Dec 17, 2015, 7:50 am
Last edit by: JDiver
Wikipost FAQ
Wikipost / wikipost questions, issues, discussion
Wikipost / wikipost questions, issues, discussion
Q. What is a Wikipost?
A Wikipost contains content that appears at the top of a thread, usually used to summarize important information in multi-page threads: "This is a community-maintained wikipost containing the most important information from this thread. You may start orb edit a Wikipost once you have been on FT for 90 days and have made 90 posts." (Written at the top of every Wikipost.)
Q. Why are Wikiposts here? What is their purpose?
Threads that have high interest can grow very quickly, making it tiresome to sort through sometimes hundreds of posts to find information. A Wikipost is designed to contain a summary of relevant information, and may contain links to especially relevant posts, related threads and off-site resources. Any member with "90/90" can update obsolete information or update Wikipost information, and of course there's plenty of space to discuss or ask about more specific details.
Q. What display modes are offered for Wikiposts?
There are three modes of wiki post display: (c/o IBobi)
1. "Summary view" (default) -- this shows the top of the wikipost only.
2. Full display (when you click "Click here to display full Wiki") -- this shows the whole Wikipost.
3. Hidden (when you click the "-" sign at the top right) -- reduces this and ALL Wikiposts on FT to a narrow blue bar that says "Wikipost", until you click the "+" on one of them again, which will return them to default view.
(see more below)
2. Full display (when you click "Click here to display full Wiki") -- this shows the whole Wikipost.
3. Hidden (when you click the "-" sign at the top right) -- reduces this and ALL Wikiposts on FT to a narrow blue bar that says "Wikipost", until you click the "+" on one of them again, which will return them to default view.
(see more below)
Q. Why are so many threads with Wikiposts concentrated on the front pages of some fora?
The most popular / used threads are often those with complicated content - frequent flyer or guest program changes, securing awards, etc. These are the threads most likely to have Wikiposts summarizing key points.
Q. How / why did Wikiposts come about on FT?
Wikiposts came about after requests from members to Internet Brands and a lot of forethought, followed by Beta testing. They are considered a valuable asset to FlyerTalk, and a viable and "closer" alternative to maintaining an off site, separate wiki.
Q. What do "wiki" and "Wikipost" mean?
The word "wiki" (wee-kee) is Hawaiian Polynisian for "fast" or "quick". Here, a Wikipost offers a quick look at the topic covered by a thread.
Q. Can I see a listing of Wikiposts?
Yes. Up in the dark blue navigation bar, a little below the FlyerTalk logo, it says "Flyertalk [sic, should be a capital T] Wiki." Click that and then "Show all Wiki [sic, should be plural]" from the sub-menu.
(Thanks to jackal)
Q. What do I do if I just don't want to read the Wikiposts?
Just continue browsing normally. Only minimized Wikiposts (a few lines) will be revealed until you click on / touch the blue "Click here to display Full Wiki" line. The full Wikipost will only be displayed if you click the link to read it. Ignore the Wikipost if you don't want to read the information therein.
Q. What do I do if I feel there are too darn many Wikiposts?
You can go to the "Wikipost" blue menu bar at the top of a thread page and click on the "-" sign at the right end of the bar, which will minimize all wikis; you never have to see a Wikipost again. That information never has to intrude on your reading of FlyerTalk. And, of course you can turn wiki posts "on" by clicking the "+" in the same menu bar when you wish.)
Alternatively, you can go to your FT Profile, look at Your Control Panel, Edit Options. Toward the bottom of the page you'll see
Wikipost Hide All
Hide all Wiki Posts in Threads
[] Hide all wikiposts
Hide all Wiki Posts in Threads
[] Hide all wikiposts
Q. What are the alternatives to wikiposts in a large forum?
1) Multiple (dozens or even more) threads with members having to search them all for answers, or start a new one out of frustration, assuring information fragmentation and dispersion.
2) Mega threads with hundreds of posts to sort through for answers.
