Liberal Arts Major
Here's an overview of the changes.
Review Icons
Following up on Kenri's suggestion, I added the option to upload a 100kb 300x300 image alongside a review with the goal being a custom graphic for the rating of that review. It appears on the top-right of the review. Editors can't change pictures, so if there's a disagreement over that an article will be remanded back to you, in which case the image is deleted and you'll have to reupload it; the image is also deleted if you withdraw or delete the article. (More on all this below.)
Now, although I don't actually know if you can use images or not, eventually one would anticipate that would be possible, which makes this feature not entirely useful. And, you'll have to upload an icon every time you want to use it - you don't have access to previously-used icons, since they're tied to individual articles. Regardless, it's here if you want to take advantage of it.
Interface Changes & Editorial Control
There have been a few changes in interface, e.g. now I use tables instead of the pile of information that previously made up editarticles.php. (Those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, feel blessed.) You can now also add subtitles to your articles, which are more accurately called descriptions and currently appear only when the article is on the front page.
Additionally, now there's a more institutionalized relationship between writers and the editorial staff (meaning Kenri). Authors can save their articles without submitting, and once you submit an article you can withdraw it, which unaccepts it and removes it from the editing queue - so it reverts to the state of "saved without submitting". Both the author and editors can add editorial comments that aren't displayed anywhere but on the editing pages as another means of communication. Editors can now also remand articles, presumably with some editorial comments, which is basically an editor-initiated withdrawal. Only authors can delete articles, and of course only their own.
Also, system notes are used to notify authors whenever an article is accepted or remanded or if an accepted article is edited.
Note that review icons are uploaded only when an article is submitted, so that should be the last thing you take care of right before you submit an article.
Previews
There's now a preview button that shows you how an article looks on an actual article page (except it doesn't show review icons if you're looking at a preview of your own article). Unfortunately I more or less had to hack this to make it work, so the preview it shows is the last saved version of the article. Eventually I'll get it so articles save periodically, like Gmail drafts, but for now always save before looking at a preview. Otherwise you'll lose all the changes you've made since you last saved the article. Editors, likewise: don't hit preview before saving if you've made changes.
This is part one of a possibly two-three part refresh of the contribution system. The next part could go up as early as
Liberal Arts Major
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~ Ogordemir ~
"The sciences have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age." ~ H.P Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu
Editor
...This is not terribly encouraging tbqh. <_<
Following up on Kenri's suggestion, I added the option to upload a 100kb 300x300 image alongside a review with the goal being a custom graphic for the rating of that review.
Awesome. So awesome.
There have been a few changes in interface, e.g. now I use tables instead of the pile of information that previously made up editarticles.php. (Those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, feel blessed.)
I am unfortunate enough to know what you're talking about, but this also means that I know this change is awesome!
You can now also add subtitles to your articles, which are more accurately called descriptions and currently appear only when the article is on the front page.
Marginally awesome.
Additionally, now there's a more institutionalized relationship between writers and the editorial staff (meaning Kenri). Authors can save their articles without submitting, and once you submit an article you can withdraw it, which unaccepts it and removes it from the editing queue - so it reverts to the state of "saved without submitting". Both the author and editors can add editorial comments that aren't displayed anywhere but on the editing pages as another means of communication. Editors can now also remand articles, presumably with some editorial comments, which is basically an editor-initiated withdrawal. Only authors can delete articles, and of course only their own.
This sounds like a lot of work for one person!
Oh wait, this is TFN. Yeah I can handle this, no problem. <_<
There's now a preview button that shows you how an article looks on an actual article page (except it doesn't show review icons if you're looking at a preview of your own article). Unfortunately I more or less had to hack this to make it work, so the preview it shows is the last saved version of the article. Eventually I'll get it so articles save periodically, like Gmail drafts, but for now always save before looking at a preview. Otherwise you'll lose all the changes you've made since you last saved the article. Editors, likewise: don't hit preview before saving if you've made changes.
Awesome. But also: this seems like the kind of thing that needs a warning on the actual page, if there isn't one already.
This is part one of a possibly two-three part refresh of the contribution system. The next part could go up as early as tomorrow next month if all goes well. One of the reasons I decided to split it up is I wanted your input on whether or not articles should be "linked" to topics, e.g. if the approval of an article should trigger the creation of a topic, or if maybe authors could have the option of making their own links, or something. Give me some input.
I have... absolutely no opinion on this whatsoever. Except that it doesn't seem necessary to me, but I also might just be misunderstanding it or something. <_<
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"There's a pony in the shop, but don't buy it. It might do something unfortunate to you." ~from the first Summoner's Seal topic
Liberal Arts Major
Well, ns wrote the code apparently under the impression that nobody else would ever use it, and it's rather unlikely he wrote it all in one sitting, with means it's pretty much a small maze of nondescript SQL queries. It's not that hard to figure it out, since it's probably pretty much the same as the likewise-convoluted article system, but I don't remember how it works since I last looked at it 1-2 years ago.
Marginally awesome.
Technically that's not new, it's just that previously it had to be done by an editor, because I'm monstrously lazy.
Oh wait, this is TFN. Yeah I can handle this, no problem. <_<
Of course, if there's nobody else around when there's an unaccepted article and I have the initiative at the moment I'll do it, but otherwise I'll make good on that whole "editor level" I've been hearing so little about. Also, our editing standards are pretty much nonexistent, so I can't imagine this would involve a lot of attention to detail. >_>
Awesome. But also: this seems like the kind of thing that needs a warning on the actual page, if there isn't one already.
That's a good idea, I'll add one in there.
I have... absolutely no opinion on this whatsoever. Except that it doesn't seem necessary to me, but I also might just be misunderstanding it or something. <_<
Well, it'd basically just give articles a link to an associated topic in the same style as the current "(X) comments" links for Network Announcements posts on the main page.
___
~ Ogordemir ~
"The sciences have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age." ~ H.P Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu
Editor
Oh, I understand. That does seem like it would be fairly useful.
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"There's a pony in the shop, but don't buy it. It might do something unfortunate to you." ~from the first Summoner's Seal topic
Liberal Arts Major
___
~ Ogordemir ~
"The sciences have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age." ~ H.P Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu
Editor
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"There's a pony in the shop, but don't buy it. It might do something unfortunate to you." ~from the first Summoner's Seal topic
Liberal Arts Major
I'll implement a form of the manual variety and see how it goes.
___
~ Ogordemir ~
"The sciences have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age." ~ H.P Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu