User talk:Joe Beaudoin Jr.

For discussions previously on User talk: Joe.Beaudoin, please click here.

Archive from March 6, 2006

Archive from April 20, 2006

Design Improvements

Just a few minor design improvements.

• 1. On the image pages the mime/type text is white font on white background. The text of this or background box colour should be changed in the css to be black. http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/4151/bsgdesignimprovements11xv.png
  • Done. -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 12:49, 20 April 2006 (CDT)
• 2. The tiny little logon man perhaps changed to something more relevant, bgs logo or viper insignia http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/2377/bsgdesignimprovements27up.png
• 3. Redirect image should be inverted, this is how it look right now http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/1546/bsgdesignimprovements30lv.png
  • Done. -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 12:49, 20 April 2006 (CDT)
• Mercifull 08:13, 29 March 2006 (CST)

When considering design changes, please keep in mind that not everyone reads the site using the default theme. I, for one, find the black background with bright text extraordinarily hard -- downright painful -- on the eyes, particularly in contrast with just about every other program and web site I use. I'm using the straight Monobook theme in my preferences. As a result, there are already some boxes that are all but unreadable unless I highlight the text in them.

(Ironically, I used to feel just the opposite, but the predominance of white-background websites and GUIs has shifted my preferences. It's easier to go with the flow than to find ways to change every single GUI system I use). --Uncle Mikey 10:20, 29 March 2006 (CST)

Would it help on the boxes if we specified the white foreground? Granted, this would go against the rest of the text on the page, but I'd think that it'd make it look closer to how it is intended. However, you still have the blue links (unless that can be specified as well). --Steelviper 16:12, 29 March 2006 (CST)

Might help. It seems to me that there ought to be some way to make sure that template boxes &c integrate with the theme (using style-sheet names for things, &c), but I haven't messed enough with Mediawiki themes to know exactly how you'd do it portably.--Uncle Mikey 16:16, 29 March 2006 (CST)

You're absolutely right. That would be the correct way to do it. I too, however, lack that [[1]], and so I end up reaching for the quick/easy/ugly hack. Day has mentioned looking into such things in the past. --Steelviper 16:25, 29 March 2006 (CST)

I'm pretty good with CSS. I'll look into this, but I don't want to commit to a project I won't have time to see through properly. --Peter Farago 20:52, 29 March 2006 (CST)

I would feel comfortable commiting to this project, time-wise. I feel confident enough in my CSS skills that I either know or know how to find out anything that would be needed to be done... I just need to remember to email Joe about which files do what and that kind of thing. Then... Do we put the CSS labels in spans and divs in the Wikicode, then? Or somehow mesh it into the XHTML generated by MediaWiki? --Day ^(talk) 01:34, 30 March 2006 (CST)

I'm not too pro in the likes of CSS but perhaps in the meantime something like the redirect image could be made as a red arrow with a transparent png background then it would ok on both a white and a black background? --Mercifull 03:38, 30 March 2006 (CST)

Sysop Privs on Battlewiki-Deutsch

I think that I currently lack sysop privs over at the German-language version of the site. I was pondering helping in the import/export effort to get completed pages moved over there. --Steelviper 08:02, 17 April 2006 (CDT)

You're now an admin over at Battlestar Wiki-Deutsch. -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 22:04, 18 April 2006 (CDT)

System Clock

The clock appears to be over an hour slow. --Grafix 03:23, 18 April 2006 (CDT)

It's a minor issue that I cannot change at server level (I've already tried a month or so ago). I was going to contact the host and note this, but never got around to it. It's minor, so it's not priority right now (but it's on my to-do list nonetheless). -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 22:06, 18 April 2006 (CDT)

All Projects Link

Could that be ponited to Battlestar Wiki:Project List? --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 12:37, 20 April 2006 (CDT)

Done. Great idea Shane! -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 12:42, 20 April 2006 (CDT)

Weird. It works point to that page when I view your User page, but when I goto the main page and hover over the link, it goes stright back to catgoery listing. --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 12:49, 20 April 2006 (CDT)

Did you try a hard-refresh? -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 12:52, 20 April 2006 (CDT)

I just purged the server-files. It works now :-) --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 12:53, 20 April 2006 (CDT)

