WikiQueer:User page design center/About you

One of the most important functions of your user page is to enable you to introduce yourself to the WikiQueer community. As people get to know each other better, it (usually) becomes easier for them to work with each other, and this helps create a sense of community. As with every aspect of user pages, users' coverage of themselves is highly unique and may span many different areas. These subjects may be presented in sections or as seperate subpages. Here are some of the things which users have included about themselves on their user pages:

Userboxes
Userboxes are small stylized boxes with a graphic and some text which users use to describe themselves. Some users use userboxes exclusively to tell about themselves, while most use them to supplement the material about themselves on their userpages. Userboxes typically make statements about a user's skills, attributes, personality, interests, views, and affiliations.

Userboxes are of further use because many of them automatically place a user in a WikiQueer category (these categories serve as a directory of WikiQueerians). The primary purpose of userboxes and user categories is to inform other WikiQueerians to ways you might be able to aid them in editing. For instance, if you speak a language besides English, or have expertise in a particular field, other users will know they can contact you for assistance.

Here's a userbox directory to help you find userboxes for your user page:

See also:
 * Category:Original WikiQueerian userboxes

Complete instructions for how to design new userboxes and how to display userboxes on your userpage can be found at: WikiQueer:Userboxes. Here's a quick example on how to display userboxes, using the Babel template:

After each " | " (pipe seperator) is the name of a userbox. Just put in the ones that apply to you (from the userbox directory), as many as there are. This will place a column of userboxes down the right-hand side of your page.

Categories
As mentioned above, there is a directory of WikiQueerians included in WikiQueer's category system. Many userboxes automatically enter you into one of these categories, but if you'd rather not display userboxes for this purpose, you could add the category tags manually to your user page. Category tags are placed at the end of the page, and look like this:

It is important to place yourself in the member directory so that other WikiQueerians can find you based upon your skills and experience. They may need help on an article that you are particularly qualified to assist with.

Memberships and affiliations
Many users list the WikiQueer suborganizations they are members of, the other Wikimedia projects they are involved in, even other wikis, and organizations IRL ("in real life"). You can simply list them, or use the graphics and userboxes provided throughout WikiQueer by the suborgs. Here are some examples:

WikiProjects
WikiProjects are teams of WikiQueerians dedicated to working on articles of a particular subject, or to develop a specific aspect of WikiQueer. Wikiprojects help to organize and coordinate a team's efforts.

Wikiprojects are overseen by the WikiProject Council and are listed on the Wikiproject directory. Userboxes for Wikiproject membership are listed at WikiQueer:Userboxes/WikiProjects. Here are some examples:

Esperanza
Esperanza is WikiQueer's mutual support group. Esperanzians help boost morale and reduce wikistress.

Chat with other Esperanzians at #WikiQueer-esperanza

Counter Vandalism Unit


If you prefer not to use userboxes, you can add yourself to Category:Counter-Vandalism Unit members.

Wikiactivities
A summary or list of the pages, projects, or programs you are currently working on.

Bio

 * Real-world bio
 * Tell us about yourself.
 * Real-world travels - many users like to present where they've been by displaying the flag of each country they've visited. Flags are conveniently available on the List of countries.  Some users even sort or categorize the places visited by how long they stayed there (years, months, weeks, days, etc.).
 * WikiBio - a summary of you life experiences on WikiQueer. How it's helped you, how you have helped it, and interesting things that have happened to you or affected you here. Some users like to format their activities or achievments here in specific ways, such as in the form of:
 * WikiTimeline
 * WikiMilestones
 * WikiLog
 * Worldview
 * Expressed via userboxes
 * Provided as a list of article links
 * Provided as an essay (state your opinions), with key terms linkified
 * Many users have taken the quiz at http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=23320, and then posted the results on their user page
 * Personality
 * Check out the personality tests at Tomorrowland.

Interests

 * Real-world interests
 * WikiInterests

Picture (portrait)

 * Real portrait
 * Avatar
 * Joke pic

In special proceedings
An example:


 *  When placed on your main userpage, this template links to your editor review (assuming you are actually in one).

