NSindex - Minoa gives it a second chance

by **Minoa** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 7:27 am

NSindex: the unofficial NationStates encyclopaedia

Visit here: https://nsindex.net • TODO List • Archive

Following a 1½-year break due to personal issues, I removed the dust cover off the NSindex project and started adding new content to the wiki. There is no miracle in the soft-relaunch, named as such because I want to see if renewed activity on NSindex will make me a little more happy.

This time, I hope that NSindex will break out of the bubble of just being about issues, and cover more topics in detail, such as the World Assembly and its resolutions, Trading Cards and its mechanics, the NationStates website team, and the ever-popular NationStates API.

I am inviting players to sign up to the revival attempt, because there will be a lot to catch up on, such as new and updated issues, resolutions, and statistics. I aspire to have all issues and resolutions on the wiki by the end of this year, but that depends on how many new contributors NSindex gets. If you have been on NSindex before, but you forgot your login details, you can try email password recovery, or I can arrange an account merge.

NSindex will have the usual advantages, such as an independent login system, Wikipedia template compatibility, and no bot-generated pages for nations and regions (in fact, that is the only thing that is still running on NSwiki.org, since the Verification API there is broken). Our monthly backup service will also be running again: the next regular data dump is on 1 August 2021.

-- Minoa

by **Giovanniland** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 7:40 am

Interesting! I have certainly used NSIndex as a source for various information when searching more about NS (such as issues and policies), and I think it'd be a good idea to maintain it active for other players to also know more about NS.

I'm willing to help update articles and create new ones, especially about Trading Cards, though I tried to fill the "Request Account" form and was met with an error page with some code. Here is what I saw, if it helps:

by **Rhim Flavezztowland** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 8:03 am

Giovanniland wrote:...though I tried to fill the "Request Account" form and was met with an error page with some code. Here is what I saw, if it helps:
[b9006f5979c7372b8b60f6be] /wiki/Special:RequestAccount Error: Call to a member function timeanddate() on null

Backtrace:

from /srv/data/web/vhosts/nsindex.net/htdocs/w/extensions/ConfirmAccount/includes/backend/ConfirmAccount.class.php(121)
#0 /srv/data/web/vhosts/nsindex.net/htdocs/w/extensions/ConfirmAccount/includes/business/AccountRequestSubmission.php(256): ConfirmAccount::sendConfirmationMail()
#1 /srv/data/web/vhosts/nsindex.net/htdocs/w/extensions/ConfirmAccount/includes/frontend/specialpages/actions/RequestAccount_body.php(343): AccountRequestSubmission->submit()
#2 /srv/data/web/vhosts/nsindex.net/htdocs/w/extensions/ConfirmAccount/includes/frontend/specialpages/actions/RequestAccount_body.php(83): RequestAccountPage->doSubmit()
#3 /srv/data/web/vhosts/nsindex.net/htdocs/w/includes/specialpage/SpecialPage.php(646): RequestAccountPage->execute()
#4 /srv/data/web/vhosts/nsindex.net/htdocs/w/includes/specialpage/SpecialPageFactory.php(1386): SpecialPage->run()
#5 /srv/data/web/vhosts/nsindex.net/htdocs/w/includes/MediaWiki.php(309): MediaWiki\SpecialPage\SpecialPageFactory->executePath()
#6 /srv/data/web/vhosts/nsindex.net/htdocs/w/includes/MediaWiki.php(913): MediaWiki->performRequest()
#7 /srv/data/web/vhosts/nsindex.net/htdocs/w/includes/MediaWiki.php(546): MediaWiki->main()
#8 /srv/data/web/vhosts/nsindex.net/htdocs/w/index.php(53): MediaWiki->run()
#9 /srv/data/web/vhosts/nsindex.net/htdocs/w/index.php(46): wfIndexMain()
#10 {main}

I got that error while trying to request an account too

... (That aside, let me tease something here: when I finally manage to request an account without getting that error and get an NSindex account, I plan to write about my NationStates nation on NSindex :bow:

!)

by **Minoa** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 10:00 am

To Giovanniland, Rhim Flavezztowland: That problem has been fixed. Please try again.

I apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.

by **Refuge Isle** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 10:08 am

Glad to see your return to NSindex, Minoa :blush:

by **Giovanniland** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 10:23 am

Minoa wrote:To Giovanniland, Rhim Flavezztowland: That problem has been fixed. Please try again.

I apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.

