Difference between revisions of "User talk:Jeff"

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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: Yes, but that is not necessarily an advantage. My template only creates the infobox, so you are still able to create an introductory text or other sections, for special comics that need a more detailed description. I can also add categories if needed. --[[User:SlashMe|SlashMe]] ([[User talk:SlashMe|talk]]) 19:02, 3 August 2012 (EDT)
 
: Yes, but that is not necessarily an advantage. My template only creates the infobox, so you are still able to create an introductory text or other sections, for special comics that need a more detailed description. I can also add categories if needed. --[[User:SlashMe|SlashMe]] ([[User talk:SlashMe|talk]]) 19:02, 3 August 2012 (EDT)
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:I think it is a major advantage to make the thing easier to use and more consistant site-wide.
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::As the creator of the new one, I'm obviously biased, but I created it because I think it's better. Not putting your work down, it was a great piece of code that I put to work in my template. But I think if there's need for pre-text of any kind (not sure there is, as the articles probably should all open with the comic itself as presented on XKCD), a pre-comment can be added into the template, but I'm not sure what that would be. Perhaps there would be a requirement for special circumstances like the comic a few weeks ago where there were a million iterations depending on locality, browser, etc. But that's the rarity. I think the new one simplifies it for users. They need only one template to post the comic, alt text title and nav buttons. What could be easier? [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 19:08, 3 August 2012 (EDT)
  
 
== Main Image ==
 
== Main Image ==

Revision as of 23:08, 3 August 2012

This is Jeff's talk page.

Issue dates.

Hi Jeff,

As i'm creating pages I struggle with the issue dates of comics. I've added a comment to all pages that contain the (unknown/incorrect) dates. Is there a way to research those dates? --Rikthoff (talk)

[1] if you mouse over the comic name, it will have the date. --Jeff (talk) 18:26, 3 August 2012 (EDT)

- if you mouse over comic name in "Archive" section of xkcd.com. Older comics(1-44 or so) might be found in livejournal archiveB. P. (talk) 18:35, 3 August 2012 (EDT)

Should we consider using "2012-08-03" style dates and letting localization "do the right thing"? Most pages so far use "August 3, 2012" style dates, with a few incorrectly doing "August 3rd, 2012"... Presumably the template could do the localizing/localising...--B. P. (talk) 18:39, 3 August 2012 (EDT)

The date is also available with the JSON API, which I'm going to use for the import. I use {{#dateformat: year-month-day}}, MediaWiki should figure out the correct way to display it based on your preferences. --SlashMe (talk) 18:47, 3 August 2012 (EDT)

Comments

Hey,

You might consider Extension:Comments. It acts basically like the comment system on the blog, so you could keep everything (article, comments) in one place. It's more conducive to casual conversation than the discussion page. --Cyanfish (talk) 14:07, 2 August 2012 (EDT)

That's nice, but a simpler approach could be just to transclude the talk page in the subject page itself, as is done in the Wikipedia Signpost (see here for an example). --Waldir (talk) 16:15, 3 August 2012 (EDT)

Request

Hi Jeff,

Just thought I'd run this up the flagpole... any thought about installing the ParserFunctions extension? I think this site could benefit from a few templates that would aid in indexing/categorizing the entries as content is migrated, and ParserFunctions would make some really impressive things possible... but installing any extension or not would be up to you.

Also, do you have any feelings about us users creating templates in the Template namespace, which we could use to maintain the content? Just wanted to get your thumbs-up before/if I did something like that. Just want to play nice. Love the site, and the new wiki format.

- PT IronyChef (talk) 03:05, 1 August 2012 (EDT)

ParserFunctions are awesome, yup! --Philosopher Let us reason together. 06:56, 1 August 2012 (EDT)
Yes to both. I have enabled ParserFunctions and Templates sound like a great idea. IronyChef, please send me an email at the address on the blog and I'll make you an admin if necessary to edit templates. --Jeff (talk) 08:03, 1 August 2012 (EDT)

Robots.txt

I'm not sure how to set it up, but if you could edit the robots.txt file to exclude the contents of Category:Noindexed pages? I've created a Sandbox for people to test the unfamiliar features in, and you're probably not going to want that indexed by the search engines. --Philosopher Let us reason together. 08:47, 1 August 2012 (EDT)

Apparently you can edit it through MediaWiki:Robots.txt, but I'm not experienced enough to know what will happen if you block a url that runs through a .php page. (Perhaps nothing? Perhaps it blocks everything?) Is there any chance of moving the wiki to use /wiki/articlename urls like Wikipedia does rather than the current /wiki/index.php?title=articlename ? --Philosopher Let us reason together. 10:43, 1 August 2012 (EDT)
/wiki/articlename would be great. Been trying to figure out how to make it work for days. Let me know if you know how. --Jeff (talk) 11:11, 1 August 2012 (EDT)

For URL rewritung, have a look at mediawiki.org: Short URL or for Apache. --SlashMe (talk) 15:49, 1 August 2012 (EDT)

Bugging you again....

