MediaWiki talk:Community Portal

This is the place for discussion of topics that affect the entire wiki. Some topics that would ordinarily be here have merited their own pages:

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Moving From Wikia: Arriving Leaving Complaints New Ad Policy: Ads Bookworm Database-Crash: Damage Control Central Project:Bookworm Crash Leaving Take 2 Server Move: Arriving Take 2 Relicensing: Relicensing Dealing With Vandalism: Vandalism GoBots Sister Wiki: Discussion on the place of GoBots in this wiki

G.I. Joe wiki - a little help?

Hello, all. I just wanted to add a request for some help for what should really by this wiki's sister site, Joepedia, the G.I. Joe Wiki. Now, I posted a similar request on some other sci-fi themed wiki, but the only answer I got was being told that the rules forbid a request from another wiki to be made. Well, I think that was kind of stupid, considering the communal attitude the whole wiki concept represents. BUT, ANYWAY, the Joepedia has been growing over the years, but it's mostly frequented by a small dedicated group of contributors. Since Transformers and G.I. Joe are so closely linked, I hoped some folks on here would like to help.

I will add that I have no authority over on that site, and I don't really contribute much, mostly because of the time spent my own website. I'm just a concerned geeky citizen drumming up some support. --JMM 10:26, 7 September 2012 (EDT)

Well, I would, but I really don't know jack shit about G.I. Joe. And when I think about it, I'm not sure this post belongs here. -- spyder 17:36, 7 September 2012 (EDT)

Just looking around for a little help. This seemed like the closest thing to a G.I. Joe wiki out there, and I figured it was worth a try. --JMM 13:23, 13 September 2012 (EDT)

I don't see a problem with a polite request for assistance or notification that a Joe wiki exists, since there IS some crossover interest. I just don't know how much useful crossover interest for the Joe wiki there is from this end outside of what we've already done. I mean, we've got extensive coverage of the parts of Joe directly involving TFs... I'd say that's probably going to be the most useful thing we have for you. But, if others wanna try it out...

...unless you're on Wikia.... --M Sipher 13:27, 13 September 2012 (EDT)

Yeah, it was just a quick heads up so people who may be interested are aware. I know a number of people who are equally obsessed with TF and Joe. :) Oh, and yes, it is on Wikia! --JMM 14:22, 13 September 2012 (EDT)

We did at one point approach a partnership with Joepedia, and even had a template that cross-linked articles we shared. It was just a little premature at the time (which was years ago) as Joepedia was just starting out and often our articles were more complete than theirs, or theirs were just stubs. It looks like they've gotten off the ground a bit more now.--Rosicrucian^Talk 15:30, 13 September 2012 (EDT)

Yes, their wiki got started later than this one. They have a small group of dedicated contributers, but the site's yet to attract the kind of interest this one does. --JMM 16:34, 13 September 2012 (EDT)

New stub templates

Video game stub template

Does anybody have any objections to a video game stub template? It would look something like this:

If anybody knows of a better picture that would go well with this, please upload it so it can be put in. Thanks! -- spyder^{Use this!} 15:52, 2 October 2012 (EDT)

How about a pic from the story where Prime dies in a video game? Heh if only Beta had ever been in a game, that'd be perfect. --76.28.76.206 16:03, 2 October 2012 (EDT)

What story was that? And yeah, that woulda been great. -- spyder^{Use this!} 19:53, 2 October 2012 (EDT)

That would be Afterdeath!. --Detour 21:56, 2 October 2012 (EDT)

Well if people really want a picture from that, someone else will have to upload it, as I don't have access to it. -- spyder^{Use this!} 21:59, 2 October 2012 (EDT)

Right here, dude.--Detour 22:34, 2 October 2012 (EDT)

Thanks, man. It's on the Prime: The Game page if you want to see it. -- spyder^{Use this!} 22:50, 2 October 2012 (EDT)

In addition to the video game stub, I'd like to suggest adding several templates, such as "section stub" and "fiction stub". Right now, we only have "characer stub fiction" for pages only missing fiction section, but no templates for non-character page missing fiction appearance. While "section stub" can use for articles only missing one or two sections. --TX55^TALK 22:05, 2 October 2012 (EDT)

Ok, so I'm gonna go ahead and make the video game one, and TX, if I get around to it later, maybe the others. If not, well, someone else will. Oh, and if I miss an article that the video game one should go on, put it here. -- spyder^{Use this!} 22:31, 2 October 2012 (EDT)

Novel stub template

Ok, who has an idea for a picture for a novel stub template? I'm not good with coming up with pictures for these templates. -- spyder^{Use this!} 22:11, 20 October 2012 (EDT)

It would look like this like this:

-- spyder^{Use this!} 10:23, 21 October 2012 (EDT)

Megatron Barcode Battler Card

Hi, I was wondering if anyone here had come across this Megatron card for the Barcode Battler, or knows where in the Wiki it should go:

It seems to have been released by Toys R Us in 1992 as a promo for the Barcode Battler (which they were trying to sell in store), and was (as far as is known) the only such Transformers card, probably given away with two blank cards (the bottom scan - the middle is from the Barcode Battler box) to add your own barcodes to, and a card wallet.

