User blog comment:Jenburton/An Update on Message Wall/@comment-737801-20111008002942

I just looked at this on the test wiki, and I have to say that I'm 1000% disappointed, but appalled would be a better word. I'm not seeing a productive work environment for getting questions answered and dealing with wiki business, I'm seeing Facebook and everything that comes with it. This feature is, IMO, a waste of WIkia's time, money, and frankly will not do anything but distract from content and the reasons wikis exist, which is to collect, organize, and publish information about a topic. The useless/pointless/and completely irrelevant things on the test wiki look like a cheap Facebook knockoff and I'm convinced that people will not use this feature for discussing wiki business, they will use it for what people use facebook for, chit-chatting. I DON'T WANT THAT ON MY TALK PAGE.

This feature should be one of three things:
 * 1) Optional
 * 2) Used in conjunction with user talk pages
 * 3) Abandoned (Preferred option)

If I'm forced to use this completely worthless, and completely idiotic feature, then I will set up another user page for me to use as my talk page because using this feature will be a waste of my time and efforts. I will not use this as my talk page and will direct users to leave messages there where I will respond and where I will conduct business. And if I’m forced to use it, then I will give serious thought to leaving Wikia and dismissing the entire network as a site that is being nothing more than a facebook rip off.

This is not in keeping with what a wiki is supposed to do, it's distracting, and it makes WIkia look like a social network. There is no denying this and anyone who ways that it isn't like a social network, all I can say is that you need to put this monstrosity next to a facebook wall, and if you can't see the resemblance, then, in all honestly, you need your eyes examined. Harsh, but true if you can't see it.

Content is the core of a wiki, not some stupid, ridiculous, idiotic, and worthless wall that makes a wiki look like a social networking site, rather than a serious place for discussing things. Wikia staff members, these talk page limitations are only in your head, so please get them out of there. Talk pages aren’t that hard to follow and the fact a staff member is saying they are is extremely disturbing to me and suggests ulterior motives. Talk pages aren’t that hard to follow and again the “limitations” are only in your heads.

Wikia, do yourselves a favor and either make it optional, or just stop pushing it as you aren't doing anyone any favors. If this goes through, then this is no longer MediaWiki, it's MediaWikia, and that's scary. Anyone who says that this feature will be still be in line with MedaWiki, really needs to look at it again.