User blog:Beboper/Long Overdue Update!

Hey everyone!

Just posting to give you all an update on how things are going at the wiki, and where we're headed. After all, the last time an update was given was back in February (has it really been that long?)

Since the last update, things have changed considerably. Many users and regular contributors have moved on for whatever, and many areas of the site have suffered as a result. As well, I've been on a bit of a hiatus since March, so I haven't had as much time as I would like to help out.

However, since my schedule opened up in May, I've been working hard to improve many areas of the site, and to fix areas that need tending to. As such, some of you will have noticed some changes. In addition to some minor maintenance and fixes, here's a summary of changes:
 * Important article pages revamped for quality and consistency
 * Front page revamped and reorganized
 * Community Portal has been improved
 * "Create boxes" set up on on both front page and community portal to assist in card page creation

I'm particularly fond of the new Create Boxes on the front page and community portal, as they've made adding new card pages much simpler and more intuitive for both new and experienced contributors alike. Since their implementation, I've noticed many new users beginning to contribute to the site for the first time.

While a lot of progress has been made at the site, there are still many areas that are in need of some service. In particular the following are the big areas of concern:
 * Card Galleries
 * Price Guides

Our regular gallery maintainer hasn't been keeping up with new cards, and I have not yet received word on whether he will continue that. For the time being, it would probably be best to assume that we're on our own. Over the next few weeks, I would like to start working on bringing the galleries up to speed, and as such I would appreciate any volunteers willing to help out on that front.

The price guides are also in desperate need of servicing. While many prices on the Ultra Rare price guides are still reasonable approximations (for iOS at least), there are still many cards that need to be added and priced. As well, the rare price guides haven't been maintained at all, so they are pretty close to useless at this point. Additionally, as both lists are set up, they are becoming pretty unwieldy and difficult to maintain. As such, they will both need to be reorganized to be maintainable in the future.

Over the next few weeks, it is my hope that we'll be able to continue moving the wiki in the right direction. I'll have more to say about the galleries and price guides later on. For now, I would appreciate any questions/comments/concerns you may have about anything I've said here.