Email validation

It has come to my attention that my email address is "not yet authenticated". I have clicked the "Confirm your e-mail address" button but i dont get anyhitng sent to me. I have checked my emails and spam box but nothing from BSWiki? --Mercifull 12:17, 23 April 2006 (CDT)

Have you checked to ensure that the e-mail address you provided in your preferences is the correct one? Even if it looks right, try re-entering it again from scracth, then apply the changes. If not, I'll confirm it from my end (which means going into the DB itself). -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 12:26, 23 April 2006 (CDT)

Just checked email address and its all correct. Tried submitting again but wont be able to know if its worked until i get home from work tonight. --Mercifull 04:21, 24 April 2006 (CDT)

Nope, still no activation link. :( --Mercifull 12:24, 24 April 2006 (CDT)

SVG Images

Could we support SVG images? The timeline image I am working on has SVG capabilities and it is a growing file format. --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 13:23, 23 April 2006 (CDT)

Its still not supported by many browsers. I say stick with PNG for now. --Mercifull 04:19, 24 April 2006 (CDT)

Mediawiki will fall back to PNG rendering if SVG isn't supported on the browser. I don't see a problem. --Peter Farago 10:08, 24 April 2006 (CDT)

I learned something today :) --Mercifull 10:25, 24 April 2006 (CDT)

'"In browsers such as Internet Explorer and Safari, a plugin is needed to view SVG content. ...Internet Explorer users must separately download it." -Wikipedia:SVG As fun as using new, better things is, it's not practical to exclude large portions of your user base. Content negotiation is at best a bad solution, at worst not a solution. --CalculatinAvatar 13:39, 29 March 2006 (CST)' -Image talk:ColonialColors9.png

Given Wikipedia:Common criticisms_of_Internet_Explorer#HTTP_and_MIME, I still don't see content negotiation as a strong solution, barring Mediawiki behaving in a disturbing manner by giving IE the image as PNG regardless of what it requests. --CalculatinAvatar 22:04, 24 April 2006 (CDT)

SVG should be enabled now. -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 12:19, 25 April 2006 (CDT)

New Extension

Mind if ya give it a testing? http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Calendar_extension It would be cool if you could setup like a private wiki so I do some code work on it. You know I'm worth it! :-) --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 14:09, 24 April 2006 (CDT)

I set up the Hangar Bay for testing. Did you need FTP access as well? -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 12:19, 25 April 2006 (CDT)

Yeah. You can find me on Gtalk. Need to be able to edit that Localsetting.php file. --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 12:22, 25 April 2006 (CDT)

When you get the chance, you can disable the Calendar ext. Right now it's not working. Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 08:19, 12 July 2006 (CDT)

Pointer

Just in case you missed it, something new appeared here. --CalculatinAvatar 21:37, 24 April 2006 (CDT)

Thanks for the keen eye! -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 12:20, 25 April 2006 (CDT)

Main Page Redesign (part 2) and other

I think we are ready to submit the current design at Battlestar Wiki:Main page for depolyment on the front page. IF you think it's a go, we just have to create the backend pages on the same "Battlestar Wiki:Main page" (subpages that would be sysop locked) so we can use those as for the places to edit the information and that is controled.) The only thing that we would have to work on as a community is the Featured Picture and Article process as of the data used right now is jsut a mockup.

The "News" front, even for site news has a new home at Battlestar Wiki:News so the "Current Events" link would need to be changed.

We wouls still be workong on Battlestar Wiki:Main page to make the design use CSS so people can switch skinjs between the default and the monobook skins. That is the next step, but since most people use this skin, right now the hardcoded values are fine. (we do this at the Hanger Bay site, which is werid. jsut tried looking at the preferences, and it fails. (I'll work on this.)).

With that in mind, I pretty much got he Calender ext. working and possiable could get cite.php to work on the Hanger bay so we know the setup. That's about it. --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 12:57, 29 April 2006 (CDT)

Calendar extension enabled. I'll begin implementing the new main page at present. -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 10:54, 1 May 2006 (CDT)

Cite.php

I just noticed something when working on the Hangerbay...u need...

require_once( "extensions/Cite.php" );
require_once( "includes/DefaultSettings.php" );

in the LocalSettings.php file. --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 12:11, 30 April 2006 (CDT)

That's odd, seeing as this is included by default... I'll try it anyway. --Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 09:36, 1 May 2006 (CDT)

I just included it (and made a note on http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cite/Cite.php) the alternative method. So Cite now works. -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 10:53, 1 May 2006 (CDT)

Friend status?

