Difference between revisions of "UOGuide:Blog"

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This page is a log of updates and changes to the website.
 
This page is a log of updates and changes to the website.
 
==2010==
 
==2010==
 +
===September 1===
 +
Today saw the long awaited MediaWiki software update to version 1.16. This update included a brand new skin called Vector, which has become the default. There are a few style changes such as larger tabs at the top and a relocated search bar. Here are a list of the major features.
 +
 +
* A relocated and streamlined search bar (no more confusing "Go" and "Search" options)
 +
* Search Suggest as you type your query
 +
* "Did you mean" spelling checker when searching
 +
* A new search system called Sphinx, providing quicker and more accurate results
 +
* A warning message box if you try to leave a page you have edited without committing
 +
* A new toolbar for page editing which has built in help, quick access to special characters and a more newbie friendly interface
 +
* The option to dismiss a site notice after reading it
 +
One feature currently taken away is the Google multi-site search that used to be in the left menu. I did not want people to confuse it with the relocated search bar. It may be added back in a couple weeks. I also removed the logo randomization. It was fun for a while, but I decided to settle on this one for now. Enjoy the updated site, more enhancements are on the way. - [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 16:19, 1 September 2010 (PDT)
 +
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- [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 16:19, 1 September 2010 (PDT)
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===July 6===
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There are so many things going on at once, UOGuide is in an unprecedented state of development.
 +
* The July [[UOGuide:Classic_Custom_House_Design_Contest|house design contest]] has already had a couple entries sent in, and it sounds like a lot more people are taking part. I am excited to see the results.
 +
* After seeing so many UO websites disappearing, I would like to do something about it. So I am trying to start a [[UOGuide:Website Preservation]] initiative. But with so much else happening, it may get put in the back burner. =[
 +
* Some feedback I am getting is that users are having a difficult time contributing to UOGuide. I am trying to resolve this in many ways. There is [http://www.uoforums.com/uoguide-com/77718-why-havent-you-contributed-yet.html a forum topic] on UOForums requesting feedback about this. Ways I am trying to break down the barrier is a revamped [[UOGuide:Introduction]] page, video tutorials on how to use the site and the upcoming vector skin from MediaWiki. You can view the new skin already being used on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Wikipedia].
 +
I hope to have implemented one big new feature by the end of July which I think will be a huge boon to the entire UO playerbase. But there are a lot of technical challenges to overcome. - [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 04:26, 6 July 2010 (UTC)
 +
===June 26===
 +
I did a couple things today.
 +
: '''Setup fresh test server''' - The one I was using was in severe agony after so many random test edits. So I did a clean install using a website backup from today.
 +
: '''[[Ultima Online Web Search]]''' - This is a new feature on the site. There is a box in the left menu near the middle you can use to search several uo websites in addition to UOGuide. It does not search the entire web, so you won't get results which have nothing to do with UO.
 +
: '''Enlarge left column''' - I made the left column wider by about 20 pixels. It is going to get larger in the next Mediawiki upgrade. Unfortunately a couple weeks after the developers announced the next version would be in a "couple weeks" (meaning launched by now), the software is still beta. A wider column will allow placement of features I am planning for the site.
 +
: '''Footer changes''' - This was done a couple days ago, but I should mention it. I changed the footer a bit by adding a [[Special:Contact|Contact Us]] link. This goes to a new form which users can use to send a message to me without having to track down my email. Also the page counter has been disabled to reduce server load.
 +
More changes are coming in the next few days. - [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 21:35, 26 June 2010 (UTC)
 
===June 18===
 
===June 18===
 
I have changed the favicon that appears in the next to the website address and in your favorites menu. It may take a while for your web browser to fetch the new icon. Originally I wanted to try and clean up the [[Runebook]] so it looked cleaner. But I could not manage to do so. The [[Rune]] is actually smaller than the 16x16 size requirement, so it appears exactly as you see in game. Maybe in the future another icon will be chosen or created. - [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 04:34, 18 June 2010 (UTC)
 
I have changed the favicon that appears in the next to the website address and in your favorites menu. It may take a while for your web browser to fetch the new icon. Originally I wanted to try and clean up the [[Runebook]] so it looked cleaner. But I could not manage to do so. The [[Rune]] is actually smaller than the 16x16 size requirement, so it appears exactly as you see in game. Maybe in the future another icon will be chosen or created. - [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 04:34, 18 June 2010 (UTC)
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There are a ton of things going on at once this month with all the additions/updates. I have listed everything the community can get involved with on the [[UOGuide:Priorities]] page. If you would like to help out with the million things I have to do this month, pick one on that page and dive in.
 
