Discuss plans for how to improve the main page[]
OK, my idea is to split the role of "main page" to two separate pages, an introduction to retain the html and the Portals page to be listed right below it on the sidebar. This is as it currently is. Thus, newcomers would see the intro page, while repeat users can skip directly to the portal page. The two will have markedly different functions:
- Main Page
- Page #, Welcome and the welcome bar at the top
- Description of the wiki immediately following
- Extensive links, with rather extensive description beside each, so as to interest and orient newcomers, which can use the format we currently have there
- No need for specialized tools such as specialpages
- Need sandbox, FAQ, help, and disclaimer links
- For new users, we want to provide them with an intro and show how many things we have
- Portals
- Page # at the top
- Welcome image on the left
- Two columns, one for collaborations and one for project, on the right
- For experienced users, no need for intro description and all that
- Should be rather simple for easy viewing
- Need sandbox
- No need for FAQ, help, and disclaimer links
comments[]
I like the idea of having distinct "tracks" for new visitors and for more experienced participants. One possible way of splitting the main page to serve these two groups of visitors/participants would be to use a pair of pages that look something like this. <-- In that example there are four related pages that share the tabs at the top of the pages, making it incredibly obvious to new users that there are 4 related pages. Maybe we could have two tabs shared by the two pages you are calling "Main Page" and "Portals".
Portal. "Two columns, one for collaborations and one for project" <-- Traditionally, a wiki portal page is a user-friendly page that guides browsers to content pages of the wiki. I'm not sure what you mean by "collaborations" and "project". The novelas community has developed several categories of fiction types that are used on the current main page (such as short stories). How do those fiction types relate to what you are thinking of as "collaborations" and "project"? --JWSchmidt 02:48, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Why imagipedia?[]
Imagipedia has like 30 articles in it, but it takes a whole column on the main page. Add on to that, it hasn't had any additions to it for a while. I suggest replacing it with something else, like featured articles or new additions--something other wikis have. "Cold Case" seems to have quite some activity right now. I can't work with the template stuff, but someone else should. --169.157.9.51 17:43, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
- We do not need to show everything on the main page and we should be selective about how much space is given to what is mentioned on the main page. One thing we could have on the main page is "featured content". Give some extra space to one or two items. Wikis often rotate their featured content on a regular basis. --JWSchmidt 21:06, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Please check out the Introduction Page[]
I've finished making the Introduction page to serve as the next main page. Take a look and tell me what you think about it. --Yunzhong Hou 17:27, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Checking out the "Introduction Page" is taking too long... Really, take a look at it, and tell me what you think. I'm thinking about testing it by shifting the code onto the main page in a day or two. I really don't think the main page as it stands is going to attract quite as many newcomers... --Yunzhong Hou 17:18, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
?[]
Where is everybody? Nardek 15:52, 24 January 2007 (UTC)
Dead. It's dead. Nardek 22:49, 10 February 2007 (UTC)
YOUR DEAD!Serprex 22:58, 10 February 2007 (UTC)
Please, i need help, im trying to make new boxes for info and stuff, i need a lot of help. 14:16, 29 September 2007 (UTC)
Improving[]
Spanish section needs improvement starting with reaching it i think there should be diferent languages articles listed y the main lists, or, at least, direct links to each language lists.
Are there other languges besides english and spanish for this wiki? How can I work to make that section a litle more understandable?
