Wikipedia talk:Keep It Simple

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• August 2007

What a speed

Just came by to see how you are doing, what a speed! congrats, never saw a project taking off so fast. Well done! Heltzen◩ 13:38, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

One question, I have the label of WikiProject Aviation in my page but I was not added to category, anyone knows why? Heltzen◩ 14:17, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Jake fixed that for you Heltzen, sorry! ^Ariel♥Gold 04:02, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

Thank you people :) Heltzen◩ 16:55, 14 September 2007 (UTC)

Category

Okay, I just noticed this, but there is no category for members of this project who are not ones to use the labels. The WP:KIS label says "This a Keep It Simple Label to indicate to visitors how to read your KIS Labels. It automatically adds users who display it to the category for users who prefer to KIS (Keep It Simple)." But it is an assumption that the user uses the labels instead of userboxes. I'm not one of those, but I would consider myself a member of this project. So I am thinking of creating a "Membership" category instead, opinions? Thoughts? ^Ariel♥Gold 04:01, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

I am kind of an outsider but I will gladly see that category as a good thing Heltzen◩ 16:57, 14 September 2007 (UTC)

New Userboxes

It's been a while since {{user XYZ}} userboxes were banished from the template namespace. What I see now is that they have basically been recreated as {{user label XYZ}}, only they look innocent. Is there any reason why {{user label}} can't be used everywhere? (Read: substitute all instances of other templates so {{user label WPAviation}} becomes {{user label|WP:Aviation}} for example.) Thankfully, due to their simplicity, these boxes do not recreate a problem of divisiveness, they do however cause a lot of noise in the templatespace. I predict problems with this, sooner or later. :-/ Миша13 21:03, 9 October 2007 (UTC)

Hi Misza!! I'm not sure what issues there were in the past, I don't use these labels, but I was asked to help with design stuff when the project was new, but as it turns out, Jakew did most of the coding for the labels, and I honestly have no clue how they work anymore, lol. What is the history here? There was something just like this in the past? If you can give some history on whatever the past problems were, that'd help. As for substitution, well userboxes are not substituted, so why would mini-userboxes be? Again maybe a stupid question just because I don't get the coding problem, whatever that is, lol. Maybe Jake can figure out what the problem is and fix it, but I admit I'm pretty lost now with how the labels work, I'm not even sure I could make one anymore, lol. I do think it would be best if labels were created on request for obscure things like what country one lives in, obscure languages, etc. But, that's only my own opinion. Ariel♥Gold 11:48, 11 October 2007 (UTC)

WP:USERBOX#Creating a new userbox states that userboxes may be created in the Template: namespace, but only if they meet certain criteria. Is that not correct anymore? Jakew (talk) 21:03, 19 January 2008 (UTC)

Ideas

Any ideas on how to make these labels known to all the Wikipedians who don't use userboxes? ℒibrarian2 18:39, 11 January 2008 (UTC)

Hmm. It's a tricky problem. Unless and until there is some 'critical mass', nobody knows that racks/labels exist as an alternative, so the result is that people either a) have userboxes, or b) nothing.

It's just a random idea, but what if we could use userboxes to gain some momentum for KIS? For example, suppose we were to create a userbox that's actually a miniature rack, with enough space for 3-4 labels. People could then use these userbox/racks to compress 'boring' information into a small space, but could also use 'fun' userboxes that they find appealing and expressive. Thoughts? Jakew (talk) 21:35, 11 January 2008 (UTC)

That is a great idea! It might work. Please start on it if you can ℒibrarian2 12:25, 19 January 2008 (UTC)

Well, here's a rough prototype. I'd need to make a few changes before it became usable, but would welcome comments:

Jakew (talk) 17:58, 19 January 2008 (UTC)

 

I think it looks quite good. Perhaps a bit more color and something about "simple" labels ? What do you think? ℒibrarian2 21:03, 20 January 2008 (UTC)

Unfortunately we haven't got much space for the text, and if I add any more it will flow onto two lines (which will make the box have non-standard dimensions). But I've done a little tweaking, and we now have configurable colours.

Jakew (talk) 21:58, 20 January 2008 (UTC)

 

It is good looking! What do you think about making, based on that model a userbox for Babel labels and a userbox for Wikiprojects participation. These I think that may be the two areas where users may be most interested in condensing many boxes into one. What do you think? ℒibrarian2 19:37, 23 January 2008 (UTC)

I think we can do both with one template:

Jakew (talk) 19:54, 23 January 2008 (UTC)

 

It looks plainly beautiful. I think that this is exactly it. Do you want to integrate those in a new section at the main page? I can then paste them with some info at the userboxes informative page (unless you feel for doing that) and we can try to spread the use of them.ℒibrarian2 20:05, 23 January 2008 (UTC)

Thanks! I've added documentation, and have moved the templates out of my user space (which, as an aside, I managed to get completely wrong - must be tired!). They're now {{User label box top}} and {{User label box bottom}}. Jakew (talk) 22:05, 23 January 2008 (UTC)

Making it more complicated ;)

I've tried a different approach with an intent similar to yours. A Userbox can be replaced with an Icon, which is the dissociated sidebar of a Userbox, carrying the same category information, which is held in an Icon Corner on a home page such as mine. Whether in or out of the Userbox the Icon uses the 'imagemap' tag to link to a Club which is intended to be used as a convenient set of resources and a place of discussion for people taking an interest in the Userbox/Icon. If this interests anyone perhaps these formats can be made interconvertible with yours. Mike Serfas (talk) 00:36, 23 January 2008 (UTC)

It is a very interesting approach and one that can co-exist with the KIS labels, even to be interconvertible as you propose. Plus the "clubs" idea.

Your idea is fully compatible with the purpose of this project, to provide simpler layout alternatives. You will be very welcome to integrate the icon-Corner concept as one more viable alternative to escape from the clutter of multiple userboxes. I think that if no one opposes, Mike's idea can be integrated into the WP KIS main page as one more (very nice) option allowing users who want a simpler layout to choose between KIS labels racks or Icon corners or the integration of both. Please Mike, go ahead and integrate into the main page if you see it suitable. ℒibrarian2 19:47, 23 January 2008 (UTC)

New ideas

I just want to thank you Jake for the wonderful idea and the very appealing design of the userbox for labels. Besides all the work he has done creating the labels and the racks since start, this idea of the box is just great.

I also want to thank Mike for his kind interest in approaching this project with such an interesting and appealing idea of the icon-corner, it is indeed a great idea for Keeping It Simple in an alternative but compatible way with the KIS labels and racks.

I believe that with these two great ideas the users who want simpler layouts can make some leaps forward. Thank you guys. ℒibrarian2 19:59, 23 January 2008 (UTC)