Could you take a look at [2] and tell me if I'm thinking in about the same way as you are here? Also, I've brought up MediaWiki:Tagline and Explain XKCD:Community portal, as it'd be cool to have a tagline. --Philosopher Let us reason together. 10:46, 1 August 2012 (EDT)

With you 100% on the File Delete reasons. Thanks. I agree also about having a tagline. What do you think it should be? --Jeff (talk) 11:13, 1 August 2012 (EDT)
Nothing's coming to mind right now. Perhaps someone else will think of something. --Philosopher Let us reason together. 17:54, 2 August 2012 (EDT)

Automatic Import

Hi

I created a draft for the comic pages. It's still work in progress, but I'd like to retrieve feedback.

Also, maybe we could autmatically import comics using the JSON data Randall gives us ([3]). This way, we could also include transcripts. --SlashMe (talk) 15:23, 1 August 2012 (EDT)

Hm, I should add a link to my draft: User:SlashMe/Testpage ;-) --SlashMe (talk) 06:54, 2 August 2012 (EDT)

I updated the page, including links to the next/previous comic similar to Template:ComicHeader. I used comic 472, because it has a lot of metadata (link, news, HTML title, etc.). --SlashMe (talk) 07:32, 2 August 2012 (EDT)

Just to remind everyone, I'd be ready to import the comics, but I don't want to until I got more feedback. Please have a look at User:SlashMe/Testpage and tell me your opinion. --SlashMe (talk) 06:02, 3 August 2012 (EDT)

I think your test page looks great. I'm a big fan of it. Any way to fit the text in the text box rather than having it run all the way to the right? --Jeff (talk) 18:19, 3 August 2012 (EDT)
I just made a change concerning line breaks, at least it works in Firefox and Chrome. Could somebody please test it in different versions of Internet Explorer?
If you agree, I would start uploading tomorrow. I'll send you a mail. --SlashMe (talk) 18:31, 3 August 2012 (EDT)

Header template

Hi, I've created a template called Template:ComicHeader, which might make things easier when creating comic pages (and also provide better consistency between the pages). I've used it on the Internal monologue page, to display the comic number and the date it was published. The template also adds the page to the Comics category.

You just need to add:

{{ComicHeader|1089|August 1, 2012}}

…to the start of the page (replacing the comic number and date).

I'll try to make the template look a bit nicer, but the great thing about templates of course, is that once they're updated, the changes are reflected on all the pages that include that template. --Yirba (talk) 18:46, 1 August 2012 (EDT)

By the way, I'm thinking of maybe programming something that would allow you to easily import the comic image and alt text from xkcd without having to upload the images manually and the like. You'd just have to host a single PHP file on your server and make a few changes to the MediaWiki configuration. Of course, you'd be able to see source code and everything to make sure I'm not trying to do something fishy. :-P Let me know what you think. :-) --Yirba (talk) 18:54, 1 August 2012 (EDT)
Yirba - I like the idea. My email is [email protected] - send me what you put together and we can sort it out. --Jeff (talk) 19:37, 1 August 2012 (EDT)
Ditto on the Template. Up-vote. Any thought on harvesting the pre-wiki content from ExplainXKCD with some sort of a Python, Perl, or PHP script? (That sounds more like a 'bot than something that would have to be hosted, though.) IronyChef (talk) 01:52, 2 August 2012 (EDT)
I was thinking of putting it into a infobox, please see above. I also intended to automatically extract data from xkcd, which would lack descriptions, but at least we would have data like title, image and transcripts. Also, there are some other data like links (e.g. 832), news (which are displayed in xkcd's header, e.g. 739) and titles which contain HTML (259 and 472). I also extracted all those data. When we agree on a page layout, I could begin programming a bot. --SlashMe (talk) 06:54, 2 August 2012 (EDT)
Hmmm… an infobox may be a good idea. And a bot that imports data from xkcd might be handy. Anyway, here's something I programmed that would allow for access to the xkcd API from the wiki itself. Essentially, you'd put this xkcdinfo.php (source, download) file somewhere on the server (e.g. at http://www.explainxkcd.com/xkcdinfo.php) and include it in MediaWiki's interwiki table (ensuring iw_trans == 1):
INSERT INTO interwiki (iw_prefix, iw_url, iw_local, iw_trans) VALUES ('xkcdinfo', 'http://www.explainxkcd.com/xkcdinfo.php?input=$1', 0, 1);
After enabling scary transclusion in LocalSettings.php, you'd then be able to send queries to the xkcd JSON API via this file. In other words, {{xkcdinfo:32-title}} would make comic 32's title appear. {{xkcdinfo:55-alt}} would make comic 55's image text appear. I've also set it so you could enter {{xkcdinfo:100-embed}}, and it would make the comic 100 image appear on the wiki page. Feel free to use it however you want (if at all), and modify the code should you wish. (Hint: Using the number 0 for the comic number will query the most recent comic, so {{xkcdinfo:0-num}} will return the current comic number. Also, adding "raw:" before "xkcdinfo:" might be more useful in some instances. E.g.: {{raw:xkcdinfo:555-title}})--Yirba (talk) 14:50, 2 August 2012 (EDT)
Nice idea, altough this would mean to load all data from xkcd whenever a page is viewededited (I think this is the way MediaWiki caches the data). This is a lot of traffic for little data. I'd say to include the metadata statically, but linking the external image seems a good thing to me. Again, it'd be great if you gave me feedback for my idea. --SlashMe (talk) 15:54, 2 August 2012 (EDT)
Yes, the data would be loaded from xkcd for each edit. You can, however, substitute (subst) the template for data that is unlikely to change. And therefore the data would indeed be stored statically. I like the layout you've come up with. It could perhaps do with a bit of tweaking here and there, but the general idea is good. --Yirba (talk) 17:16, 2 August 2012 (EDT)
What kind of tweaking do you mean? I know the code is a bit messy, if you have a better idea, please tell me (or do it yourself - hey, it's a wiki!). The CSS should be placed in an external file, but for now, it's ok. --SlashMe (talk) 17:51, 2 August 2012 (EDT)

