MediaWiki talk:Community Portal/Archive26

[[{{#sub:MediaWiki_talk:Community_Portal/Archive26|0|-0}}|«]]	Community Portal / Archive26   e	[[{{#sub:MediaWiki_talk:Community_Portal/Archive26|0|-0}}|»]]
from~? to~? notes:

"Transformers references"

Why do we even have this as a standard section? It's almost never used for actual references. More often it's just full of random TF-related factoids that aren't actually a reference to anything. Okay, Tankor finding the Key to Vector Sigma -- that's a reference, arguably, but even there, "reference" feels like the wrong word. A reference is a sly wink, a passing nod -- not a wholesale borrowing. -- Repowers 14:07, 19 November 2008 (EST)

I think it's supposed to be "interconnections." OTOH, arguably the title "references" makes more sense for easter eggs and such? Things that aren't actually connected IN CONTINUITY, but actually ARE connected behind-the-scenes? (A lot fo that sort of thing end up in trivia, but not all of it.) -Derik 03:30, 24 November 2008 (EST)

Category tree

From Talk:GaihawkIs there any chance we can create a category tree system ^(example) in order to prevent repeated categories? --TX55^TALK 09:03, 21 November 2008 (EST)

I've had a couple of goes at looking for a MediaWiki extension so I could suggest it here, but haven't had any luck. Anyone know which extension that is? --abates 16:09, 9 December 2008 (EST)

The main functionality is, near as I can tell, in an extension called CategoryTree, which is actually already installed here.

Now, how the Marvel wiki structures the CategoryTree functionality into that pretty setup... that I'm a little confuzzled on. Not sure if it requires more tied-in extensions, or if it's just some fancy wiki markup voodoo. --Jeysie 16:33, 9 December 2008 (EST)

Thy fuckhead spammer

Fuckhead spammer is a fuckhead.Move for CAPTCHA on all edits by IP users. -Derik 07:45, 26 November 2008 (EST)

Or at least any with external links.--Rosicrucian^Talk 08:00, 26 November 2008 (EST)

Man, since apparently I woke up to find that the wiki was on fire, I got to installing some counter-spam extensions. If anyone sees another spammer, please contact me right away. Grrrgh. --Suki Brits 11:26, 26 November 2008 (EST)

YAY YAY YAY THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! -- Repowers 11:44, 26 November 2008 (EST) (also, thank you!)

Messagebox 3.0 concept -- yet again

It's that time of year, ain't it? Here comes Derik proposing yet-another concept to replace our much-loved Messagebox template-- which he hates with the passion of a thousand burning suns. check it outThis design is based on the 'offset box' element common on TF packaging these days (all the lines use it.) It gets wonky if you have more than 1 line worth of text in the header of the thing at the bottom... but we never do. No funny image-- sorry. It just didn't FIT anywhere.Responses welcome. -Derik 07:14, 27 November 2008 (EST)

No image = not interested. --M Sipher 02:53, 1 December 2008 (EST)

Heh. I hate to sound petty, but I gotta agree with Sipher... the funny images are 3/4 of the fun of the messageboxes.

That, and it's trying just a little too hard to be stylish. If we're really going to go for a change, I'd prefer something that's more on the... elegant side of "not-boring". --Jeysie 03:05, 1 December 2008 (EST)

Visually striking. Not very fun. Sorry. -hx 06:23, 1 December 2008 (EST)

Is there any chance that it could be altered, so that it has the same visual style but also incorporates the funny images? You know, maybe a bulge on the left side of the box or something. -- Semysane 13:03, 1 December 2008 (EST)

So I was thinking about this, and got an idea based on this toy packaging, namely the "Superion" part. Our cutesy images would go in the hexagon, and the heading in the strip part, and there'd be a box for the text underneath.

I just haven't had a chance to try seeing if it's feasible to create it. *shifty* --Jeysie 00:30, 13 January 2009 (EST)

_gat is not defined

What's the right place to report bugs? I noticed when accessing the Wiki with Internet Explorer that I get a javascript error "_gat is not defined". It looks like something to do with Google Analytics... --abates 02:31, 1 December 2008 (EST)

I believe the source of this problem is the bizarre 3rd party browser you insist on using. I have looked up its name, and it's apparently notorious for not adhering to web-standards-- which is probably why I've never heard of it before.