There are a ton of things going on at once this month with all the additions/updates. I have listed everything the community can get involved with on the [[UOGuide:Priorities]] page. If you would like to help out with the million things I have to do this month, pick one on that page and dive in.
 
- [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 15:58, 14 June 2010 (UTC)
 
- [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 15:58, 14 June 2010 (UTC)
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==Archive==
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==2009==
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* [[UOGuide:Blog/Archive_1]] - From creation up through 2009 posts
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===January 4===
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This blog is not updated very much. Here is something, a graphic of UOGuide's traffic model for the past 2 years.
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[[Image:Uoguide traffic.jpg]]
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Longer bars mean more visitors.
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- [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 08:46, 4 January 2009 (UTC)
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==2008==
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===September 7===
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This blog is still updated more regularly than UO gets updates!
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In the past few days I have promoted 3 new active contributors as Sysops. They are [[User:Bomb_Bloke|Bomb Bloke]], [[User:Meridus|Meridus]] and [[User:Tancred_RedStar|Tancred RedStar]]. Not only will they be able to help update all of website, but SysOp status shows that you are a frequent contributor. In addition to promotions I have retired 3 other SysOps who have been inactive for a very long time. They are welcome to have their SysOp status restored when they return. - [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 12:16, 7 September 2008 (PDT)
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===February 10===
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The "monthly" update was sent out to all known UO news sites today. It can be viewed [http://www.uoforums.com/showthread.php?t=39172 here]. It was a big month and I probably forgot to mention a couple things. - [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 11:25, 10 February 2008 (PST)
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===February 2===
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Wow, lots of blog posts. I am just posting the top 20 pages on UOGuide by visitors for the past month. Site contributers may want to focus on these pages to make sure they are up to date and as complete as possible.
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# [[Main Page]]
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# [[UOGuide:Directory]]
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# [[Britain_Library_Collection]]
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# [[Vesper_Museum_Collection]]
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# [[Quest]]
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# [[Artifacts]]
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# [[Spellweaving]]
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# [[:Category:Quest_NPCs]]
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# [[Doom]]
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# [[Skills]]
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# [[Wood]]
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# [[Moonglow_Royal_Zoo_Collection]]
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# [[Quests_by_Area]]
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# [[Item_Sets]]
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# [[Crafting]]
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# [[Item]]
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# [[Recipe]]
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# [[Special:Recentchanges]]
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# [[Dungeons]]
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# [[Monsters]]
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- [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 18:38, 2 February 2008 (PST)
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===February 1===
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I bit the bullet and spent a couple hours today upgrading the site. It was every bit of a hassle as I expected. But everything seems to be in order now. I've also installed a new Imagelink extension which allows you to turn images into page links. It is too bad linking pages with images isn't a standard feature. I also installed am extension which makes you answer a random question when signing up an account. Hopefully this will prevent spam bots from signing up.
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Overall the site feels a little faster. But there really isn't any noticable changes. If any errors or issues are encounter please report them. - [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 16:11, 1 February 2008 (PST)
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===January 31===
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In December 2007 UOGuide used under 1GB of bandwidth total. In January 2008 bandwidth rose 1100% to just over 11GB in the month. I don't know why that would be considering traffic has only gone up about 300% since the UOStuff merger announcement. It is of no concern though because our hosting plan allows for 5.6TB.