No worries, I was able to request the account without any issues now. Thank you

by **Dexterra** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 4:23 pm

Glad to hear this, I really appreciate your work! NSindex has been a godsend for issues

by **Candensia** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 5:37 pm

Really great to see you back at it, Minoa.

by **Rhim Flavezztowland** » Mon Jul 12, 2021 7:48 pm

Minoa wrote:To Giovanniland, Rhim Flavezztowland: That problem has been fixed. Please try again.

I apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Thanks for fixing the problem with the "request an account" thing, Minoa :clap:

! I managed to request an account this time, so I'm now waiting for myself to get one...

by **Morover** » Tue Jul 13, 2021 7:56 am

I've been enjoying doing some small things here and there, and generally starting to get used to the formatting stuff. Is there a Discord or other messaging platform for contributors to help coordinate?

by **Minoa** » Tue Jul 13, 2021 9:51 am

Morover wrote:I've been enjoying doing some small things here and there, and generally starting to get used to the formatting stuff. Is there a Discord or other messaging platform for contributors to help coordinate?

For reasons of transparency, I do not think Discord would be a good place to coordinate the expansion of NSindex. I think we have to come up with a plan to modernise or merge the Noticeboard and Community portal. The wiki's sidebar also needs an update.

by **Jutsa** » Tue Jul 13, 2021 11:08 am

Welcome back, Minoa. It's always nice to see you around.

I already went ahead and made a few edits to my personal page and a bunch of adjustments to the page of issues editors (to which I see you've noticed). I've made some comments about some of the things are missing, namely certain specific dates (I could only find announcements of around the time promotions and demotions were made, couldn't find anything more specific; I think the new editors should be easier to do) and archived pages (though my citations in general might need a cleaning up or two :blush:

).

P.S. I hate citations.

by **Minoa** » Tue Jul 13, 2021 11:33 pm

Jutsa wrote:P.S. I hate citations.

I completely understand: it can get very tedious at times with the (necessary, unfortunately)* archiving and such, hence why it is going take more than me and you to pull off the massive update.

* Especially since that data dump disaster of July 2018, which could have been worse if it wasn't for the Internet Archive and r3naissanc3r.

by **Homyland** » Sat Jul 17, 2021 1:53 am

As nobody has asked, I will have to:

Where is the dark theme?

by **Minoa** » Tue Jul 20, 2021 10:45 pm

Homyland wrote:As nobody has asked, I will have to:

Where is the dark theme?

An experimental dark mode has been added from https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:DarkMode, but it is very experimental and things might break.

by **Homyland** » Wed Jul 21, 2021 3:21 am

Minoa wrote:
Homyland wrote:As nobody has asked, I will have to:

Where is the dark theme?

An experimental dark mode has been added from https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:DarkMode, but it is very experimental and things might break.

Cool, but... I can't use it while logged in.

by **Minoa** » Wed Jul 21, 2021 11:23 am

Homyland wrote:
Minoa wrote:An experimental dark mode has been added from https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:DarkMode, but it is very experimental and things might break.

Cool, but... I can't use it while logged in.

The Dark Mode button is actually at the bottom of the page: it appears to be the decision of the extension’s developer for some reason. I am also aware of a bug where the Dark mode doesn't stick when logged out, but said developer has not found an answer yet. Hence why it has not been rolled out to the Wikimedia wikis.

by **Homyland** » Wed Jul 21, 2021 10:43 pm

Minoa wrote:
Homyland wrote:Cool, but... I can't use it while logged in.

The Dark Mode button is actually at the bottom of the page: it appears to be the decision of the extension’s developer for some reason. I am also aware of a bug where the Dark mode doesn't stick when logged out, but said developer has not found an answer yet. Hence why it has not been rolled out to the Wikimedia wikis.

I don't find the button while logged in, only while logged out. Also, the moment you change pages the dark mode is gone.

by **Minoa** » Wed Jul 21, 2021 11:33 pm

Homyland wrote:
Minoa wrote:The Dark Mode button is actually at the bottom of the page: it appears to be the decision of the extension’s developer for some reason. I am also aware of a bug where the Dark mode doesn't stick when logged out, but said developer has not found an answer yet. Hence why it has not been rolled out to the Wikimedia wikis.

I don't find the button while logged in, only while logged out. Also, the moment you change pages the dark mode is gone.

I will have to dump the extension and look into in-house alternatives. I apologise for any inconvenience.

by **Homyland** » Thu Jul 22, 2021 12:13 am

Minoa wrote:
Homyland wrote:I don't find the button while logged in, only while logged out. Also, the moment you change pages the dark mode is gone.