Looks like there is another/newer template called Template:Comic that includes prev/next buttons as well. You add it with:

{{comic
| number    = 1
| date      = September 30, 2005
| title     = {{PAGENAME}}
| image     = barrel_cropped_(1).jpg
| imagesize = 
| alttext   = Don't we all.
}}
==Description==
xxxxxxxxxxx

No need to include the alt text separately, as the template does it for you. It also includes the comic category, but only if the first 4 fields are filled out. --B. P. (talk) 18:47, 3 August 2012 (EDT)

Yes, but that is not necessarily an advantage. My template only creates the infobox, so you are still able to create an introductory text or other sections, for special comics that need a more detailed description. I can also add categories if needed. --SlashMe (talk) 19:02, 3 August 2012 (EDT)
I think it is a major advantage to make the thing easier to use and more consistant site-wide.
As the creator of the new one, I'm obviously biased, but I created it because I think it's better. Not putting your work down, it was a great piece of code that I put to work in my template. But I think if there's need for pre-text of any kind (not sure there is, as the articles probably should all open with the comic itself as presented on XKCD), a pre-comment can be added into the template, but I'm not sure what that would be. Perhaps there would be a requirement for special circumstances like the comic a few weeks ago where there were a million iterations depending on locality, browser, etc. But that's the rarity. I think the new one simplifies it for users. They need only one template to post the comic, alt text title and nav buttons. What could be easier? TheHYPO (talk) 19:08, 3 August 2012 (EDT)

Main Image

The main image (top left) is not the best image ever. You really need to update it.

Maybe: Wiki.png

Just an idea, because that text looks weird, or at least please add a transparent background instead of white for the logo (and center the text). --Grep (talk) 21:39, 1 August 2012 (EDT)

I like it. What does everyone else think? (PS - don't forget to sign your entries on this page!) --Jeff (talk) 21:18, 1 August 2012 (EDT)
I could go with that. Had been kicking around some ideas, and if I had any artistic aptitude, it might have looked very much like that: the black-hat retort; alternately: the lowercase blue xkcd that RM uses (sans comic figure watermark) with a "Explain" in a hand-written typeface in some other color splashed across the top left part of those letters. And yes, definitely with transparency. Just thoughts... ultimately, whatever the consensus is... IronyChef (talk) 01:51, 2 August 2012 (EDT)
Something like one of the following?
Wiki2.pngWiki3.pngwiki4.png
--Grep (talk) 12:40, 2 August 2012 (EDT)
I like that first one - File:wiki.png. And perhaps use that same text for the Tagline? --Philosopher Let us reason together. 19:50, 2 August 2012 (EDT)
Yeah, the first one captures what I was thinking. I thought I'd download it to tweak it a bit, and quickly proved to myself how unartistic I am. I was thinking the xkcd pretty much overwhelming the bottom (touching all three sides) and the explain (first typeface) in tight, maybe at a 5 degree angle over the x and k. Of course envisioning it is one thing, realizing it another (it may be totally unrealistic...) but I toss that out for further consideration. -- IronyChef (talk) 00:25, 3 August 2012 (EDT)
Hmmm, rereading Philosopher's comment, I think he and I may have been talking about two different images. Ooops. Anyway, was just chatting with a buddy who is more artistic than I am, and he created this mashup. He suggested: "Establish some vocabulary. First, xkcd needs to be bigger; it defies describing, and refuses to be pidgeon-holed into a box, so the xkcd needs to be so big that it doesn't fit entirely in-frame ... the Explain part has got to be casual, to represent the wiki and informal nature of contributing to it, and you gotta have it in close, because the contributors are going to get as close as they can to the truth. And keep it simple." (I broke with that, and tried to add the black hat; in doing so, I think I trashed transparency, tough) Anybody think that's worth taking a run with it? -- IronyChef (talk) 01:04, 3 August 2012 (EDT)

