Encyclopedia talk:Main Page

This page is primarily for information about where to talk to Wikiversity.

• To discuss the structure, appearance, etc. of the main page, please go to the main page learning project and the talk page for the main page learning project.
• To raise general topics about Wikiversity, make general suggestions about Wikiversity, to ask questions, or to talk about anything else of a general nature, please go to the Colloquium.

Main Page | talk | Archive 1 (August) | Archive 2 (September) | Archive 3 (Oct+Nov) | Archive 4 (Dec+Jan) | Archive 5 (Feb - July '07) | Archive 6 (July to November '07)

The main page learning project

The main page learning project was launched after the redesign of the main page in December 2007. The main page learning project has as its goal "the promotion of responsible involvement of the Wikiversity community in an efficient, productive, open and inclusive maintenance of the Wikiversity main page as a flagship of the activity and values of the Wikiversity community". If you would like to get involved in the design of the main page, this is where to go.

If you have general comments about the main page, but you don't especially want to get involved in the main page project, then you can also leave comments on the talk page for the main page learning project.

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If you wish to post something below, go ahead. It's a talk page. But you are more likely to get a response by going to the Colloquium, which is where the main talking at Wikiversity goes on! See you there.

GPRS

I WANT TO STUDY GPRS

Hello, thx for your interest. As I see in the search so far we have a few learning resources mentioning this. But you can visit Wikipedia to get more info on the subject: w:General Packet Radio Service. If you want you can use also an internet search engine to see if there are other facilities who offer such a topic. We would welcome you, if you also create a learning resource here with such a topic. See you, ----Erkan Yilmaz uses the Wikiversity:Chat (try) 10:10, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Humanities: Why the Chinese character for Middle?

The humanities section has the Chinese character ZHONG, meaning centre, as the symbol associated to it on the left. Does this have any background? Poeloq 03:40, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

I just noticed this too. But then again, the middle ain't too bad, right? -91.42.232.70 22:31, 24 February 2008 (UTC)

Traditionally the Chinese people follow the rules of middle way, which means not be extreme in any kind of activities.

this is connect with chinese culture Template:Unsigned

It's also the first character in the Chinese word for Chinese. The Jade Knight 15:47, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

This can be traced back long time ago to the ancient China history and the philosophy of life of common people. Being educated and advocating by culture, People have the idea not to do anything going to the extremes, but between them, which are accepted as the supreme conducting rules.--Bobozeke 03:09, 7 September 2008 (UTC)

Note: see also: s:zh:中庸.Hillgentleman|Talk 05:01, 7 September 2008 (UTC)

Translation related question - Chinese speaking Wikiversity

I wish to know how to have a Chinese version wikiversity. if there is any help I can do for translation work, I would like to do. and thanks for those who wrote down all the knowledge in this and make it easy for us to learn. Template:Unsigned

餵, a Chinese language Wikiversity is at the moment incubated at beta wikiversity, see betawikiversity:首页. More info there - see you soon. ----Erkan Yilmaz uses the Wikiversity:Chat (try) 16:31, 8 September 2008 (UTC)

Main Page Success Story

I just want to congratulate the Main Page Workgroup on the excellent results of the Main Page 2.0 project. FInally, we have a front end worth the effort and intent that we all have put into this org. I especially like the Project of the Day section. I believe that is arguably the most important element that this org brings to the internet. Anyway, thanks a bunch. Gustable 02:36, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Fraternities?

This is a cool idea, is there such a thing as a wikifraternity? Template:Unsigned

Please see also the discussion in the Colloquium, ----Erkan Yilmaz Wikiversity:Chat 17:18, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

Image Links

How to link image to a wikiversity internal file?????????????? Tushant Jha 07:14, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

If the image already exists on the English Wikiversity or on Commons, you can add it to a page by adding [[Image:Name.jpg]] (where "Name.jpg" is the full name of the image file). See Help:Media Files for more info. Cormaggio ^talk 12:11, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

Duplicated welcome

There are two "welcome to wikiversities", one on the header, the other in the introduction. Could these two sections be combined into one, saving some space? And the big purple picture, interesting as it is, may not be entirely useful, given that we already have a logo on the top, and educational pictures below? --Hillgentleman|Talk 22:38, 21 April 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for your comments, Hillgentleman. On issue 1 (two welcomes), I know it is redundant and inefficient, but on the other hand, redundancy and inefficiency isn't necessarily bad in educational or introductory contexts. If we changed the word "welcome" as the title of the blue welcome box, what could we change it to (suggestion, please)? On issue 2 (the picture in the top right corner), it is true that it has little purpose other than setting mood, adding interest and various aesthetic layout things. I don't really like the image that much myself - I'm rather neutral about it. On the other hand, if we optimized in the way you suggest, we'd end up with a layout like Portal:Tertiary Education, which looks less like the front page of a site and more like an internal page. A front page needs some extra whitespace, big titles and some real estate inefficiency, I think. But if you have an alternative, by all means let's have a look. --McCormack 08:25, 23 April 2008 (UTC)

Left Justify Text

Large amounts of text (more than one line) should be left justified to make it easier to read.

Example: Click on the image for a full size version which you can freely re-use and modify. Print it and use it for your lessons, integrate it into your pages on Wikiversity, or use it in other learning resources and websites. Use the links below to find more images like this one.

