[WikiEN-l] kelvSYC's take on userboxes

[Peter Mackay]

> From: wikien-l-bounces at Wikipedia.org 
> [mailto:wikien-l-bounces at Wikipedia.org] On Behalf Of Alphax 
> (Wikipedia email)
> Sent: Saturday, 14 January 2006 15:27
> To: English Wikipedia
> Subject: Re: [WikiEN-l] kelvSYC's take on userboxes
> 
> Peter Mackay wrote:
> >>From: wikien-l-bounces at Wikipedia.org
> >>[mailto:wikien-l-bounces at Wikipedia.org] On Behalf Of Alphax
> > 
> > 
> >>When userboxes are getting in the way of the encyclopedia, the 
> >>userboxes must go.
> > 
> > 
> > What about users? If there were no users, there'd be no 
> problems. Can 
> > we please accept that *every* element on the site causes 
> problems of 
> > one sort or another and there are very few things that are 
> completely 
> > black and white.
> > 
> > The current userbox issue is a symptom, not a cause. Get rid of 
> > userboxes and some other thing would pop up until the 
> underlying problem is resolved.
> > Shuffling the deckchairs is no solution if the ship is sinking.
> > 
> 
> Alright then, here's my solution:
> 
> Disable user page creation until a user has reached a certain 
> number of edits (the point where moves and the ability to 
> edit semi-protected pages are enabled).
> 
> My reasoning is as follows:
> 
> If a user has made enough edits to articles that they are 
> able to move pages and edit semi-protected pages, they have 
> contributed enough that they should be able to create a 
> userpage. Userpages should be reserved for those who are 
> writing the encyclopedia; WP:NOT a webhost.

Not arguing, but you can make any number of edits you want, just by adding a
space here, taking one away there. If you have to do a whole bunch of these
useless edits before you get to play, how does that help the project?

Besides which, customising a userpage, even if it's only to add in a few
lines, helps new editors feel at home. And they have an immediate place to
try stuff out instead of going to test it out on an article.

The idea is to encourage members to make good edits, not to make them feel
awkward. I get the feeling that a lot of the old salts here would rather we
didn't attract new editors at all.

Peter (Skyring)