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Anyway, lots of big things happening besides the traffic jump. The new [[Main Page]] design is up and it is a lot better than what was there before. The UOGuide text graphic is just temporary until I or someone else makes a nicer one. Some time soon I will be updating to the latest version of Mediawiki. It is a little bit of a pain because after each update I have to modify the style. Modifying any wiki code is a huge hassle because it is a giant mess.
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The usual monthly announcement that I send out to all UO sites is being delayed a couple days because I am setting up the newsletter system. It will be a good opportunity to get a lot of sign ups at once. I had wanted to do a newsletter for a long time now but was hoping to work with another site instead of doing it "in house". There will be plenty of stuff to throw in it now with the furious content updating getting done, the new main page features and perhaps some upcoming UO news. - [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 21:51, 31 January 2008 (PST)
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===January 5===
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Oh how neglected this blog has been! There are a couple things I can write about so I might as well make an entry. If you are reading this then you have obviously heard of the recent merger with UOStuff. This is a great event for both UOGuide and UO players in general. By combining information and contributors, there will now be a single source of information which is larger and recieves more updating than two separate ones. Things are going very well with only a couple hundred pages left to handle. Since the day of the announcement, UOGuide traffic is up 300%.
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At the moment there are over 3,000 [[Special:Wantedpages|wanted pages]]. If you do the math that means there are over 5,000 potential pages for UOGuide to hold currently. But I think there is even more, at least 10,000. There are so many things in Ultima Online that can be documented and written about. For example a new project is starting up to try and write about the history and communities of various shards. There will be more about that later. - [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 21:41, 4 January 2008 (PST)
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==2007==
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===January 31===
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January was a good month for UOGuide. About 150 new pages of information were added. Notable additions include: [[Cooperative Collections]], [[Covetous]], [[Animals]], and [[Stygian Abyss]]. This month also marks the collaboration between [[Inuwiki]], which integrates lots of event content from the past year into UOGuide. It is a win-win for both sites. This month also brought much exciting news to the UO world about the [[Kingdom Reborn]] expansion. Not only details, but actual game play footage was played at the Atlantic Town Hall meeting.
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The last thing I will mention is there are over 1,750 wanted pages on the site currently. Wanted pages are red links which need a page created. If you are reading this, then we could certainly use your help adding them! -  [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 19:13, 31 January 2007 (PST)
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===January 6===
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I just got finished coding in the new privacy shield for anonymous contributors. Only UOGuide administrators will be able to see your IP address, so feel free to contribute without registering an account. I apologize to anyone who tried to use the site and it was broken, I didn't realize that something was borked for logged out users. I began the process of setting up a testing site for changes earlier today but ran into some issues. But that should be a piece of cake to solve compared to trying to modify the Mediawiki code. It is such a mess trying to find the exact spot to make a one line change, sheesh.
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Something else I should probably mention is the new poll on the front page. I plan on making further modifications which include hiding results before voting and not allowing users to change their vote. In addition, polls are not allowed anywhere else on the site due to the amount of resources it takes to have one on a page. - [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 21:16, 5 January 2007 (PST)
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* '''Update:''' The privacy shield code was removed due to bugs. It will be reimplemented at a later date.
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===January 1===
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Added Google Sitemaps extension and got that all setup. It seems Google is already crawling the site very nicely. Also changed the default timezone to EST. Registered users can still see their own time zone in preferences. I would like to get it off military time, but there doesn't seem an easy route to that at this time. One of the next updates will be a privacy shield for unregistered user IPs on the recent change list.
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- [[User:JC the Builder|JC the Builder]] 13:37, 1 January 2007 (PST)
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{{Categorize|UOGuide}}
 
{{Categorize|UOGuide}}

Latest revision as of 15:19, 1 September 2010

This page is a log of updates and changes to the website.

2010

September 1

Today saw the long awaited MediaWiki software update to version 1.16. This update included a brand new skin called Vector, which has become the default. There are a few style changes such as larger tabs at the top and a relocated search bar. Here are a list of the major features.

