[Commons-l] Monobook.css update?

[Monahon, Peter B.]

> bawolff wrote: "...  Out of curiosity, can 
> you give an example of what can't be 
> currently done in rearranging the styles 
> which you think could or should be 
> done.  In my opinion, if you take the 
> time, you can change it to pretty
> much anything. -bawolff

Peter Blaise responds:  

Maybe we're talking about different things.

I'm only suggesting that we put our energy into making the MediaWiki
interface itself more capable ... so we don't have to go out and use
text editing tools and programming language savvy to change
configuration files ... because editing *.php or *.css files (and so on)
is an order of magnitude more complex (and off-putting) than the next
wave of MediaWiki adopters can successfully handle and self-maintain. 

In other words, if we want to reduce the overwhelming (and growing)
support demands while expanding the audience for MediaWiki
installations, we have to empower the main program itself to be all
powerful regarding the installation, setup, configuration, and
maintenance of the MediaWiki experience.

Yes, experienced *.php and *.css (and so on) tweakers can tune a
MediaWiki installation to a faretheewell.  But, the problem is, they
have to!  And, the uninitiated are either blocked out from enjoying the
MediaWiki experience, or try to get started, and then overwhelm the
support channels with newbie questions across the spectrum -
installation, setup, configuration, and maintenance.  We can either say,
"Learn (or hire) PHP and css skills," or we can incorporate the tasks
into the MediaWiki interface once and for all.

My goal, or the target is: if the admin has to go outside of MediaWiki
for anything relating to installation, setup, configuration, and
maintenance, then we have more to do to make the MediaWiki interface
smarter!

That is all.  Of course, there are more words in the list: installation,
setup, configuration, maintenance, customization, backup, verify,
restore, export, import, make reports, reorganize, language change, make
PDFs, repurpose contents, import contents form other sources, automate
data exchange, and so on.  And, on.  And, on.  

Am I thinking of MediaWiki version 4 or version 1.12?

-- Peter Blaise