Wikibooks:Userboxes

Userboxes (commonly abbreviated as UBX) are small colored boxes that allow users to add small messages on their user pages. They generally include one or two small graphics and a few short lines of text. Often they also include wiki markup that places the user in a category. Userboxes are generally created as templates and transcluded onto userpages, although their markup may be substituted directly onto user pages instead. Userboxes should not be used in articles.

The primary purpose of userboxes and user categories should be to alert other Wikibookians to ways you might aid them in editing. For instance, if you speak a second language or have professional expertise in a technical field, other users will know they can contact you for assistance.

Acceptable uses for boxes include user interests, user skills, technical information, or Wikibooks activities. Do not create or use boxes that do not add to the Wikibooks community. Userboxes should themselves be filed in a category, but they should not always file those that use them in a category. Keep in mind the existing categories when determining whether a userbox should do so or not.

Using existing userboxes
Userboxes are for the use of users on their own user pages. It may be considered uncivil to place any userboxes on any other user(s)'s page(s) without their permission.

The standard syntax for adding a userbox to your user page (also known as transclusion) is:.

You can use top and bottom templates to group userboxes together. Format:  .

Additionally, template babel can be used to group several language userboxes together.

Creating a new userbox
Any userbox, especially those of a more personal nature, should be created as a sub-page of your user page rather than placing it in the Template: namespace.

Userbox names in the Template: namespace must begin with "User " (for example, Template:User nameofbox). Those in Template: namespace may be expected to adhere more tightly with the acceptable uses illustrated above compared to ones that are subpages to your user page, which is given more leeway than content in other namespaces.

Content restrictions

 * Userboxes must not include blatant incivility or personal attacks.
 * Userboxes must not be intentionally inflammatory or divisive.
 * Wikibooks is not an appropriate place for political campaigning.
 * Userboxes which imply a negative attribute of some person or group to which the userbox creator then expresses objection, are not usually acceptable.

Simply: If content is not appropriate on a user page, it is not appropriate within userboxes.

Caution about image use

 * The Wikimedia Commons has a large range of icons for use within boxes. However, if you wish to select a different image to put in a userbox, make certain the image license is free. WikiBooks policy does not allow templates (which includes userboxes) or user pages to contain any copyrighted content not under free license; so, for example, "fair use" images are explicitly forbidden. This clause is to be interpreted strictly and without exception, for legal reasons.

Caution about user categories

 * Userboxes that include Category markup which adds the bearing userpage to a category must only categorize within subcategories of Category:Wikibookians.
 * Names and descriptions of subcategories are subject to the same rules and restrictions as userbox content.
 * Userboxes should not automatically include categories by default. Consider how useful the category would be to other editors before adding it to your userbox.
 * Do not create categories which could potentially include all Wikibookians. For example, userboxes such as: "This user is a Wikibookian."; "This user is human."; "This user uses the internet"; etc., should not include category markup based on such criteria.
 * Avoid categorizing "not"-based userboxes. For example: "This user does not like  ."

Content examples
Typical userbox content examples:


 * This user    
 * This user is  
 * This user is a member of  
 * This user is a fan of  
 * This user supports  
 * This user contributes to  
 * This user is interested in  
 * This user is fascinated by  

Other combinations are obviously possible.

Other typical verbs (again, others are possible): drives, eats, edits, enjoys, favors, likes, loves, plays, prefers, reads, speaks, understands, uses, and watches.

Avoid the following verbs: considers, finds, knows, and thinks.

Also avoid compound sentences which are positive and negative, such as:
 * This user likes  , but does not like  .

Constructing a userbox
There are a number of box types to select from when deciding to make a userbox. The most commonly used design is the "Standard box". It has one square shaped area on the left ("id") and a rectangular area on the right ("info").

For ease of use, userboxes are made using maker-templates that have a number of parameters. Once the maker-template is saved, it is automatically transformed to HTML.

Languages
  Also see Category:Language user templates‎   Also see Category:Grammar user templates‎
 * Babel
 * /Grammar/
 * /Programming/

Interests and tastes
  Also see Category:Animal user templates‎   Also see Category:Colour user templates‎   Also see Category:Computer-related user templates‎
 * /Animals/
 * /Colour/

  Also see Category:Software user templates   Also see Category:Food user templates‎   Also see Category:Game user templates‎   Also see Category:History user templates   Also see Category:Hobby user templates‎   Also see Category:Media user templates‎   Also see Category:Music user templates   Also see Category:Science user templates‎
 * /Computing/
 * /Software/
 * /Food/
 * /Drink/
 * /Games/
 * /History/
 * /Hobbies/
 * /Media/
 * /Music/

  Also see Category:Mathematics user templates‎   Also see Category:Sports user templates‎
 * /Science/
 * /Sports/

Life, status, and situation
  Also see Category:Education user templates‎   Also see Category:Location user templates‎   Also see Category:Profession user templates‎   Also see Category:Religion user templates‎   Also see Category:Astrological user templates‎
 * /Education/
 * /Location/
 * /Profession/
 * /Religion/
 * /Zodiac/

Wikibooks-related
  Also see Category:Wikibooks-related user templates‎   Also see Category:Userbox user templates
 * /Position/
 * /Sister Projects/
 * /Stats and Tools/
 * /Userboxes/
 * /Vandalism/
 * /Views/

Miscellaneous
  Also see Category:Humor user templates‎
 * /Humor/