SacredWiki:Userboxes
THIS IS NOT A COMPLETED PAGE>THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS
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A userbox (commonly abbreviated as UBX) is a small colored box (see examples to the right) designed to appear only on a Wikipedian's user page as a communicative notice about the user, in order to directly (or even indirectly) help SacredWiki members collaborate more effectively on articles.
Using existing userboxes
Userboxes belong on their user's pages. It may be considered uncivil to place userboxes on other users' pages without their permission. However, userboxes may be placed on non-mainspace talk/discussion pages by anyone. (See also Wikipedia:Talk page.) The {{clear}} template can be placed after the plain userbox if text is added on a new line immediately after it.
A gallery of existing userboxes can be found here: SacredWiki:Userboxes/Gallery
Syntax
The standard syntax for adding a userbox to your user page (also known as transclusion) is: {{user name_of_box}}.
Optional substitution
You may decide to substitute the template code onto your user page using the syntax {{subst:user name_of_box}}. The use of "subst:" will ensure that the template is always displayed in its form when you add it to your user page, i.e. it will not reflect subsequent edits to the template. This method will lead to large amounts of code on your user page.
Creating a new userbox
- If you wish to offer an idea for a userbox, do so on the ideas page.
If you have designed a userbox that you would like to make available to others, you may wish to first display it on the New Userboxes talk page for community comment.
Which namespace?
- See also: Wikipedia:Namespace
Userboxes may only be created or displayed in the User, Project, or Template namespaces.
So should your userbox be prefixed with User:, Wikipedia:, or Template:?
As content in User: space is traditionally given more leeway than in other namespaces, userboxes in User: space may not be as directly collaborative in nature as those in Template: or Wikipedia: namespaces, which are expected to adhere more tightly with policies and guidelines, such as neutral point of view and what Wikipedia is. (This should also be considered before moving a userbox from userspace to any other namespace.)
If in doubt, consider presenting the userbox at New Userboxes talk page for community comment.
User:- To host a userbox in the user namespace, simply create a subpage of your own user page or User:UBX.
Wikipedia:- Userboxes in the project namespace are generally for WikiProject or task force usage. Simply create it as a subpage of the WikiProject. (e.g.
Wikipedia:VG/DAH!/userbox)
Template:- In the template namespace, userbox names must begin with "
User" (e.g.Template:User BrazilorTemplate:User en)
Caution about image use
The Wikimedia Commons has a large range of icons for use within boxes. However, if you select an image from somewhere else, make certain the image license is free. Templates (which includes userboxes) or user pages may not contain any copyrighted content not under free license; so, for example, "fair use" images are explicitly forbidden. This is interpreted strictly and without exception. See Wikipedia's fair use policy guidelines for more details.
Caution about user categories
- User categories must be sub-categories of Category:Wikipedians.
- Names and descriptions of user categories are subject to the same rules and restrictions as userbox content.
- Userboxes should not automatically include categories.
Content restrictions
- All userboxes are governed by the civility policy.
- Userboxes must not include incivility or personal attacks.
- Userboxes must not be inflammatory or divisive.
- Wikipedia is not an appropriate place for propaganda, advocacy, or recruitment of any kind, commercial, political, religious, or otherwise, opinion pieces on current affairs or politics, self-promotion, or advertising.
Simply: If content is not appropriate on a user page, it is not appropriate within userboxes.
Content examples
- The following section is not to be considered all-inclusive. As such, other word combinations (both appropriate and inappropriate) are obviously possible.
Typical userbox content:
- This user <verb phrase> <noun phrase>
- This user <verb phrase> <noun phrase> <prepositional phrase>
Typical verbs:
- verbs of action: contributes (to), drives, eats, edits, plays, uses, watches
- verbs of comprehension: reads, speaks, understands
- verbs of preference: enjoys, likes, loves
Additional examples, using the linking verb is:
- This user is <noun phrase>
- This user is a fan of <noun phrase>
- This user is a member of <noun phrase>
- This user is interested in <noun phrase>
- Potentially divisive words
Avoid verbs (often followed by the word "that") which may be used to suggest negative comparison and would thus be potentially divisive, such as:
- believes, considers, finds, knows, prefers, thinks, wishes.
Avoid negative verb phrases which can be potentially divisive, such as:
- dislikes, despises, hates, loathes
Also avoid compound sentences which are positive and negative, such as:
- This user likes <noun phrase>, but does not like <another noun phrase>.
