Template talk:IA desc

Comments please!

Appearance

We can do pretty much anything we want to the appearance of this template, and that includes making it invisible. As it is currently, we would want to change out the first header we're using on the IA pages:

Standard

To not include the class strip. --Jomegat (talk) 12:29, 24 November 2014 (EST)

I don't think the IA header would need that much information. Maybe we could add the grade the level is supposed to cover? For example, Friend - Grade 5 (Fifth grade, 5th grade, etc.). What about the Advanced option? Would that be a separate header? Also, just out of curiosity, "desc" is short for what? --w126jep (talk) 12:42, 24 November 2014 (EST)

Desc is short for descriptor. --Jomegat (talk) 14:16, 24 November 2014 (EST)

I was guessing descendant ... good to know. --w126jep (talk) 18:15, 24 November 2014 (EST)

I'm not clear where we are using this template. I hope we leave the class strip on each page of the IA requirements. I don't think we should be adding the grade level all over the place - that term changes between countries in the engish speaking world. JadeDragon (talk) 13:17, 24 November 2014 (EST)

I'm proposing that we add this template to the 48 IA pages (six classes times 8 sections each). If we leave the class insignia in the template (as it is now), we would want to remove it from any page that includes the template. Or we could just make the template invisible.

The purpose of the template is to provide a translated page name that the "See Also" template could extract and display. So when we go to say, the Spanish Seeds honor page, the See Also section would list a link to the Spanish-language IA/Friend/Nature page (because Seeds meets a requirement for that page). Right now, it will display the link as "Investiture Achievement/Friend/Nature/es". That's the correct link, but we really want the translated page name.

Since I will end up adding this template to all 48 pages, I thought it would be a good idea to think through what we want in it first.

The template would appear on the page only once, so anything that goes in it should apply to the Advanced as well. I guess that's a fairly strong argument against having it display the class strip. I think I'm leaning towards making it invisible for now. --Jomegat (talk) 14:15, 24 November 2014 (EST)

After rethinking this, I believe it should display a header at the top of the page. Feel free to post a reasoned dissent. --Jomegat (talk) 17:49, 24 November 2014 (EST)

I would prefer to have it displayed. -- w126jep (talk) 18:15, 24 November 2014 (EST)

Its such a big box and seems to generate a lot of white space below the box on this page but not others. I reduced the logo and centered it-see what you think. JadeDragon (talk) 21:11, 24 November 2014 (EST)

All headers added now. JadeDragon (talk) 22:58, 24 November 2014 (EST)

Class Strips in Spanish

Question - do the Friend strips come in Amigo etc? JadeDragon (talk) 21:29, 24 November 2014 (EST)

The class strips do come in the Spanish. The NAD, however, does not sell them, they have to be ordered from the Interamerican Division or the SAD. That brings up a question from me: Since the NAD does not sell the translated class strips, should we use the translated images in the IA curriculum? I would prefer to do so, but since this is an NAD site I'm not sure if it would be appropriate. --w126jep (talk) 21:51, 24 November 2014 (EST)

Ok - I'd prefer to see the strip in spanish or even better, so that they work in any language without needing to get an image of the strip in greek or whatever - use the colored Class Pin image instead of the the IA logo in the header with the translated class name and section text below. The class strips are one of the few insignia that have text on them. JadeDragon (talk) 21:54, 24 November 2014 (EST)

That is an excellent idea. I remember reading somewhere, I think in the new protocol for designing honors, that new designs should not have text exactly for that reason, so they wouldn't have to be translated and could be used worldwide. Also, in the NAD, the Spanish for Ranger and Voyager are Orientador and Viajero; in the SAD however they are Excursionista and Pionero. Of course, the NAD names would be used here, but it is just to illustrate that the more we can avoid text, the better. --w126jep (talk) 22:08, 24 November 2014 (EST).