I will have to dump the extension and look into in-house alternatives. I apologise for any inconvenience.

Don't worry! There are plenty of skin packs with Dark Mode skins. The Dark Mode category in Wikimedia links to some.

by **Minoa** » Thu Jul 22, 2021 12:22 am

Homyland wrote:
Minoa wrote:I will have to dump the extension and look into in-house alternatives. I apologise for any inconvenience.

Don't worry! There are plenty of skin packs with Dark Mode skins. The Dark Mode category in Wikimedia links to some.

I have implemented an experimental dark-mode using the "prefers-color-scheme" media feature on CSS (https://nsindex.net/wiki/MediaWiki:Common.css). It depends on your system’s operating system preference, but I am not sure how many browsers support it as I currently use Firefox and Safari only.

by **Giovanniland** » Thu Jul 22, 2021 1:59 pm

Minoa wrote:
Homyland wrote:Don't worry! There are plenty of skin packs with Dark Mode skins. The Dark Mode category in Wikimedia links to some.

I have implemented an experimental dark-mode using the "prefers-color-scheme" media feature on CSS (https://nsindex.net/wiki/MediaWiki:Common.css). It depends on your system’s operating system preference, but I am not sure how many browsers support it as I currently use Firefox and Safari only.

It seems to work on Brave, which is Chromium-based. So perhaps it works on other Chromium-based browsers such as Google Chrome as well, but I am not entirely sure as I don't use Chrome.

by **Minoa** » Thu Aug 05, 2021 5:42 am

The monthly backup service is running again: with the soft relaunch, my responsibility to avoid the events of NSwiki.net in November 2013 resumes.

At the same time, we have prepared the wiki for the changes to the default Vector theme that we are using. The changes are currently opt-in, until the English Wikipedia switches over to the new theme. For more information: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Reading/ ... provements.

I think the highest priority is getting the NationStates issues database up to date. I made a few steps towards the goal, like updating our list of issues, but getting each issue’s entry to standard (at https://nsindex.net/wiki/NSindex:Manual_of_Style/Issues) will certainly take more than me to do it, and I am more busy than ever before.

If you have been wishing to maintain a database of issues, but have not got the role at the official thread, then we are looking for you to help us out.

by **Minoa** » Thu Nov 04, 2021 6:07 am

NSindex has today (4 November 2021) published a list of known "By Max" banners that appeared on Nationstates since the introduction of the Century theme in January 2011. The list is at https://nsindex.net/wiki/Max_Barry#Advertising.

I am writing here to ask if there are any banners that we may have missed.

-- Minoa

by **Random Country 453632** » Thu Nov 04, 2021 5:48 pm

I think i found a new issue (Issue 1478: Two Sides Of A Coin)

Following the abolition of the nation’s smallest denomination coin, the millions of unreleased pennies already minted with the next year’s date were ordered to be melted down. Since then, a few of these pennies have periodically emerged in the collector market, where they command a tremendous price, having apparently been smuggled out of the mint by an unknown employee.

1.
“Unissued coins are government property, and the mere act of possessing them is a crime!” proclaims mint superintendent Nellie Deal, binder in hand. “Those coins should be seized for destruction in compliance with the original order, and the full force of law should be brought against everybody involved in this blatant criminal enterprise.” Opening the binder to show a listing of auction records, she points to a particular sale. “I think I know where to start.”

2.
Museum donor Isaiah Swift-Longboard makes his way to your desk, carrying a long box. “Seize the coins and prosecute the criminals, yes, but destroying the few remaining pennies would make no cents! These coins survived against the odds, and should be placed in museums alongside Random Country 453632’s other numismatic artifacts.” He opens the box to reveal a dozen slight variants of a similar coin, encapsulated in plastic slabs and differing only by date. “Aren’t they so interesting?”

3.
“You can’t just take these away!” howls shoe designer and coin collector Farouk Whiteman, clutching a penny in his hand. “A functionary at the local licensing office put an approval stamp on the auctioneer’s filing paperwork, so that means the government approved the sale. I had no idea it was stolen!” Sliding a grainy photocopy of the alleged document across the table, he continues. “See this? If you go back on your word and seize it now, that would be like a second theft!”

I actually think it was drafted in got issues

NSindex - Minoa gives it a second chance

NSindex - Minoa gives it a second chance

"By Max" banners

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