Editing History of Wikipedia (section)

===Look and feel===
:''The external face of Wikipedia, its [[look and feel]], and the Wikipedia branding, as presented to users.''
* On 4 April 2002, BrilliantProse, since renamed Featured Articles,<ref>"[[Wikipedia:Featured articles]]". Wikipedia. Retrieved 30 January 2007.</ref> was moved to the Wikipedia namespace from the article namespace.
* Around 15 October 2003, a new Wikipedia logo was installed. The logo concept was selected by a voting process,<ref name="logovote">{{Cite web |title=International logo vote/Finalists |url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/International_logo_vote/Finalists |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060716073834/http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/International_logo_vote/Finalists |archive-date=16 July 2006 |access-date=8 July 2006 |website=Meta-Wiki |publisher=Wikimedia}}</ref> which was followed by a revision process to select the best variant. The final selection was created by David Friedland (who edits Wikipedia under the username ''"nohat"'') based on a logo design and concept created by Paul Stansifer.
* On 22 February 2004, Did You Know (DYK) made its first Main Page appearance.
* On 23 February 2004, a coordinated new look for the Main Page appeared at 19:46 UTC. Hand-chosen entries for the Daily Featured Article, Anniversaries, In the News, and Did You Know rounded out the new look.
* On 10 January 2005, the multilingual portal at www.wikipedia.org was set up, replacing a redirect to the English-language Wikipedia.
* On 5 February 2005, {{self-reference link|Portal:Biology|Portal:Biology}} was created, becoming the first thematic "portal" on the English Wikipedia.<ref>"[[Portal:Biology]]". English Wikipedia. Retrieved 31 January 2007.</ref> However, the concept was pioneered on the German Wikipedia, where [[:de:Portal:Recht|Portal:Recht]] (law studies) was set up in October 2003.<ref>[[:de:Wikipedia:WikiProjekt Portale/2003|Portals on German Wikipedia ordered by date of creation]].</ref>
* On 16 July 2005, the English Wikipedia began the practice of including the day's "featured pictures" on the Main Page.
* On 19 March 2006, following a vote, the Main Page of the English-language Wikipedia featured its first redesign in nearly two years.
* On 13 May 2010, the site released a new interface. New features included an updated logo, new navigation tools, and a link wizard.<ref name="New features"/>

==== Layout changes in 2023 ====
{{anchor|Vector 2022}}
{{Redirect|Vector 2022|information about using Vector 2022 on Wikipedia|Wikipedia:Vector 2022|selfref=yes}}
{{Multiple image
| image1            = Top of the Pluto page in the Vector 2022 skin.png
| image2            = Top of the Pluto page in the Vector skin.png
| footer            = The [[Pluto]] article on the [[English Wikipedia]], displayed with the Vector 2022 and Vector 2010 skins enabled
}}
Vector 2022, an update to Wikipedia's previous [[Skin (computing)|skin]] Vector 2010, was announced in September 2020, and initially slated for debut in 2021, before being ultimately deployed in January 2023.<ref name="cnn">{{Cite web |last=Kurtz |first=Jason |date=24 September 2020 |title=Wikipedia due to get its first substantial website redesign in a decade  |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/24/tech/wikipedia-redesign-trnd/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120112945/https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/24/tech/wikipedia-redesign-trnd/index.html |archive-date=20 January 2023 |access-date=20 January 2023 |publisher=CNN Business |language=en}}</ref> By January 2023, Wikimedia had made the update available to 300 of [[List of Wikipedias|its language editions]]; it was the default for the Arabic and Greek versions.<ref name="engadget">{{Cite web |title=Wikipedia's first desktop design update in a decade doesn't rock the boat (updated) |url=https://www.engadget.com/wikipedia-desktop-web-redesign-211000932.html |first1=Jon |last1=Fingas |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119195554/https://www.engadget.com/wikipedia-desktop-web-redesign-211000932.html |archive-date=19 January 2023 |access-date=20 January 2023 |website=Engadget |date=19 January 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="slate">{{Cite web |last=Rauwerda |first=Annie |date=18 January 2023 |title=Wikipedia's Redesign Is Barely Noticeable. That's the Point. |url=https://slate.com/technology/2023/01/wikipedia-redesign-vector-2022-skin.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120005241/https://slate.com/technology/2023/01/wikipedia-redesign-vector-2022-skin.html |archive-date=20 January 2023 |access-date=20 January 2023 |website=Slate |language=en}}</ref><ref name="pcmag">{{Cite web |title=Wikipedia Desktop Site Gets New Look, Its First in Over 10 Years |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/wikipedia-desktop-site-gets-new-look-its-first-in-over-10-years |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119123429/https://www.pcmag.com/news/wikipedia-desktop-site-gets-new-look-its-first-in-over-10-years |archive-date=19 January 2023 |access-date=20 January 2023 |website=PC Magazine |language=en}}</ref>