Thanks to wetrat0
2) Mega threads with hundreds of posts to sort through for answers.
Thanks to wetrat0
Q. I can't open and edit a particular Wikipost! Why?
A few wiki posts may be locked by moderators to prevent making changes; these preferably should be clearly marked with an explanation.
Q. I can't even see Wikiposts! Why?
If you can not see the wiki posts:
Assuming you are signed in, have been on FT 90 or more days and have made 90 or more posts:
In your FT Profile, look at Your Control Panel, Edit Options. Toward the bottom of the page you'll see
Wikipost Hide All
Hide all Wiki Posts in Threads
[] Hide all wikiposts
Hide all Wiki Posts in Threads
[] Hide all wikiposts
Q. How do I open and start a wikipost myself?
To create a wiki, go to the Thread Tools menu on the right of the thread menu bar, click / touch Create a Wikipost
Q. I've got "90/90"; how do I edit a wikipost?
To edit a wiki, expand by clicking / touching the "Click here to display full wiki" message, then see the Edit button in the lower right of the wiki.
Q. What formatting can I use to make a wikipost more "eye-tractive" and readable?
Wikis accepts a lot of common BBCode formatting, some of which is shown below - but not all.
Bold and colors work!
Sizes work as well, from larger than this to this.
However, names of threads like http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/techn...-problems.html are not being normalized. (URL links to FlyerTalk in posts will render such: "Wikipost" / wiki post questions, issues, discussion.
In Wikiposts, they will render as full URL: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/techn...olidated.html; look at the above URL to see how you can adjust that.
See Calchas' post #122 to read about the wiki history rendering.
Q. Can I embed or add illustrations or photos in Wikiposts?
Links to photographs and graphic images can be embedded in wikiposts; framed video links can not be, nor can images be attached as in posts.
Revised 9 June 2016 - JDiver
FAQ: Wiki post / wikipost questions, discussion, issues (consolidated)
Dec 17, 2015, 6:35 am
#16
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
similar WIKI-RAGE on display here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...l#post25793842
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...l#post25793842
Dec 17, 2015, 6:39 am
#17
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Dec 17, 2015, 6:41 am
#18
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Somewhere between Singapore and the US
Programs: Qantas Platinum, SQ Krisflyer PPS, UA 1p, Marriot Lifetime Platinum, American EXP
Posts: 988
funny
I had not been on for quite a while and last night in this forum I though the same thing.
Wiki-Overload
Wiki-Overload
Dec 20, 2015, 7:23 pm
#19
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
See how in the wiki, of course.
Or in the first post if you've suppressed wiki posts.Your suggestions?
Last edited by JDiver; Dec 20, 2015 at 7:35 pm
Jan 2, 2016, 8:32 pm
#20
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Houston, TX
Programs: AA Exec Plt, SPG Platinum
Posts: 355
Too many WIKI's
Moderators - can we do something about the number of WIKI's on this forum? Way too many. Any way to condense? It's hard to actually see the threads with all the wiki's on the board. Thank you!
Jan 2, 2016, 9:10 pm
#22
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: CUR
Posts: 2,170
How is it hard to see the threads with all the wikis?
The wikis you see are normal threads. A wiki can be added to any thread by any member (with a minimum post count.) If a thread has a wiki, it'll show the "wiki" symbol. That's the only difference with any other thread. So Your complaint doesn't really make much sense to me.
Or do you mean sticky threads? (Of which there are only 4 or 5, so not that many, but J digress.)
The wikis you see are normal threads. A wiki can be added to any thread by any member (with a minimum post count.) If a thread has a wiki, it'll show the "wiki" symbol. That's the only difference with any other thread. So Your complaint doesn't really make much sense to me.
Or do you mean sticky threads? (Of which there are only 4 or 5, so not that many, but J digress.)
Jan 2, 2016, 9:13 pm
#23
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
We will merge your new thread into the existing thread telling you how you can manage wikis. See, er, the wiki post - of, for those who may have them turned off, the first post.
