The Userbox migration (formerly known as the German userbox solution) is a method of avoiding userbox related controversies, by moving the userboxes in question to
userspace.No new policy is needed to do this, and this is not a policy proposal. Just go ahead and do it. |
The Userbox migration involves moving controversial (such as "Template:User Christian") or unencyclopedic (such as "Template:User eats bagels") userbox templates into subpages of userspace (such as " User:CharonX/Userboxes/User christian" or " User:Malcolm/Userboxes/Bagels"). To userfy a userbox, simply follow these steps:
That's it!
The term "German userbox solution" came about because the idea was borrowed from the German-language Wikipedia.
Included below are examples of userbox migration templates. The first code is used for transferring userboxes from Wikipedia to user page, while the second code is used for transferring userboxes from userpage to userpage.
Template | Appearance | ||
---|---|---|---|
Userbox Migration: Template to User Page | |||
{{User UBM UBX to|1|2}} |
| ||
Userbox Migration: User Page to User Page | |||
{{User:Masky/Templates/Userboxes/UserpgtoUserpg/|1|2}} |
|
Help: The "1" on the sample template means to paste in the old page on the code, and the "2" means to paste in the new page on the code.
The middle ground is to let people do as they will in the user space, and merely use reason and argument to teach people over time why one ought not use Wikipedia userpages for political or other campaigns.... while at the same time saying, no, really, the template namespace is not for that, that we do not endorse this behavior. This is the solution that the Germans have put into effect with great results. Jimbo Wales, May 27, 2006
It seems that the separate namespace issue won't fly. And I think that's right because I think it fails to address the heart of the matter, which is whether or not official wikipedia pages and/or namespaces ought to encourage factionalism.
But it seems that the namespace proposal goes a bit further than what you need to achieve what you want to achieve. Let me quote you on something: "The text of Wikipedia:Userbox policy poll is filled with what one can and cannot say, specifically, "All userbox templates that show a POV or are not directly related to wikipedia will be deleted after a period of time. Note that a user subpage that is transcluded without substitution by multiple users is considered a 'template'". This is like saying, "You may have pamphlets, but you may not mechanically print and distribute them. This is not an infringement of free speech". To put it kindly, this is counter-intuitive.
Suppose we omit the bit about user subpages transcluded without substitution? If we do that, then a certain amount of userboxing can go on no problem, but outside the officially sanctioned spaces. This respects our long tradition of allowing wide latitude on userspace stuff, while at the same time keeping these userboxes out of officially sanctioned areas which would suggest to new users that this is an official thing that one ought to be doing. There would still be restrictions on the range of possible userboxes, of course, but this is not different from the restriction on all manner of things people might put on their userpages already. Jimbo Wales, March 17, 2006
Some general features per " How it is done in the German Wikipedia" are listed below. Please add other descriptive statements of German userbox features that apply.
Assume you are user Foo. Thus your userpage is User:Foo
.
User:Foo/Userboxes
and filled it with initial content (table for the boxes, etc.) choose a userbox to migrate. Let's assume you choose Template:User bar
.User:Foo/Userboxes/User bar
or User:Foo/bar
.Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4 for each template you want to migrate.
Include links to other userbox archives, if you like. This can be done by adding {{
User:UBX/Userboxes/General Nav}} to the bottom of your page.
Feel free to use User:GRBerry/Userbox migration as an archive of archives should you so desire. Feel free not to. There is also a template located at User:UBX/Userboxes/General Nav. Feel free to add to it or add it to your page.
If you want to recover the code of a deleted userbox, consider asking the administrator who deleted the userbox, or a different administrator, to provide the code for you.
A straw poll designed to address userbox namespace location and related issues is available. Please share your views at Wikipedia:Userboxes/Userbox location straw poll 2. The old straw poll is at Wikipedia:Userboxes/Userbox location straw poll.
The Userbox migration (formerly known as the German userbox solution) is a method of avoiding userbox related controversies, by moving the userboxes in question to
userspace.No new policy is needed to do this, and this is not a policy proposal. Just go ahead and do it. |
The Userbox migration involves moving controversial (such as "Template:User Christian") or unencyclopedic (such as "Template:User eats bagels") userbox templates into subpages of userspace (such as " User:CharonX/Userboxes/User christian" or " User:Malcolm/Userboxes/Bagels"). To userfy a userbox, simply follow these steps:
That's it!
The term "German userbox solution" came about because the idea was borrowed from the German-language Wikipedia.
Included below are examples of userbox migration templates. The first code is used for transferring userboxes from Wikipedia to user page, while the second code is used for transferring userboxes from userpage to userpage.
Template | Appearance | ||
---|---|---|---|
Userbox Migration: Template to User Page | |||
{{User UBM UBX to|1|2}} |
| ||
Userbox Migration: User Page to User Page | |||
{{User:Masky/Templates/Userboxes/UserpgtoUserpg/|1|2}} |
|
Help: The "1" on the sample template means to paste in the old page on the code, and the "2" means to paste in the new page on the code.
The middle ground is to let people do as they will in the user space, and merely use reason and argument to teach people over time why one ought not use Wikipedia userpages for political or other campaigns.... while at the same time saying, no, really, the template namespace is not for that, that we do not endorse this behavior. This is the solution that the Germans have put into effect with great results. Jimbo Wales, May 27, 2006
It seems that the separate namespace issue won't fly. And I think that's right because I think it fails to address the heart of the matter, which is whether or not official wikipedia pages and/or namespaces ought to encourage factionalism.
But it seems that the namespace proposal goes a bit further than what you need to achieve what you want to achieve. Let me quote you on something: "The text of Wikipedia:Userbox policy poll is filled with what one can and cannot say, specifically, "All userbox templates that show a POV or are not directly related to wikipedia will be deleted after a period of time. Note that a user subpage that is transcluded without substitution by multiple users is considered a 'template'". This is like saying, "You may have pamphlets, but you may not mechanically print and distribute them. This is not an infringement of free speech". To put it kindly, this is counter-intuitive.
Suppose we omit the bit about user subpages transcluded without substitution? If we do that, then a certain amount of userboxing can go on no problem, but outside the officially sanctioned spaces. This respects our long tradition of allowing wide latitude on userspace stuff, while at the same time keeping these userboxes out of officially sanctioned areas which would suggest to new users that this is an official thing that one ought to be doing. There would still be restrictions on the range of possible userboxes, of course, but this is not different from the restriction on all manner of things people might put on their userpages already. Jimbo Wales, March 17, 2006
Some general features per " How it is done in the German Wikipedia" are listed below. Please add other descriptive statements of German userbox features that apply.
Assume you are user Foo. Thus your userpage is User:Foo
.
User:Foo/Userboxes
and filled it with initial content (table for the boxes, etc.) choose a userbox to migrate. Let's assume you choose Template:User bar
.User:Foo/Userboxes/User bar
or User:Foo/bar
.Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4 for each template you want to migrate.
Include links to other userbox archives, if you like. This can be done by adding {{
User:UBX/Userboxes/General Nav}} to the bottom of your page.
Feel free to use User:GRBerry/Userbox migration as an archive of archives should you so desire. Feel free not to. There is also a template located at User:UBX/Userboxes/General Nav. Feel free to add to it or add it to your page.
If you want to recover the code of a deleted userbox, consider asking the administrator who deleted the userbox, or a different administrator, to provide the code for you.
A straw poll designed to address userbox namespace location and related issues is available. Please share your views at Wikipedia:Userboxes/Userbox location straw poll 2. The old straw poll is at Wikipedia:Userboxes/Userbox location straw poll.