Vector 2022 features a revised [[user interface]] which makes numerous changes to the arrangement of the interface elements. Among them, the language selection menu, previously located to the left of the screen, now is found in the top right corner of the display of the article that is currently read.<ref name="pcmag" /> Additionally, the sidebar is collapsible behind a [[hamburger button]]. Vector 2022 additionally increases the [[Margin (typography)|margins]] of the article display, which has the effect of limiting the width of the article;<ref name="pcmag" /> a toggle exists which can decrease the margins and expand the line width of the article to fill the screen.<ref name="techcrunch">{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Sarah |date=18 January 2023 |title=Wikipedia gets its first makeover in over a decade... and it's fairly subtle |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/01/18/wikipedia-gets-its-first-makeover-in-over-a-decade-and-its-fairly-subtle/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119214848/https://techcrunch.com/2023/01/18/wikipedia-gets-its-first-makeover-in-over-a-decade-and-its-fairly-subtle/ |archive-date=19 January 2023 |access-date=20 January 2023 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="slate" /> The default size of the text has not been increased, although the [[Wikimedia Foundation]] told ''Engadget'' that they hope to make this an option in future.<ref name="engadget" /> The search function was also updated in Vector 2022, as the suggested results in response to user queries now include images and short descriptions from the pages in question.<ref name="pcmag" /><ref name="business-insider">{{Cite web |last=Nguyen |first=Britney |title=It's not just you {{snd}} Wikipedia looks different |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/new-wikipedia-update-looks-different-desktop-redesign-2023-1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120012218/https://www.businessinsider.com/new-wikipedia-update-looks-different-desktop-redesign-2023-1 |archive-date=20 January 2023 |access-date=20 January 2023 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref>

The [[Wikimedia Foundation]] said that the change was motivated by a desire to modernize the site and improve the navigation and editing experience for readers inexperienced with the internet, as the previous skin was deemed "clunky and overwhelming."<ref name="cnn" /><ref name="engadget" /><ref name="techcrunch" /> Tests conducted by the foundation yielded results of a 30 percent increase in user searches, and a 15 percent decrease in scrolling.<ref name="engadget" /><ref name="techcrunch" /> Early versions of Vector 2022 first went live in 2020 on the French-, Hebrew-, and Portuguese-language Wikipedia sites,<ref name="cnn" /> as the skin's new features were rolled out to users for testing gradually before its full release.<ref name="verge">{{Cite web |last=Lyles |first=Taylor |date=24 September 2020 |title=Wikipedia is getting its first desktop redesign in 10 years |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/23/21453300/wikipedia-desktop-redesign-2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120152848/https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/23/21453300/wikipedia-desktop-redesign-2021 |archive-date=20 January 2023 |access-date=20 January 2023 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}}</ref> The skin went live as the default skin for readers of Wikimedia sites in 300 (out of 318) languages on 18 January 2023.<ref name="engadget" /><ref name="slate" /><ref name="pcmag" />

Following the mass rollout of Vector 2022, it is still possible to read Wikipedia using the previous skin. However, to do so requires readers to register for a Wikipedia account, and then set their preferences to display Vector 2010 instead.<ref name="pcmag" /> No changes were made to existing Wikipedia skins such as Monobook and Timeless, which also remain available to use.<ref name="slate" /><ref name="gizmodo">{{Cite web |date=18 January 2023 |title=Try and Spot the Differences in Wikipedia's First New Look in 11 Years |url=https://gizmodo.com/wikipedia-wikimedia-online-encyclopedia-1850002977 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119134259/https://gizmodo.com/wikipedia-wikimedia-online-encyclopedia-1850002977 |archive-date=19 January 2023 |access-date=20 January 2023 |website=Gizmodo |language=en}}</ref>

[[Wikipedia users]] were divided on the changes. A request for comment on the [[English Wikipedia]] asking the community whether or not Vector 2022 should be deployed as the default skin accumulated over 90,000 words in responses.<ref name="slate" /> Critics of the redesign objected most prominently to the [[White space (visual arts)|white space]] left empty in the new skin, while other users criticized said critics as having a kneejerk resistance to change.<ref name="slate" /> 165 editors participating in the discussion disapproved of the new skin, while 153 were in favor, and nine remained neutral.<ref name="mashable" /><ref name="slate" /><ref name="rfc-history">{{Cite web |title=Wikipedia history page|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia%3ARequests_for_comment%2FDeployment_of_Vector_%282022%29&diff=latest&oldid=1117412136}}</ref> Despite the larger number of editors who expressed that they did not want Vector 2022 to be deployed in its then-current form, as consensus on Wikipedia is not decided by vote, the discussion was closed in favor of the redesign, considering the positive comments left by other users.<ref name="mashable" /><ref name="slate" /> The Vector 2022 developers made some changes to the skin in response to the criticisms, such as adding a toggle to enable article content to fill the entire width of the screen.<ref name="slate" /><ref name="rfc-history2">{{Cite web|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Requests_for_comment/Deployment_of_Vector_(2022)&oldid=1138588215|title=Wikipedia:Requests for comment/Deployment of Vector (2022)|date=10 February 2023|via=Wikipedia}}</ref> Users on the [[Swahili Wikipedia]] unanimously disagreed with the enactment of the new skin.<ref name="slate" />

Journalists responding to Vector 2022's rollout considered the update and the new features introduced as useful additions, but generally characterized the skin as a minor update that did not fundamentally change their reading experience on Wikipedia.<ref name="business-insider" /><ref name="slate" /><ref name="techcrunch" /> [[Annie Rauwerda]], creator of the [[Depths of Wikipedia]] social media accounts, wrote in ''[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]'' that Vector 2022 was not "dramatically different" from the previous skin. Rauwerda additionally noted the similarity between the Wikipedia community backlash against the design and previous resistances to similar visual changes on popular sites such as [[Reddit]].<ref name="slate" /> Rauwerda, and Mike Pearl of ''Mashable'', commented that users displeased with the change could weigh in on a discussion about the skin, or use the site's built-in customization features to alter their reading experience.<ref name="mashable">{{Cite web |last=Pearl |first=Mike |date=18 January 2023 |title=Yes, Wikipedia looks weird. Don't freak out. |url=https://mashable.com/article/new-wikipedia-redesign |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120012235/https://mashable.com/article/new-wikipedia-redesign |archive-date=20 January 2023 |access-date=20 January 2023 |website=Mashable |language=en}}</ref><ref name="slate" />