The text ("Clad in steel, armed to the teeth, nobody toys with us good guys when this moody cool deadly-dudey is around.") is probably enough to make you want to forget this was ever made (is it really calling Megatron a good guy?), but it's cropped up in enough eBay sales (occasionally found in Barcode Battler lots with the seller unaware that they've got something rare) to make it likely to be genuine.

So does anyone else have any information on it, and whereabouts should this go? xensyria 12:26, 16 October 2012 (EDT) EDIT: 13:10, 16 October 2012 (EDT)

I definitely don't know anything about it, besides that it's awesome, but if it's from 1992, then the only Megatron it could be is Megatron (G1), and so it should probably be on his toys/merchandise page.

It's also plausible that someone who knows something about Barcode Battlers should make a short article on them for the wiki, since we have a lot of those "this broader thing had a TF thing released under it" pages. -LV 12:31, 16 October 2012 (EDT)

Or...this isn't anything to do with a licensed Transformers thing? I sort of blindly assumed Hasbro was the entity selling the Barcode Battler in the UK, but the packaging doesn't seem to support that. It's hard to believe it's not intended to be TF Megatron, but I'm also not sure it's an official product. Especially since this Megatron guy seems to be the boxfront "main character" for the UK Barcode Battler release. -LV 12:37, 16 October 2012 (EDT)

Ah, that's a possibility, but Barcode Battler was being distributed in most of Europe by Tomy, so they probably gave Toys R Us rights to use Megatron. Perhaps they couldn't get the rights to use his picture though (as you say, it's Tomy's Barcode Battler cover on the card, so anyone who used the card probably wouldn't think it was supposed to be Megatron). I should also say that 1992 is more of an educated guess than fact, but it's bound to be somewhere around that.

If it's offical I don't mind making a Barcode Battler article (though I'll have to check out some of the other examples you mention first). xensyria 13:02, 16 October 2012 (EDT)

Wait, I just re-read Wikipedia, and Tomy was rivals with Takara who owned Transformers at the time. Still, I wonder if such big companies would risk a lawsuit over using Megatron, when they had all sorts of other franchises they could use instead; more likely Toys R Us arranged the deal with Hasbro, who they no doubt were one of the biggest retailers for at the time. xensyria 13:04, 16 October 2012 (EDT) EDIT: 13:12, 16 October 2012 (EDT)

Unlikely to be a Hasbro/TF related thing. In 1992 TFs weren't even being made in the US and the UK line didn't have a Megatron, the Decepticons were led by Skyquake at that time. --Khajidha 13:14, 16 October 2012 (EDT)

Well, this is sort of like with Yu-Gi-Oh's Space Megatron, Hasbro's trademark just didn't apply to things like gaming cards, so Tomy, just like Konami later, was in a safe zone. --Detour 14:20, 16 October 2012 (EDT)

Ah, that would explain the "good guys" text as well. It seems to be a U.K. only thing, and though there may not have been Megatron toys there (is there a reference to them not being released in the U.K. on this on the wiki?) the name would have been familiar from the the film. Is there anywhere for similarly unofficial merchandice here, or should it be cast back into the purgatory of its makers' device? xensyria 15:11, 16 October 2012 (EDT)

While I never played it, I distinctively remember Barcode Battlers as well, so it's not a UK-only thing. --Detour 15:15, 16 October 2012 (EDT)

My bad, I mean the Megatron card, which uses the Tomy box art (the U.S. version was by Irwin, and Japan by the developer, Epoch). xensyria 15:22, 16 October 2012 (EDT)

See The Transformers (toyline) and Generation 1 (European toyline) for lists of what was released in the US and Europe each year of the original toyline. --Khajidha 15:37, 16 October 2012 (EDT)

Also, in answer to your question about unofficial merchandise, we only cover official products from Hasbro, Takara and their license holders. About the only place that this could really go on this site is the trademark page, in a similar use as the "Space Megatron" card from Yu-Gi-Oh! --Khajidha 07:53, 18 October 2012 (EDT)

Thanks to all of you for the info. I've added it to the trademark talk page, but will leave it up to you whether it's a notable enough example to be added to the article or not. xensyria 15:55, 19 October 2012 (EDT)

Recent spamming

Granted, I haven't been here all that often, but the recent spamming has me wondering if the perpetrator(s) are using some form of IP hopping. It's feeling rather hydra-ish at the moment. --Lonegamer78 07:22, 18 October 2012 (EDT)

I still suggest you add a recaptcha for edits that add external links, at least for new accounts.192.249.47.177 14:09, 18 October 2012 (EDT)

If that's possible, I like that idea. -- spyder^{Use this!} 18:34, 18 October 2012 (EDT)

What IP guy said. Also, if we disabled all "Talk:/Talk" pages, that'd help a bit. Either way, the latest spambot assault is obliterating the recent changes page. -- Repowers 08:21, 24 October 2012 (EDT)

