MarioWiki:Proposals

 http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r149/Deadringerforlove/dessert1.jpg A proposal section works like a discussion page: comments are brought up and replied to using indents (colons, such as : or ::::) and all edits are signed using the code. This page observes the No-Signature Policy.

How To
 * 1) Actions that users feel are appropriate to have community approval first can be added by anyone, but they must have a strong argument.
 * 2) Users then vote and discuss on the issue during that week. The "deadline" for the proposal is one week from posting at:
 * 3) *Monday to Thursday: 17:00 (5pm)
 * 4) *Friday and Saturday: 20:00 (8pm)
 * 5) *Sunday: 15:00 (3pm)
 * 6) Every vote should have a reason accompanying it.
 * 7) At any time a vote may be rejected if at least three active users believe the vote truly has no merit or was cast in bad faith. However, there must be strong reasons supporting the invalidation.
 * 8) " # " should be added under the last vote of each support/oppose section to show another blank line.
 * 9) All proposals that end up in a tie will be extended for another week.
 * 10) If a proposal has more than ten votes, it can only pass or fail by a margin of three votes. If a proposal reaches the deadline and the total number of votes for each option differ by two or less votes, the deadline will be extended for another week.
 * 11) Any proposal that has three votes or less at deadline will automatically be listed as "NO QUORUM." The original proposer then has the option to relist said proposal to generate more discussion.
 * 12) No proposal can overturn the decision of a previous proposal that is less than 4 weeks (28 days) old.
 * 13) Proposals can only be rewritten or deleted by their proposer within the first three days of their creation. However, the proposer can request that their proposal be deleted by a Sysop at any time, provided they have a valid reason for it.
 * 14) All proposals are archived. The original proposer must take action accordingly if the outcome of the proposal dictates it. If it requires the help of a Sysop, the proposer can ask for that help.
 * 15) There shouldn't be proposals about creating articles on a underrepresented or completely absent subject, unless there is major disagreement about whether the content should be included. To organize efforts about completing articles on missing subjects, try creating a PipeProject.
 * 16) Proposals can not be made about System Operator promotions and demotions. Sysops can only be promoted and demoted by the will of Bureaucrats.
 * 17) No joke proposals. Proposals are serious wiki matters, and should be handled professionally. Joke proposals will be deleted on sight.

The times are in EDT (UTC -4:00), and are set so that the user is more likely to be online at those times (after work/school, weekend nights). If a proposal is added on Saturday night at 11:59 PM EDT, the deadline is the next Saturday night at 8:00 PM. If it is a minute later, the deadline is a day plus 15 hours (Sunday), as opposed to a day minus 4 hours.

CURRENTLY: , 27 2024 (EDT)

Ask A Sysop
Whenever someone has a question, the first person the ask is...a sysop! However, sometimes, the certain sysop isn't available. The wiki should have an "Ask A Sysop" section where people could post a question and a sysop would answer it. This would be much easier than the tedious process of going from talk page to talk page to post your question.

Proposer: Deadline: July 27, 2009, 17:00

Support

 * 1) - Per above!

Oppose

 * We already have the FAQ talk page and the Main Page talk page, so we don't need another one that's basically serving the same purpose. The pages I mentioned also have the advantage that "regular" users can answer there as well. This is good because they might be faster than a sysop, and still know the right answer.
 * 1) - Maybe a userbox (I don't get why you don't say an userbox) that says; this user is an experienced member of the Mariowiki. That userbox links to the Category of experienced users and you ask the active members of that category, but no page for sysops only; I know several users (Me, SMB, WarioLoaf, MeritC, Tucayo, M&SG and Arend) that know a lot of stuff and this category would deprecate them of the opportunity to spark a hope in the hearts of new users by answering their questions to receive that glowing feeling of self-accomplishment. I personally know that I helped WeegeeO and Doopliss Rocks out and I felt good about myself those two nights and I'm not a sysop, if we made this page; less users would come to me (and the aforementioned others) and give me that feeling.
 * 2) Per all. :D
 * 3) - Aye per Time Q, there is the FAQs page to reply some common doubts and the main page to tell somebody what's happening around the wiki. I think these two resources are enough, and, in my opinion, don't consider sysops as gods XP.
 * 4) Per Marioguy1 (And Super Mario Bros.' comment below). I've helped YellowYoshi127, Baby Mario Bloops and Doopliss Rocks and felt good about it, and I'm not a Sysop either.
 * 5) - Per Time Q. We have MarioWiki talk:FAQ and Talk:Main Page, there really isn't a need for other pages.
 * 6) - Per everyone else. You can ask sysops things on their talk page, the FAQ page, the main page talk, forums, chatrooms, etc.

