Forum:What's with the Wikia Spotlight?

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Recently, Wikia seems to have reintroduced the spotlight to Uncyclopedia, even though the consensus established on Forum:Wikia Spotlight was against it, and we have lived fine without it for several months. Once again, here's the obligatory poll. --Sir Starnestommy (Talk • Contribs • CUN • Capt.) 01:53, September 15, 2007

By the way, it's not the fact that it's there that bothers me. It's the fact that they put it back on here even after we had a forum that decided against it without warning us first. --Sir Starnestommy (Talk • Contribs • CUN • Capt.) 02:02, September 15, 2007

Should Wikia ditch the spotlight again?

You are not entitled to vote.
You are not entitled to view results of this poll.

Yes

No

I don't care

Get it away from me!

Keep it and never remove it again

There were 0 votes since the poll was created on 03:14, 4 June 2021.

poll-id 3BB28C66D4BCA9F5BB08EA08E2948EA5

Could I request once again, that please, would wikia validate their html before adding it to the site. It's not hard, and takes like 5 seconds to do. • Spang • ☃ • talk • 05:27, 15 Sep 2007

I say we nuke it with Thermite, and if they bring it back again, organise a Militia to rebel against wikia- OH SHI- *Smited* --Lt. High Gen. Grue The Few The Proud, The Marines 05:29, 15 September 2007 (UTC)

It doesn't show up with the Cologne Blue skin. --Sir Starnestommy (Talk • Contribs • CUN • Capt.) 05:58, September 15, 2007

Destroy it! Destroy it! Destroy the abomination! (leads an angry mob, armed with torches and pitchforks of course, to the Wikia Spotlight) Marshal Uncyclopedian! Talk to me!

So, lets start with the "boiling frog" theory, then move on to "Wikia Sucks!" P.M., WotM, & GUN, Sir Led Balloon (Tick Tock) (Contribs) 18:49, Sep 15, 2007

At least make it blend into the design... I mean the border isn't even #ccc. If it can be pulled off witht he "projects" menu it can damned well be implemented with the wikia spotlight. Oh, and here's a handy tool which you may have never heard of. It's a very secret and elusive webpage on the internet, so I wouldn't blame you for not finding it and using it. ~

Jacques Pirat, Esq. Converse : Benefactions : U.w.p.

15/09/2007 @ 19:12

Okay, who voted to keep it and never remove it again!?! Marshal Uncyclopedian! Talk to me!

Can we make it, like a satirical Wikia Splodgelight? Wikia Spotlight on WikiPork, all spam spam spam all the time. HowlWiki, the Alan Ginsberg site. Morkiki, 51,297 articles on Mork and Mindy. Ow!wiki: self-piercing how-to articles. MaybeNotWiki, the wiki for bad ideas. ----OEJ 21:52, 15 September 2007 (UTC)

heh. --Sir Starnestommy (Talk • Contribs • CUN • Capt.) 21:54, September 15, 2007

I'd be for that. P.M., WotM, & GUN, Sir Led Balloon (Tick Tock) (Contribs) 22:02, Sep 15, 2007

Satirical spotlight...COOL!! Marshal Uncyclopedian! Talk to me!

That's not a bad idea... --Narf, the Wonder Puppy/I support Global Warming and I'm 100% proud of it! 05:02, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Actually it's already self-parodying pretty well. Day before yesterday it was a Transformers wiki, today it's Pushing Daisies wiki. Both sound utterly silly -- I don't know that we could make up anything sillier. ----OEJ 17:46, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

Who voted "Keep it and never remove it again"? --Sir Starnestommy (Talk • Contribs • CUN • Capt.) 21:53, September 15, 2007

Probably some anonymous staffer :P ~

Jacques Pirat, Esq. Converse : Benefactions : U.w.p.

