Template talk:Unsigned2

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Unsigned
Templates:

Unsigned, Unsigned2, Undated, UnsignedIP, UnsignedIP2

1 Documentation
2 Discussion

[edit] Documentation

Template:Unsigned2 is permanently protected from editing, as it is a heavily used or visible template.

Substantial changes should be proposed here, and made by administrators if the proposal is uncontroversial, or has been discussed and is supported by consensus. Use {{editprotected}} to attract the attention of an administrator in such cases.
Any contributor may edit the template's documentation to add usage notes, categories or interwiki links.

[edit] Purpose

{{unsigned2}}

Used to label unsigned comments in a discussion, in particular when cutting and pasting the username and date from a page history. This template is like {{unsigned}}, reversing the arguments and optionally appending (UTC) to the time.

[edit] Usage

{{subst:unsigned2|date|username [|timezone]}}

date: datestamp
username: name or IP of user who left comment
timezone: optional parameter; specifies timezone in the form +h or -h (for example, UTC-7)

Unfortunately the template itself is not capable of converting the time. If you frequently use this template, or otherwise refer to UTC, you could consider setting your local time in the preferences to UTC.

[edit] Example

With the preferences set at UTC-7, the history entry for the creation of this talk page shows

23:17, 17 Jun 2005 Jpgordon

Thus we use

which gives

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Jpgordon (talk • contribs) 6:17, 18 Jun 2005 (UTC)

[edit] History

Created 22:13, 15 May 2005 Jpgordon

Added documentation jpgordon ∇∆∇∆ 06:26, 18 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Modified 23:46, 13 December 2005 (UTC) jpgordon ∇∆∇∆ Added optional parameter

[edit] Discussion

I've just added UTC to this. jpgordon ∇∆∇∆ 06:26, 18 Jun 2005 (UTC)

The UTC conversions added to this documentation make the template essentially useless; if the editor is going to have to make time calculations, the editor, or at least this editor, won't bother using it at all -- and won't bother marking the unsigned comments at all. The whole point of unsigned2 is to allow a quick cut-and-paste. And there's no point to "avoiding meta-template to avoid server load"; this template should always be used with subst:, which renders the issue irrelevant. --jpgordon ∇∆∇∆ 15:48, 18 Jun 2005 (UTC)

You can also make a template specifically for your time zone:

(preceding unsigned comment by [[Special:Contributions/{{{2}}}|{{{2}}}]] {{{1}}} +7:00 (UTC))

(preceding unsigned comment by [[Special:Contributions/{{{2}}}|{{{2}}}]] {{{1}}} (PDT, UTC-7)

It is really odd to specify a precise time without mentioning the time zone.--Patrick 22:05, 18 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Please put back in the UTC time zone info, as it does not seem to work any more. Philip Baird Shearer 23:23, 16 July 2005 (UTC)

I have created {{unsigned2Tz}} to allow the user to specify a TZ offset instead of manually doing the conversion. DES ^(talk) 17:50, 14 November 2005 (UTC)

Because this is a template of a template, subst'ing it gives you another template, which you then have to subst again if you really want to reduce server load. Maybe this template could be rewritten to not be a template of a template. --Kenyon 19:41, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

I did this a few days ago, by the way. --Kenyon 08:51, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

At Template_talk:Unsigned2Tz#Discussion user Cryptic suggested:

"This [unsigned2Tz template] can be merged into {{Unsigned2}} without breaking its current functionality using the shiny new template default parameter feature - just replace the {{{3}}} with {{{3|}}}."

Could somebody a bit more experienced than I am in editing templates make the change to this Unsigned2 template as per Cryptic's suggestion? My understanding is that the result would be to give an optional time offset parameter as per the discussion above. Thanks to the recent changes, subst'ing the template would not give another template.--A Y Arktos 23:34, 13 December 2005 (UTC)
- Optional parameter added. --jpgordon ∇∆∇∆ 23:46, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

I've substed remaining instances of unsigned2Tz and deleted it (because it's now redundant) -- ( drini's page ☎ ) 22:14, 11 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] A tiny script to facilitate use

I often find myself copying and pasting a line from a history page to get the parameters into this template. The only annoying part was adding the pipe between the date and username. Behold, addPipesToHistory, a script that will add a sort-of-hidden pipe that will be copied along with the other text. I thought this simpler CSS version might work, but it turns out the added content does not get selected. If you try it and have any trouble, let me know, and I'll do what I can to help. —HorsePunchKid→龜 2005-12-17 05:52:43Z

interesting! I went at it the other way round... in User:Lar/moretabs/monobook.js function addUnsigned2() takes an unpiped history comment as input and tries to figure out where the pipe belongs. It's suitable for invoking from a tab or tabmenu. (and yes, teh second arg on the second substr is not needed...) ++Lar: t/c 06:12, 20 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Please remove comment

Would an administrator please delete the comment "Template:Unsigned2", that gets inserted at the end of every single one. It doesn't need to be appended to every single comment where this is used. This was deleted from Template:Unsigned as well. —Centrx→talk 02:59, 18 June 2006 (UTC)

Done.--Commander Keane 06:08, 19 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Substitution

Whether this template should always be substituted or not is being discussed at Wikipedia talk:Template substitution#Unsigned and Unsigned2. Your comment is invited. —Simetrical (talk • contribs) 01:15, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Requested edit

This template is protected, and should be tagged with {{protected template}}, or another suitable protection template. Thanks – Qxz 19:26, 15 March 2007 (UTC)

Done. Neil (not Proto ►) 22:23, 15 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Requested edit 2

Could we have a simple explanation on the template page to describe its function such as:

This is a reversed version of {{unsigned}} so users can just copy (1) the time and (2) the username from the edit history into the template, without needing to re-order it.