Discussion moved to the Battlestar Wiki:Wikipedian Quorum. -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 22:44, 7 May 2006 (CDT)

Extension which would be really useful

Would it be possible to add the Show/Hide extension here? It will be useful to have an 'edit' control panel on the main page and also for showing and hiding possible spoilers? --Mercifull 08:45, 9 May 2006 (CDT)

One problem with this ext. Javascript. To find all "normal" users with javascript enabled would be like a good thing. It also creates my favorite issue of not fullfilling it's "job" as if something like that is placed at the bottom of the page, you would still have to scroll down to read more text. --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 10:57, 9 May 2006 (CDT)

Surely javascript is _already_ in use here to work the current show/hide used for the contents box --Mercifull 11:35, 10 May 2006 (CDT)

It is, AFAIK. -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 12:46, 10 May 2006 (CDT)

So this extension wouldnt make any difference to anyone than it already does. --Mercifull 12:54, 10 May 2006 (CDT)

That seems to be about right, from what I know anyway. Maybe Shane knows something I don't... -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 12:57, 10 May 2006 (CDT)

Safri is one broswer, and I.E. at certain secruity settings disables the show hide code. But as I said before, you would still have to scroll down if a large show/hide box was created because it's "inline". --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 16:25, 10 May 2006 (CDT)

german episode list does not work any more

Hallo,

• 1)

We have a german episode list. It is installed under all german episodes. It is at present the only instrument we have for the fast episode navigation and thus the most important. http://www.battlestarwiki.org/de/w/Vorlage:Episodenliste Now it does not work any more. I do not know about the technical stuff. I am working here only as a translator. Could you please look for the german episode list and make it run?

• 2)

I began her as an IP. Now this is not possible any more. I am quite shure, that I never had began here as a translator, if I could not do this as an IP. At present we are only three active members in the german section. Would it not be better, to allow the IP editing, to get more people there. I have established a link to the german battlestar wiki in the german wikipedia battlestar article. I think, if an IP editing would be possible, we could get more people to work there.

Thank you for your attention.

• Tirkon 11:29, 13 May 2006 (CDT)

Tirkon: I'll take a look at the episode list, it's likely a simple issue. As for the IP address... I'll consider lowering the block on anonymous editing, if it spurs up valid contributors. -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 15:58, 13 May 2006 (CDT)

Odd, it seems to work now... Where exactly doesn't it work, may I ask? -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 16:41, 13 May 2006 (CDT)

on http://www.battlestarwiki.org/de/w/Vorlage:Episodenliste itself and on http://www.battlestarwiki.org/de/w/Hauptseite (Link Template:Episodenliste) ... There also is a second problem, which is not present on wikipedia: If I click to "compare two versions", it does not show me the differences, but it wants me to download an "index.php" -- Tirkon 17:27, 13 May 2006 (CDT)

It's working for me as well (on both the main page and from the template (vorlage) page itself. I'm using Firefox 1.5.0.3. The diff function (compare two versions) also seems to be up. However, Joe and I are both running English-native settings for OS and browser... perhaps there's something to do with i18n at one of those levels? --Steelviper 21:08, 13 May 2006 (CDT)

Joe and Steelviper, thank you very much for your help. :o) I tried german firefox and everyting is O.K. But it does not work (for me) on german Internet Explorer (new version), while on original Wikipedia it is O.K. I will use Firefox for the further translations. Thanx for this hint. -- Tirkon 21:51, 13 May 2006 (CDT)

wikipedia Battlestar template for german users

Hallo, I have a further question. This template in the german wikipedia links to the english Battlestar Wiki. How could it be changed to link to the german Battlestar Wiki? http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vorlage:User_Battlestar_Wiki

Thank you -- Tirkon 17:37, 13 May 2006 (CDT)

