Forum:Disabling the Userbox feature

Hi everyone,

Following my recent (and still ongoing proposal) regarding the Polls, Quizzes and Picture Games, and with a short discussion of some of the administration team members, I'm going to add onto disabling the userbox generator feature. This was implemented by a wikia update a few months ago.

While this feature is helpful in the creation of userboxes, especially for users new to wiki coding, it has caused some problems and glitches.

"It has been proven to be a nuisance for not including the ability to search for available images in the wiki. With that said, all userboxes created and images uploaded through this feature will be removed from the wiki without any notification. This also applies to unofficial templates that are not listed in the Project Userbox. Users are expected to use those in Project Userbox. If they insist on having their own custom userbox, they are always welcome to use Template:Userbox."

- Subtank, on her blog.

As said, the feature has caused problems, mainly with duplicate images, and creation of unneeded or badly made boxes, many unused and "flooding" the wiki.

If this feature is removed, users will still be able to use userboxes from project userbox, or by simply using this.

While this is a pretty much minor proposal, the decision taken will likely play a fairly big role for Halopedia 2010.

Regards,

-  Nìcmávr  ( Tálk  ) 20:25, January 10, 2010 (UTC)

Voting

 * Please try to keep the voting as tidy as possible. Thank you!

Support (30/7 sysop)