Also advise the user to subst (if the admin doing this agrees with me on this point). Thanks, ~ hydnjo talk 15:40, 21 July 2007 (UTC)

I made a doc subpage, which is not protected, so you can edit it to say whatever you want. — Carl (CBM · talk) 20:54, 21 July 2007 (UTC)

OK, thanks. - hydnjo talk 22:44, 21 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] This template needs to be recoded to match {{unsigned}}

{{unsigned2}} should be identical to {{unsigned}} with the parameters 1 & 2 reversed.

The undocumented parameter 3 (which I think is coded wrong, anyhow) is screwing with the archive bots since after substitution it is leaving an (UTC{{3|}}) on every page

IMO, a much better version for {{unsigned2}} would be quite simply {{unsigned|{{2}}|{{1}}}}, though that may not get doubly substituted correctly. -- KelleyCook 15:01, 6 August 2007 (UTC)

I like the linked "Please sign your posts" admonition that was in the now deleted/redirected {{unsigned3}}. Please see

Wikipedia:Templates_for_deletion/Log/2007_August_6#Template:Unsigned3

Many unregistered users and newbies do not know how to sign their posts. The link tells them how, and why they should. Saves a lot of editor time explaining this stuff to them. Can it be added to the {{unsigned}} and {{unsigned2}} templates?

I prefer the date/name order of {{unsigned2}} versus the name/date order of {{unsigned}}. So I hope no one deletes it.

{{unsigned2}} is better for copying the date/name info directly from an edit history list (with a single copy-and-paste). Because the edit history list puts the date before the name.

Also, the trailing "(UTC)" added by the {{unsigned2}} template just confuses people (me included) who try to use the template. Can it be removed from the {{unsigned2}} template? It is not used in the {{unsigned}} template. We want to make it easy for people to use these templates. The edit history list uses UTC anyway, I believe. But it does not explicitly say it. So why label the unsigned post notes with it either? Out of sight, out of mind.

On the other hand someone mentioned bot problems if there were no trailing (UTC). Is this true? See:

Wikipedia:Templates_for_deletion/Log/2007_August_6#Template:Unsigned3. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Timeshifter (talk • contribs) 13:34, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] A better template, albiet with a problem (Help!)

OK I figured out what parameter 3 was doing (wrongly, IMO). And now I think this is a much better implementation. It puts in the UTC, but won't double it. It accepts a direct cut and paste from history and reformats it to the proper HH:MM, DD MMMMM YYYY. It has allows a new optional |zone= parameter to convert from the timezone displayed in your history list back to UTC.

<small>—The preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment was added by [[User:{{{2}}}|{{{2}}}]] ([[User talk:{{{2}}}|talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/{{{2}}}|contribs]]) {{#time: H:i, j F Y |{{{1|now}}} {{#if: {{{zone|}}}|{{#expr: 0-{{{zone}}}}} hours}}}} (UTC).</small><noinclude> {{/doc}}</noinclude>

This part works really wonderfully, for example
{{User:KelleyCook/unsigned2|10:10, August 14, 2007|KelleyCook|zone=-4}} yields
—The preceding unsigned comment was added by KelleyCook (talk • contribs) 14:10, 14 August 2007 (UTC).

However I cannot figure out the magic incarnations to get it to subst: correctly. The way it is now leaves the #time calculations (among other things).
{{subst:User:KelleyCook/unsigned2|10:10, August 14, 2007|KelleyCook|zone=-4}} yields the underlying wikicode:

<small>—The preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment was added by [[User:KelleyCook|KelleyCook]] ([[User talk:KelleyCook|talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/KelleyCook|contribs]]) {{#time: H:i, j F Y |10:10, August 14, 2007 {{#if: -4|{{#expr: 0--4}} hours}}}} (UTC).</small>

I can't imagine the Archive Bots being able to parse that gobbledygook either? The tricks I tried based on the Mediawiki page haven't worked. Does anyone know who to ask? -- KelleyCook 16:57, 14 August 2007 (UTC)

Here is how I have been doing it:

Hope that helps with {{unsigned2}}.

In preferences I leave my time in unadjusted UTC (no time zone adjustment). That way I don't have to use that time zone parameter at the end of

That time zone parameter adjustment does not currently work in {{unsigned}}:

{{unsigned}} does not currently add the trailing "(UTC)" in any case. --Timeshifter 00:05, 15 August 2007 (UTC)

The latest template change got rid of the added trailing UTC in {{unsigned2}} also. At least when no "UTC" info is added to begin with. Thanks for the change. --Timeshifter 11:58, 24 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Timezone needed

Please add ' (UTC)' after the date, so Miszabot might recognize the timestamp for archiving. The timezone is required. -- SEWilco (talk) 05:20, 15 January 2008 (UTC)

This has been discussed in the past. One problem is that people who insert these tags sometimes use their own time zones (not UTC). Another is that many people manually include "(UTC)".

A better solution would be to recode Miszabot to recognize this template's text. —David Levy 08:22, 15 January 2008 (UTC)