Template talk:Footer

From Bogleheads

| list1 =Although listed in the template messages page, it's really a navigation template (at the bottom of each page). Note that the links will show a login screen if you are not logged into the forum. LadyGeek 23:49, 16 March 2009 (UTC)

I've made this a generic Footer, hopefully suitable for all article pages on our wiki. It currently transcludes the templates Cite and Footer, but that list could be changed in the future. By adding Footer to every article on our wiki, we have a way of making a single update that propagates across our wiki, such as if we wanted to display some important message for a short period. --Dan Kohn 19:22, 26 April 2009 (UTC)

Note that footer now needs to be the first Template listed, since it includes both an article section (Cite) and a footer section). --Dan Kohn 19:24, 26 April 2009 (UTC)

The template is modified to align with the concept of "embedding text" as done by YouTube and Wikinvest. Only wiki editors seemed to use the previous version. This is an attempt to get the attention (and usage) by forum members. It would be even better to put this box at the top of the page; will take a look. --LadyGeek 16:14, 7 November 2010 (EST)

Hello, why did you remove the helpful copy-paste link? I found it very useful for copying links into forum threads. --Hoppy08520 15:18, 25 May 2012 (CDT)

See the current discussion at Wiki extensions and requests for potential additions of new feedback features utilizing the lower page area of the wiki page.--Blbarnitz 16:48, 25 May 2012 (CDT)

Hi, I think you are the only person besides myself who copy-n-pasted the footer text to the forum. I asked members why they don't use this - it just took too long; copying the URL was quicker. Go figure. Since Peculiar_Investor has discovered Firefox's Make Link add-on, I have stopped using this footer entirely. Check out his thread: Linking wiki articles into forum posts, which is easily modified to copy forum links back into the wiki: Linking wiki articles into forum posts. This add-on also creates HTML links that can be used in email. --LadyGeek 18:21, 25 May 2012 (CDT)

Are there any statistics/metrics on how many article reader are also forum members? I'd suggest the percentage is low and therefore question why
 
Embed this text in your forum post:

Wiki article link: [url=https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Footer]Footer[/url]


is displayed for everyone. Sorry to suggest it, but although it may be functional, it is ugly and distracts from the flow of the page. For the small subset that need the functionality, there are other easy to use solutions, mentioned above and in the linked forum discussions. If it must be retained, can it's appearance be somehow linked to an user preference, with the default being hidden. --Peculiar Investor 07:37, 6 December 2012 (CST)

We tried removing it, but one of our top members wanted it put back. See: What happened to "How to Cite this Page" links? I would think that hiding it in a navbox will have the same effect. --LadyGeek 16:52, 6 December 2012 (CST)

Further discussion

Still bugged by the appearance which disrupts the flow of the article and is inconsistent with Wikipedia and other wikis. Renewing the suggestion make it hidable based on a user preference, thus addressing the needs of "one of our top members" and myself. Wikipedia:NavFrame - Wikipedia and Help:Collapsing - Wikipedia seem to offer ideas for a potential solution. --Peculiar Investor 08:12, 19 August 2013 (CDT)
Here is a potential version (if it functions properly) --Blbarnitz 09:00, 19 August 2013 (CDT):
Better, although personally I'd like to be able to hide it. With Barry's version, there is also the opportunity to add text to explain (or link to) how to add functionality to your browser to make it easy to post a link. --Peculiar Investor 09:46, 19 August 2013 (CDT)
Unfamiliar with the process of optional hiding of material, but here is how the above nav box fits within a recent created page:

External links

--Blbarnitz 14:19, 19 August 2013 (CDT)


I like the consistency with the navbox formatting; it's much more visible. Perhaps more proactive wording? I had originally put the forum URL in the title, but readers will click on it thinking that it will create the link for them.

--LadyGeek 20:33, 19 August 2013 (CDT)

Footer is interfering with navigation template behavior

Since we've changed to the Wikipedia format, I did not understand how many of the navigation templates were appearing in the closed position. I'm sure that many readers are skipping over the template, which renders it useless. Having the template default to the "open" position (unless there is more than one - in which case it will close) is the desired intent.

After some experimenting, the footer template is accounting for this mysterious behavior. As the navigation templates (and underlying MediaWiki:Common.js) are already consistent with Wikipedia, there is nothing to do from that approach. I propose to either remove the template from the pages (with Replace Text), or to remove the content in the page (leaving only the category).

I haven't seen this footer used anywhere in the forum (except by me) and feel that it won't be missed. --LadyGeek 18:37, 3 November 2013 (CST)

I agree with eliminating the footer. As it is not a native function in wikipedia (the nav template is designed for internal wiki links) retaining it interferes with the ease of automating template management. --Blbarnitz 18:51, 3 November 2013 (CST)

I have removed the footer from all pages; 656 in the (main) namespace, 34 in the other namespaces, for a total of 690 pages. The navigation templates now work as expected, we can probably remove the state parameter unless it's needed. Wikipedia follows this convention. For example: {{Template name}}, not {{Template name|state = autocollapsed}}. --LadyGeek 20:20, 3 November 2013 (CST)