Template talk:OBX boilerplate html

I couldn't get the image to work properly (no subsampling) unless I overwrote the default using the same image... curious. --Walter 16:16, 4 July 2007 (EDT)

Je... don't ask me, I'm just the coder :P

This is still on-going work, that needs testing to see if it'll be capable of delivering... so just for the record, I'm adding some documentation of sorts below. Comments, as usual, are welcome. --Xavi 18:10, 4 July 2007 (EDT)

Documentation

The underlying inspiration for this (and future templates) has been sourced by many concerns:

• the mess it was to make a better {{Status box}}
• the need for a flexible, simple and visual way to show (and categorize) many of the pages
  • in several axis like pedagogical, development, localization, audience, etc.
• {{Babel-X}}

some history

Not long ago, ParserFunctions were not available, and some of the underlying structure of {{Babel-X}} was missing (and truth be told, the arcane magic of the templates was a bit too obscure)—things have changed, enough to try this.

The vision

The idea is to have some sort of [[Template:Babel-XO]] updated: {{olpcboxtop}} that will allow enough Category:OBX templates that will support classifying any page along the many axis that are wanted, both currently and in the future. This extendibility is not easily supported by custom-made templates (like the {{Status box}} fiasco-like proved). For example, we would like to have the ability to 'tag' something that is related to a particular grade in school; or that it's related to some specific subject; or that the software idea has some source code; or even if that source code has been i18n (making it ready for l10n); that it's in pre-alpha, beta; that it has been included in the build images since a specific one; etc, etc.

The solution

Quite simple in fact. Much in the way that wikipedia has the user boxes, to express whatever whims a user has about something or something to better describe him, the idea here is to allow for a similar liberty in the things that we can say about the pages in the wiki.

But just saying something about a page, although useful, it doesn't allow for its retrieval or speedy and timely finding. The tagging must provide some sort of classification mechanism. IOW, each [[Template:OBX whatever]] must provide some sort of useful categorization of the page where it's included.

The drawbacks

For the moment, two risks have been detected. First, as each box should serve the purpose of retrieval through classification, the risk of having a widely disconnected and fragmented category space is something to contemplate. The second risk is that many tags make sense combined, for example, finding all the pages that deal with math and 2nd graders. Note: I remember reading something about dynamic categories for the wiki, that basically do some logical operations (and, or, etc.) over the particular sets in each category and display that.

Some ideas for XO boxes

domain	possible xo-boxes
Activities	build — in which build it showed up source — where the source is hosted status — idea, alpha, beta... l10n — where the l10n resources are located l10n / lang — language specific l10n resources
School	name — a particular pilot school grade — what grade does it deal (as target or source) with subject — particular subject like math, language (specific or not), geography, etc.
Others	The possibilities are infinite, although that doesn't mean we have to go there... heading in the right direction is enough for the meantime; but for example, geo-data, computer language, licenses, type of game the activity is, if it's kernel/core component, etc.

Please let us find another name

There is a temptation is to call everything under the sun "XO". XO kids with XO teachers in XO schools in XO countries. Doing XO activities using XO Activities, as part of XO lesson plans in XO cirricula. The XO project (formerly OLPC), with XO deadlines, an XO wiki, and XO mailinglists. It's short. It's cute. Let's apply it everything.

Making it largely meaningless.

Thankfully, so far, "XO" mostly means the physical hardware laptop, and the graphical symbol.

This Template is not about cardboard boxes for the physical laptop, nor a box around the graphic.

The template namespace it creats with a prefix "XO" does not cry out "These are categorization templates". The "XO" name here has no meaning beyond "it's not the wikipedia Babel".

Please let us find another name for it. Even just "Box" would be preferable, no?

How about something more descriptive?

It's a box. It's used for description, categorization. How about "Tag"? "Class"? "Kind"? "Type"? "Flag"? "Babel2"? "CatBox"?

"Babel-XO" doesn't delight me, but seems survivable. But I think the "XO" prefix needs to be something else. Almost anything else.

MitchellNCharity 23:17, 4 July 2007 (EDT)

stamp, collect, pile, heap, batch, clutch, property, attribute...

I rather like "stamp".

MitchellNCharity 23:29, 4 July 2007 (EDT) (Courtesy of http://poets.notredame.ac.jp/cgi-bin/wn )

I see your points, really. Actually, the name for {{Babel-XO}} was something like the logical continuation of {{Babel-X}} (created by SJ almost a year ago). Actually the prefix for the templates is irrelevant, as it only matters when creating a template for the box, as the intended use is basically to embed it in the {{Babel-XO}} (although they c/should be able to live outside too).

Any (sensible) prefix will do just fine, but I agree that we should settle on one :) --Xavi 23:34, 4 July 2007 (EDT)

My addendum: Either 'Tag' or maybe even 'Stamp'... have to think (but not too much) about it :) --Xavi 23:34, 4 July 2007 (EDT)