Thanx, it runs well now. -- Tirkon 21:50, 13 May 2006 (CDT)

A further question: I need the picture for this template. As far as I know, the upload of pics to german wikipedia shsll be disabled in near futur and it is strongly recommended, to uploded to commons. This also would it make easyer for other international Battlestarwiki users, to use the pic. Because you are the copyrighter, I would beg you to do so with the matching licence and then please tell me the link. Thank you -- Tirkon 22:16, 13 May 2006 (CDT)

Funny, the link to the template was just deleted from my german wikipedia user page. After that the template was deleted from official german wikipedia. An administrator reproved me, not to use "such" templates in the official german wikipedia (without explaining, what "such" is). I should only host it on my personally side, where it was moved to now. Seems, as if german wikipedia administrators are much stronger. -- Tirkon 22:48, 13 May 2006 (CDT)

Favicon

Joe... I'm not sure when you did it, but the new favicon appears... garbled in my Firefox. I think it's because of the image scaling. I'm guessing that it's just the logo shrunk down way. Personally, I think such a small picture should be MUCH simpler. Just thought I'd weigh in on that. I'm not demanding a change or anything, just piping up. --Day ^{(Talk - Admin)} 00:27, 14 May 2006 (CDT)

Persimmons?

I would like to ask your permission to use your likeness (from the image for your user page) in a project I'm working on. It's just a little banner I'm putting together for the Galactica BS fan art forum (not going to be on the front page of anything, just in a post or two (if the original ends up being quoted). I'm actually done with yours but posting it once is as good as publishing in these days of caching, so before I even posted a preview of it to photobucket I wanted to clear it with you. I just used your pic as is, with some minor changes in scaling, rotation, and shadow. I'm not 100% done with it, but it's looking pretty good. I'd rather not spoil the "surprise" of what exactly I'm doing until closer to unveiling, but I could promise a preview before it is "published" (aka posted into my fan art thread). Just drop a note here (or on my talk, or email, or whatever) letting me know. --Steelviper 14:49, 16 May 2006 (CDT)

Sure. Hack away. :-) -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 21:24, 16 May 2006 (CDT)

Preview has been sent to your gmail account. --Steelviper 14:25, 18 May 2006 (CDT)

Bot

I am ready to test the bot again. See if runs under the bot name. If it does, we can set it to auto run every 3 or 6hours. --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 14:06, 7 June 2006 (CDT)

RFC

Joe, I figure you've got the paged Watched or whatever, but I thought I'd draw your eye, anyway. I'd very much like to hear what you're thinking regarding this RFC. I know that, due to the way it's been edited, the page is somewhat confusing to read, but I feel this needs the attention of the full body of administrators. --Day ^{(Talk - Admin)} 21:47, 25 June 2006 (CDT)

I'm working on a response now. I just want to make sure that my position (and possible solution) is clear, since the page does seem to be confusing due to its choppy flow. -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 22:08, 25 June 2006 (CDT)

Joe, if possible, can you please contact me via GTalk before you post? --Peter Farago 22:14, 25 June 2006 (CDT)

Cool, Jow. Just making sure it was on your dradis. --Day ^{(Talk - Admin)} 22:57, 25 June 2006 (CDT)

Email Validation (2)

Earlier i posted to your talk page about the problems I was having with email validation. Well I kinda forgot about it for a while but the issue has cropped up again now I am an administrator of thw wiki. I posted more details about it to the Admins noticeboard. The email address that i am trying to validate is mattsims@evilmerc.com Cheers --Mercifull ^{(Talk/Contribs)} 15:08, 1 July 2006 (CDT)

Maybe some experimentation could be done over at the hangarbay to try to troubleshoot this? --Steelviper 12:19, 6 July 2006 (CDT)

I didnt get an email from the hangarbay wiki either. Possibly a problem with the way its set up on the server? --Mercifull ^{(Talk/Contribs)} 07:51, 10 July 2006 (CDT)

MediaWiki 1.7.1

It's out. One thing: PHP 5 upgrade needed. So it's up to you.  :) --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 18:30, 14 July 2006 (CDT)

Thanks Shane! I'll read more on it later. -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 18:40, 14 July 2006 (CDT)