15/09/2007 @ 22:35

I seem to recall, when this came up not two months ago, that Modusoperandi suggested making the Wikia Spotlight strictly text, a la the "projects" thingamajig. In fact, I loved that idea. I think it may even work well as a <choose> within the projects box itself. That's just me though.-Sir Ljlego, GUN VFH FIYC WotM SG WHotM PWotM AotM EGAEDM ANotM + (Talk) 23:44, 15 September 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, it's really just the pictures that are distracting. P.M., WotM, & GUN, Sir Led Balloon (Tick Tock) (Contribs) 23:45, Sep 15, 2007

I don't care if it stays or goes, but for the love of BENSON/God/Insert diety here, PUT <DIV> TAGS AROUND THE THING! I can't hide it in my CSS otherwise. Also, it's ugly. Really really ugly. It seems like a n00b HTML nerd just slapped an image on without bothering to at least center the damn thing. It makes my HTML/CSS brain bits itch like mad. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • SU&W) 23:48 Sep 15, 2007

One more point: Wikipedia doesn't have it, thus, neither should we. Even if you made it satirical, it's satirical of Wikia, not Wikipedia. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • SU&W) 23:49 Sep 15, 2007

Okay, last complaint, then I'm done. I haven't gotten an answer at #wikia, so I'm going to try here, while we're hating on Wikia. What the devil changed in the JavaScript yesterday or the day before? Auto QVFD doesn't work. This makes me sad. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • SU&W) 23:57 Sep 15, 2007

The javascript wasn't changed. The XHTML became invalid again. --Sir Starnestommy (Talk • Contribs • CUN • Capt.) 23:58, September 15, 2007

The people who write wikia's html must be invalids, har har har. And don't tell anyone I told you, but seeing as you specially requested it: add #column-one > a, #graphicalspotlight1, .ad-right { display: none } to your css to hide it in all of its various ugly incarnations so far. Though some have reported this messes up the rest of the column, it works perfectly fine for me. And I would also like to say I would have far preferred text spotlights, perhaps have 3 of those to make up for the being no pictures. • Spang • ☃ • talk • 04:31, 16 Sep 2007

Beat you to it on the CSS. Problem is, one minute they'll have the nice tags that allow the CSS to hide it, next minute they won't. Bugger. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • SU&W) 04:34 Sep 16, 2007

So, I'm not just an idiot and added it wrong? Cause, I can still see the spotlight, and it's still pretty annoying. Ooh, look, a final fantasy wiki. Lovely. P.M., WotM, & GUN, Sir Led Balloon (Tick Tock) (Contribs) 04:40, Sep 16

Yeah, it's dependent on the div tags unfortunately, hence why I'm complaining so much about the bloody things. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • SU&W) 04:42 Sep 16, 2007

Try #graphicalspotlight1 { display: none }. --Sir Starnestommy (Talk • Contribs • CUN • Capt.) 04:43, September 16, 2007

...which is part of what Spang said. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • SU&W) 04:45 Sep 16, 2007

This is why I need a brain transplant. --Sir Starnestommy (Talk • Contribs • CUN • Capt.) 04:46, September 16, 2007

Yeah, I'm still getting that spotlight. Damn Final Fantasy wiki. P.M., WotM, & GUN, Sir Led Balloon (Tick Tock) (Contribs) 04:47, Sep 16

Try ctrl+shift+F5. --Sir Starnestommy (Talk • Contribs • CUN • Capt.) 04:49, September 16, 2007

I was so about to say that. Damn edit conflicts. Anyway, it should work, because as of this writing, there are div tags. For now. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • SU&W) 04:50 Sep 16, 2007

Yeah, you need to refresh. The extra #column-one > a in my code also hides it when it's just an image with no div, just in case they go back to that. • Spang • ☃ • talk • 04:54, 16 Sep 2007

Yay, I win! Take that, wikia! Thanks for helping me stick it to the man, guys! P.M., WotM, & GUN, Sir Led Balloon (Tick Tock) (Contribs) 05:00, Sep 16

Eh, I don't care if it goes or stays, though I did see it and think "Where'd that come from?" --Narf, the Wonder Puppy/I support Global Warming and I'm 100% proud of it! 04:58, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

It. Just. Doesn't. Fit. --Carlb 00:49, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, but Spang's js takes care of it nicely. Goodbye, annoying crap on the side. P.M., WotM, & GUN, Sir Led Balloon (Tick Tock) (Contribs) 01:00, Sep 17

It's CSS, not JS... n00b! • Spang • ☃ • talk • 10:38, 17 Sep 2007

for teh record, it's all my fault.