Comments
One suggestion, a minor one that won't change my vote: Perhaps we should include a list of sysops at the top of the page? 16:21, 20 July 2009 (EDT)
 * In addition to what coincollector said, Mediawiki created the rank sysop to be users who are trusted with a few extra buttons, they did not intend for them to be the leaders if the wiki, no. They created Bureaucrats to be the leaders of the wiki and they still want other users to have just as much authority as sysops just less power!

Removals
''None at the moment.

Split Missions From Galaxy Articles
I think that we should split all of the Super Mario Galaxy missions from their respective galaxy levels. I have started a PipeProject that could help improve the stub articles that would be created, such as adding more in-depth explanations and descriptions about the mission, which planets are traveled to during the mission, creating more specific templates and adding them to the articles, adding/uploading images specific to that level, etc. We could make good articles out of these, but I need community permission before I start splitting a ton of information from the articles. An example of one of these proposed level pages can be found over here. Proposer: Deadline: Tuesday, 28 July 2009, 17:00

Support

 * 1) - Nice example, I'm just worried that they won't all be like that! I think it would be only fair as we have articles on: Yoshi's Island 1, Yoshi's Island 2 and even Yoshi's House!
 * 2) Whoops, forgot to vote. Uh, as you can see, I am the proposer, so my reasons are above.
 * 3) I am Zero! Great idea, this can avoid stubs in some articles. Zero signing out.

Comments
Can I please see a rough draft of one of the pages before I vote?
 * I will work on one, I will probably have it done by tomorrow or the day after and it will be linked to the proposal. 01:17, 22 July 2009 (EDT)
 * Just remember: You cannot change your proposal three days after you propose it or later! - Remember to offer feedback about User:Marioguy1/Mariowiki:Ask the Experts! I think I'll make a proposal about it!
 * Ok.

FAQ transformation
OK, let's see, my second proposal, totally random section and the vote count is already 3-1. Anyways here is the proposal: I think the FAQ page is basically a large thing where users can read questions that they all ready know the answers to. On the FAQ talk page we have asking questions. I ask, why don't we put proposals on the Proposal talk page or FI noms on the FI talk page, why do we put it on the main page? I'll answer myself, because it's easier. Since it's easier, I propose we change the old FAQ into my new version (see here) so that users can actually ask their questions on the real Mariowikispace page!

Proposer: (but I give  permission to man it while I'm away) Deadline: July 31, 2009, 20:00

Remake FAQ

 * 1) - Yes, I moved it here to eliminate the problem
 * 2) I am Zero! It will be a good idea with the correct set rules. And plus this will keep me busy from the poll selection page being discontinued for a little while, since the remake FAQ is sort of like the poll selection page, without an "oppose" section. You know how you have that "answer" area, well probably you can also put in a "Tip" or "Pointers" area just for users to give there extra info of what they usually do as a habit. Zero signing out.
 * 3) Per all.

Don't Remake FAQ

 * 1) -– I believe the FAQ is fine the way it is. Having a whole lot of answers to a question may be overwhelming to a new user.

Comments
I'm not sure I completely understand your proposal. If it passed, what would happen to the FAQ page we currently have? Where would we put the questions already answered on the page?
 * In the archives! That's how the archives would stop being a red link, then users could actually ask questions and other users could still get that glowing feeling of accomplishment by answering them. Now there is only one page to ask questions. Wait, do you think answered questions should go into the archive or just stay there?
 * Zero: Tell you what, I'll open a little thing on User talk:Marioguy1/Mariowiki:FAQ for any user to tell me how they think it should look; I'll have the agreed-on version on the User page.
 * Yoshario: I kind of agree with your logic but these are people we're talking about. I may not know much about people but I think one of their qualities is that they are not overwhelmed by more than one answer. If it were a cat or a dog I would understand but people are the most intelligent species on the planet (most of them anyways) and will not be overwhelmed by five or six answers.

Mario Calendar
Okay, we used to have a calendar on the main page, for those who weren't here, it can be compared to the "On This Day" section of the Wikipedia Main Page. The Mario Calendar, however, was removed from the Main Page and replaced by the Featured Images during April 2009. Some others wanted the Calendar and the Featured Images to be on the Main Page at the same time. Now, I originally supported the removing of the Calendar as it was not updated and maintained. But I realized that the Calendar could be informative and teach everybody something about Mario that they didn't know. So I am suggesting: We have both the Mario Calendar and the Featured Images put back up. If it were maintained, it would improve the wiki. I'd be happy to maintain it if it were put back up.