 * 1) - Major.png  Nìcmávr  ( Tálk  ) 20:25, January 10, 2010 (UTC)
 * 2) -  5 əb'7 aŋk (7alk ) 20:27, January 10, 2010 (UTC)
 * 3) -  JEA13  [ iTalk  ] 20:32, January 10, 2010 (UTC)
 * 4) -  Smoke Sound off! 20:51, January 10, 2010 (UTC)
 * 5) - --Jugus  (Talk  | Contribs ) 20:59, January 10, 2010 (UTC)
 * 6) --Colonel Grade One.png   General5 7    talk    contribs    email   21:20, January 10, 2010 (UTC)
 * 7) I agree. It seems clumsily thought out. --Dragonc laws (talk ) 21:56, January 10, 2010 (UTC)
 * 8) --  Administrator   Specops306  -   Qur'a 'Morhek   22:04, January 10, 2010 (UTC)
 * 9) - No explanation needed. We all know why we need to put a stop to this. -- (_)LTR/-\ FRCE  18:32, January 24, 2010 (UTC)
 * 10) -  Sith-venator Wavingstrider  ODST Crest.png ( Commlink ) 00:46, January 11, 2010 (UTC)
 * 11) -  ShadowBroker44  Family crest.jpg (TALK)   (CONTRIBS) 01:25, January 11, 2010 (UTC)
 * 12) - 外国 人 (7alk ) 01:43, January 11, 2010 (UTC)
 * 13) -  Vadamee  ( Contibutions  Profile ) 13:08, January 11, 2010 (UTC)
 * 14) - If they're causing problems, then that's fine. -- T   3   2  8 Bouncy Wiki Logo.gif 14:09, January 11, 2010 (UTC)
 * 15) - The Userboxes are quite obsolete now, and need removal. <Font color="pink">The User without the fancy Sig
 * 16) - The user boxes are a old, unneeded feature thats just taking up space. Heretic Havana 20:13, January 11, 2010 (UTC)[[Heretic Havana
 * 17) - I liked the old userbox method better.  GySgt. Gonzalez  [[Image:Campaign Complete Heroic achievement.png|30px]]  -Comm Open-   -Body Count-  00:32, January 12, 2010 (UTC)
 * 18) - Makes perfect sense. Colonel DA,  Halopedian Administrator  13:52, January 12, 2010 (UTC)
 * 19) - This feature messes up formatting on pages. Teh lolz! <span style="color: lime; font-family: Halo3,Papyrus; font-size: 12pt;">Bionicle+Lotr  23:09, January 12, 2010 (UTC)
 * 20)  Field   Master   Spartansniper  4  50  23:30, January 12, 2010 (UTC)
 * 21) <font face="century gothic"><font color="#738678">SNOR { 3 } 23:35, January 12, 2010 (UTC)
 * 22) Can I has Userbox?<font color="#5D8AA8">外<font color="#9BDDFF">国 人 (<font color="#5D8AA8">7alk ) 03:00, January 13, 2010 (UTC)
 * 23) -- Spamhammer   "I reject your reality and substitute my own."  20:15, January 13, 2010 (UTC)
 * Second Lieutenant  Keith Johnson  [[Image:7thHelljumpers.jpg|20px]] com link 02:13, January 16, 2010 (UTC)
 * 1) - Adding the feature was pointless in the first place. Commander Silver Leaf.PNG  Kougermasters   ( Talk )   ( Contribs )   ( Edits )  07:49, January 16, 2010 (UTC)
 * 2) They're a menance, an annoyance, their deployance nigh with illustration duplication -- irritation! Let this demonstration of damnation give you all the motivation [to] cast them out in [the] midst of condemnation! <span style="background:#ADA;display:inline-block;height:16px;padding-right:4px;line-height:1em;position:relative;top:-3px;-moz-border-radius:0 50% 50%">[[Image:DavidJCobb_Emblem.svg|16px]]  DavidJCobb  04:20, January 17, 2010 (UTC)
 * 3) *That, and the unbearable, terrible, horrible colors they always, always seem to share -- obnoxious contrasts that scare children and drive adults to tear out their hair! Those evil pairings of hues that leave human eyes in despair and deplete the supply -- there's no eyebleach to be found anywhere anymore! Good riddance -- banish these hellish userbox bastardizations forevermore! <span style="background:#ADA;display:inline-block;height:16px;padding-right:4px;line-height:1em;position:relative;top:-3px;-moz-border-radius:0 50% 50%">[[Image:DavidJCobb_Emblem.svg|16px]] DavidJCobb  04:36, January 17, 2010 (UTC)
 * 4) These things ARE obnoxious. Sure, they help new users get to make userboxes. But the boxes they make are HORRIBLE! Usually no color, black text, and no picture, along with bad grammar. I'd rather just stick with the coding! Please abolish these boxes, and crush them into little tiny pieces, and finally, send them into the Mariana Trench!
 * 5) I don't fully agree with SPARTAN-118 (nothing personal, really), since I do believe there are still some people using the userboxes like me, however I create userboxes "the old school way", with the HTML templates that the ol' might RR has bestowed upon us. In all seriousness, though, the "generator" feature should be removed if it is creating problems, but I still think that the old school way that I mentioned should be left alone by itself. -- <font color="#D3D3D3">B <font color="#A9A9A9">le <font color="#808080">mo  [[Image:Progress Wheel.gif]] <font color="#A9A9A9">TALK • <font color="#A9A9A9">CONTRIBUTIONS • <font color="#A9A9A9">EMAIL • <font color="#A9A9A9"><span style="font-weight: light;" title="">CALENDER • <font color="#A9A9A9"><span style="font-weight: light;" title="By the time you finish reading this hidden message, twelve nuclear warheads will have been launched toward your location. Thank you and have a nice day.">MESSAGE''
 * Whoops, removing my last part. I didn't read Nic's comment in the comments section. -- <font color="#D3D3D3">B <font color="#A9A9A9">le <font color="#808080">mo [[Image:Progress Wheel.gif]] <font color="#A9A9A9">TALK • <font color="#A9A9A9">CONTRIBUTIONS • <font color="#A9A9A9">EMAIL • <font color="#A9A9A9"><span style="font-weight: light;" title="">CALENDER • <font color="#A9A9A9"><span style="font-weight: light;" title="By the time you finish reading this hidden message, twelve nuclear warheads will have been launched toward your location. Thank you and have a nice day.">MESSAGE''
 * 1) I don't fully agree with SPARTAN-118 (nothing personal, really), since I do believe there are still some people using the userboxes like me, however I create userboxes "the old school way", with the HTML templates that the ol' might RR has bestowed upon us. In all seriousness, though, the "generator" feature should be removed if it is creating problems, but I still think that the old school way that I mentioned should be left alone by itself. -- <font color="#D3D3D3">B <font color="#A9A9A9">le <font color="#808080">mo  [[Image:Progress Wheel.gif]] <font color="#A9A9A9">TALK • <font color="#A9A9A9">CONTRIBUTIONS • <font color="#A9A9A9">EMAIL • <font color="#A9A9A9"><span style="font-weight: light;" title="">CALENDER • <font color="#A9A9A9"><span style="font-weight: light;" title="By the time you finish reading this hidden message, twelve nuclear warheads will have been launched toward your location. Thank you and have a nice day.">MESSAGE''
 * Whoops, removing my last part. I didn't read Nic's comment in the comments section. -- <font color="#D3D3D3">B <font color="#A9A9A9">le <font color="#808080">mo [[Image:Progress Wheel.gif]] <font color="#A9A9A9">TALK • <font color="#A9A9A9">CONTRIBUTIONS • <font color="#A9A9A9">EMAIL • <font color="#A9A9A9"><span style="font-weight: light;" title="">CALENDER • <font color="#A9A9A9"><span style="font-weight: light;" title="By the time you finish reading this hidden message, twelve nuclear warheads will have been launched toward your location. Thank you and have a nice day.">MESSAGE''


