Forum:Automated Image Infobox

Recently infoboxes were changed so that infobox images are added automatically. This was done without discussion, and has resulted in poor quality images on character infoboxes. While this does automatically update pages, it also results in bad quality images, and makes manually changing the image more difficult. 19:34, August 12, 2013 (UTC)

Discussion
None of the images were changed, they were only renamed. How are they any worse? 19:57, August 12, 2013 (UTC)

Nothing should be done automatically. SeaTerror (talk) 20:03, August 12, 2013 (UTC)

If you want to have better and deeper details on the situation, let me explain it to you. I just found out about the whole thing about 30 minutes ago, so tell me if there's any mistakes and I'll fix it.

A while ago, Sff and Gal (as far as I know) changed the infobox template so infobox images are added automatically. This was done without any prior discussion with the community, have resulted in some conflicts and some users are against it. While this does automatically update pages for the lazy fairly quickly (I literally cannot think of any other pros of having this feature), the feature sometimes adds poor quality images or renders to infoboxes, causes confusion on how to add an image to the infobox, and is challenging to use for inexperienced editors.

I personally am against having this feature. Firstly, a big change like this should not have been done without any prior discussion with the community of the wiki. Secondly, as far as I can see, this was particularly designed for the lazy and it is rather challenging to use if you do not know how to use it, or am new to the wiki. The feature also causes confusion on how to add an image to the infobox, and only make adding an image to the infobox even challenging for new users and potentially chase off new editors. Stick to something simple and easy to understand and use, guys! The feature also add poor quality images to infoboxes, and I like this wiki to be of top quality works, not shitty and rushed works. Also, renders are sometimes added to the infoboxes. There was a forum about renders, and the decision was to not use a render as an infobox image, period. Automatic things make mistakes, and this feature is hard to fix if you do not know how to use it. Manually adding an image is significantly easier to use for both the inexperience and experienced editors, as it's plain and simple to use, compared to the automated image infobox.

As for the pros, I literally cannot think of any good pros to keep this feature other than that this was made for the incredibly lazy people.

Finally, ever heard of "If it ain't broken, then don't fix it"? 20:10, August 12, 2013 (UTC)

I couldn't agree more with you, Jade. This new system just ruins the editor to page interface. It works for some, but not for others. Sometimes image sizing needs to be more specific than just 200px. If this is some kind of vandalism deterrent, it's a token effort that doesn't need to be taken. Also, this should have been discussed instead of just going ahead with it. Charging into this without going through the proper channels is what angers me the most about this whole thing. 20:19, August 12, 2013 (UTC)

It's actually quite easy to use, if you check the actual parameters being used.

The pros are obvious, which are to prevent vandalism, and to make sure the images are consistently placed on all the pages. If the situation calls for it, use the old image parameter. There's no reason to complain about something that works on the majority of pages. 20:40, August 12, 2013 (UTC)

First of all, if there are any problems with the automation, the old manual code still works and is entirely useable.

If the issue about code, then let me say this. It's much easier to deal with in the automated style. Before the automation, we had the code for 4 separate images due to the need for the pre/post and manga/anime switch templates which were kinda glitchy and a complete shit-show in terms of image name/size. The automated version improves all of those issues, the only exception being the size thing (as far as I know). The images themselves can still be edited just as easily as before, except now we make sure that users upload a new version of the old infobox picture, instead of uploading a new one, as the policy is.

I believe the best solution here is simply to write up a guide on how to deal with the automation on the FAQ and to make changes to the template that allow image size to be more easily altered. There is no need to overreact and undo all the work we've done. And this project had the approval of image team leaders, an admin, and as far as I know, most editors who actually edit images frequently, and it seemed to be (and still is, really) a minor issue. 20:49, August 12, 2013 (UTC)

Approval or not, there was still no formal community discussion. Even with approval, something this big should be discussed at the very least as a sign of good faith. 21:19, August 12, 2013 (UTC)

I agree; changes that affect almost every page on the wiki should not be made without a discussion and possibly a poll. 23:04, August 12, 2013 (UTC)

down with the automatic system-- 00:09, August 13, 2013 (UTC)

I know it does seem rather uninformed for them to change it like this, but they did include the option of manually placing the images, should we find difficulties, right? Sometimes, things like this, we just change it first, then bring it up if, and only if, issues arise. Attack first, ask questions later. 00:19, August 13, 2013 (UTC)

The FAQ has been updated. 00:24, August 13, 2013 (UTC)

Even if it was done without informing the community (which I admit was a mistake) that issue is unrelated to whether or not we actually use the system. How it was implemented is not related to the quality of the automation. So rather than have a conversation about how we should have discussed it, let's just actually discuss it. 01:34, August 13, 2013 (UTC)