So, here's how it went... Michael (ads guy) says to me "the spotlight isn't showing on uncyc, it's google ads again... is that right?". I says to him "nah, it dropped last time we changed the skin code, meant to get that fixed, can you put it back please?". And that is the total sum of the Evil Wikia conniving and plotting. The thing slipped by accident, I didn't get around to asking for it to be fixed until last week. This was the original discussion on changing to the spotlight. Although there was some protest after the change, there wasn't an agreement to remove them again, just a mistake in what was coded to show.

Of course, that doesn't excuse the bad coding, and we need to get that fixed. Primarily to include a div class around it for those of you who prefer not to see it. It should be centred too of course. Spang or other html peeps, it would be handy if you could tell me specifically of any other errors, it's easier for me if I can give specific problems to our guys rather than saying "it's wrong, fix it". Thanks -- sannse<staff/> (talk) 05:11, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

List of all errors. If anyone mentions the html isn't valid, the code people should know to validate it there, and see any specific errors for themselves. Though if the people who write the code actually haven't heard of validating html... facepalm.jpg

Other than that, on the visual side (personal preference here):

• center the box
• make the box the correct width for the column
• left-align the header text and make it fit with the other headers
• Ideally switch to a selection of text links similar in style to the google ads, or failing that get the wikis to make their ad pictures less ugly.

That's everything specific I can think of for now. • Spang • ☃ • talk • 10:37, 17 Sep 2007

Actually, the discussion to remove it was here where a vote was held and was essentially 26-4 with some people not caring. Now the vote here is 25-1 today, and like last time, people object to the spotlight not just because it has bad coding, but generally because it is not attractive, it sticks out way more than google ads, and I think it takes all of our self esteem down a peg when we come on to Uncyclopedia and see an advertisement for a Pokemon wikia. ~Sir Rangeley GUN WotM UotM EGA +S (talk) 12:35, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

Welcome to UncycloWikia. Would you like fries with that? *sigh* --Carlb 12:41, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

I think the real problem with the Wikia Spotlight is that all the other Wikia wikis are so damn geeky! I mean, right now I'm seeing a "Legends of Norrath" wiki. I don't even know what that is! A cursory glance at Central Wikia's list of Wikias isn't promising. If that is what we're purporting to consort with, even the geekiest of users will be turned off!-Sir Ljlego, GUN VFH FIYC WotM SG WHotM PWotM AotM EGAEDM ANotM + (Talk) 00:26, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

Well, just imagine what the millions of users on the Legends of Norrath wiki think when they see us on the spotlight thingy! As for the page that you linked, harumph! Lastly, SoH ghaj ghobe' quv! Sir Modusoperandi ^Boinc! 03:46, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

I'm tellin' ya, wikia spotlights are just another way The Man is keepin us down! We gotta all get spang's js, it's like a revolution, ya know? Now, who brought the tie dye stuff? We're gonna groove out. P.M., WotM, & GUN, Sir Led Balloon (Tick Tock) (Contribs) 02:00, Sep 18

Awesome, when do we get to the free love part? • Spang • ☃ • talk • 04:51, 18 Sep 2007

When you pay for it, naturally -- sannse<staff/> (talk) 14:13, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

I we must have ads at all, I'll rather advertise other wikis, no matter how geek they are, rather than the enlarge-your-penis-and-love-jesus sites from google ads.---Asteroid B612 (aka Rataube) - Ñ 18:56, 19 September 2007 (UTC)

Those sites must be extremely special interest. Most people don't want both at the same time. Unsolicited conversation Extravagant beauty PEEING 20:35, 19 September 2007 (UTC)

Agreed. I would rather have a link to the Doctor Who wiki than a google punch this monkey and win ad. That being said, if I see a Punch this monkey and win wiki, I'm going to lose it. Sir Modusoperandi ^Boinc! 23:42, 19 September 2007 (UTC)

Well then you'll just have to work on your punching skills so you can win it.

Incidentally, when I went to the request wikia form and put the name in as "punch the monkey and win wiki," it came up with exactly 3904 similar wikias. • Spang • ☃ • talk • 01:13, 20 Sep 2007

Yeah, they are all Wikia supported wikis about campaigning against obtrusive ads -- sannse<staff/> (talk) 01:18, 20 September 2007 (UTC)