User talk:BulldozerD11

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Welcome, BulldozerD11, to Community Central!

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Templates Galore
Hey there Dozer!

With templates in general, the best way to go about it is to manually write out an 'inspiration' page that looks exactly how you'd like the template to format things. Then, it's much easier to move all that nasty code from the page into a template. Trying to build a template without knowing how the end product should look is like trying to tackle two difficult things at once. Once you have an inspiration, or example page, it's fairly easy to make it into a template that other, similar, pages can use.

Where were you thinking the edit buttons should be? The problem with using edit buttons on templates is that there's no specific section of the template you can 'point' at for the edit link. So if you wanted to add the owner for 9924, you can put a button that points to the whole list, but then you have to scroll through the whole list to figure out where to put it in. We have the same problems on Marvel, where we'd like to have a button you could click to enter the character's height or weight, but we haven't figured out how to do it yet, sadly. All that being said, you could definitely add an 'edit the list' link to the template, so that people would go straight to the list, but you'd still have to scroll through it to find the part you want to put in.

It's true, Wikia uses different versions and skins of MediaWiki software, so for the most part, Wikipedia templates don't translate well, if at all. In all honesty, if you've gotten any of them to work, you should congratulate yourself. :) I'm not too sure what that color template was supposed to do.

All food for thought. I'll take a look at trying to make the edit links in the templates again, and see what I can come up with. :)

&mdash; Nathan (Peteparker) (Earth-1218) (talk &bull; contribs &bull; email) 03:46, 7 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Below message copied here, as reply above is to this message
 * Hi Nathan

As you were so help full with some of my earlier template problems I wonder if you can help again.

1) I'd like to create a group of templates to create standardised blank (no content) page layouts for different types / makes of machine etc on the Tractors Wiki. I've seen a similar idea on one of the wikis but canot remember which :( But dont what to get bogged down in more Wikipedia ones. ;)

2) I also could do with adding edit buttons to the transcluded tables on some pages (part of navbar should do it but you know the earlier problems with that template). heres one of the tables, with edit workround. BTW the Navbar2 versions working OK and is on loads of pages (Wendy fixed a slight stacking problem for me).

3) Still got the problem with code appearing in strange places. such as this one here which dose not form the boxes correctly.

4) The Suite of Msg boxes that came from WP, I got the original author to fix one but I canot understand what he did tried to do the others but slightly different. He Claims Wikia uses a slightly different version of MediaWiki software with a poor Parser function !!  Template:Ambox Works on Trams wiki but not at tractor wiki

Would be great full if you can assist with any of these Nathan - Thanks BulldozerD11 02:31, 5 February 2009 (UTC)


 * Reply to your msg at top/my original questions (broken up for ref)


 * 1) Ok I draft someeting out (thats probably the hard bit (now see it your Marvel databse with semi automated templates). A Seperate discusion is on going over there as well
 * 2) Uberfuzzy fixed my fiddle edit button on navbar, but Tnavbars probably the answer if it can be fixed (site upgrade may do it or may make it worst !)
 * The Edit links at top of transcluded page will be ok just gets to the actual content in two cliks instead of about 6 currently. I'll wait on this and see if Uberfuzzy can fix nav template, as page is then a wikitable in anavbox frame (I think). I'll look for a WP example tomorrow(latter today I was going 2 hours ago as nearly time to gett up).
 * 3)Fixed by a user yesterday !! (Ive just fixed the Icons (uploaded missing ones after swaping to png's). template colours used in some documentation pages (imported stuff) but probably has a use to higlight items. Other templates have display issues like this Infobox company - finding faulty ones is a problem due to copying so many :(
 * 4) Ubberfuzzy has fixed Ambox and one other (I tried Tmbox but still not right) - its rest of suite of boxes. Uberfuzzy  or Parser upgrade may fix if lucky.
 * Nathan I'll get back to you on template idea over ar Marvel after getting idea as your user page buttons sort of do it. (a meta template core + then customised options list for each type of page) Or the boilerplate extension but need to look at that more. -- BulldozerD11 04:49, 7 February 2009 (UTC)

Big wikis
I'm not sure how it's showing for you, but for anonymous users and anyone who is using the shrinkwrap on Community Central, the full name of your wiki is taking two lines. This isn't so great for the visual appeal and clarity of the page. I've provided a screenshot of what happens. The 888th Avatar  (talk)  04:03, March 28, 2010 (UTC)


 * Hi Avatar i can see your point, but to arbitrarily rename a wiki from its proper name to some other corrupted version just to suit 'your' veiw of a pretty page is out of order without discussing it first. Would you like Avatar wiki renaming to Avata Wiki or would Wookipedia be happy with Wookpeda, just to fit your personal page layout view - ?