Can I ask what version you were using and what you were doing when you got the error? -207.224.85.136 07:59, 1 December 2008 (EST)

I know, I know, damn obscure browsers.

However it does it in Firefox 3.0.4 too. Every tfwiki page I load generates the same error in Firefox's error log (You can see this by going to the Tools menu and selecting "Error Console"), so it's not just the obscure browsers no one uses. --abates 13:49, 1 December 2008 (EST)

Hmm. He's right, I get the same error in Opera once I turn the error console on. It's not our error, I'll say... I get the same error when browsing DeviantArt and some other places that also use Analytics. --Jeysie 14:07, 1 December 2008 (EST)

Useless Zany Comment: I believe your computer is telling your that your gun is not defined and indeed, may not exist. --FFN 01:25, 2 December 2008 (EST)

Probably a dumb newbie question

I'm not even sure if this is the right place to ask this, but why is it that the vast majority of character articles don't have pictures of the various alt. modes except in the toys section? It seems that what they transform into would be well worth illustrating when talking about a Transformer, after all.—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.207.138.74 (talk • contribs) 15:50, December 1, 2008 (EST).

It would be cool if there were almode pictures. I'm always clicking on the TFU link just to see. Maybe a standard place could be set aside on the page in case anyone wants to add a picture. That is, if the wiki wants to allow them as policy. - Starfield 16:20, 1 December 2008 (EST)

The trouble is that so many characters have so many bodies that such a thing would quickly become... cumbersome as its own section. Can you IMAGINE what Optimus Prime's page alone would be like? Since most fiction is based on the toys... well, since we'll have the altmodes in that section, duplication seems silly. For the few non-toy altmodes, well, we try to have pictures of them in the relevant fiction sections. --M Sipher 16:29, 1 December 2008 (EST)

That is a point, but the same could be said for the main robot-mode pic, but one main pic is chosen to be representative. The main pic isn't really complete without an altmode, IMO. But I'm weird and don't think "alternate" mode is entirely accurate anyway. Transformers are machines with more than one mode. None of the modes should thought of as "alternate" really. - Starfield 16:39, 1 December 2008 (EST)

I've been putting alt-modes in the main pics that I've made recently (Galvatron, Soundwave, Flame), which no one has complained about, so I figure that's fine. Siph's right, though, that it doesn't need its own section. The toy alt-modes are covered in the Toys section, and if a drawn/animated alt-mode is noteworthy enough, it really ought to be somewhere in the screencaps or main pic. - Jackpot 16:44, 1 December 2008 (EST)

As the dumb newbie who stared this little mini-thread, and so someone whose opinion is basically nothing, I have to say I like Jackpot's approach and I think it might be worth adding a picture of the character's primary altmode (which I'd define as first Earth alt. mode, at least for G1 characters) So the original Freightliner cab-over truck for G1 Optimus G1MarvelBlaster 20:01, 1 December 2008 (EST)

This idea doesn't work too well unless both the robot and alternate mode art is in the same style as one another, either by the same artist, or artists with similar styles, or at least the same art series. As it stands, most of our main pics are from artwork which never depicted their alternate modes. --FFN 01:24, 2 December 2008 (EST)

You're right that we probably shouldn't combine disparate art styles, but there are LOTS of main-pics that we could find appropriate alt-mode art for. Anything that came out of a profile comic, for instance. I'm not too concerned about the issue, though; I think of showing multiple modes as a luxury and by no means a necessary element. - Jackpot 01:37, 2 December 2008 (EST)

Placeholder ad image

This image was hilarious when it was showing up as a placeholder ad on the left. Where is it from? --Fleb 21:38, 1 December 2008 (EST)

Shortpacked. Wasn't so much a placeholder as much as an ad FOR Shortpacked. Our actual placeholder is the Kremzeek "Please Stand By" image from Sound and Fury --Detour 21:55, 1 December 2008 (EST)

It was from a 2005-2006 comic (back when Cybertron was still the main line), but I don't remember the date of it so I can't link it for you, Fieb. A little help, anybody who has the Shortpacked book? --FFN 01:26, 2 December 2008 (EST)

