Wikipedia talk:Welcoming committee

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[edit] welcome laws

I primarily used template:welcomelaws and was shocked to find that it was redirected to a corney image of a plate of cookies with the use of redundant double exclamation marks ("Welcome!!"). I ask, can this template not be restored? At the very least, could it redirect to something that isn't so corney?-Andrew c 01:26, 16 February 2007 (UTC) Another reason to change the redirect (or restore) is there is additional syntax in the cookie version, so someone using the welcomelaws template without the new syntax will result in a message with broken links.--Andrew c 01:34, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

Done. Transhumanist, thanks for all your hard work, but perhaps in a few cases you are being too bold? In this case, I reverted, since Wikipedia is not a paper encyclopedia, so we don't have limitations on space. If only a few people are using a template, it's still useful.
In terms of the cookies, I'm not sure if they need to be added to preexisting templates like {{welcome3}}. I would prefer if you instead promoted {{Welcome Cookie}}, rather than making changes to templates that are already used. Thanks, Λυδαcιτγ 03:07, 16 February 2007 (UTC)
{{welcome5}}, that is, not welcome3. Λυδαcιτγ 03:17, 16 February 2007 (UTC)
Thank you for doing that, and I agree with everything you say (about space limitations, and about not adding the cookie image to established templates). Some people, while enjoying welcoming newcomers, may not like doing so with a plate a cookies, so there should be some discussion about making such a drastic, graphical change to older templates. However, for those who love cookies, promote away.-Andrew c 03:31, 16 February 2007 (UTC)
Speaking of established templates... I put up the numbered set on the same pate tonight, trying to greet a stale user Belatedly, and there is too much similarity... not enough variety. Why does one mention Wikipedia tutorial, and then two or three others mention other tutorials, but not that same one. Why not have a few of them present a table of links, vice the same old bland list with almost identical wording? And how did it come to pass that there is nothing for a follow-up 'Just dropped by to say Hi! again, and see how you're doing' note, nor the Belated greetings? I can't but concur that greeting as soon as possible is the ideal, but unless someone's somehow tracking that, and striking off a checklist, it's going to happen... probably more often than not! Now least I get another quintuple edit conflict--I'm outta here! Cheers! // FrankB 04:28, 16 February 2007 (UTC)
re: {{welcome5}}
  • At the risk of wearing out my welcome... suggest we at least change lines like "Wikipedians try to follow a strict policy of never biting new users. If you are unsure of how to do something, you are welcome to ask a more experienced user such as an administrator." to "as an administrator or someone on the welcoming committee", with links to the list. I dare assume the rest of you are as willing to lend an informational digital hand to those in the state of clueless newbieness, so why not make that an overt resource? ttfn! // FrankB 04:40, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

I changed welcome4 per your suggestions, although I didn't add a link to this page, since the new users' help page seems more efficient. I agree that the templates could use more variety. Perhaps the user warnings project will be willing to lend a hand when it finishes redoing the warning templates. Meanwhile, I'll start organizing and reworking them. Λυδαcιτγ 05:03, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Check out the contributions on Wikipedia:Introduction

I just changed Wikipedia:Introduction so that people can add new sections, rather than just text, and all of a sudden people's contributions become much more personal. There are several people each hour who write something that's either about themselves or about one of their teachers. ;-) This could be a good resource for people who want to welcome new users. Of course, you can never be sure if the people really describe themselves. Some examples from the last few hours include: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11]. Some of it may also be a good source for WP:BJAODN. — Sebastian 06:59, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Hey

Hi everyone, I would like to {{welcome}} myself here! I would also like to know if anyone would be interested in running a bot from their account to welcome new users from their account (for instance, one in 250 new users so you don't get inundated with requests for help) - I'm currently requesting this at the minute. It must be run from a user account to not seam impersonal RyanPostlethwaiteSee the mess I've created or let's have banter 01:29, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Have you read over the previous conversations regarding a welcome bot, such as the antepenultimate one? Λυδαcιτγ 03:44, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] New welcome templates

User:The Transhumanist and I have developed a new set of welcome templates. They are substantially different from the current ones in that they make use of ParserFunctions to offer a high level of customization. For example, the basic template allows you to use parameters to add an additional message, a picture of a plate of cookies, or a colored border, to change the opening text and whether it displays as a heading, and to replace the bulleted list of links with icons.