Proposer: Deadline: Wednesday, 29 July 2009, 17:00

Bring The Calendar Back

 * 1) Per me.
 * 2) Totally. I loved the calendar, but at the same time I like the Featured Images, so having both would be an awesome combo. We should also educate all the new Mario players!
 * 3) Per all.
 * 4) - My issues were resolved! For more information about what this amazing user's intellectual ideas were, see his comments below!
 * 5) I am Zero! I wasn't here to see the calender, but I do remeber something was in the place where the FI was at, I will love to see it again. Zero signing out.
 * 6) Awe, I loved the calendar! I never found out why they removed it (maybe for the supid featured image), but there is enough room on the main page for it. It was always fun to find out what came out in that month! Oh yeah, just to try to anwser the question about not enough room on the main page, get rid of the Did you Know? section, since it rarely ever changes (just a suggestion)?

Keep It The Way It Is

 * Have both the FI and the calendar? No, that would take too much space. We need a nice, clear main page, but that would be overkill. Also, per my reason to remove the calender from the old proposal: "I've always wondered what the point of the calendar is. Does anybody actually look at it and go, 'ZOMG, game X was released Y years ago, let's celebrate this day!'?"
 * 1) – The Main Page is already cluttered up, adding another thing would  make the page look even more messy. Also, the Calendar was hard to maintain. I remember one time we didn't have a Calendar ready for February, so we had to go searching for games released on February. The Calendar itself doesn't really have a purpose other than show when games were released.

Comments
Are you sure the calender will fit onto the main page with the FA thing?
 * The template fit back then, it probably could fit now. If it doesn't fit in the space the Main Page has now, the page is just going to be longer. Especially with the other newly-approved Tournament template, it will have to be added accordingly with that. 00:26, 23 July 2009 (EDT)
 * I forgot about that one, maybe these two sections could be added next to each other!
 * Hey, that would look nice! Also, I looked all over for them, and I found a couple of month's worth of information left-over from the original template! That means it isn't going to be too hard to get it back... '''Yay, subscript day!
 * Time Q, it is actually very informative. I know when it was on the Main Page I read almost every detail of it. I thought it would have been a good idea to move it to the 'Shroom (that is probably the only reason I didn't oppose it), but I don't remember it going on the 'Shroom. The "Calendar of Events" is not like it at all, and that is probably the only calendar related thing on the 'Shroom. It also seems that more people support the Calendar than in the original proposal. Yay, Subscript Day!'''

Happy Subscript Day! Anyhow, I didn't even know we had a calender and I think it would be very good, maybe we could minimize it and stick it in that space between FI and FQ!
 * Perhaps we could put it in between the Proposals template and Featured Quote. We could minimize it from the original size and link it to the whole template, which would mean this can fit on the main page without making it lengthier. If this passes, I might make a PipeProject to hlp gather the type of information needed. Yay, subscript day! 16:24, 23 July 2009 (EDT)
 * I would join it! BTW, SMB, your other proposal passed!
 * Thanks, I would appreciate the help. And, also, thank you for archiving my proposal for me. :) Yay, subscript day! 17:34, 23 July 2009 (EDT)

Emphasis on Welcoming
As you may have noticed, more and more users are joining the wiki, on average, about 10-20 each day. And for all these new users, there should be welcome notes, to welcome them to the community. I am one such person who gives out these welcomes. Unfortunatly, there are too many new users for the amount of existing users that give out these welcomes. I propose that, in order to make this wiki a friendlier place for these many new users, any user who is able to help others and is fluent in wiki skills should follow my lead (As well as Marioguy1's and other users who help despite lacking any credentials such as sysophood) and make the wiki's newest members feel at home by creating a welcome template. This morning (24th July, 7-8:00[EDT], really nightime in my part of the world), anyone who has seen the recent changes will know that the bulk of the edits are me welcoming new memebers. With more users checking regularily for new users without existing welcome templates, every user won't feel lonely and confused.

Proposer: Deadline: July 31, 2009, 20:00

Support

 * 1) per my reasons above.
 * 2) - This could be fun
 * 3) Agreed, Marioguy1. Can't wait to see how it works!

Comments
I admit that this is more an ask than a proposal, but it's something I feel needs to be fixed. (As patient as I am, I eventually gave up when I saw how many users lacked welcomes.)
 * Don't you think that some users are overwhelmed by the huge welcoming template? I think we should strip that down a bit instead of expanding it even more. If you think of it, most links on the welcoming template are just the same as on the Help:Contents page. - 08:46, 24 July 2009 (EDT)
 * I've been trying to whip up a Show/Hide Welcome Template but it isn't working.
 * OK, I fixed the template, maybe font class arial? Do you like the new one, see it at Template talk:Welcome!
 * Unfortunately, I won't have access to a computer until August 10th so, I've done what I can now but...

There's still users without welcomes who signed on as early as June. With that many new users, someone(Besides me or Marioguy1, who can't help anyway.) will have to do their part. I saw the list and nearly fell of my chair. (Also, that new welcoming will be more convienient as it hides/shows. When a Sysop changes the template, let me know.)