The "Talk:/Talk" thing has been mentioned numerous times in the past, I was actually surprised to see these still popping up. I'm guessing some other wikis have already implemented this, as there seems no other reason for the several "Talk:T/alk" (note order of characters) pages that have popped up recently. --Khajidha 10:03, 24 October 2012 (EDT)

I don't care what we do, but we need to do something, and we need to do it now. - Chris McFeely 10:09, 24 October 2012 (EDT)

What McFeely said. This crap needs to stop. -- spyder^{Use this!} 08:47, 25 October 2012 (EDT)

Looking at the recent changes, this is getting worse. -- spyder^{Use this!} 18:20, 25 October 2012 (EDT)

According to McFly, anon editing has been eliminated. This kills a lot of it, plus a chunk of human-born vandalism. The next step is that new accounts will get an automated confirmation email with a link that will unlock the new account, which should hopefully take out the other major spambot problems. --M Sipher 18:30, 25 October 2012 (EDT)

Leaving those that make accounts just to spam. Well, one step at a time. --Lonegamer78 00:29, 26 October 2012 (EDT)

Well, there's not much we can do with dedicated human antagonists. --M Sipher 00:43, 26 October 2012 (EDT)

And, the worst problem was the spambots anyway. -- spyder^{Use this!} 06:45, 26 October 2012 (EDT)

Rather than blocking all IP editing, did you guys ever try out recaptcha for new accounts or articles?KrytenKoro 20:27, 9 November 2012 (EST)

Universe/UT Micromaster combiners

There isn't any general page for these, so I'm putting this here.

Given our treatment of the ROTF/Universe (2008) Bruticus Maximus and Superion sets, I wonder if the Universe (2003) Micromaster combiners whose European releases were branded as Energon (Defensor, Constructicon Devastator) or Cybertron (Superion, Rail Racer) should be considered Unicron Trilogy characters. It's the same basic situation, except that the nature of Universe (2003) means that just because the European versions are Energon/Cybertron doesn't mean they're different guys. --Andrusi 11:00, 18 October 2012 (EDT)

Aren't they already listed that way? Defensor and Constructicon Devastator have "Energon Autobot" and "Energon Decepticon" categories and Superion and Rail Racer are in the category "Cybertron Autobots". I haven't checked the individual team members yet. --Khajidha 12:59, 18 October 2012 (EDT)

Just checked the team members and found only one that was not categorized as Energon or Cybertron characters (Long Haul), I added the appropriate category. --Khajidha 13:04, 18 October 2012 (EDT)

I guess he's talking about the continuity identifier at the top? 24.211.29.87 13:24, 18 October 2012 (EDT)

Ah, that makes sense. I could see something like the one used for King Atlas. --Khajidha 13:49, 18 October 2012 (EDT)

Yeah, I meant the continuity identifiers (and in the case of some components, like Red Alert, the "relation unknown" bio notes). The categories honestly never occurred to me. --Andrusi 12:36, 19 October 2012 (EDT)

Election Day

Perhaps the President of the United States should be the featured article... just for today.--Jimsorenson 10:41, 6 November 2012 (EST)

Much as I like the idea, it doesn't have much of an intro paragraph, which makes it hard to front-page it.--Rosicrucian^Talk 12:20, 6 November 2012 (EST)

Transtech Optimus and Megatron might also be good choices.KrytenKoro 13:02, 6 November 2012 (EST)

Democracy? --Emvee 13:06, 6 November 2012 (EST)

Yeah, that's got a proper intro paragraph and is actually a fairly nice article. Jalaguy 13:08, 6 November 2012 (EST)

We've used it on Election Day before, s'why. --ItsWalky 13:23, 6 November 2012 (EST)

Aligned

Can we... can we just disambiguate WFC/FOC/Prime stuff like we do everything else on this wiki, please? --ItsWalky 14:51, 11 November 2012 (EST)

I am still not clear as to why WFC and FOC are treated as franchises of their own rather than specific iterations of the Prime franchise. I would support changing all the disambigs of WFC/FOC/Prime to Prime. --Khajidha 15:03, 11 November 2012 (EST)

WFC and FOC have their own franchise branding. For example, the Fall of Cybertron comic is branded as Fall of Cybertron, not as Prime. When you have a series of related properties with "Transformers: ________" as a shared title with its own logo, that's a more often than not a franchise. --ItsWalky 01:26, 12 November 2012 (EST)

And for that matter, WFC and FOC encompass even our most strict definition of franchise, as each of them is at minimum a game, a comic, and a toyline.--Rosicrucian^Talk 03:54, 12 November 2012 (EST)

So what are you asking for, here, Walky? For Optimus Prime (Prime) to be at "Optimus Prime (WFC)"? - Chris McFeely 05:05, 12 November 2012 (EST)

Frankly, I'd love to see Optimus Prime (WFC), Optimus Prime (Prime) and Optimus Prime (RB). --TX55^TALK 12:31, 12 November 2012 (EST)