE for the other one. Personally, I don't believe that Wikia, nor MediaWiki, will completely remove source mode editing. VisualEditor is not a WYSIWYG. Not even close. While that is true&mdash;programs always have bugs, always have flaws, always have limitations; IOW until computers program themselves&mdash;wikis will need a plain text editor. How nice Wikia makes this editing experience is what I'm questioning here.

My idea will work well for users, for Wikia and for MediaWiki in general. They're looking at the bigger picture. I'm looking at an even more colossal one&mdash;I believe. C'mon, Wikia, what difference to you does it make to give users who prefer wikitext editing a plain text editor? and one that complements your new editing environment* splendidly at that? What say you?

&#42; I love it that this is like a Back to the Future kinda thing.