--Reptiles Extintos 04:23, 10 February 2007 (UTC)
A link to the spanish version can be done,but the reason the spanish version is inactive is because the spanish community is dormant.If you want to revive it,start talking about it in spanish communities.Serprex 14:57, 10 February 2007 (UTC)
Random[]
the random page botton sends you to the wrong page. It should be "special:randompage" --Modred 02:40, 22 February 2007 (UTC)
Users Online[]
Some forums have a Users currently online list, sometimes somewhere near the bottom of the main page. This is just a suggestion for this wikia, is it even possible here? Also, I don't know how useful such a list will be, the cost/benifit ratio might be crazy - but its just an idea. Dhabih | talk: 13:42, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
I don't think it is possible,just chk recent changesUser:Serprex 16:19, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
These forums probably require users to check in and check out to function properly, and people can easily forget to do that. (I think.) 19:20, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
Fan Fiction[]
Thanks to JWSchmidth this Fan Fiction main page looks really neat. I'm vouching that a link to it be somewhere on the main page, perhaps in the interaction bar. Dhabih | talk: 14:40, 27 April 2007 (UTC)
There already is, in the bar at the top. 20:39, 27 April 2007 (UTC)
The bar at the top leads to the Fan Fiction Category Page rather than the created Fan Fiction Home Page Dhabih | talk: 22:43, 27 April 2007 (UTC)
No it doesn't, try again. 22:52, 27 April 2007 (UTC)
Yunz is talking of the header on MainPage,not SiteHeadUser:Serprex 22:59, 27 April 2007 (UTC)
I really am blind. I never noticed that bar there before Dhabih | talk: 16:27, 29 April 2007 (UTC)
Ya,its too big to stick on all the pages.We should probably mask the main pages in the categoriesUser:Serprex 17:27, 29 April 2007 (UTC)
Anyone know why the recentchanges template has thicker lines for items with the open triangle? 19:16, 3 September 2007 (UTC)
Nope.I'm assuming you are talking of that weird JSrecentchange stuff...can't stand it in the first placeUser:Serprex 22:50, 3 September 2007 (UTC)
Friends[]
Whould Novelas like to become friends with [[1]] , 22:13, 23 September 2007 (UTC)
I don't quite see the relation between here and thereUser:Serprex 23:05, 23 September 2007 (UTC)
Why, it's quite evident. Novelas start with an N, like some river in Egypt, which was inhabited by loony guys that built pyramids, like the Aztecs, that following some theory, are descendents of Asian people, that invented samurai knights, which were ripped off by Lucas to do his Jedi Knight thing. But anyways, I think we have a policy here to only be friends with wikis linked by less than two points of separation. So I guess that no, swgames can't come to our birthday party, sorry. --Nonimportant 23:40, 23 September 2007 (UTC)
- Two points, ok Navelas is fiction Star Wars is fiction,
- or You have a section for Star Wars and we are only about Star Wars.
- or You a wiki were a wiki. And I still don't see Disney Wiki has to do with SWGames but were friends with them. , 00:30, 24 September 2007 (UTC)
Hmm...I dunno then, your Star Wars wiki is about games, which is a completely different thing, but...well I have no idea, ask User:Yunzhong Hou. I'm neutral. --Nonimportant 00:35, 24 September 2007 (UTC)
Another big JK picture? May I know what the hell you mean by that? --Nonimportant 16:31, 11 October 2007 (UTC)
Fan Fictions wikis[]
Hi,
A number of individual fan fiction wikis have recently sprung up on Wikia, such as Runescape Fan Fiction, Mass Effect Fan Fiction, Star Craft Fan Fiction, Call of Duty Fan Fiction, Half-Life Fan Fiction. I quite like the structure of the Novelas wiki, and I'm wondering if you guys are interested in mentoring those wikis, helping them develop their site structure and support system so that those wikis are not only a space to express the users' personal fantasies, but also a chance to learn and improve their writing. -PanSola 22:58, 6 December 2007 (UTC)
Main Page Header[]
There's something missing from the main page, and that's the beautifully concise Main Page Header. I'm sure it probably doesn't fit in, but I'm thinking we should try integrate it somehowUser:Serprex 14:32, 24 June 2008 (UTC)
- I could not agree more. Why was it ever taken off the main page? JWSchmidt 15:58, 24 June 2008 (UTC)
- YZH's revertions David 16:55, 24 June 2008 (UTC)
Yes, User:Yunzhong Hou removed it again with the obviously false edit summary, "welcome template is redundant". --JWSchmidt 16:03, 25 June 2008 (UTC)
Well, it IS redundant, since there's a link to archives on the sidebar that already lists the prominent categories, and the text is effectively repeating the main page text, and newcomers get the template anyway. But if you all want to keep it, go ahead. 17:24, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

300 pixel wide set of links as seen on the Wikipedia Main Page.
- I do not think that Template:Main Page Header is perfect, but I think it makes sense to provide new visitors with obvious links to the major categories of fiction. I'm not very interested in using the left side of the "Main Page Header", so I'd be satisfied with just a small set of links like those shown (to the right) from the Wikipedia Main Page. Also, I do not think links to the major categories of fiction need to be at the top of the Main Page. These links could easily go under the featured fiction section.

Main Page Header, takes up too much space?
Military Fiction?[]
Perhaps a "Military Fiction" section/category? File:Flag of South Korea.png PitaKang- (Talk|Contribs) 00:16, January 24, 2012 (UTC)