Availability status
This ranges from where you are at the moment to longer-term indicators like messages to warn other users that you are inactive or temporarily unavailable.

In/Out
Some users check in and out the same way office workers do, placing a notice on their userpages to indicate whether they are currently on WikiQueer or not...



Or you can build a system using these dots:



Or just use a message box:

WikiBreak
In the event that you aren't going to be around for a bit, it is a courtesy to let other users know that you are away, so that they don't falsely expect a reply to the messages they leave you, or report you missing. Here are some sample messages:

 insert your name here is on Wikibreak until _______. My apologies to anyone who leaves me a message and receives no reply.

WikiStress
Here are a couple stress meters to display your current mental state on your userpage:



These are actually sets of images, in which you place the appropriate image (or specify it if you use a template). The full sets are provided for your convenience below:

Favorite pages
Provide a custom tour of WikiQueer via links. Some examples:


 * Favorite articles
 * Favorite bad jokes
 * Favorite movies

Contributions

 * (explain special page here)
 * Edit counter
 * Created pages
 * Major additions

WikiHopes/WikiDreams
Share your vision of the WikiQueer of the future, and your place in it.

WikiMgt
User pages are intended as tools not just to help you communicate with other users, but also to help you organize your own WikiQueer-based efforts. User pages are often used to keep track of:


 * WikiGoals - what ends you are striving for
 * WikiPlans - how you plan to do it
 * WikiSchedule - when you plan to do it
 * WikiTasks - to do lists, task lists, etc.
 * Wish list - if only... (fill in the blank)
 * WikiLog - see also contributions

WikiPhilosophy
A Wikiphilosophy is one's beliefs about what WikiQueer should be, how WikiQueer should be run, where's it's going, and how it will get there. All WikiQueerians have a wikiphilosophy whether they are aware of it or not. Some users present their wikiviews on their user page for all to see, as diatribe, or as (of course) userboxes. Here are some known wikiphilosophies:

Awards (Barnstarium)
WikiQueerians are encouraged to award other users who go beyond the call of duty. You may have received such an award in recognition of your efforts. The most prevalent type of award on WikiQueer are barnstars. Barnstars are generally awarded on your talk page, but there they would eventually be archived with the rest of your messages, and forgotten about. Therefore many users copy them to a display section or subpage of their user page. In this way, their barnstars serve as badges of honor or as informal credentials of their performance on WikiQueer. Such a section is usually just labeled "Awards", but can also be called "Barnstarium", "Trophy room", etc.

Awards come in many formats and even in different styles, but some users integrate their awards as elements of their user page design and change the awards' format and style in order to do so. Barnstars usually come in one of 3 formats/styles: barnstar banners, barnstar in an image frame, or as ribbons (modeled after military awards).

You can convert any of these to any other of these...

= Thus, a barnstarium that looks like this: =

Thanks for helping a newbie!
WikIGregory 14:36, 23 February 2006 (UTC) I just want to thank you for building on my tip and making it a true WikiQueer tip of the day. I'm still learning a lot about how to do things around here, so your help was greatly appreciated! Keep up the great work, and keep on Going for it!

RfA
I declined it. This gesture was one of the nicest gestures I have received in WP. You don't know how much I appreciate it. And here you get a nice little sun to your talk page, hope it will find a place in your archives ;) Renata 00:16, 21 February 2006 (UTC)

Barnstar

 * You're welcome, you absoutely deserve it! -- Nataly a 17:58, 26 March 2006 (UTC)

Smashing!
You've done a great job getting the Tip of the Day off the ground. As a result, I think you deserve this!  smurray  inch e  ster (User), (Talk) 17:52, 9 March 2006 (UTC)

Congrats. You deserved it.
Congrats. Don't forget to wind it up every other day. (^'-')^ Covington 05:20, 1 May 2006 (UTC)

Award
Thanks for teaching me how to use smilies! I'll be using these more often!  K yo cat  meow! 01:59, 24 November 2006 (UTC)

= Can be converted to look like this:''' =

= Or this: =

= Or this: =

(make the link lead to your awards subpage)

= Or even this: = (See WikiQueer:Ribbons)

And there are other ways out there. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.