Took me a while to find the primitive Search page Walky uses, but I found it and got the strip: [[1]] --Detour 01:53, 2 December 2008 (EST)

Thanks! I was struggling to find it, too. --Fleb 16:21, 9 December 2008 (EST) == CAPCHA pain ==The CAPCHA spam prevention kicks in on templates that even have internal links, but not used as wiki links. For example, it will kick in upon adding templates like ongoing or stub. Personally, I'd rather it either recognize that these are still local links, or disable CAPCHA altogether for logged-in users.--Rosicrucian^Talk 13:38, 5 December 2008 (EST)

Whaaaah? I have never once had to answer a CAPCHA challenge. And I add the stub template to things all the time. -- Repowers 13:42, 5 December 2008 (EST)

Ah, hadn't realized that stub had been updated to avoid this. Ongoing is now updated accordingly.--Rosicrucian^Talk 13:45, 5 December 2008 (EST)

Aw nerts, it's still doing it with Ongoing even after I updated the template. The hell?--Rosicrucian^Talk 13:56, 5 December 2008 (EST)

The problem is that it uses the single brackets, I'd wager. If you can find a way to use the double brackets, it might fix the problem.

I do think that setting the CAPCHA to be turned off for autoconfirmed users probably couldn't hurt, regardless. --Jeysie 14:26, 5 December 2008 (EST)

Yeah, I have to wonder if the reason it's not flagging Rob is because he's an admin.--Rosicrucian^Talk 14:37, 5 December 2008 (EST)

Huh. That's definitely a possibility... didn't think of that at first.

As for the template itself, I did some tinkering, and I just don't think it's possible to make it double-bracketed. I considered making an extra template that creates a FULLPAGENAME+edit action link, then you'd include that template, but the CAPCHA might be smart enough to figure it out. Probably easier just to change the CAPCHA settings. --Jeysie 14:55, 5 December 2008 (EST)

Here's another example of how this is a pain to registered users. Some anonymous fuckhead is blanking Rad (G1) section by section, and I get slowed down reverting him because of the CAPCHA verification. It causes an edit conflict because he's blanked another section, and I get sent back to square one.--Rosicrucian^Talk 18:32, 9 December 2008 (EST)

Ditto on that.--Detour 18:41, 9 December 2008 (EST)

Setting it not to hit users in the autoconfirmed group should be sufficient to handle this problem. GreenReaper 19:17, 15 December 2008 (EST)

Oops. Someone should have shouted at me, I just noticed this now, I've changed the permissions; lemme know if anyone's still getting hit by the captcha. --Suki Brits 22:23, 23 December 2008 (EST)

You work hard, no one wants to shout at Scout.  :( -Derik 00:59, 24 December 2008 (EST)

Yay! Thanks Scout! --FFN 01:52, 24 December 2008 (EST)

Japanese toylines

What do 2010, Headmasters, Masterforce, Zone, Operation Combination, Beast Wars II and Beast Wars Neo all have in common? None of them are toy lines.The 2010 logo? It isn't found on a single toy. Scramble City? Only on the Scramble City combiners, Metroplex and Trypticon (who interact with the first four team leaders, and Metroplex with the limbs), and Ultra Magnus and Galvatron, the City Commanders. The toys with the Headmasters logo? You'll note that logo is only on toys with the Headmaster gimmick. Practically every subgroup that is defined by a gimmick their own logo. From what I've been able to find out, the only toy with a Zone logo is Rabricater, who comes with the Zone OVA VHS. Every single main line release from 1985 to 1990 has the regular Japanese Transformers logo, and possibly a gimmick logo.The first new line-wide logo if for the Return of Convoy logo, which is right next to the regular Japanese TF logo, making Return of Convoy a Subline imprint.Operation Combination returns to just the Transformers logo. I'm not even sure if anything beyond the story pages ever used the name.Beast Wars is similar. The "Beast Wars II" and "Beast Wars Neo" toys are sold as plain old "Beast Wars", with minimal changes for the logo. (gold vs silver, and Neo added a curve to the bottom). Only Beast Wars Metals changed the logo content. --FortMax 15:54, 16 December 2008 (EST)--FortMax 20:39, 15 December 2008 (EST)