This should be left justified, not centered. Robert Elliott 16:12, 22 April 2008 (UTC)

Hi Robert and thanks for your comments about the new design. I have played around with the alignment of everything on the POTD boxes quite a lot, and I also have versions where everything is left-aligned and text wrapped. I eventually decided that if most things were centered (which looks better), then they all had to be centered, as mixing left alignments with centering looked bad. If you like, I can show you a few examples so that you can see what I mean. --McCormack 08:17, 23 April 2008 (UTC)

Article on main page is conveying an error

The WV main page currently features an image portraying the expansion of the universe. It does not state that this expansion is merely theoretic and makes the reader believe it is a very well proven evidence with a certain explanation. It should state that the expansion and the singular point in which the universe allegedly was are all theoretical. EugenSpierer 07:45, 23 April 2008 (UTC)

This comment refers to Educational Media Awareness Campaign/Astronomy/POTD 3. I will ask User:Mu301 (possibly has expertise in this field) to review the wording. Could you also state whether your comment is offered from a physicist's or a creationist's point of view (disclosure)? Thank you. --McCormack 08:15, 23 April 2008 (UTC)

-Creationist point of view. Though I am merely pointing out a biased text, not stating an opinion. EugenSpierer 08:18, 23 April 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for the disclosure! I'm not really an expert in this field, although I was the guilty party who wrote the blurb (rather fast). I'll ask User:Mu301 about this one. --McCormack 08:27, 23 April 2008 (UTC)

I've thought about this a little more. The pictures we show include other "disputed" events and "theories", such as the shoes of holocaust victims, climate change and the moon landing - but many more than this. On the whole I do not want to fill our main page with surrenders to a series of "it's just a theory" claims. What we can do instead is add a "discuss this picture" link at the bottom of the box (as we already do with the quote-of-the-day) where people can then voice their opinions at much greater length. --McCormack 08:48, 23 April 2008 (UTC)

The WP page discussing the Big Bang theory states that it is only a model by which the universe can be interpreted. However, the Holocaust page does not use such terms and relates to the holocaust as a certain historical genocide. These articles relate to events that are very different in public acceptance - one is highly accepted (the holocaust - even though it has its opponents) and the other has been disputed ever since its conception (the Big Bang theory). Presenting the picture with that blurb may affect any unknowing visitors to the site, and make them certain that the Big Bang is an undisputed historical event. EugenSpierer 09:44, 23 April 2008 (UTC)

A discussion link has now been added to all 100 picture pages. I'm sure this discussion can be continued there. --McCormack 10:38, 23 April 2008 (UTC)

Explore Wikiversity category tree default view...

A subtle change that may tweak things in a desirable manner may be to make all the categories in the "Explore Wikiversity" category tree be closed by default. I was just playing around and I did this and it seemed to make the other main category headings stand out substantially more. This could be due to the way I personally perceive things or this may be a common perception among us. Perhaps try it... --Remi 23:36, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

SUL

Hi, I don't know the right place to ask so here goes nothing: I'd like to usurp the account User:Grillo for my unified account. I'm sv:User:Grillo and I have already started the progress. The account in question only has three edits and seems to have no interest in the project. Regards Grillo sv 19:17, 4 June 2008 (UTC)

Please see Wikiversity:Changing_username#Usurpation.

only 3 edits: this "only" can be viewn differently by others, see also here. ----Erkan Yilmaz uses the Wikiversity:Chat (try) PS: Tag a learning project with completion status !! 19:26, 4 June 2008 (UTC)

84522-37-2 molecular structure

84522-37-2 molecular structure

Hi,I am chelsea,working in a chemical trade platform([link see version history]).I have a problem at present.Could you please supply me with molecular structure of 84522-37-2,please?

moved to: Wikiversity:Help desk#84522-37-2 molecular structure, ----Erkan Yilmaz uses the Wikiversity:Chat (try) 06:37, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Some sort of create page function on the main page...

Wiktionary has an interesting way of doing this. Perhaps we could tailor something to Wikiversity in the future. Emesee 21:00, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

I guess we could add a box like e.g. at Portal:History (see: "Create a new history page") where then users could input the title of the learning resource they want. If it exists, it gets opened to edit. If it doesn't exist a new page is started - filled with some predefined content so the user can add her wished content for the learning resource.

A new learning resource can also be created when using the search box on the main page (below the WV icon), when the new user searches and then when she sees "There is no page titled "does this exist". You can create this page." and clicks the link "create this page" she can also create a learning resource. But that link offers no predefined content/help intro for the new users (but could be added). Or to the search box could be added a new option like "Create" ?

About predefined content which appears on new learning resources immediately: would we perhaps influence new users too much with adding predefined content ? Perhaps they would bring other ideas into the Wikiversity knowledge pool how to create learning resources. ----Erkan Yilmaz uses the Wikiversity:Chat (try) 06:20, 23 August 2008 (UTC)

But there is already an inputbox on the left-hand side. Why would it be useful (instead of confusing) for newcomers to see a page of source wikicode instead of the actual output page? Hillgentleman|Talk 02:10, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Link to Student Union Page

It has come to my attention that newcomers who maybe students should be redirected to the Student Union page, according to User:JWSchmidt some users have tried to place a such a link from the Main page to the student union but was prevented to do so - I feel that due to it being recently undergone a major update it should now be ready to be mentioned, unfortunately only Custodians can edit the page so could a Custodian please mention the Wikiversity:Student union on the main page, I'm rather surprise it wasn't mentioned earlier on the main page. Dark Mage 13:09, 16 September 2008 (UTC)

Move this page to Colloquium

This page should be talk about Main Page. The Main page learning project was one-purpose action and is now not suitable for general HP talk. Lets move this to Colloquium and make it about HP as it is elsewhere (e.g. Wikipedia).--Kozuch 19:29, 1 October 2008 (UTC)