Hello, as many of you already know, Wikia is doing some major changes to their layout. Since this Wednesday, October 6, the change will affect both the appearance and how things are done here. The change is compulsory for all wikis because it is not simply a new skin option, it’s going to be an upgraded version of Wikia (the Wikia system's software is going from MediaWiki 1.15 to 1.16, which is apparently a bigger deal than it sounds like). Wikia does not want to waste resources working on an outdated version of the software, hence the update being mandatory. Check out "Experience the new Wikia" for a look at some wikis using the new look, FAQ and the Transition guide.
Discontinued features
- The widget dashboard and all widgets are to be discontinued as they were deemed to be underused.
- "Report a Problem" links will also be discontinued with the new skin as they were not used as intended.
- "Email a user" link is gone.
- Page ratings are gone.
New features
- New, customizable toolbar that is anchored at the bottom of the screen (Watch the demo video to see how it works.) You will need to learn to use this. (requires JavaScript)
- New tool for customizing the colour scheme/theme, including default themes.
Other changes
- The new look uses a fixed width layout, we are not permitted to change, which might influence the layout of articles quite a bit.
- Wiki logo is replaced with "Wordmark", which admins can customize by adjusting the text & color, or by uploading an image in the theme designer.
- Site notice is no longer on every page. It is now located in the Community Corner and users will receive a notification bubble each time it is updated.
- The wiki navigation that is now on the left sidebar, is moving to the top of the screen. It will have 4 drop down menus, with 7 links each. This is substantially less than we currently have. (requires JavaScript)
- "My Home" becomes "Wiki Activity" and contains a link to recent changes
- There is a new sidebar area on the right that takes about 1/3 of each page's width, where the recent activity and other "modules" will sit. More "modules" are being developed for it, but there are currently no plans for user-developed modules.
- Moved the most recent editor’s name from the bottom of the page to the top, added an avatar, and a new mini-history dropdown menu, which contains the link to the full history. (Supposed to make it more obvious to new users that anyone can edit a wiki.) (requires JavaScript)
- Two of the categories are listed at top as well the full list at the bottom. Apparently the two chosen will be the categories containing the most pages. There is a blacklist to keep out typical maintenance categories, but it is not wiki specific (atm).
- Edit and talk buttons will be used instead of written links.
- The name of the user who uploaded a picture will be listed underneath the image caption on articles.
- The "Terms of Use" are changed so that we will only have very limited options on what we may change on the new layout that is visible to all users.
When/how will this change happen?
(copy/paste from Wikia staff blog. Check there for any updates)
| October 6, 2010 |
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| October 20, 2010 * |
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| November 3, 2010 |
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* Please note that this timeline does not include non-English wikis, which will require translation. We will announce the international transition plan in the coming weeks.
Handy references with more details
- Transition guide
- FAQ
- Important Updates on Wikia’s New Look
- Experience the new Wikia (Wikia blog)
- Sneak Peek at the New Look - Themes (Wikia blog)
- Sneak Peek at the New Look - Your Personal Toolbar (Wikia blog)
- Sneak Peek at the New Look - Community Activity (Wikia blog)
- Your First Look at the New Wikia (Wikia blog)
- My Tools demo video
The reactions to the new look have been hugely negative so far. Quite a number of users and whole wikis are considering to move away from Wikia.
Now, back to the Tron Wiki. As a beta tester, I can use the Theme Designer already, and thanks to Samsonius, the user who entirely designed our new look that will be used for Oasis (name of the new layout), we are now ready to apply it. Below is our beta skin:
If you find any bugs, please post them in this blog or my talk page. Also, if you think some colors need to be changed, also let us know.
--((((Matias)))) ~ Talk Avatar Wiki, administrator of the Tron Wiki.