Talk:Main Page

Rules for editing the front page

• I'm looking for a new logo for the front page. Nicjansma 16:18, 12 September 2006 (CDT)
• At this time, please do not modify the comments I have on the front page. Nicjansma 16:18, 12 September 2006 (CDT)

Comments regarding the Main Page/Wiki-in-General

Search Field

• I heavily suggest bringing the search field up near the top. People need to see this as a resource first, before they'll start weighing in (generally speaking, of course.) Revanche 10:17, 17 September 2006 (CDT)
  • I had thought the same thing before, but unfortunately the way that Mediawiki:sidebar is laid out, the first four boxes ('Classic BattleTech Wiki' to 'Homebrew Game Systems') are all together. The 'Search' box is part of the skin (in PHP), not in Mediawiki:sidebar, so it'd be hard to inter-mingle the two. I'll try to see if there's another way to bring it up. Nicjansma 14:52, 17 September 2006 (CDT)
    • This is only a conceptual idea, not a suggestion ('cause I don't know enough), but maybe you could bring the links in those boxes over to the Main Page (to act as the site's TOC). I'm thinking of how wikipedia operates some of his genre main pages, where the page is made up of the genre's TOC, a description of the project, help links, etc. Revanche 23:50, 17 September 2006 (CDT)
      • I will be moving the Search box up this weekend, as long as the code is easy to modify. Nicjansma 02:08, 29 September 2006 (CDT)

Posting canon files

• Here's a request that should breed discussion: can we post official files? It would seem that the official software programs, HeavyMetal would make creating a database of official and fan-based 'Mechs, ASFs, ProtoMechs, Battle Armor, DropShips, JumpShips, WarShips and combat/support vehicles really easy and the semi-official nature of Sarna, now in wiki-form, seems to make the idea obvious. At the very least, I'd like to have a special section for fan-created entries, broken into similar categories I've listed here. An official database would go well with the Background section and a fan database might fit either there or in the Official Game Systems --> Board Game subsection. Revanche 11:04, 17 September 2006 (CDT)
  • I was thinking about this yesterday as well -- I wonder if we can either 1) Convince Rick that a HeavyMetal wikitext export would be cool or 2) Convert other (html? xml?) output from one of the programs and import it. Nicjansma 14:52, 17 September 2006 (CDT)
    • 1) Well, I think Rick's response would be along the lines that it would have limited function (for how many BT wikis will there be?). But, on the other hand, Rick sometimes surprises me and feels something is either easier than I expected or worth the challenge. In other words, it wouldn't hurt to ask. 2) I spent the day driving from Reno to Monterey and giving the wiki project some thought. As I was thinking about the help files I have to bone up for creating equipment templates, I started thinking longer-term, with what an entry for a 'mech might be. That's a discussion for another time, I guess, but it boils down to the idea that there is a multitude of information that can be included in an of those types of entries without having to copy/paste info directly provided in the TROs. IOW, even if we did port that info in via a conversion of html (I'd think that there must be something along those lines provided by some wiki programmer), there's plenty more that can be added from non-TRO sources. That is, even after that stuff was ported in, we'd like to add in various stats, histories and models that would fit best into an established template. If we converted existing files into wiki-language, could that data be shoehorned into a template? Revanche 00:04, 18 September 2006 (CDT)
      • Definately a topic for further consideration. Honestly, I do not know enough about the template system to use it adequately. I'll try to learn more soon. Nicjansma 01:05, 18 September 2006 (CDT)
    • HTML converters

Admin notification

• Two part question: 1) Can a user/editor delete a page, or does that require an admin? 2) If I wanted to bring admin-dom's attention to a particular issue (like I wanted to delete a template page I felt was better-named), I would I go about doing that (short of notifying one particular admin)? Revanche 00:04, 18 September 2006 (CDT)
  • 1) No idea, try to delete this. Nicjansma 01:05, 18 September 2006 (CDT)
    • Nope. I erased the text ('bout the only thing I could do), but the page remains. Revanche 01:22, 18 September 2006 (CDT)
  • 2) Currently, admins = {me}. :). Though as the site progresses, I'd be happy to add other trustful individuals. As for the time being, I think adding a Help:Admins page would be a good idea. Nicjansma 01:05, 18 September 2006 (CDT)
    • Good idea! Revanche 01:22, 18 September 2006 (CDT)

Wiki article counter

• Nic, might I suggest adding this link [see the edit page] to the main page?

55,039 articles so far

I'm seeing a lot of wikias that have got some extraordinary main pages. Showing the depth of this one (especially to Some Guy of MechWikia) would help bring the souls. Revanche 00:40, 25 September 2006 (CDT)

• Great idea! Nicjansma 02:11, 29 September 2006 (CDT)

Main Page Revamp

Check out the new Main_Page_Test.

• I plan on revamping the main page this weekend. I like the general look of MechWikia's main page. I was thinking of the following sections: Nicjansma 02:11, 29 September 2006 (CDT)

1. Top: Welcome, statistics, prominent links
2. Middle: Site news on one side, ??? on the other
3. Bottom: Links for editors, such as ToDo and Stubs, etc