User:Twckelby/sandbox

A userbox is a fun way for TWC Archive users to express themselves. Userboxes are only for use on user pages. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Etiam nec congue ante. Mauris nec aliquam ex. Sed aliquam ac ligula.

Using existing userboxes

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Creating a userbox

If you would like to know how to build your own userbox, see Wikipedia's example information on building a box. It covers all the parameters and includes many examples.

Namespaces

The place you store your userbox template matters. Userboxes must be located in one of two namespace locations:

• Template
  • All templates that are for general use must be here. In the Template namespace, userbox names must begin with "User "
    • Example: Template:User TWC or Template:User H
• User
  • Templates should only be located here if they are specific to your user and meant only for your personal use. General userboxes should not be here.
    • Example: User:IntelliStar/thunderstorm

Templates placed outside of those zones are subject to administrator approval.

Userbox Content

The following restrictions and content examples have been borrowed from Wikipedia, as they represent what we are looking for here on TWC Archive.

Content restrictions

• Above all, userbox content must not violate of any of our site rules.

• All userboxes are to remain civil in nature.
  • Userboxes must not include incivility or personal attacks.
  • Userboxes must not be inflammatory or substantially divisive.
• This wiki is not an appropriate place for:
  • Propaganda, advocacy, or recruitment of any kind (commercial, political, religious, or otherwise)
  • Opinion pieces, particularly on current affairs or politics
  • Self-promotion or advertising

Content examples

The following section is not to be considered all-inclusive. As such, other word combinations (both appropriate and inappropriate) are obviously possible.

Typical userbox content:

• This user <verb phrase> <noun phrase>.
• This user <verb phrase> <noun phrase> <prepositional phrase>.

Typical verbs:

• verbs of action: contributes (to), drives, eats, edits, plays, uses, watches
• verbs of comprehension: reads, speaks, understands
• verbs of preference: enjoys, likes, loves

Additional examples, using the linking verb is:

• This user is <noun phrase>.
• This user is a fan of <noun phrase>.
• This user is a member of <noun phrase>.
• This user is interested in <noun phrase>.

Another option is to allow changing the verb phrase using a template parameter. This is especially useful in location userboxes:

• This user {{{1|lives in}}} <location>.

To avoid the awkward third-person phrasing ("This user"), you can use "{{#titleparts: {{PAGENAME}} | 1 | 1 }}" (without the quotes) to insert the name of the user that includes it on their page (e.g. "{{#titleparts: {{PAGENAME}} | 1 | 1 }} uses second-person phrasing" produces "Twckelby uses second-person phrasing").

Potentially divisive words

Avoid verbs (often followed by the word "that") which may be used to suggest negative comparison and would thus be potentially divisive, such as:

• believes, considers, finds, knows, prefers, thinks, wishes

Avoid negative verb phrases which can be potentially divisive, such as:

• dislikes, despises, hates, loathes

Also avoid compound sentences which are positive and negative, such as:

• This user likes <noun phrase>, but does not like <another noun phrase>.

Essentially: Express what you do like, rather than what you don't like. Express what you comprehend, rather than what you don't comprehend. Express what you do, rather than what you don't. Express who you are, rather than who you aren't.