 * I'm OK with dropping the Wiki bit but to omit Construction from the wikis title and just use Tractor and Plant would be unclear as most of the world would then think it was abut horticulture (plants) or farming. Plant is a term used in the UK for machinery that in the US is often call Engineering machinery or equipment, an even longer title ! Autmobibles is car related of which there are several wikis, Vehicles tends to be associated with road going machines, Machinery wiki would be too vague etc. I considered titles such as "Classic or Vintage machinery and vehicle preservation wiki" but it was too long and infered just older machines. So unless anybody can suggest a reasonable title that relates to the content the name is "Tractor and Construction Plant Wiki" - which was the title accepted when it was created.


 * Whats this shrink wrap thing ? All wiki pages have layout issues in some browsers / screen resolutions due to the dynamic nature of the layout and number of options available ! I tried to balance the colums on a number of occasions when additions were made to that page in the past and realsie, some of it was due to names wrapping, but other were people placing names at the head of a column section, rather than the bottom of the previous one. :;


 * There are no page guide lines agree by the community from what i see for hub pages as the whole hubs ideas is under reveiw and at the moment is still focused on just promoting the fanons and games wikis, since the vast majority if the minor hobs are off on dead ends and not linked from the main navigation links. Hobbies now redirects to lifstyle which is not relevant to most of its former constituent wikis.


 * BTW The new style Hubs are looking better but till they are sorted out for all 'types/grouping' the biggest Wikis page is the only one that is relevant to my wiki with any reasonable chance of being seen by casual visitors.
 * - BulldozerD11 13:39, March 28, 2010 (UTC)


 * Renaming "Tractors & Construction" with the abbreviation "Tractors & Construct. Plant" is a totally different situation to renaming "Avatar Wiki" to "Avata Wiki", particularly so because "Avata" is not an abbreviation in any sense, while "Construct." is more passable. This doesn't matter anyway - "Tractor/Construction" works fine. I didn't intend my change to be "arbitrary"; I didn't think it was such a big deal. On that point, I evidently was wrong, and I apologise.
 * Thanks for reply and for the apology. - Construct. is not an abbreviation in same way as Avata is not in my opinion. Swapping / to & would be better.


 * The view I get is the view every single other user on Wikia (including anons) who isn't using custom settings in their personal CSS gets. The shrinkwrap basically refers to the width of the page. Staff have set the shrinkwrap on this wiki to be a set width, which for larger screens will appear to be narrower.
 * I had noticed some pages appear slimmer than others. CSS is like Japanese to me - lots of meaning less characters. I can understand the need for a fixed width as My front page is a mess on this PC but i cannot decide how to redesign it, from the original start up one it was based on. All this style/HTML and CSS and JS stuff gets confusing to me. I did think of templating it in sections, but my codding skill are not in your league.


 * Unfortunately, there aren't any guidelines for the hubs, but I wouldn't worry too much about them at this point. Their future is not too certain, and I'm not sure what Wikia intends to do with them considering their new hubs on the corporate wiki. I would agree, however, that the transport hub and other minor hubs are not what they could be. The 888th Avatar   (talk)  01:50, April 2, 2010 (UTC)


 * As several other Hubs have 'long' names in them and have had for as long as i've been on wikia I tool it rather personally as no others have been truncated / abbreviated that i know of, so i see it as unnecessary. If there is a width issue then a 3 column list should be used.


 * As i see it the side bar needs updating to point to the main and sub hubs IMO. I thought there was a rewiew / restructuring going on but rollout and discussions appears a bit sporadic from wikia staff. The splittting to seperate Wiki's for the main ones will just fragment comuity participation in the mainrenace as monitoring changes is a lot harder in my view. The New Comunity Hub pages are on the whole better looking (apart from encouraging spam bloging) and the mixed hierarchical structure not linking to large numbers of wikis yet.


 * The old Hobbies better suited a lot of smaller grouping than the lifestyle heading that has replaced it. But the categorization of sites is always an issue. Obviously the Big name / branded product wikis drive advert revenue for wikia, but Wikia is also encouraging the creation of new wikis to claim x no. of wikia sites and then not supporting them (by delivering traffic and new editors) will not be sustainable long term, as games and shows have a limited shelf life as fashion changes and users move on. Look how games and entertainment have taken over from wikicities. Some of the new 'hidden' wiki themes could be the next big thing but they need to be 'found' by editors to gain critical mass. Thats some of my thoughts on why Hubs should be helping to direct traffic to newer sites and the niche ones. I wonder how many of the new sites actually grow to more than a few dozen pages and get significant page views and links ? Wikis are competing with Forums for a lot of the users as well. - BulldozerD11 02:45, April 2, 2010 (UTC)

RE: Transport Hub
This sounds like a case of mistaken identity. You can see by my contribs in the Hub namespace that I have never deleted any Hub. I've only made a few edits, and none of them were on a "Transport" hub. JoePlay ( talk ) 01:19, April 2, 2010 (UTC)
 * see deletion log - Here which linked to your talk page. But you may be partialy right as i failed to notice the date of that deletion was 2008. Full responese on users page - BulldozerD11 01:33, April 2, 2010 (UTC)

RE:hub update
Because the wiki seems trashed and no one seems to manage it or use it. The wiki should be deleted --Knighrez(Talk) 02:10, June 11, 2010 (UTC)


 * There are loads of wikis like that waiting for some one to come along and clean them up & adopt them. I tidied it up abit ages ago by fixing a few missing templates, as i have done with several random wiki. people come and go from wikis. (there are thousands of 'dead' wikis) I looked at working on it but have then decided to concentrate on 'my' wiki which now includes cars but but in a different way as it is classic cars show with the tractors and steam engines that are the main subject of my wiki, but were also built by the same companies in many cases.