I uploaded all 6 pins in case we want to use them - named FRIENDPIN.jpg and so on JadeDragon (talk) 01:15, 25 November 2014 (EST)

The pins need to have transparent backgrounds (meaning they will have to be png's instead of jpgs). Also, I think they would be better as a replacement for the IA logo. We don't have to use the class strip, but I think it's good that it has the class name on it. Not everyone knows that the Friend class is blue, and having the strip that says "Friend" is a definite help there. I'm thinking I should extract the class name from the pagename instead of having it as a separate argument (I hate redundancy). Then if we name the "Amigo" jpg "Strip invest amigo.jpg" we'll get the Spanish version of the strip on the Spanish versions of the page. For languages that don't have a translated strip name... we'll have to redirect to some other version of the image and the strip. Or synthesize one from scratch. --Jomegat (talk) 14:07, 25 November 2014 (EST)

Are we looking to upload the Spanish class strips then? Which I don't mind, but just a reminder, they are not officially provided for by the NAD and might not be regarded as part of the official NAD uniform. Even in the booklets, in the beginning page where it shows the emblems a Pathfinder can receive upon investiture, it shows the English version.

I'm in communication with the translation department at AdventSource and maybe I can bring this up. --w126jep (talk) 15:04, 25 November 2014 (EST)

I'm not sure! We could also synthesize the class strips using tables with colored borders & backgrounds, and then it could say whatever we wanted it to in any language without making people think they should order an Amigo patch. --Jomegat (talk) 16:01, 25 November 2014 (EST)

I say let's just leave it as it is for now and if we hear from any of the uppers, the appropriate changes can be made at that time. I'll see what info I can glean from AdventSource --w126jep (talk) 18:12, 25 November 2014 (EST)

BTW, very cool that AdventSource has been in contact with you. :D --Jomegat (talk) 18:18, 25 November 2014 (EST)

I figured we needed transparent back grounds - just not sure how to do that. Also 2 have a textured back on the pin field which is old style. Let me see if I can fix that. I figure the header already says Friend or Amigo so we are not relying on color of pin - it just looks nice JadeDragon (talk) 19:53, 25 November 2014 (EST)

I wonder if you can get strips in Tagalog or Italian etc.... hummm If so, then very hard for us to get the images of all languages. I'm going to email GC Youth and ask some questions. JadeDragon (talk) 21:52, 25 November 2014 (EST)

I use the Gimp for making transparent backgrounds (free software, decent replacement for Photoshop, kinduva steep learning curve). Every single one of the honor patches were jpeg's when I got them, so I had to convert them all. As for Tagalog et al, that's what I was thinking when I proposed "synthetic" class strips. Kind like Sandbox/Class strip, but templatized to take the class name and level (class name would be displayed, level would be used for figuring out the colors). It looks a bit cartoony though. Maybe a different font face and different colors would help. --Jomegat (talk) 21:58, 25 November 2014 (EST)

I have seen in person the class strips in Spanish, French and Russian. I'm not sure if they are available in Tagalog or Italian. It would be interesting to see. I don't think it is necessary to move on this now, until we actually have translators for that certain language. --w126jep (talk) 22:17, 25 November 2014 (EST)

I just emailed an admin asst at GC asking which languages have the most pathfinders and if there are any languages that could really use resources in their languages. Also asked which languages they have requirements in. When we are ready I am willing to hire someone through oDesk to translate into languages that are most needed. JadeDragon (talk) 22:35, 25 November 2014 (EST)

Translation

I know that this descriptor was created so that it would not be necessary to make a copy in different languages, but I can't figure out a way to link to Spanish category pages exclusively without translating the template and thereby exclude it from English categories. Is there a way to do that without having to translate the template and then go through all the pages that would need the translated template? --w126jep (talk) 22:41, 30 July 2015 (EDT)

Yeah, I think I can manage that. The approach would be to use titleparts (or pagename) and run that through a switch looking for one of the eight IA sections (Making Friends). If it's none of those, then the last part of the pagename should be the language, and we can tack it on to the category. I'll give that a go and see what happens. --Jomegat (talk) 19:16, 31 July 2015 (EDT)

Looks like it worked. Lemme know if you see problems! --Jomegat (talk) 19:31, 31 July 2015 (EDT)