Template talk:User sandbox

Mention of the noindex parameter

Hi. I'm a new editor. I found the handling of the noindex parameter on this page contradictory and confusing enough to lead newbies like me to using it improperly. At first, it says,

• "noindex=no - indexing by search engines will be allowed (by default, noindex is "yes", i.e. pages with this template transcluded on them are not indexed by search engines). This parameter should almost always be omitted, because sandboxes should not be indexed as Wikipedia content. (My empasis.)

Then later in the page it says,

• "Set to something other than 'yes' to make this page visible to search engines like Google."

Many ordinary readers won't pick up on the double negative in the first quote and happily set their sandboxes to something other than "yes" as the second quote seems to direct us to do. Perhaps fixing this would save effort and electricity? Oona Wikiwalker (talk) 23:05, 28 November 2023 (UTC)

Honestly, I cannot think of a valid reason for search engines to index the contents of user sandboxes on Wikipedia, since it cannot lead to anything but confusion and mischief. The noindex property should be set permanently and not be changeable by a template parameter.  — SMcCandlish ☏ ¢ 😼  04:32, 30 November 2023 (UTC)

Possible typo in Sandbox banner

Resolved

On my Sandbox page, it has a banner. One sentence in the banner says, "Are you ready to request an experienced editor review it for possible inclusion in Wikipedia?" To me, it seems "editor review it" should be changed to "editor to review it". Or am I missing something. Is it really a typo? If so, should I report it to someone? Should I change it? How? Thanks. Sunandshade (talk) 05:17, 24 December 2023 (UTC)

It's not a true typo, because it's not literally an error, it's just a shorthand phrasing that is more common probably in British English. But a revision that would be clear to everyone regardless of dialect, so it better suits MOS:COMMONALITY, would be good.  — SMcCandlish ☏ ¢ 😼  05:35, 24 December 2023 (UTC); revised 05:41, 24 December 2023 (UTC)

Three possible fixes are:

1. Are you ready to request an experienced editor to review it for possible inclusion in Wikipedia?
2. Are you ready to request that an experienced editor review it for possible inclusion in Wikipedia?
3. Are you ready to request review of it by an experienced editor for possible inclusion in Wikipedia?

The first is actually awkward, with a "to ... to ..." construction; the second is clearer but still could potentially confuse a non-native English speaker; so I went with the third. Marking this resolved, unless someone has a concern to raise.  — SMcCandlish ☏ ¢ 😼  05:40, 24 December 2023 (UTC)

Formatting adjustment

In the sandbox for this template, I tweaked the bolding/italics to better emphasize the main point of the notice (that the page is a sandbox) as the most prominent element. Feel free to let me know how it looks; I will plan to implement shortly if there are no concerns. {{u|Sdkb}} ^talk 17:01, 31 January 2024 (UTC)

 Done per silent consensus. {{u|Sdkb}} ^talk 18:28, 1 February 2024 (UTC)

Seems fine to me, though "This is not an encyclopedia article" being in bold is also fine.  — SMcCandlish ☏ ¢ 😼  01:24, 3 February 2024 (UTC)

Template-protected edit request on 12 April 2024

Please add {{Sandbox heading/Tabs}} (and protect that template) to make navigating between the different sandboxes easier. We should get users to experiment and play around with different functions in the various sandboxes and their own sandbox. It also has a link to "test Wikipedia" for experimentation with user scripts, etc. Awesome Aasim 03:43, 12 April 2024 (UTC)

Most newcomers only need one sandbox to experiment in, so I'm not sure this would be useful. Sdkb ^talk 05:10, 12 April 2024 (UTC)

Deactivating for now because I got an objection, so I am now seeking consensus. Awesome Aasim 06:47, 12 April 2024 (UTC)