WikiIndex:Community portal/News


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29 June 2014
Category:Wiki Language Rather than use only English names (easy for navigation but arbitrary and defeats multi-lingualism), we could use some system of ISO codes such as "Category:en (English)", "Category:de (German, Deutsch)", "Category:es (Spanish, español)", "Category:zh (Chinese, 中文)". This would have some consistency and standardization while also allowing English to remain a lingua franca and let users find content in their own language. Thoughts? Koavf (talk) 16:02, 29 June 2014 (UTC)
 * I think this is a fantastic idea. What can folks do to help?  MarkDilley
 * Converting I think it would be easy to do by myself. I'll leave this conversation here for a week or two and see if there's more feedback. Koavf (talk) 00:54, 4 July 2014 (UTC)

I'm not sure this is a good idea. Previous attempts of extended multilingual efforts on WikiIndex failed. The German de.WikiIndex.org failed, as did French & Swedish translations - despite having active editors in those languages.

I would also expect that only a tiny minority of folks fully understand ISO language codes. --Sean, aka Hoof Hearted • Admin / 'Crat • talk2HH 23:58, 5 July 2014 (UTC)
 * Language sorting Then how should we sort them? Do we want this site to be multi-lingual? I would certainly hope so. Koavf (talk) 05:53, 6 July 2014 (UTC)
 * I look at is as an "easy" way to take a step in that direction. Makes it more friendly to multi-linguists. Or at least that is the perception I have.  MarkDilley

06 April 2014
https://WikiIndex.org fails for me, is this a browser issue or a configuration issue with the website? MarkDilley
 * Failing I also have a failure to connect. Koavf (talk) 15:58, 29 June 2014 (UTC)
 * Why the need for a secure https configuration? And you can't just put https infront of a standard url,.and expect it to load, without correctly configuring the server to accept https page access.  --Sean, aka Hoof Hearted  • Admin / 'Crat • talk2HH 23:33, 5 July 2014 (UTC)

24 February 2014 Domain Name
Thoughts on moving this wiki from WikiIndex.org to Index.Wiki? I'd like to showcase this site as the main wiki directory as the new gTLD .wiki becomes available! Raymond King | talk
 * I think it is a fine idea. I like the idea of a name change to IndexWiki.Wiki !!  MarkDilley
 * I agree with the change to the new dot wiki TLD, but I strongly disagree with an outright name change. My suggestion would be 'Wiki-Index.wiki'.  --Sean, aka Hoof Hearted  • Admin / 'Crat • talk2HH 23:26, 5 July 2014 (UTC)

21 February 2014

 * I added confirmaccount permission to sysops as per the Feb 1 discussion below. Let me know if I should undo.  BrandonCsSanders
 * ''Yay!! Many thanks Brandon!  MarkDilley

17 February 2014

 * Seems like there is a consensus for QuestyCaptcha vs. ConfirmAccount. I can turn off ConfirmAccount and do the Questy questions -- are there suggestions for questions that new legit users can answer and will stop the spammers? Ray King
 * This site seems to have a good system. It removes a random letter from the wiki's name, and asks for a random number. Elassint 17 February 2014

01 February 2014

 * Ray King brought up the point again of making this wiki confirm by admin to ok the account, I have previously not liked that... but looking at all the account creation spam am open to reconsidering it... how do other folks feel? Best, MarkDilley


 * Wholly cow it's gotten bad, thoughts? Shall we and if so who's got the credentials to do it? Ray King
 * I like my filters blocking most of them :D --YiFei | talk 04:01, 9 February 2014 (UTC)
 * I think Emufarmers does. MarkDilley

I think the problem is the capatcha asks for the name of the wiki and nothing else, which the spambots have already memorized. We need something more effective. Elassint 9 February 2014
 * We use QuestyCaptcha on tfwiki.net too, but we've had to change the questions semi-regularly (every few months or so) because the spammers work out the answer. Once we change the question, it stops them dead again though. --abates (talk) 23:22, 9 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Yea, we should try this simple solution first before trying something different. Elassint 15 February 2014

How do we change the QuestCaptcha? Or stop account creation from being shown in RecentChanges?
 * LocalSettings.php has to be edited. 68.57.45.104 01:48, 12 February 2014 (UTC)


