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Over at ForumAny suggestions?, we'd briefly battered around the idea of switching from Monobook (the current theme) to Quartz for the site's default skin. General consensus (between the two people that participated) was to keep Monobook (or, rather, that we didn't like Quartz), but I just had a look-see over at the wcmarveldatabase|Marvel Database and their new skin, Monaco (go to your preferences and select "See custom wiki skins" to see it).
It's pretty nifty, and could be adapted for this site rather well; I'd probably just make a few changes from the Slate theme.http//half-life.wikia.com/index.php?title=Main_Page&useskin=monaco&usetheme=slate There's wcmarveldatabaseNews talkMDP and DCDP New Monaco Skins image|some discussion (mostly by me) about having a random image generated in place of where Wolverine currently is; if it works, I'm hoping to use that same effect here so we can have pictures of Gordon, Alyx, the lambda logo, etc behind the banner.
Thoughts? It's a pretty dramatic change, and I don't want to throw any switches until the new theme is tweaked to perfection. Plus, I'm ''really'' busy in real life currently, so I'm not going to be working on it immediately. I'd just like some feedback from the community. UserEVula|EVula// User talkEVula|talk // UserEVula/admin|&; // 2026, 27 February 2008 (UTC)
That skin is pretty impressive, I like the layout. I'm for it. --UserMattyDienhoff|MattyDienhoff 0138, 28 February 2008 (UTC)
Bump. So are we going to make the switch to Monaco? I've come to prefer the new skin while using it on other wikis, and I think it'd provide the OverWiki with a much needed facelift once we customize it. See ForumMonaco_skin|this thread also. --UserMattyDienhoff|MattyDienhoff 1718, 17 May 2008 (UTC)
See also ForumMonaco skin. I would absolutely recommend switching to Monaco soon ) I've been working on the wchelpHelpSkins|wiki skin help pages, which you may find useful. wUserKirkburn|Kirkburn (wUser_talkKirkburn|talk) 2006, 22 May 2008 (UTC)
I just switched the skin to Monaco Slate, as it seemed a reasonably appropriate colour scheme. If you want me or a local admin to switch theme, just ping us. wUserKirkburn|Kirkburn (wUser_talkKirkburn|talk) 1525, 9 June 2008 (UTC)
Wikia are switching everyone to monaco now - see http//www.wikia.com/wiki/Wikia%27s_New_Style this article on central UserRandomtime|RT 2016, 9 June 2008 (UTC)
Okay, great. I was going to wait for some input from the others before making any changes, but I guess that's not necessary. --UserMattyDienhoff|MattyDienhoff 0317, 10 June 2008 (UTC)
Nope - Wikia will force it down your throat regardless UserRandomtime|RT 0553, 10 June 2008 (UTC)
Actually we were asked by one of the users on IRC to switch it, plus this conversation didn't exactly seem to be against it. It's been months with almost no action, despite me prodding a couple of times - this is a change for anonymous users, remember. You can always choose your own skin. By all means customize it, and choose your own color theme. wUserKirkburn|Kirkburn (wUser_talkKirkburn|talk) 1702, 10 June 2008 (UTC)
Yes, Kirk speaks the truth, this change has been on the cards for a while and I would've done it weeks ago but I wanted to speak to the other staff first just to be sure. Unfortunately, they (especially UserEVula|EVula) have been inactive lately. --UserMattyDienhoff|MattyDienhoff 0440, 11 June 2008 (UTC)
==The new ad layout is simply unacceptable==
This is relevant to the 'new skin', I suppose.
Wikia's ''genius move'' of putting an ad block in the upper right corner of almost all content pages ('small' pages have a banner ad instead, but the logic that determines whether an article is 'small' or not appears to be fatally flawed. See Combat Knife|here) has stuffed up many of the articles here. Pushing infoboxes and images down - even on undoubtably small articles like Combat Knife - and Strider Buster|stuffing up image placement. Here are just a few examples I've gathered from going through the weapons category
*Combat Knife
*Colt Python
*HECU SPAS-12
*Mk 2 Grenade
*Satchel Charge
*M40A1 Sniper Rifle
Can they be fixed? Most likely, but I simply don't have the time, energy, or spirit to go through all of the above examples and much more, tweaking them, trying to make these articles look decent again, all the while knowing they'll never look as good as they did, they'll never have anything approaching a professional appearance with that hideous block of pseudo-relevant advertisement mutilating almost every goddamn page on the wiki. (Yeah, I ''really'' need to read about Cockroach extermination while reading Shock Roach. I bet '''that''' gets a lot of clicks.)
http//www.wikia.com/wiki/ForumWikia%27s_New_Style I've said my piece already. http//www.wikia.com/wiki/ForumWikia%27s_New_Style/Archive_2 I've voiced my grievances, along with scores of others, in all of the relevant places about this change. By way of suggesting a solution, I've said I'd be willing to put up with more ads as long as they were ''anywhere but'' inside the articles... A whole lot of good all that did.
I'm sorry, I used to have faith in the Wikia staff, but this change has made it clear that they've become just another bunch of corporate flunkies spouting copy and paste responses to criticism and not giving a damn how many disgruntled contributors leave so long as they don't lose more than a certain percentage of their user base. That's almost certainly an unfair categorization, but I don't have it in me to be kind to anyone who stands for these kinds of changes knowing the kind of mess they would make. (and '''how could they not know'''?)
I'm rarely given to losing my temper like this, but '''fuck this'''. I only ever contributed to any wiki because I enjoy doing so, but that enjoyment has quite simply been extinguished overnight. It's ironic that the Wikia staff did more damage to this wiki in one stroke than any vandal could, damage that is infinitely more difficult to reverse. I cannot enjoy having to rehash a third or more of the wiki because its hosts have seen fit to dump trash all over it with little regard for the consequences. I don't have enough metaphorical paper towels to wipe this much crap up.
Bottom line I'm leaving Wikia, and I'm not coming back until advertisements are out of the article area. --UserMattyDienhoff|MattyDienhoff 1433, 17 June 2008 (UTC)
I hear you man, and I'll also stay away until this gets taken care of... --UserLigemeget|ligemeget 0904, 20 June 2008 (UTC)
Sigh. Okay, I've decided to accept Wikia's 'no block ads for signed-in users' concession, but I have to say Wikia are on very fragile ground with me right now, and if the situation deterioriates any further, I won't hesitate to leave again, possibly for good. --UserMattyDienhoff|MattyDienhoff 0259, 17 July 2008 (UTC)