User:Disavian/Userboxes

A userbox is a small coloured box that allows users to add small messages on their user pages. It is an extension of the babel boxes used for users' language abilities. The Wikimedia Commons has a large range of icons for use within boxes.

The primary purpose of user boxes and user categories should be to alert other Wikipedians to ways you might aid them in editing. For instance, if you speak a second language or have professional expertise in a technical field, other users will know they can contact you for assistance.

Common uses for boxes include user interests, user skills, technical information, Wikipedia activities, or mere fun.

The German Solution to the userbox debates/holy wars is to move userboxes out of template space, and into userspace.

As Jimbo himself said:

There is a middle ground, I agree. The middle ground is to let people do as they will in the user space, and merely use reason and argument to teach people over time why one ought not use Wikipedia userpages for political or other campaigns.... while at the same time saying, no, really, the template namespace is not for that, that we do not endorse this behavior. This is the solution that the Germans have put into effect with great results.

More comments by Jimbo regarding the failed WP:UPP policy:

But it seems that the namespace proposal goes a bit further than what you need to achieve what you want to achieve. Let me quote you on something: "The text of WP:UPP is filled with what one can and cannot say, specifically, All userbox templates that show a POV or are not directly related to wikipedia will be deleted after a period of time. Note that a user subpage that is transcluded without substitution by multiple users is considered a 'template. This is like saying, "You may have pamphlets, but you may not mechanically print and distribute them. This is not an infringement of free speech". To put it kindly, this is counter-intuitive."

And a quick note to certain admins: This is not Template space. This is Userspace. NPOV and T1 do not apply here. Read Jimbo's comments above. Thank you.

Obey WP:USER, WP:CIVIL, and WP:NPA; i.e., no personal attacks, no hate boxes, no fair use or copyrighted images. And please, no vandalism. I know how to find WP:AIV, so you don't want to go down that road.

Just copy & paste the code below to your userpage.

Note: This is simply an archive of userboxes. I do not necessarily endorse the views of any given box.

Section title meant to be humorous. _{That means laugh, retard.}