2010 Wikimedia design and feature change/Feedback

Bug!

This page is for posting your feedback regarding the 2010 Wikimedia design and feature change. What works for you, what doesn't? What other enhancements would you like to see? Are there ways that you can help make the new design and functionality better? For bug reports, please visit the bug reports page.

General notes and updates:

• The most surprising change for many users of the new design is the relocation of the search box. We've explained our reasoning in more detail in this tech blog post.
• Many users had expressed concerns that the language links in the sidebar were collapsed by default. On June 7, we changed the behavior to expand these links by default. If this is not so on your system, you may still have an old cookie. If, after clearing your cookies, this problem does not disappear, it is a bug, and should be reported as such.
• The font size of the new design should not be smaller than the old one. The old design, Monobook, used stylesheet definitions that produced inconsistent results on different platforms. These roles were adjusted to a simpler and more standards-compliant rule in the new design, Vector. Detailed bug reports help us diagnose any font size issues. We're also planning to conduct a user survey to determine the ideal default font size.
• Initial versions of the new design broke on the PlayStation 3 browser. This bug should be fixed.
• Older BlackBerry models may have problems rendering the new design. If this affects you, please visit the English Wikipedia and tell us if it correctly redirects to the mobile portal. We are planning to put these mobile redirects for BlackBerries in place for all languages and projects.

We'll most likely be able to read your comments if you post them in English. If you speak English, your help relaying comments from others who don't is appreciated.

Share your thoughts

Archives

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Archive 1

Reporting in English

The need for leaving comments and reporting bugs in English is understandable. However, Wiki is a global community and there must be a large number of reviewers out there who, having already been tested for content, can review the comments left by others who speak in another language and can help to translate. I understand that this may lead to mistranslation or misunderstanding of the points being made but, like every Wiki article, that can be addressed by others and improved.

Would it be possible to implement a skin option with a dark background and light text.

It would help to reduce strain on the eyes for people who see better with light text on dark background as opposed to dark text on light background.

thanks!

Actually we have already what you ask here, see usability:Releases/Default Switch, "ambassadors".

On the skin: do you really need a brand new skin? What about a css customization (maybe selectable as a gadget)? --Nemo 05:54, 7 August 2010 (UTC)

New tabs

It's always a bad idea to change clear tabs into cryptic (star) or hidden (watchlist) options. And the French Wikipedia also hides the history tab!

Generally speaking, I find the old design simpler, nicer, and more usable. Lmaltier 05:28, 7 August 2010 (UTC)

The star is not cryptic, it's what most internet users expect for a feature like watchlisting a page: I suspect that many users who didn't know the watchlist will use it, now. See also usability:Opinion Watch. History is not hidden for me on fr.wiki (it wouldn't be legal, anyway), neither watchlist. Perhaps you have some weird css/js customization? --Nemo 05:50, 7 August 2010 (UTC)

Most users? Well, it's cryptic to me. No, I've no customization. I was meaning the history tab, not the history itself. The history is accessible if you know where the tab is hidden. If you don't know, you'll probably not be aware there is a history... (I mean new users) Lmaltier 20:39, 9 September 2010 (UTC)

Mobile

Vector doesn't work at all on mobile phones; tabs put on each other. Hope this will be fixed in future. Regards, --Juhko 05:36, 7 August 2010 (UTC)

Can someone find out why banner flashes only for split second?

Can someone find out why the notification of this page only flashes at the top of Wikicommons pages for a split second? It is there and then it is just gone just as fast. I had to hit browser refresh 4X and quickly click on it with my mouse just to get here. CaribDigita 23:36, 12 August 2010 (UTC)

manual translation for non-english replies

If the machine translation does not return a proper translation (which happens quite often) it could be an idea to hae it done manually by volunteers, Valuta 17:10, 16 August 2010 (UTC)Valuta >V<

supporting the changes

These changes are long overdue. Don't listen to anyone who says "if they're too stupid to use Wikipedia we don't want them here". Even smart people don't have time to fuss around with bad interfaces, especially when the web offers so many other activities where they could use their time. Making Wikipedia more painful will not filter us down to the best editors. Only the most obsessive compulsive and entrenched. We have to make Wikipedia more usable if we're going to combat the stagnation in new volunteers.

I would really encourage you to go beyond having a better tool bar towards a full WYSIWYG interface. There is no reason I should have to look at three apostraphes instead of actual bold text. When even Microsoft's products are more usable than yours, you're embarassing yourself.

13 e-mail noticications from Wikipedia (Possibly spam)

I cannot find a site to state my concerns about multiple e-mail I am receiving stating they are from Wikipedia, so I ask you bear with me whilst I try to explain and get help with this. This morning I had 13 e-mails in my inbox which said they were from 'notifications and support'. The included:

"notifications @support wiki downloads windows change..." in the subject area (2 of these)
"notifications @support wiki couldn't initialize ..." in the subject area (2 of these)
"notifications@support website 'say' cookies..." in the subject area (2 of these)
'notifications@support installing Firefox on Mac..." in the subject area (2 of these)
'notifications@support page text zoom change..." in the subject area ( 4 of these )

I did not open any of these e-mails due to the fact that I was hacked on another web site and had to re-secure that site. Might someone direct me to the proper area to report such things as I couldn't find a link to do so. Before I report these suspicious e-mails to my security system, I'd first like to get some feedback on this. If these are legitimate, then, by all means, I'll open and them, otherwise I'll treat them as spam or certainly unsolicited e-mails.

Thank you, Leeflea