User:SOTO/Forum Archive/Darwinian delights/@comment-188432-20131205032648

Some of you may have noticed that VisualEditor was active on the site and then it suddenly disappeared.

What happened
When the VE was implemented here, there was a separate preference for VE in Special:Preferences. Last Wednesday, though, Wikia got rid of that preference, and combined it with the preference for the old RTE (confusingly called "visual editor"). Many of our users would have had this preference unchecked, because we long ago rejected the RTE.

The net effect was that your account may have instantly had the VE disabled through no apparent action on your part.

Another effect of this site opting out of the RTE: we don't even have that preference in our Special:Preferences.

So there is no way to turn the new VE back on here at.

How to turn it back on
To enable the VE you have to go to http://community.wikia.com/wiki/Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-editing and check "enable visual editor" near the top of the page.

But there's this one, tiny thing ...
Unfortunately, enabling this preference means that you also enable the old "visual editor" (RTE) on the wider Wikia network.

The thing we've already rejected in a massive community vote. The thing that most experienced wiki editors actively hate. The thing that is being replaced by the new VE.

I know that sounds crazy. But the thing is that ultimately, the button will only control one thing. When the VE is fully released, it will only turn on and off the new VE.

Are you out of your flamin' mind, CzechOut?
Well, maybe, but not about this. The new VE is ultimately a good thing. We need to beta test it in order to ensure it's a great thing.

And here's the deal.

If you only, or primarily, edit this wiki, flipping the "enable visual editor" button won't be a problem for you. The old RTE is permanently disabled on this site, so the only thing the preference does here, is what it will ultimately do Wikia-wide. 'Here at Tardis, choosing to "enable visual editor" will only turn on the new'' VE. The RTE is still dead as a doorknob on this site.

Now, sure, if you edit on other Wikia wikis, then you'll find yourself using the new VisualEditor on this site, and the old "visual editor" on other wikis.

'''Another important thing to remember about the old RTE is that there's a little tab at the top that says "Source". Click it, and you're back in source. It's not that painful to have enabled, since you can click a button and bypass it.'''

Please help
Again, we really, really, really need your help bug testing the VisualEditor.

So please turn it on and do at least a little bug testing for us. As always, report your findings at Thread:143084. Staff are monitoring your contributions there, and so far every comment has received Staff comment.