We have created six templates:

We hope that the use of optional parameters will allow us to keep the new welcome templates down to this small number.

If the community agrees, we plan on replacing the WC's welcome template list and table with the new templates. We will also announce the templates to the wider community.

Suggestions, criticism, and help are appreciated. Λυδαcιτγ 01:12, 15 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] To make the job much easier...

The {{Welcome}} message is useful. It should just be sent (automatically) to a user's talk page whenever they start a new account. Use the force 19:53, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

Read above conversations. Λυδαcιτγ 20:24, 17 March 2007 (UTC) the conversations about this in the archives. Λυδαcιτγ 20:25, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Reorganisation

Good afternoon (GMT time) all; this comment is especially for the attention of Audacity. I believe that the recent reorganisation of Audacity has harmed the page rather than help it - the idea was an at-a-glance guide to welcoming, rather than links to further pages. These made use of the <pre></pre> tags, for a quick copy+paste welcome.

These have been largely removed, and the page is now rather unhelpful. I'd appreciate the feedback of my fellow Wikipedians; my ultimate aim is to combine by edits with Audacity's useful ones.

anthonycfc [talk] 16:44, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

I didn't remove any of the copy+paste info, just added some further information above it. But I've now moved the copy+paste welcomes further up the page. Λυδαcιτγ 17:10, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

I just think that my revision was much more informative, and I'd prefer to see it at WP:WC that the current one. anthonycfc [talk] 18:01, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

Well, going back to your reversion would basically mean deleting the suggestion to type one's own message and adding back in the suggestion to add one's template to the list. I think both of these are bad ideas, so I have to disagree with you. Λυδαcιτγ 21:03, 18 March 2007 (UTC)
What about a merge? anthony[cfc] 20:02, 24 March 2007 (UTC)
Of what? Λυδαcιτγ 23:00, 24 March 2007 (UTC)
Of our edits; anthony[cfc] 00:39, 25 March 2007 (UTC)
I thought I had already done one. If you mean a further shift towards your version, that will (again) mean deleting the suggestion to type one's own message and adding back in the suggestion to add one's template to the list, and I think that is a bad idea. Λυδαcιτγ 02:24, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

(reduce indent) I submit to your side; this is to tedious to be worth disputing over. Hopefully this is to your satisfaction; thanks for your opinions! — anthony[cfc] 04:15, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] FearBot

I am currently working on coding a bot called FearBot, see User:FearBot for information. One of the things I found myself doing today is greeting the new users, which gets tiring and you easily get a backlog. It is simple for me to add on to my existing codes for reading the newpages etc lists, but would it be acceptable to add Welcoming functionality to my bot? I am coding this anyway, but whether or not I have it enabled in the final release is yet to be seen. I am making the bot to be able to be cmade compatible with any MediaWiki wiki, and plan to offer bot services on any wiki. So, I thought i'd check with other people involved in the Welcoming committee. Please discuss this issue on this page. Thanks, TheFearow 00:21, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Welcoming template for Notable Wikipedians

I'm starting to notice how Wikipedia's templates in regards to users which are subjects to their articles seem to be harsh, at the least (i.e. {{uw-autobiography}}, which sounds like the user is doing something wrong because they came to Wikipedia). I've already ran across three notable people who I was able to identify as possible subjects of the respected articles they edit. And even if they register a username as their own name, they end up on WP:RFC/N because of WP:U. Can someone make a welcome template which explains to them in a friendly way what's expected of a notable wikipedian?

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