View source for Forum:Recent changes sidebar widget

{{Forumheader|Redwood Grove|name=Recent changes sidebar widget|subject=Recent changes sidebar widget|notes=|closure=Allow|archive=True|date=18:54, 26 December 2021 (UTC)|user=Legaia 2 Pla|type=Tech}}

Hey friends,

Me, [[User:Cook Me Plox|Cook]], and [[User:Iiii I I I|Steve]] have been working on implementing a recent changes sidebar widget to the wiki, reminiscent of the old 'Recent Activity' gadget we had on ''the old host''. The current plan is to display the widget under the main 'Navigation' section in the sidebar of the wiki.

The aim is to encourage new people to contribute by demonstrating that the wiki is constantly evolving through edits. This might help them dip their toes into understanding how the wiki works, and how it's something they can get involved in.

<div style='font-size: 1.25em; margin: 1em 0;'>'''👉 [[Einar|Click here to see the widget on our test page]]'''</div>

{{Extimage|https://i.imgur.com/qdlo2PR.png|center|500px}}

The widget displays the most recent 4 changes to the mainspace on the wiki (excluding bot edits), including who made them and when. Clicking a user's name goes to their contributions page, and clicking the timestamp goes to the edit diff page. It currently updates every 5 minutes, but we may reduce this based on how well it performs.

It's worth noting that unlike most other wiki gadgets, we're injecting the JS code for this widget at server-level so that there's not a flash of unstyled/unloaded content for a few seconds, improving UX. The CSS for the widget is still maintained on the wiki.

We'd like to implement this on all pages of the wiki.

==Discussion==
'''Support''' - {{Signatures/Jayden}} 15:51, 10 December 2021 (UTC)

'''Support''' - yea yup yeah yeehaw do it yea yes confirm yep yoohoo yea -[[User:Towelcat|Towelcat]] ([[User talk:Towelcat|talk]]) 15:55, 10 December 2021 (UTC)

'''Support''' - I started editing because of something like this. No, you don't need to go look up what the edits were. {{Signatures/Cook Me Plox}} 16:15, 10 December 2021 (UTC)

'''Support''' - I think we can expand this to a few more edits. but looks nice [[User:Shoyrukon|Shoyrukon]] ([[User talk:Shoyrukon|talk]]) 17:02, 10 December 2021 (UTC)

<s>'''Comment'''</s>'''Support with conditions''' - Navigation Main page About us Recent changes New files Random page Contact us Recent changes Bees! 51m ago - Cook Me Plox Sweetcorn seed 4h ago - Crow Teleportation 5h ago - [anonymous] My Arm 5h ago - JordiTK {{User:Fjara/Signature}} 05:39, 11 December 2021 (UTC)
:My conditions are {{User:Fjara/Signature}} 05:39, 11 December 2021 (UTC)

'''Support''' - Cook keeps telling us on discord to comment on this obvious snowball thread, so here's a comment. {{User:Crow/Signature}} 06:06, 11 December 2021 (UTC)

'''Strongly support''' --{{Signatures/Manpaint55}} 17:17, 11 December 2021 (UTC)

'''Oppose''' - Adding unnecessary things to the sidebar is a bad idea Imo. I always liked the simplicity of the sidebar and the wiki in general and visitors should only find important stuff in the sidebar. I also highly doubt this will bring in new editors tbh.{{Signatures/Brok Enwings}} 22:54, 11 December 2021 (UTC)
:That's reasonable I guess. FWIW, people individually could just hide it by doing display:none on #p-Recent_changes in user CSS. The plan is to track whether people are interacting with the RC sidebar at all, and see if that correlates with creation of accounts/initial editing. There's a lot of reason to think that this works historically - if it doesn't, we can kill it in a month or two. {{Signatures/Cook Me Plox}} 06:25, 12 December 2021 (UTC)
'''Support''' - Some nice wiki QOL. [[User:Ozank|Ozank]] ([[User talk:Ozank|talk]]) 23:06, 11 December 2021 (UTC)

'''Support and comment''' - Move the 'Recent Changes' link (in the navigation section) to a 'See more...' link below the 4 diffs? {{Signatures/Gaz Lloyd}} 21:35, 12 December 2021 (UTC)

'''Support''' - Why am I there twice [[User:Helmfirth|Helmfirth]] ([[User talk:Helmfirth|talk]]) 12:59, 14 December 2021 (UTC)
:stop editing {{Signatures/InvalidCards}} 13:02, 14 December 2021 (UTC)

'''Support''' - per Fjara's conditions {{Signatures/InvalidCards}} 13:02, 14 December 2021 (UTC)

'''Support with conditions''' - Unnecessary, but if we can bring in at least one editor that we wouldn't have otherwise with this, then that's a plus. However, can we please have the option to not display this like other gadgets? I understand the personal CSS, but something a little more user-friendly would be preferred. --{{User:Legaia2Pla/Signature}} 18:44, 14 December 2021 (UTC)
:Because this is not implemented through an on-wiki gadget, it would be a technical challenge (but perhaps, with some work, possible) to allow users to not see this. I'd rather just stick to letting users display: none; it. {{Signatures/Jayden}} 18:46, 14 December 2021 (UTC)

'''Oppose''' - per Brok {{User:Kelsey/Signature}} 22:36, 15 December 2021 (UTC)
:Also why has it already been implemented considering the thread isn't over? {{User:Kelsey/Signature}} 09:55, 16 December 2021 (UTC)
:{{@|Cook Me Plox}} Please look at this {{User:Kelsey/Signature}} 23:07, 19 December 2021 (UTC)
:"I love the feature" - Kelsey W from Engeland {{Signatures/Cook Me Plox}} 23:08, 19 December 2021 (UTC)
::Please don't {{wp|Enge (Zürich)|dox}} me {{User:Kelsey/Signature}} 23:09, 19 December 2021 (UTC)

'''Support''' - sick stuff been wanting this back for years thanks {{Signatures/Starieeena}} 22:37, 15 December 2021 (UTC)

'''Support''' - Seems fine to try it out to see it brings in editors. I'm not convinced it's as effective historically as Cook indicates (sounds like consensus bias) but I would be happy to be proven wrong by the data. [[User:Riblet15|Riblet15]] ([[User talk:Riblet15|talk]]) 22:49, 15 December 2021 (UTC)

'''Support''' - I'd place it below Community, though; that and the guides are more important, I reckon. Whilst I doubt its effectiveness as new editor bait (that said, if we can get but one second Cook...), it doesn't really hurt. Except, I suppose, if there's a new quest in which you fight Zamorak (plot twist!) or summat, in which case recent changes to "Zamorak (boss)" are rather spoilery. (Terrible example but ye get my point.) On a side note (geddit? Side?), happy Christmas to all! [[User:Fswe1|Fswe1]] ([[User talk:Fswe1|talk]]) 09:03, 19 December 2021 (UTC)

'''Closed''' - The new shiny widget has been implemented. If for some reason there's something weird that happens with it; reach out and we'll get it sorted! --{{User:Legaia2Pla/Signature}} 18:54, 26 December 2021 (UTC)