Talk:Main Page

Rules for editing the front page

• Please discuss here if you have other ideas for the front page, or play on the Main Page (Test) if you want to show your ideas. Nicjansma 02:05, 4 October 2006 (CDT)

Comments regarding the Main Page/Wiki-in-General

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

Cooperation with Wikipedia

• Wikipedia has a Battletech section too and we are both using GFDL licence. I would be happy if we could increase cooperation, to avoid writing the same articles and share other ideas (like category trees and such). I started a thread at Wikipedia.--Piotrus 19:18, 9 November 2006 (CST)
• Greetings! I would be very happy to work with those individuals contributing over at Wikipedia. I will spend some time this week and examine what you are working on over there. Nicjansma 02:20, 13 November 2006 (CST)
• I'm all for working with the BTers at Wikipedia, also. We do have two primary audiences, however, that are different. While BTers may read (and they definitely contribute) articles on BT there, the intended audience at Wikipedia is those seeking to be informed on a subject they may not know much about. BTW's audience is a bit different, in that BTW is intended to be a resource for players. With that said, Wikipedia has been a great source to help us get BTW off the ground. I have seen some great writers who have deftly worked around copyright issues by writing original material detailing the history of the BT universe, etc. But, also, some of the stubs I've imported from Wikipedia, I think, have been equally useful, because they help 'start' articles over here, demanding to be filled in and corrected by the more, dare I say it, anal BT historians. I've been amazed and appreciative of how thorough the BT section at Wikipedia has become and welcome any collaboration. We don't have the writing staff (at all) here at BTW yet to be that influential at Wikipedia, but if the Wikipedians can help us out here, I think it has the potential to build our community and start seeing some crossdecking. --Revanche (admin) 09:50, 13 November 2006 (CST)
• I have created the template at Wikipedia. If an article on BTWiki has the same name as on Wikipedia, slapping this template (){{BattleTechWiki}} on a Wikipedia article and it will be linked to BTWiki; this template should be used in the External Links section (and is not a reference). If you like it, I'd expect BTWiki can copy it (hopefuly the syntax will need no change), so the linkage is both sided. PS. You may also want to create an article at about BTWiki at Wikipedia, if you think it's notable.--Piotrus 18:23, 18 November 2006 (CST)
  • Okay, I'll follow the path and set up the appropriate pages over here. As for the BTW article at Wikipedia: I'll leave that for Nic. I'm not sure if BWT deserves an encyclopedic reference just yet. Thanks for the suggestion of teamwork, Piotrus. Oh, and congrats on your latest featured article (Katyn). --Revanche (admin) 23:38, 18 November 2006 (CST)
    • Let's wait a bit to get established before we write an article about BTW on Wikipedia. Nicjansma 20:55, 21 November 2006 (CST)
    • I've created {{Wikipedia}} to facilitate our linking between the sites. Nicjansma 21:41, 21 November 2006 (CST)
      • Thanks for catching this, Nic. I had forgotten. I'll put it on the appropriate Help page. --Revanche (admin) 00:20, 22 November 2006 (CST)

Edit request

Could someone please update the exoskeletons line under the units section to get rid of the spelling error?