  • A relocated and streamlined search bar (no more confusing "Go" and "Search" options)
  • Search Suggest as you type your query
  • "Did you mean" spelling checker when searching
  • A new search system called Sphinx, providing quicker and more accurate results
  • A warning message box if you try to leave a page you have edited without committing
  • A new toolbar for page editing which has built in help, quick access to special characters and a more newbie friendly interface
  • The option to dismiss a site notice after reading it

One feature currently taken away is the Google multi-site search that used to be in the left menu. I did not want people to confuse it with the relocated search bar. It may be added back in a couple weeks. I also removed the logo randomization. It was fun for a while, but I decided to settle on this one for now. Enjoy the updated site, more enhancements are on the way. - JC the Builder 16:19, 1 September 2010 (PDT)

- JC the Builder 16:19, 1 September 2010 (PDT)

July 6

There are so many things going on at once, UOGuide is in an unprecedented state of development.

  • The July house design contest has already had a couple entries sent in, and it sounds like a lot more people are taking part. I am excited to see the results.
  • After seeing so many UO websites disappearing, I would like to do something about it. So I am trying to start a UOGuide:Website Preservation initiative. But with so much else happening, it may get put in the back burner. =[
  • Some feedback I am getting is that users are having a difficult time contributing to UOGuide. I am trying to resolve this in many ways. There is a forum topic on UOForums requesting feedback about this. Ways I am trying to break down the barrier is a revamped UOGuide:Introduction page, video tutorials on how to use the site and the upcoming vector skin from MediaWiki. You can view the new skin already being used on Wikipedia.

I hope to have implemented one big new feature by the end of July which I think will be a huge boon to the entire UO playerbase. But there are a lot of technical challenges to overcome. - JC the Builder 04:26, 6 July 2010 (UTC)

June 26

I did a couple things today.

Setup fresh test server - The one I was using was in severe agony after so many random test edits. So I did a clean install using a website backup from today.
Ultima Online Web Search - This is a new feature on the site. There is a box in the left menu near the middle you can use to search several uo websites in addition to UOGuide. It does not search the entire web, so you won't get results which have nothing to do with UO.
Enlarge left column - I made the left column wider by about 20 pixels. It is going to get larger in the next Mediawiki upgrade. Unfortunately a couple weeks after the developers announced the next version would be in a "couple weeks" (meaning launched by now), the software is still beta. A wider column will allow placement of features I am planning for the site.
Footer changes - This was done a couple days ago, but I should mention it. I changed the footer a bit by adding a Contact Us link. This goes to a new form which users can use to send a message to me without having to track down my email. Also the page counter has been disabled to reduce server load.

More changes are coming in the next few days. - JC the Builder 21:35, 26 June 2010 (UTC)

June 18

I have changed the favicon that appears in the next to the website address and in your favorites menu. It may take a while for your web browser to fetch the new icon. Originally I wanted to try and clean up the Runebook so it looked cleaner. But I could not manage to do so. The Rune is actually smaller than the 16x16 size requirement, so it appears exactly as you see in game. Maybe in the future another icon will be chosen or created. - JC the Builder 04:34, 18 June 2010 (UTC)

June 14

Wow, it has been a long time since this was updated. I just wanted to note a couple things which won't be obvious.

  • Community Site Banners - I have added promotion banners for other UO websites to run alongside regular advertisements. I hope this will promote exposure to those sites. If any website owner wants theirs to run all they have to do is get in touch with me. It will be free (for community sites).
  • The EA disclaimer at the bottom of every page is going to be removed in the next version of the site. No fansites are using it anymore and it isn't required to be a fansite in the new program. I moved it to the UOGuide:General_Disclaimer page.
  • The UOGuide:Newsletter is getting a lot of signups, which is great. I have wanted to make one for a long time. If it goes well, I will likely plan my updates of UOGuide around getting stuff ready for the newsletter. For example, in this edition I am thinking about highlighting the new Comics and Movies sections. People are always asking where X UO movie is. Now there will be a page that links them all.

There are a ton of things going on at once this month with all the additions/updates. I have listed everything the community can get involved with on the UOGuide:Priorities page. If you would like to help out with the million things I have to do this month, pick one on that page and dive in. - JC the Builder 15:58, 14 June 2010 (UTC)

Archive

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