Wikipedia

Someone just slamed your Wikipedia talk page.... --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 20:53, 17 July 2006 (CDT)

Subpages + Bot

Well.. I noticed something. Subpages for the User, Battlestar Wiki talk, and possaible some other namespaces. Maybe just turn them all on so it works as used. See Battlestar Wiki:Sandbox/Temp and Battlestar Wiki:Sandbox/Temp/Temp1 for examples. I can also work on the task bot if Perl is complied into PHP. --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 14:15, 25 July 2006 (CDT)

The bot might be ready to run again. I uploaded a whole bunch of fixes to the file. Post any errors to my email. Run it using perl taskbot.pl OPENTASK_UPDATE --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 13:21, 26 July 2006 (CDT)

No idea where to put this, but maybe the trusted group could get Patrol/Protect status. What this would do it would give the group the ability to protect pages up to the trusted status and not any higher nor could remove a sysop edit. This way pages could still be protected, but for the trusted group who might do edits on pages that need still be protected from the normal group, can edit them. Patrol is just something to watch mark changes that they were seen. --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 16:00, 27 July 2006 (CDT)

RFA

I accepted my RFA nomination; can you put up one of those "current event" banners on top of the site? Also, I've noticed that since the wiki media change, when we search for something that doesn't exist, instead of that hi-larious "Man Created the Cylons, He Did Not Create An Article With This Title" page doesn't appear anymore; can that come back? Thanks. --The Merovingian ^{(C - E)} 18:45, 30 July 2006 (CDT)

I don't think that's necessary... I'll work on the other problem though. Thanks. -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 11:17, 31 July 2006 (CDT)

Feel Better

Drink lots of water and have chicken soup. :) --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 12:23, 31 July 2006 (CDT)

Thanks Shane! :-) Honestly, I find gatorade works better, at least for me. -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate}

0_o Gatorade? That's a new one. I would think Gatorade be bad because of the suger content to keep the virus alive. --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 12:47, 31 July 2006 (CDT)

Electrolytes would be the big selling point on Gatorade. Pedialyte is also a common solution (though, obviously more with younger patients). The carbs would mean more blood sugar (and therefore energy). Not sure the effect on viruses. No more than taking in any other form of nutrition, I suspect. --Steelviper 13:22, 31 July 2006 (CDT)

Do you have lucozade across the pond? --Mercifull ^{(Talk/Contribs)} 13:15, 31 July 2006 (CDT)

We have GNC. :) Same deal though. --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 13:19, 31 July 2006 (CDT)

A cold?! Hm. Sounds like our current Mop Boy hasn't used the disinfectant in the mop water...take care of yourself, Joe. We'll keep it all running along here; at least you're not ill during an new episode run. --Spencerian 14:21, 31 July 2006 (CDT)

It was sabotage i swear! I saw you by the bucket as i was coming back from doing a wee! --Mercifull ^{(Talk/Contribs)} 14:26, 31 July 2006 (CDT)

This has got to be some serious cold. :-x --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 14:28, 3 August 2006 (CDT)

I've recovered from the cold, mostly. I just have the back spasms i have to deal with. Basically, I've been taking muscle relaxants and Aleve, so I can move just as fast as a hare... :-( -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 09:29, 4 August 2006 (CDT)

Setting up a mirror

MediaBlvd would like to offer up some of our server space and bandwidth as a mirror, if that would be useful. Great job here, all involved.

NetRanger 22:38, 31 July 2006 (CDT)

Thanks for the offer! I'll try to get in contact with you in the next few days to iron out details. -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 09:30, 4 August 2006 (CDT)

Good News/Bad News

Doing some work on the MediaWiki talk:Edittools markup, I was trying to figure out why the markup was always driving us crazy. It was because of the current skin js code. So let me break this down more...

• Good News: The javascript code barily works with 1.7.1
• Bad News: For it to get fully working correctly, one of the classic skins needs to be enabled.

So... I'm a digging in the hangerbay and working on my CSS code and update the Hangerbay with 1.7.1 and also fix up my two skins with the new javascript. That's about it. :-) --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 14:32, 3 August 2006 (CDT)

Also need a quick run on the maintenance/update.php on the hangerbay so it's to date with 1.7.1