 * 1) - It's just like Windows XP to Vista, they tried to make something that works better for dumb people, and royally screwed it up.
 * 2) As per everyone above me. :) "We are not backing down now. Besides, I dont like losing, remember?" Yugiohtipman34 01:38, January 27, 2010 (UTC)
 * 3) I never got the point of these things anyway. Nuke 'em! UNSC_MIC.jpg Captain  MIC  05:28, January 30, 2010 (UTC)
 * 4) I maintain the core package of social tools and have been working on cleaning up the other social features (QuizGame, PictureGame etc.) and I like them, but as others have pointed out, they just aren't appropriate for a wiki like Halopedia. --Jack Phoenix (Contact) 23:17, January 30, 2010 (UTC)

Neutral (0/0 sysop)

 * First time I used the userboxes I got blocked because when you put up pictures it went to the main site and screwed things up. I really didn't and don't know how to get pictures for the userboxes without adding them to the whole website as well. So I don't know what side to take the userboxes seem fun but I don't know how to use them Gubreez 03:00, January 28, 2010 (UTC)

Oppose (1/0 sysop)

 * 1) - I think that this generator is much better than the old method. SPARTAN--117 18:17, January 25, 2010 (UTC)
 * 2) *List of things that "the old method" can do and the generator can't:
 * 3) *#Gradient backgrounds
 * 4) *#Multiple fonts (so that if one font is supported, another can be used in its place)
 * 5) *#Styled borders
 * 6) *#Use images that are already on the wiki
 * 7) *#Show only part of an image
 * 8) *#Easily maintain a consistent size with other userboxes
 * 9) *#Be used on UserWiki: pages
 * 10) *#Accept parameters allowing you to change some text (e.x. just one userbox for "This user hates the Flood", "This user likes the Flood", and even "This user teabags the Flood, makes inane film clips of it, and puts it on their File Share in an effort to fill Bungie's servers with useless crap")
 * 11) *#Contain external links without the external link marker
 * 12) *#Use MediaWiki magic words and parser functions (e.x. displaying the viewer's name or the date and time)
 * 13) *And that's all off the top of my head. ∎. <span style="background:#ADA;display:inline-block;height:16px;padding-right:4px;line-height:1em;position:relative;top:-3px;-moz-border-radius:0 50% 50%">[[Image:DavidJCobb_Emblem.svg|16px]] DavidJCobb  01:27, January 27, 2010 (UTC)

Comments
So help me to understand. You are not proposing to abolish userboxes in general, simply the "create your own userbox feature. If this assessment is accurate then I will support that, however I see no reason in abolishing userboxes altogether if that is the proposal. Pardon my misunderstanding, I just require a further bit of clarification.  Vadamee  ( Contibutions Profile ) 02:22, January 11, 2010 (UTC)
 * Correct. This is only abolishing the "Create Your Userbox Feature". Userboxes will still be able to made manually with wiki coding, or by using the Template:Userbox. - Major.png Nìcmávr  ( Tálk  ) 04:41, January 11, 2010 (UTC)
 * The userboxes are fun additions that can help a user introduce him/herself to the community. But the Create Userbox function simply leads to the creation of userboxes that are only used once and never used again, and are sometimes created in manners that violate our guidelines. More often not, they use images that get deleted, and we're left with userpages displaying broken userboxes. The old system was also more personal, and customisable. --  Administrator  Specops306  -   Qur'a 'Morhek   11:17, January 11, 2010 (UTC)
 * Very well then, I will cast my support.  Vadamee  ( Contibutions Profile ) 13:07, January 11, 2010 (UTC)