Agreed. I did the tabbers without first conversing, and it worked out great. This new system seems to be effective, so we don't have to manually place those images ourselves. Handy. 01:43, August 13, 2013 (UTC)

Problems arise when they have to be specifically resized. 200px or whatever it is doesn't work for all the images on here. And Yata, the shoot first ask questions later idea is only good on a small scale. Your tabs only affected one page. This affects the whole site. 03:03, August 13, 2013 (UTC)

When they have to be specifically resized, use the old image parameter. It still functions the same as it did before. 03:11, August 13, 2013 (UTC)

I agree that there should have definitely been a discussion prior to implementing this change (since it affects the majority of the articles in the wiki) but I see no reason to remove it. The automatic image search in the new system is handy and the only issue that I especially noticed is people removing the image parameters on articles that have been left there on purpose. MasterDeva (talk) 08:33, August 24, 2013 (UTC)

Many infobox images are very small or have weird dimensions and when the automatic infobox is used, they look just terrible. So I believe that they are a bad idea, at least for character pages. 03:40, August 28, 2013 (UTC)

In Char box we should set a height dimension too.

Also, that little pencil+paper icon that takes you right to the image's page would be really, really helpful. We already have it in the portrait galleries and on thumbnails everywhere. 00:22, September 18, 2013 (UTC)

I'm sorry, but what's the point? Just click on the image and the on the file name. That icon was added on galleries because the images there have a link, so if you click on them you won't open the image lightbox.
 * It just makes image renaming a much faster process, given that we're not working out of the category anymore. And when the larger image loads with that pop-up, it often hangs for me and I can't get to the image page quickly. If it's a small thing, I don't see why we can't have it. 19:48, September 18, 2013 (UTC)


 * Fully agree with JSD on that. 19:50, September 18, 2013 (UTC)

One of the scripts in my common.js automatically opens up the image when clicked on. 19:49, September 18, 2013 (UTC)

So when will it become manual again? SeaTerror (talk) 20:07, September 18, 2013 (UTC)

It won't become manual again. If you see a page that needs different sizes, go ahead and make it manual again. But if the sizes for the automated images are fine, then leave it.

And Sff9 said it was too hard to get what I asked for. And there may have been some confusion earlier Levi, as what I described doesn't exist in monobook, if you're using that.

Can we close this now? 04:41, September 26, 2013 (UTC)

More people wanted it back to how it was so yeah it will get changed back if there is a poll. SeaTerror (talk) 04:45, September 26, 2013 (UTC)

Time to bump this. This automated infobox crap causes a lot of problems such as not being able to fix a redlink because an image got renamed http://onepiece.wikia.com/wiki/Sea_Animal_Pirates SeaTerror (talk) 02:10, January 13, 2014 (UTC)

I completely agree. This bullshit excuse for vandalism prevention ruins the interface and WAS NEVER DISCUSSED IN ANYWAY PRIOR TO ITS EXECUTION. Someone, not going to say who, got it into his head that he could do whatever he wanted and decided to go ahead with it just because an admin thought it would be a good idea. It's completely stupid and should never have been done in the first place. 02:48, January 13, 2014 (UTC)

Another page that suffered from this change. I don't see how this is convenient and I don't see how it prevents vandalism. Somebody is still going to replace the Infobox image with vandalism. Somebody is still going to blank the whole template out to paste that image. You can't stop vandals. That's why vandalism still exists in the world. 03:53, January 13, 2014 (UTC)

I still see them as useful in many instances where there's no reason to change them, such as episode/chapter pages. Perhaps we should just back off a bit on which types of infobox use the automation. I still think we should use them on episode, chapter, character (the Pre/Post/Anime/Manga would be a nightmare without the automation), but I don't see them being very useful on crew pages (I don't like how every box uses "___ Jolly Roger"), OVAs (they have awkward titles), or similar pages where there aren't many of them.

One thing I'm sure of in regards to infobox automation, it shouldn't be all-or-nothing. Some articles should use automation, and some shouldn't. But we shouldn't force all articles to be one or the other. 04:03, January 13, 2014 (UTC)

It's fine as long as the name of the page is stable. The good thing is that it encourages images to be named properly and systematically - leave the image parameter blank (or switch=manga for the first manga image of a character), click preview, and the redlink will tell you where the image should be uploaded. If there's an edit war over the page name, it's simple enough to just put the image parameter in manually. 99% of the work from a page rename comes making sure all the links on other pages now point to the new name anyway, but I don't see any of you reopening the redirects forum to complain about that. 04:17, January 13, 2014 (UTC)