PortalEdit

This template has grown and grown, until now it's more than 60 links at the bottom of every Sesame sketch page. I'd like to suggest that we swap it out with the portal that I've created at Sandbox:Sketches template. It's a lot fewer links, which is better for Google, and it helps to direct people to the sketches that they're most likely to be interested in. What do you guys think? -- Danny (talk) 03:32, 28 June 2009 (UTC)

I like it. I'd probably fix Ernie and Bert and Herry and John-John (keeping the cute image though) so they go to the overall E&B and Muppet Kid Moments categories, and not just one page from them (true, with Ernie and Bert, the apartment bits are probably what most visitors would want to find first, but the Muppets with kid bits are more diverse; John-John's probably the best remembered but speaking for myself I tend to associate him with Grover, for example, and he's scattered on some of those other pages as well, which include the famous "ABC Cookie Monster" bit with Kermit etc.). But that's a quibble and we can play around with it. The template itself had become enormous (and as shown below and in other conversations, someone's always arguing that other sketches needed to be in the template as well or double listed and so on) and not really the best navigational tool anyway (the main Sesame sketch category is), so making it a highlight portal instead strikes me as a big improvement. -- Andrew Leal (talk) 03:45, 28 June 2009 (UTC)

Okay, that's cool -- I can also make a portal for the Muppet Kid Moments category. I'm trying to avoid making portals that link to straight category pages... -- Danny (talk) 03:53, 28 June 2009 (UTC)

I can understand that, it just felt odd to single out that one page in the group which isn't really all that exceptional and in fact weaker than several of the others (re Herry and John John which has a bunch of non John John stuff and blanks on it anyway; we have a ton of Ernie and Bert divisions, so thinking about it, going straight to the apartment page is probably best). That or fixing up John Williams III to include a chart of all his known sketches (some are listed but by now we've located others) and just linking to that, if the idea is more visitors would want to see John-John hanging with Herry and Grover and so on than the lesser known kids. But again, that's all minor and we can play around with it. -- Andrew Leal (talk) 04:02, 28 June 2009 (UTC)

I'm sorry; I don't like that format at all for the bottom of the page. It's too big and intrusive, and too selective for the size. I would far prefer a much smaller box that linked simply to Kermit sketches, Grover sketches, etc. with one catchall for the sketches category in general to catch the non-main-character stuff. If it must have pictures then I'd say they should be more like 40px.

While I understand not wanting to link a portal on a category page to another category, I think it's far more helpful in this case for people than trying to link to the most popular article. -- Wendy (talk) 00:21, 29 June 2009 (UTC)

I think a portal to each character's category would be nice, with the pictures in the sandbox going in the respective category. - Oscarfan 00:26, 29 June 2009 (UTC)

We created the sketch templates at the bottom of the Sesame and TMS sketch pages because Scott was concerned that if someone followed a link to one of the last few sketches on a page, then they wouldn't be able to tell which sketch they were being linked to. So we created something to go on the very bottom of the page, to create a little extra space and make it more likely that the linked sketch would be at the top of the screen.

It's now grown so large that it's more than a screen and a half by itself, and people are continuing to suggest more links for it. I'm trying to figure out how to make something that's big enough to create the space that Scott wants, without having a ton of extra links on every page, which is bad for Google.

This isn't really how we normally do our navigation -- we use categories to help people move around, rather than templates with big lists of links. Is there something we can do to add some extra space without having a ton of links or big intrusive pictures? -- Danny (talk) 01:59, 29 June 2009 (UTC)

UnprotectionEdit

I'd really like to expand the SS character skit pages, but the template is protected. Can someone un-protect it so that when I make a new page, I can add it here? - Oscarfan 22:06, 1 April 2009 (UTC)

I would be okay with that... You've been doing a lot of great Sesame stuff, and if there's something you'd like to add, I'm sure it'll be great. While we're at it, though, we should take a look at how much is on here -- is it enough? Too much?

OF, to help us figure that out -- what are you planning to add to the template? I saw that you created a Prairie Dawn Sketches: Miscellaneous page -- what else do you want to add? -- Danny (talk) 22:32, 1 April 2009 (UTC)

Virtually, sketch pages like these, but for the main characters, like Elmo, Telly, Abby, characters who have enough to merit pages, unlike the secondary characters, who have their sketches listed on their own pages. I basically want at least 3 different kinds of pages for each character. I also want to be find some way to make the list act like the appearances on character pages, such as Nigel (Muppet Show), but nothing I've tried works. - Oscarfan 22:57, 2 April 2009 (UTC)

There is an Elmo Songs page I believe but I think there should be a Muppet Show template for this since we are suggesting other characters. Webkinz Mania 17:52, 4 April 2009 (UTC)

So, can we unprotect this this thing? - Oscarfan 01:44, 6 April 2009 (UTC)

So, what's the status? - Oscarfan 19:44, 14 April 2009 (UTC)

Merges, Adds, and MoreEdit

• Should we start an Elmo Sketches because we have Elmo Songs, Elmo's World and we still can have other Elmo sketches. What do you think about that? Webkinz Mania 23:59, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

• Should Ernie and Rubber Duckie Bumpers be in the Ernie and Bert Sketches. What do you think about that? Webkinz Mania 23:59, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

• Should The Letter of the Day Games be in the Cookie Monster Sketches. What do you think about that? Webkinz Mania 23:59, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

• Should Monsters in Day Care be in the Herry Monster Sketches. What do you think about that? Webkinz Mania 23:59, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Our themed specific sketches are grouped together for just that reason. If you're looking for Grover as an elevator operator, you go to Grover the Elevator Operator. If you're looking for all sketches with Grover, you look at Category:Grover Sketches. The same logic can be applied to the other items you listed. I hope that helps you navigate the wiki. —Scott (talk) 00:19, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

I mean on the template. I deleted the other things that I wrote that wasn't important. Webkinz Mania 00:43, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for clarifying. Your links to the categories suggested to me otherwise. I don't think we need every single sketch theme listed here; it would get out of hand. Think of this template more as a sampling of what's available in the bulleted items. —Scott (talk) 00:54, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for answering! Webkinz Mania 01:15, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

One more thing: Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures. I have no clue if that should be on the list. Webkinz Mania 19:22, 25 August 2008 (UTC)