Essentially: Express what you do like, rather than what you don't like. Express what you comprehend, rather than what you don't comprehend. Express what you do, rather than what you don't. Express who you are, rather than who you aren't.
Constructing a userbox
How to construct the box
There are a number of box types to select from when deciding to make a userbox. The most commonly used design is the "Standard box". It has one square shaped area on the left ("id") and a rectangular area on the right ("info").
For ease of use, userboxes are typically made using maker-templates that have a number of parameters.
| Template Parameters | Meaning | Value type |
|---|---|---|
| border-c | The border color of the userbox. | CSS color value (#hex or color name) |
| border-s | The border size of the userbox. | Width in pixels |
| id-c | The background color of the id box. | CSS color value |
| id-s | The font size of the id box. | Size in PostScript points |
| id-fc | The font color of the id box text. | CSS color value |
| id-p | The distance between border and content of id box. | CSS padding width value. px, pt |
| id-lh | The distance between text lines of id box. | CSS relative line height/length value. em |
| info-c | The background color of info box. | CSS color value |
| info-s | The font size of info box. | Size in PostScript points |
| info-fc | The font color of info box. | CSS color value |
| info-p | The distance between border and content of info box. | CSS padding width value. px, pt |
| info-lh | The distance between text lines of info box. | CSS relative line height/length value. em |
| id | This is the content of the id box. | Free-form |
| info | This is the content of info box. | Free-form |
The id and info boxes can include text, links, and images using the usual Wikipedia syntax. Generally, the id box will contain a few letters or a 43px image, while the info box will contain a sentence with a link or two.
Userbox types
| Types of Userboxes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Code | Appearance | ||
| Standard box | |||
| {{Userbox |border-c=#000 |border-s=1 |id-c=#fff |id-s=12 |id-fc=#000 |info-c=#039 |info-s=8 |info-fc=#fff |id=ID |info=Content}}
or {{Userbox |side-box colour |main box colour |side-box content |main box content}} |
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| Reverse box | |||
| {{Userbox-r |border-c=#000 |border-s=1 |id-c=#fff |id-s=12 |id-fc=#000 |info-c=#039 |info-s=8 |info-fc=#fff |id=ID |info=Content}}
or {{Userbox-r |side-box colour |main box colour |side-box content |main box content}} |
Template:Userbox-r | ||
| Double box | |||
| {{Userbox-2 |border-c=#000 |border-s=1 |id1-c=#fff |id1-s=12 |id1-fc=#000 |id2-c=#000 |id2-s=12 |id2-fc=#fff |info-c=#039 |info-s=8 |info-fc=#fff |id1=ID 1 |id2=ID 2 |info=Content}}
or {{Userbox-2 |side-box 1 colour |main box colour |side-box 1 content |message |side-box 2 content |border colour |side-box 2 colour |main box font-colour |box border thickness}}
|
Template:Userbox-2 | ||
| Mini box | |||
| {{Userbox-m |border-c=#000 |border-s=1 |id-c=#fff |id-s=12 |id-fc=#000 |id=ID}}
or {{Userbox-m |box colour |box content}} |
Template:Userbox-m | ||
Userbox sampling templates
To make it easier to quote the generation code for a userbox in a uniform format, a template {{Userbox sample compact}} has been made available, which produces a picture of the userbox along with the code necessary to create it. To use it, just give it exactly the same parameters you would give the {{Userbox}} template. You must use subst:, or the template will not work properly. An example is shown below:
- {{subst:Userbox sample compact|id=UBX|id-c=red|info=This is a '''[[WP:UBX|Userbox]]'''.}}
Produces:
| {{Userbox | border-c = #999 | border-s = 1 | id-c = red | id-s = 14 | id-fc = black | info-c = #EEE | info-s = 8 | info-fc = black | id = UBX | info = This is a '''[[WP:UBX|Userbox]]'''. | float = left }} |
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There are not yet any similar templates available for userboxes created by the templates Userbox-r, Userbox-2 and Userbox-m.
Gallery
{{Wikipedia:Userboxes/Gallery}}
See also
- Wikipedia:Jimbo on Userboxes
- Wikipedia:Userbox Maker
- Wikipedia:WikiProject Userboxes
- Wikipedia:User page design center
External links
- The Super-Simple Userbox Maker - External tool that outputs userboxes in wiki markup. With built-in color schemes.