 * When i found yours i added it to the Hub, as wikia nolonger adds them (too many are started now and never get past a few pages) Yours looked like a more serious attempt so I added it, as the Auto hub looks rather neglected IMO by Wikia. A wiki is what the user make it (be they casual user or dedicated editors) who spent time building it and setting out guidelines, as to content and style etc for a community to develop. Unless it offers something different the serious editors on the subject will tend go to wikipedia which is more established.


 * You can ask wikia to delete it but that is very unlikely to happen unless it is full of spam and problem material as Wikia inc is partially about growth in numbers of sites not quality (reply also posted to users page were my original post was) - BulldozerD11 10:18, June 11, 2010 (UTC)

Excuse me are you an admin? WaveTheSwallow

thanks
... for your kind comments over at the "Forum:Your First Look..." I'm glad to hear somebody reads it. :) -- ◄mendel► 17:01, August 24, 2010 (UTC)


 * Thanks to you for taking the time to post the blog bits in a more readable format. All too often we read posts on the Forum and other places and 'think' our comments but cannot be bothered to post a reply & the efforts made help others on the forum are not always appreciated/acknowledged by Users here on Central. As you say it is nice to know somebody has actually looked a something you post even if they dont agree with your point of view on subjects. ;) - BulldozerD11 17:18, August 24, 2010 (UTC)
 * Btw, it's a public page - if you find other bits worth mentioning, feel free to add them. (The link can be found via the history of the comment in RecentChanges.) -- ◄mendel► 19:45, August 24, 2010 (UTC)

Setting up Wiki sites
Hi Devilmanozzy any pointers as to how to set up a private mediawiki based site like you have. I'm thinking of moving my 'project' private as i have very few editors helping me so would like to set up a new wiki that is read only for the public and release it under the CC by SA as here, like some other niche encyclopaedia projects. I've looked at the mediawiki site for the code but dont understand all the other stuff involved (Mysql and php etc), so would appreciate any links to sites with easy to follow instructions on setting one up (even if just to run a Wiki on my own PC). I dont fancy being forced to moving again after spending another 2 years creating a new site an then the host changing the rules and messing it all up again. I currently have 4000 + content pages 6000 image pages and 15000 other pages with 50,000 + images instock for uploading, so need a site with plenty of capacity hence using wikia originally. - BulldozerD11 23:15, September 29, 2010 (UTC)
 * Mediawiki Downloads has a list of versions of the system to set up. You need to decide what features matter, and choose a the version that will be the most friendly. After that, you will if you use Infobox templates, need the right Parser functions. But it just takes time and research to build a wiki. Devilmanozzy  (Talk Page)  03:13, September 30, 2010 (UTC)
 * Thanks I'd found the Mediawiki Site but am stumped by all the associated stuff needed to get it operational on a PC. Looks like I may be easier buying a domain name and hosting that offers mediawiki as part of the package then. Thanks - BulldozerD11 11:07, September 30, 2010 (UTC)
 * Well offhand, as many are saying, you can always give Shoutwiki a try. They offer to help move wikis too. Contact they staff here. Wish you best of luck with the move. Devilmanozzy  (Talk Page)  11:14, September 30, 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for the note
Hi! Thanks for the note on my blog (User_blog:CocoaZen/Over_6_years_now...). I started answering your question... and my answer was long, so I won't repost it here. Your questions were great "thought starters"! Hope things go well for you here. It was a pleasure hearing from you. I hope we end up working together sometime. You wouldn't happen to be interested in contributing to the Home or Literature wikia, would you? Or the one that's about Cities? I'd be happy to stop by any wiki you recommend or where you want assistance. -- CocoaZen 05:05, December 17, 2010 (UTC)


 * Thanks for your note here (i might have missed your reply to my comment on your blog otherwise). I'll reply to your blog reply's points on central's blogs later on.


 * I tend to only contribute to other wikis occasionaly and mainly house keeping/fixing templates, when i've got writers block and i'm just visiting random wikis to look for good ideas to 'borrow'. I'm currently mainly posting at central in the help forums while i look at options for 'my' wiki following the recent upheaval and changes imposed by wikia interfering with the sites look and operation. I'm looking for a good sytem of creating new pages, but need a number of different pro-forma pages due to range of content.
 * I'll check out Home wiki and Cities to see if they can tempt me into contributing some material at times. 12:15, December 17, 2010 (UTC)
 * I'll check out Home wiki and Cities to see if they can tempt me into contributing some material at times. 12:15, December 17, 2010 (UTC)