The Sims Wiki:Project Redesign

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 * style="color:#000;" |The Sims Wiki: Project Redesign

About
A number of factors have combined in a very short span of time, which cause many at The Sims Wiki to propose sweeping changes to entire portions of the wiki, covering the areas of organization, style and function. The contributing factors include:
 * Oasis/New Wiki Skin - The new skin affected The Sims Wiki's original organizational and navigation layout strategy, which relied heavily on a sidebar menu. The new look also removed the Notification header which was previously used to give information to the community, necessitating a new method of providing information.


 * Inherent issues with the current main page; length, amount of content, and general appearance - Due in part to Oasis, the main page, to many, no longer adequately serves the wiki or allows easy movement throughout the wiki.


 * Growing emphasis on the community vs emphasis on content - With the redesign of the The Sims Wiki:Community Portal as a center of community activity, it becomes apparent that something must be done with the wiki, specifically the main page, to ensure that all kinds of visitors are well served - regular contributors, members of the community, as well as those looking for information through the content sections (the vast majority of TSW's audience).


 * Possible adoption of a Fanon namespace - With talks about creating a Fanon Namespace and/or merging with the Fanon Wiki, the organizational system of the Wiki must be improved to allow an easier transition when/if the Fanon namespace is created.


 * Aesthetics - Although the people who update the mainpage are certainly dedicated, aesthetically it is not as impressive as many other main pages on other wikis. Since the main page serves as the wiki's front door, it serves as the face of our wiki.

Why a Project?
The sheer volume of what may need to be done is something which goes far beyond what can be handled in one location; a centralized location is needed in order for this to go off easily. The main page's talk page has been central so far for discussion relevant to the mainpage, but if we must start discussing overall wiki style, organization and layout, then no location (including Community portal talk) is very well suited - a new space should be provided with the express purpose of discussing relevant issues.

What would the Project do?
The project's job would be multi-faceted and would be determined by the participants. The goals of the project would be set by the participants and reviewed by the community through all steps of the process. Likely a timeline of some sort will need to be created which outlines how changes will be made and when they will be made, with sufficient time open for community involvement and response.

Some main points which would or could be handled by this project:
 * A redesign of the main page
 * A redesign of outlying portals (the Development, Admin, Language and possible Fanon portals, as well as possible game-centric portals)
 * An evaluation of the current category layout and how it serves wiki organization.
 * Creation of a suitable timeline for implementing a Fanon namespace, and the required organization and infrastructure for such an endeavor.
 * Creation of possible spur projects or sub/projects to handle specific aspects of the project (whenever appropriate)
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