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Displaying Comics

For the home page, I think the comic and explanation should be displayed instead of a link to the comic.

For reasons unknown to me, I decided to create Template:Comicbox and Template:Comicbox2. Looks nice, as long as you use the correct one for the comic.

Go to User:Grep/comicbox and User:Grep/comicbox2 for examples. --Grep (talk) 21:03, 2 August 2012 (EDT)

Those're wonderful! And should probably be on the main page. If you wanted, we could probably incorporate them (and maybe a third?) into a single template with a "square/vertical or horizontal" switch. --Philosopher Let us reason together. 21:36, 2 August 2012 (EDT)
Also, you used "comicbox" for the class. Is that a class that's defined somewhere? (And if so, where?) --Philosopher Let us reason together. 21:36, 2 August 2012 (EDT)
Good point. Removed. And merging them sounds wonderful. --Grep (talk) 21:47, 2 August 2012 (EDT)
Maybe merging them into Template:comicbox? --Grep (talk) 21:49, 2 August 2012 (EDT)
I think classes are defined at MediaWiki:Common.css, so if you really wanted to define the class.... And Template:Comicbox would probably be best. Did you want to merge them or should I take a look at it? --Philosopher Let us reason together. 22:25, 2 August 2012 (EDT)
ParserFunctions and any sort of non-XMLish markup is weird. I would rather you look at it. --Grep (talk) 22:42, 2 August 2012 (EDT)
Okay, I've moved your templates to {{Comicbox square or vertical}} and {{Comicbox horizontal}} so I can work on {{Comicbox}} as the main one. It may take a while - I like to think of myself as a "master of all known wikimarkup," but I don't actually use those skills that often. --Philosopher Let us reason together. 23:08, 2 August 2012 (EDT)
Thanks. --Grep (talk) 23:42, 2 August 2012 (EDT)
I've made it at {{Comicbox}}. This actually leaves {{Comicbox square or vertical}} and {{Comicbox horizontal}} unused, though I credited you (and them) in a comment at the top of the template. --Philosopher Let us reason together. 00:21, 3 August 2012 (EDT)
I think that the explanation should be on the right because it just looks weird as is... --Grep (talk) 07:42, 3 August 2012 (EDT)

Sans-serif typeface

I like these, too, but the roman typeface... how do folks feel about sticking with a sans-serif typeface throughout the site? IronyChef (talk) 00:13, 3 August 2012 (EDT)
We should be able to change that wiki-wide through MediaWiki:Common.css, I think. Unfortunately, I don't know enough CSS to do it. --Philosopher Let us reason together. 00:23, 3 August 2012 (EDT)
I believe sans serif is already the default wiki-wide. Those specific instances were deliberately coded to use a serif font. It's just a matter of removing font-family: 'Times New Roman'; from the template. --Waldir (talk) 17:01, 3 August 2012 (EDT)

Gadgets?

Can we enable MediaWikiWiki:Extension:Gadgets? I'd really like to bring over wikipedia:Wikipedia:Popups and wikipedia:Wikipedia:HotCat as gadgets. --Philosopher Let us reason together. 22:45, 2 August 2012 (EDT)

sounds good. I'll do it later this weekend when I get back to my computer to get to the FTP access. --Jeff (talk) 00:31, 3 August 2012 (EDT)

comic header

Jeff, further to your previous conversation on the comic header, I've significantly rewritten Yirba's template (thanks to Yirba for the hard work. His navigation bar was very useful) and I've created a new template of {{comic}}. An example of the comic in use can be seen at T-shirts. I started a discussion on the main page discussion board, but I thought if I pointed it out to you and you like it, it can start going in the rotation for new comics.

I actually now see that Grep did a template up with intent (I think) to use for the main page. Had I known that when I started, I would have probably based my template off of his, because it looks nice, but either way, mine is intended for the actual articles. TheHYPO (talk) 14:46, 3 August 2012 (EDT)

Again, may I link to my request for feedback? --SlashMe (talk) 15:52, 3 August 2012 (EDT)