/Moderator
Really?
Jan 3, 2016, 10:57 am
#24
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: RNO, PHL, SLC
Programs: DL Platinum, AA EXP
Posts: 214
It makes the forum so generic with minimal unique threads/discussions. Everything either gets dumped into a wiki or new threads get pushed below all the wiki mess.
Jan 4, 2016, 11:56 am
#25
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Agree! The wiki-situation in this forum is a little much. It's not so much the wiki-tags, but there is too much info and acronyms in the titles of the wiki threads.
It makes the forum so generic with minimal unique threads/discussions. Everything either gets dumped into a wiki or new threads get pushed below all the wiki mess.
It makes the forum so generic with minimal unique threads/discussions. Everything either gets dumped into a wiki or new threads get pushed below all the wiki mess.
Looking at thread listings, the tag WIKI shows at the beginning of the thread title. The thread title is designed to make threads easier to search for, and to maximize search engine results. Acronyms or abbreviations are those most commonly used by FlyerTalkers in this forum; if you don't understand them, click on Help in the upper right page menu, then click on Glossary.
If you click on the thread title, if you have wikis activated as discussed above, you are pressed dwith a suppressed wiki you do / can not see until you click on or touch the "Click here to display Full Wiki" line. You can suppress Wikiposts within your personal settings or using the [-] on the far right side of the wikipost title line. Read the wikipost here to learn how to do that.
There are many topics left on their own. In this fairly new forum, we have over 6,500 unique threads. (Mst existing threads were left in the pre-merger AA and US fora.)
On the other hand, imagine attempting to find information about using 500 mile upgrades, which MCE seat is best on a particular aircraft or how to connect at a hub airport, searching and coming up with forty or more threads to sort, hoping one will have the answer to your question. And that happens because some of the questions members have are repeated day after day.
We've been there in this forum, which with the merger has become even larger and busier (Friday evening, one of our slowest times, I saw 293 (57 members & 236 guests) reading this forum. The free form format was unwieldy, repetitive and frustrating and leading to information fragmentation.
But if you chose not to see wikiposts, you can deactivate them quite easily - as described above in the wikipost and first post in this thread.
Last edited by JDiver; May 16, 2016 at 12:27 pm
May 16, 2016, 12:03 pm
#26
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: TPA, FL
Programs: United Gold, Hilton Diamond,Marriott Gold
Posts: 482
How many WIKIs does this forum need?
Geesh, just started browsing AA forum and 90% of the first 2 pages are WIKIs. LOL Kinda defeats the purpose of interacting with each other on threads doesn't it?
May 16, 2016, 12:17 pm
#27
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
All you have to do is click on the [-] in the wikipost menu, so you don't have to see them. You can turn off all wikis that way. Or, you can turn them off in your personal settings. To see how, please read the wikipost at the tip of the page.
Searching will reveal an existing thread on this topic, as well; there's no need to start new threads where there are existing ones. We've merged.
/Moderator
Last edited by JDiver; May 16, 2016 at 12:23 pm
May 27, 2016, 2:30 pm
#28
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: LAX / SNA
Programs: AA Life PLT 3MM/ NZ Gold
Posts: 158
Forum Structure
Is there some way all the Wiki's can be cleaned up. The titles are also long and for me , and maybe it is just me, I find the message board not very useful. At least not as useful as it was some time back before all the wiki's and long titles to the treads.
I would like to make a suggestion on what would improve it for me but not fully understanding what created the extensive use of the wiki's do not have a suggestion at this time.
I find many of the other message boards for other airlines that do not have the extensive wiki usage more helpful.
Thank you for any consideration of my comment.
I would like to make a suggestion on what would improve it for me but not fully understanding what created the extensive use of the wiki's do not have a suggestion at this time.
I find many of the other message boards for other airlines that do not have the extensive wiki usage more helpful.
Thank you for any consideration of my comment.