Edit Help:Templates to give members more explicit paths to guidance on syntax for using templates

Question

Some WikiTree templates now incorporate template syntax that is somewhat complex. That is, the template is set up to allow inclusion of optional parameters that add information in addition to the basic template.

Today I looked on the Help pages to find guidance for users on how to add some of these complex templates, and I discovered that Help:Templates has links to usage guidance for a few specific templates, but that page is practically a deadend as respects guidance for usage of many other templates. This is because the word "These" is the only text provided for the page's only links to the categories where the template pages are listed (specifically thinking of https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Project_Boxes and https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Research_Note_Boxes). Leaders who are looking for guidance on creating new templates are helpfully guided by language like "See Project Boxes for usage rules," but regular members who are hoping to figure out how to use an existing are apparently supposed to intuitively recognize that the information is hiding behind the word "These."

Please, could the Help:Templates page be edited to include language like "See Category: Project Boxes for project box templates and guidance on how to use them on profiles"?

Comments

Great idea

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many templates have details on how to use them on the template page itself... for instance, https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Template:US_History

So, if you have a template's name, you can add it to https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Template: (use underscores instead of spaces in the URL) to see if the template page has instructions.

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ps - I edited the Help:Templates page to include that info (to look at the template page itself), but not all templates with variables have them explained on their respective template pages. Let me know of specific template pages that need explanations (post a reply to this comment or a comment on my profile) & I'll look into getting an explanation added by the project/original creator or adding something myself (I'm a member of the Template Project & a WikiTree Leader).

Cheers, Liz

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pps to Ellen - I also added the text (plus some) that you specifically requested. However, Team Wiki may subsequently remove it. If you read further into the Help page, the links go to the template pages & also say where to find correct usage (so the info I added isn't really necessary - and there is a pitfall in that it directs the reader to Category:Templates, which the text further down has a caution for: "Templates you find in template categories cannot be considered officially recommended since any member can categorize any page."

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Thanks, Liz.

The text on Help:Templates that I was (and still am) concerned about does provide pointers to existing templates. Specifically:

Project Boxes (Approved)

These are used to indicate that a profile is part of a project.

See Project Boxes for usage rules.

See Template:Project Box for instructions on creating them.

Research Note Boxes (Approved)

These draw attention to an important note about current genealogical research or WikiTree-specific work that's needed.

See Research Note Boxes for usage rules.

In this text, the two instances of the hyperlinked word "These" are hyperlinks to categories that contain the current collections of Project Boxes and Research Note Boxes. Those two instances of the word "These" and the two sentences that contain "These" are the only content in that text that is relevant to WikiTree members who aren't Leaders. (Because only Leaders can create templates, only Leaders can make use of information on usage rules and instructions for creating templates.)

Ideally, I think this passage should include the following text:

Under Project Box Templates (Approved):

Project Box templates are used to indicate that a profile is part of a project. See Category: Project Boxes for project box templates and guidance on how to use them on profiles."

Under Research Note Boxes (Approved):

Research Note Boxes draw attention to an important note about current genealogical research or WikiTree-specific work that's needed. See Category: Research Note Boxes for research note box templates and guidance on how to use them on profiles.

And since Leaders are the only members who can create templates, is it really necessary to warn that some templates in template categories cannot be considered officially recommended since any member can categorize any page?

Answer 1

To me it seems this G2G leads in a circle and goes nowhere - I mean some things were clarified BUT there is no cut and dried remedy that is all encompassing and guarantees that all the explanations for templates can be found or linked to that help page - and it is a shame so many seem to end up like this

this is why people think Wikitree is hard to use

I think the volunteer thing is great - so many great and helpful people that come in here and do their best - some experts in this or that time and place that undertake projects - those that specialize to help new folks or go around sourcing all the time or the ones who categorize - wow the hours!

Thing is people burn out - or they get a new job or grandchild and their available time drops off or they become ill or pass on - some get into arguments with others over policy and end up getting personal and leave - we lose folks that we thought we could count on to back us up and we have to learn to tag team the next upcoming volunteer and pass them the reins so that there is more continuity to the flow of leadership and help and policy here

I do not care if I get a bunch of downvotes bringing this up - I do not mean to be negative about Wikitree and the community here but I am being realistic about the jumping around of the pertinent information one needs to improve profiles here and help others do the same - Projects and help pages need to try harder to be more inclusive, up to date and easy to access if we want people to learn to enter and source and categorize these profiles faster and with better quality

I have not yet been here a year and that is what I see and i work around it and continue my quest to do better and source more and all the little things that we learn to do - but I see it could and should be a lot easier for those like me coming in to learn

Answer 2

This sounds like an excellent idea! As a total newbie, I've been struggling to find some information, even been led in circles on some things. Thanks for your suggestion.