UOGuide:Blog

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)