Fanlore talk:Portal/Archive 1

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The "most wanted links" subcat here does not actually refer to the "most wanted" page of fanlore or the concept. --Sabine 02:59, 12 November 2008 (UTC)

This looks like a place where a note about the four-hour delay for making new pages due to spam should be mentioned? --Mrs. Potato Head 00:11, 12 September 2012 (UTC)
Good idea! Espresso Addict 00:13, 12 September 2012 (UTC)
Your wording looks good. I've added something similar to Help:Tutorial, as that's where the main page sends new users. Espresso Addict 00:31, 12 September 2012 (UTC)
Thanks, MPH and Espresso Addict!--æþel 01:04, 12 September 2012 (UTC)

So we now have "please make a small edit on an existing page (adding a missing comma, correcting a typo, ect.)". With a delicious little typo right there to encourage the newbie to start editing? On a locked page? --Greer Watson (talk) 18:04, 25 March 2013 (UTC)

Aside from the typo, which I fixed, is there a problem with this wording or request? If so, we need some discussion on the subject. --Mrs. Potato Head (talk) 18:33, 25 March 2013 (UTC)
Actually, it seems like a very sensible request. Apart from the usefulness in proving their reality, it also suggests that they get stuck right in—which breaks the ice, so to speak. One can read and read, and never edit; but we need editors. (And typos need correcting!) --Greer Watson (talk) 01:06, 26 March 2013 (UTC)
Yes, yes, yes, and on that last one, YES - (speaking as someone who's contributed my share of typos; I feel bad every time I find one....) --Mrs. Potato Head (talk) 01:12, 26 March 2013 (UTC)

Proposed edit: Fanlore:Portal (new draft). Thoughts? --PriscillaD (talk) 15:31, 18 December 2016 (UTC)


Moved from Fanlore talk:Portal (new draft)

"Fanlore is entirely created by fans, and a group of volunteers, called gardeners, works to keep it organized and answer your questions. To send them a question, use this contact form." Perhaps? "Fanlore is entirely created by fans. A group of volunteers, called gardeners, work to keep Fanlore organized and answer your questions. To send the gardeners a question, use this contact form." --MPH (talk) 01:06, 19 December 2016 (UTC)

"To start a new page, check out Help:Starting a new page, which includes help on specific page types, like characters, pairings or zines." Perhaps? "To start a new page, check out Help:Starting a new page, which includes help on specific page types, like characters, pairings, tropes, or zines." --MPH (talk) 01:08, 19 December 2016 (UTC)

"To find pages on the wiki, use the search box, browse the categories listed on the sidebar, or have a peek at Help:Tips for Browsing Fanlore." Perhaps? "To find pages on the wiki, type a word or phrase into the search box, or browse the categories listed on the sidebar, or have a peek at Help:Tips for Browsing Fanlore."" --MPH (talk) 01:11, 19 December 2016 (UTC)

Intro to Fanlore?

I have done a lot of web writing and have some really strong opinions about this page. We need to step waaaay back and consider our primary audiences, which I think are:

  1. fans, new and old
  2. people who have no clue about fandom
  3. possible contributors, gardeners.


We need to learn from marketing, write short punchy info with vivid language before people's eyes glaze over. I know it's hard not to include everything or general language that covers everything, but we need clarity more than completeness. The details of wiki editing is deeply unlikely to be relevant to most readers, we should push that down.

Something vaguely like this:

  • Fanlore is all about fandom, written by fans and open for everyone!
  • What is fandom? Enthusiasts talking about and making things together: see the page on Fandom for a lot more details
  • What are fanworks? These can be fanfiction, fanart, fanvids, video game mods, zines, conventions, costumes, and more!
  • Why Fanlore? Fan + lore, where fans can share history, define terms, link to discussions and record our experiences
  • Who makes this? Fans, using a wiki system of contributions, like wikipedia, and everyone is welcome to participate


Again, I'm not worried about language, more that we put a lot of value in that first section, above the fold.

--msilverstar (talk) 08:48, 21 December 2016 (UTC)

I like the idea of this brief intro being at the top, and the more detailed editing things at the bottom, or a brief intro to editing with a link to a page that is much more in depth. Especially since most users of Fanlore come here to read it and look stuff up, rather than edit. For those who do want to edit (yay!), the info is still available. --MPH (talk) 14:08, 21 December 2016 (UTC)
I tried to incorporate your suggestions. The current layout is not meant to be final; I'd arrange the boxes next to one another in some way, but it's been a while since I've used CSS... --Oxym ora (talk) 21:23, 22 December 2016 (UTC)
looking good! Maybe on Slack, there was a suggestion to warn people about the delay after signing up before they can get access.

Also, what should people who are scared of wikis do? It would be nice to have some kind of suggestion form, or at least suggest talk pages instead of leaping them straight into editing. --Msilfan (talk) 04:31, 31 January 2017 (UTC)

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