 * We installed ConfirmAccount as a stop gap measure - maybe too draconian but wanted to protect the wiki Ray King
 * Bad that only 'crats (which we doesn't many active ones) can confirm accounts --YiFei | talk 05:12, 15 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Yea, if we go so far to require confirmed accounts than we need to either set the permission to sysop or create more crats. Elassint 15 February 2014
 * Ok, so should we make some more crats or should we turn off the ConfirmAccount and try questy captcha first (and if so how do we determine what are good questions)? Ray King
 * I like the idea Elassint brought up if we are going to use this one, change the permissions to sysop.  MarkDilley

15 January 2014
Stumbled onto this idea, highlighting a wiki a month? Sould like a good idea here? Best, MarkDilley
 * Sounds good, we could feature it on the home page Raymond King | talk


 * I agree Let's spotlight some more interesting small wikis and ones that have unique features. We could probably do it on a weekly basis. Koavf (talk) 06:37, 22 January 2014 (UTC)

24 June 2013
I have added Template:Size to Form:Wiki. Now when you add a wiki, you can input the size too. --YiFei | talk 06:13, 24 June 2013 (UTC)
 * That is great! How easy do you think it would be for wikiFactor? :-)   MarkDilley
 * What? --YiFei | talk 00:18, 25 June 2013 (UTC)
 * In the size template, there is also a wikiFactor, you put size into form wiki, can you do the same for wikiFactor? or can you show me? Best, MarkDilley
 * Already there. See Special:FormEdit/Wiki/WikiIndex:Sandbox. --YiFei | talk 05:26, 2 July 2013 (UTC)

20 June 2013
I installed some basic gadgets for now, didn't want to go too crazy. I added a gadget to display a UTC clock for those who prefer that, a gadget for a purge tab/page refresh option, wikiED (since we don't have the WikiEditor extension, I added this for those who want something similar). I also added an enhanced CharInsert option (you can see the difference when editing pages, as it's enabled by default, makes the custom character insert page a nice looking dropdown menu with easy to select options) and a "Sandbox" page option for those who want to do test edits (also enabled by default), and navigation popups, which allows people to see snippets of pages when hovering over links, as well as providing some extra editing options.

If you want me to change or remove anything, I'd be happy to. The gadgets that are enabled by default can be easily modified to be optional, and all of these gadgets can be enabled or disabled in the preferences.

Arcane (talk) 21:23, 20 June 2013 (UTC) Arcane

27 May 2013
MetaWiki is organizing information in a really interesting way, both from an information architecture and design view. . Impressed, MarkDilley

20 May 2013
Edits made after around 2 AM UTC were lost today - Emufarmers has Upgraded software and extensions, still has a few to install, if he decides to. Bug reports need more detail. MarkDilley

April 2012
I have unified Form:Wiki and Template:Wiki, so now, when you click on "edit with form", the form is autofilled.

Also, I'm creating thousands of new wikis, from Referata, Wikkii and Wikia. emijrp 04:08, 6 April 2012 (PDT)


 * Cool. There a Wikia version of Form:Wiki? (in the style of Template:Wikia Boilerplate ) --EarthFurst 12:25, 16 May 2012 (PDT)


 * Template:Wikia_Boilerplate [ isn't being used]. There's nothing special on Wikia wikis except adding Category:Wikia. --Ciencia Al Poder 14:16, 16 May 2012 (PDT)
 * The Wikia boilerplate template definately IS being used - virtually every Wikia entry on here that I've personally edited is based on or updated with the boilerplate. The 'WhatLinksHere' command won't work (nor will it work on any boilerplate) - the boilerplates are simply used as a 'copy and paste' to assist experienced editors.  And Wikia wikis have some very unique attributes, which is why the Wikia boilerplate is so useful.  Best regards Hoof Hearted • talk2HH 16:20, 31 August 2012 (PDT)


 * Add Template:Size to Form:Wiki ? --EarthFurst 09:48, 12 June 2012 (PDT)


 * "edit with form" doesn't seem to work well with "Show preview". Tried "edit with form" and "Show preview" and gave up after getting no Preview after six minutes. Retried same edit with traditional "edit" and the "Show preview" worked fine. --EarthFurst 14:55, 16 June 2012 (PDT)

Edit with form seems to remove editmode line from infobox. Is that intentional? --EarthFurst (talk) 02:01, 14 August 2012 (PDT)

