Forum:New section edit

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The new section edit button shows up for anonymous users.

The new button only appears for Header 2 (==) and not for Header 3 (===), so you don't see a whole column of green buttons on a page like this.

Another example.

Did you know there are still some people who don't know it's possible to contribute to and edit wikis? Sad but true. To change this, we're introducing a redesigned section edit link that we think will increase participation.

Our statistics show that anonymous visitors click section edit links almost twice as often as the edit button at the top of the page. (For logged-in users, the opposite is true.) So calling attention to section edit links should be a great way to increase participation.

To make sure that people don't overlook it, we've designed a new section edit button for anonymous contributors -- a shiny, bright edit button on each heading. We made a similar change for the "Log in" buttons (upper right in Monaco skin) last year and saw a big jump in new registrations.

This change is only for anonymous contributors -- nothing will change for logged-in editors.

The new edit button only applies to main headers (==Heading 2==). Subheadings (===Heading 3===) retain the blue link. (See the second image at the right for an example.)

Feedback

We plan to roll this out site-wide this Wednesday. After giving it a try, if your community would prefer the old section edit links, just send us an email at community@wikia.com. We can switch your wiki back.

As long as thoses translated, it's fine. But green is really not my fav color. :-P — TulipVorlax 23:41, 26 January 2009 (UTC)

Is this only for anonymous users? Drewton File:Era-old.png ^{(Drewton's Holocron)} 23:42, 26 January 2009 (UTC)

I think so. --Spencemac724 ^Talk 23:44, 26 January 2009 (UTC)

The text for the button should be translated properly--it uses the same translations as the existing edit button. And yes, the changes are only active for anonymous users. You can see the changes here on Central now if you log out. --KyleH (talk) 23:45, 26 January 2009 (UTC)

I really don't like the idea (if it is for IP users). It just (to me) screams "Come click me and vandalize the entire section!" I really don't care for it. --Spencemac724 ^Talk 23:46, 26 January 2009 (UTC)

I'd honestly want to be able to use trhis while I'm logged in cus buttons are pretty. JesseRoo

It's probably just a change to the CSS, so you could theoretically do this if you so wanted. That said, you'd have to poke Wikia about the actual CSS. --Sky (talk) 00:24, 27 January 2009 (UTC)

I don't need to worry seeing as I use Monobook and I'm registered. Hopefully it will help but I'm thinking it won't. Chicken7 ^>talk 00:30, 27 January 2009 (UTC)

I agree with Spencemac724- while it may be good to encourage users to edit the wiki, it does seem to me like it may encourage vandalism as well Nighthawk leader 00:38, 27 January 2009 (UTC)

I don't care as long as it doesn't mess up any articles. BPL 02:02, 27 January 2009 (UTC)

Well, when you let anybody edit a wiki, then yeah, you're going to get some vandalism. But letting everyone edit is what a wiki is all about. When you get more people contributing to the wiki, the site gets better. Even if you get another vandal, you'll also get more good contributors. -- Danny (talk) 02:45, 27 January 2009 (UTC)

These Edit buttons seems like a good idea -- I'm glad you guys are looking at usage patterns and making changes based on that.  SkyeNiTessine (talk · contr) 02:37, 27 January 2009 (UTC)

CSS?

Can we been given the id or class this is going to be use so we dont have to dig out and just prepare, at the dofus wiki we use custom colors for our buttons --Cizagna ^(Talk) 01:12, 27 January 2009 (UTC)

Logic?

Our statistics show that anonymous visitors click section edit links almost twice as often as the edit button at the top of the page. [..] So calling attention to section edit links should be a great way to increase participation. This boils down to

• This is the edit link that people find, so let's show it to them some more.

It's like when you see a guy who has pants and no shirt, so you go "Oh, obviously he likes pants, so why don't I sell him some more!"

The edit section links are better for inexperienced users because the amount of wikitext they see is less; they may find the edit tab at the top, but be overwhelmed by the text they see. Experienced editors aren't, and they know that they can do several edits at once, resturucture the page, and preview their edits in context if they edit the whole page. I do not see how uglifying the edit links is going to change any of that, but you're compiling statistics on that, right? And have done so on test wikis? --◄mendel► 01:31, 27 January 2009 (UTC)

Good analogy. I'm not a big fan of this change, either. It will ruin the effect of slick custom skins on a wiki. Oh, well, it's not really for experienced users anyway. Exlonox 01:51, 27 January 2009 (UTC)

Actually, I think the logic works great with that analogy. If I had a clothes store and I saw a guy with pants and no shirt, then yeah, he's a good prospect for more pants sales. And if business has been okay even though the sign outside the store isn't very eye-catching, then putting up a bigger and brighter sign should bring in even more customers.

I totally agree that section edit links are better for inexperienced users; that's why we want to make them more visible. It's our responsibility to help them find their way into the pants store; we can't have people out there just stumbling around naked. -- Danny (talk) 02:16, 27 January 2009 (UTC)

If this encourages more people to edit, then that is great. But what are we going to do to encourage them to move on and sign up for an account? Surely getting people to sign up is the ultimate goal and 'pretty buttons' that vanish when you sign up are going to disapoint anyone who enjoys having those big butttons. Essentially, to use your pants analogy (which is a bit weird if you are a Brit, because 'pants' means something else), you notice a guy likes to wear pants, sell him a few pairs of pants, but when he signs up to your storecard his pants vanish. I suggest you include an option to let people with accounts toggle this button on and off (and make the default for existing accounts be off, but the default for new accounts be on).

BTW: I actually use the section edit links myself, but my motivation is being too lazy to scroll, rather than being overwhelmed by the wikicode. For me a quick 'section edit' click, change and 'save page' click is faster to do that two sets of scrolling up and down a big page.

I think that the best 'reward' for setting up an account is for people to be able to maake edits without posting under their IP address. Maybe you should encourage newbies to set up accounts by allowing them to retro-activly 'buy off' all the edits with their IP address when they sign up. So how about a big 'newbie friendly message' on everyone's IP address talk page that tells them to create an account to 'convert the page to their user name page'? Put the two things together and I see a long term recruitment strategy for this 'edit' button. But if the button doesn't do more than help out drive by editors, I can't see it helping Wikia in the long term. David Shepheard 02:49, 27 January 2009 (UTC)

I like your ideas, David Shepheard. BTW, I think it looks kind of dumb to have only the first two headings, have this button. All of them should or none at all. WHLfan (talk to me!) 03:26, 27 January 2009 (UTC)