January 2012
Spam fighting, less spam fighting but it is still here with account spam. Ray King raised the question with me of requiring accounts to be authorized as a way to try and cut spam down to zero. We both loathe this option... but... we wanted to put it out to folks, especially the heros of spam fighting on WikiIndex - to see what you thought about it. Best, MarkDilley
 * It's nowhere as bad as it once was, so for the moment, I don't think it's necessary. The anon edits were the real pain and they are mostly gone now, so I think that going to a account authorization system would place more of a load on the Admin I think at least. TeraS
 * From my own experience of discovering and flagging spam, I've noticed that the spammers are now 'registered users'. So, can we say have a minimum edit count (maybe 10 edits) before even registered users can add links . . . or would that put off someone who genuinely wants to add a new valid wiki?  --Hoof Hearted • talk2HH 01:26, 26 January 2012 (PST)
 * I think this is an ok idea, is there a way that we can message around it? Also, I am wondering if we have to do what Ray King asked - do we require people to request accounts? Best, MarkDilley

SOPA fighting. What do folks think about adding WikiIndex to this: http://SopaStrike.com - I would like to if there is general consensus. Best, MarkDilley
 * Sounds like a worthy protest. I think WikiIndex should join the strike. --EarthFurst 10:01, 16 January 2012 (PST)

Spam fighting, spam fighting and more spam fighting. Special mention goes to Tera for her spam fighting work the last 6 months (or more) and to many others who carried the torch before. We now have CAPTCHA on account creation and on anonymous edits. Didn't want to have to do it on anonymous edits without a link, but we were getting hit pretty hard the last week. Let's cross our fingers for a less spam 2012. Best to everyone here. MarkDilley


 * January 2010: Using this wiki to organize other wiki work, an idea, what you think?  MarkDilley
 * The idea is called WikiHorde and it is a crew of wiki people (checking to see if we can get that domain) - Best, MarkDilley'
 * That sounds like a cool idea. By the way, is there a place on WikiIndex for discussing ideas for running a wiki? That would include the above "good methods for inviting/advertising people elsewhere to come edit my wiki", etc. Is there a category for wiki where such "wiki on wiki" conversations are welcomed? Conversations such as, for example, the "Building community" guide. --DavidCary 20:47, 30 January 2010 (EST)


 * ''David, wiki on wiki is perfect here - however you want to organize it, and I will go for WikiHorde also! Best, MarkDilley

Reddit mention in comments

Upgrade to MW 1.14.0 coming soon - Tentatively scheduled for 16 Apr 2009 Will be limited downtime. John 19:47, 9 April 2009 (EDT)
 * As for the upgrade: was it canceled? Best --Wolf | talk 04:26, 20 January 2010 (EST)
 * Wolf, yes it was and we are needing to figure out a different path to upgrading. Maybe we can chat off wiki?  Best, MarkDilley
 * via WikiMail? --Wolf | talk 14:42, 18 March 2010 (EDT)

Looks like the DPL extension was the source of server outages, everything stable again. John 19:54, 4 June 2008 (EDT)

Reducing the number of extensions to isolate the source of server load problems:
 * Analytics
 * Dynamic Page List
 * Random Include
 * Thumbnail
 * John 21:18, 3 May 2008 (EDT)

To avoid the Captcha, Login! and Confirm via Email  John 18:24, 20 November 2007 (EST)

Changed reCAPTCHA permissions so that a logged in user who has confirmed via email address should be able to skip the CAPTCHA. We continue to tweek reCAPTCHA to combat the jibberish spam knowing that it was not meant for this purpose, it was meant for link spam. I can always ease off on the restrictions but the price we pay is more jibberish spam. John 18:23, 20 November 2007 (EST)

Upped reCAPTCHA permissions so that any anon edit will trigger the Captcha. This should cut out the jibberish spam but will likely annoy our non-logged in users - Sorry everyone but jibbersish spam is really bugging us. Let me know if any unintended consequences show up. John 21:24, 27 October 2007 (EDT)

Spam has been a growing problem for us so I have implemented a Captcha extension called reCAPTCHA in an effort to reduce the workload on our dedicate volunteer patrollers. If you encounter any problems with it please let me know. John 14:04, 1 September 2007 (EDT)

Once again we have moved, we ran out of database room on our shared hosting account and we are now running on a dedicated server on 1and1. John 15:48, 22 July 2007 (EDT)

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