User talk:HouseBlaster

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Welcome to my talk page!
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Tech News: 2024-20[edit]

Latest tech news from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. Translations are available.

Recent changes

  • On Wikisource there is a special page listing pages of works without corresponding scan images. Now you can use the new magic word __EXPECTWITHOUTSCANS__ to exclude certain pages (list of editions or translations of works) from that list. [1]
  • If you use the user-preference "Show preview without reloading the page", then the template-page feature "Preview page with this template (what's this?)" will now also work without reloading the page. [2]
  • Kartographer maps can now specify an alternative text via the alt= attribute. This is identical in usage to the alt= attribute in the image and gallery syntax. An exception for this feature is wikis like Wikivoyage where the miniature maps are interactive. [3]
  • The old Guided Tour for the "New Filters for Edit Review" feature has been removed. It was created in 2017 to show people with older accounts how the interface had changed, and has now been seen by most of the intended people. [4]

Changes later this week

  • The new version of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from 14 May. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from 15 May. It will be on all wikis from 16 May (calendar). [5][6]
  • The Special:Search results page will now use CSS flex attributes, for better accessibility, instead of a table. If you have a gadget or script that adjusts search results, you should update your script to the new HTML structure. [7]

Future changes

  • In the Vector 2022 skin, main pages will be displayed at full width (like special pages). The goal is to keep the number of characters per line large enough. This is related to the coming changes to typography in Vector 2022. Learn more. [8]
  • Two columns of the pagelinks database table (pl_namespace and pl_title) are being dropped soon. Users must use two columns of the new linktarget table instead (lt_namespace and lt_title). In your existing SQL queries:
    1. Replace JOIN pagelinks with JOIN linktarget and pl_ with lt_ in the ON statement
    2. Below that add JOIN pagelinks ON lt_id = pl_target_id

Tech news prepared by Tech News writers and posted by bot • Contribute • Translate • Get help • Give feedback • Subscribe or unsubscribe.

MediaWiki message delivery 23:56, 13 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Request to reopen CFD[edit]

Hi, you asked for my opinion yesterday at Wikipedia:Categories_for_discussion/Log/2024_May_6#Category:Deaths_from_food_poisoning, then closed it before I had saved my !vote. I have comments that I think are worth contributing. Please would you reopen the discussion? – Fayenatic London 09:00, 15 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Fayenatic london: my apologies. Not sure how I overlooked that you had not commented.  Reopened. HouseBlaster (he/him) 11:33, 15 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Cheers. Please could I also ask for Wikipedia:Categories_for_discussion/Log/2024_May_4#Category:Egyptian_films_by_year, as the rationale is partly incorrect – there are other national siblings within Category:20th-century films. – Fayenatic London 16:17, 18 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@Fayenatic london: Sure.  Reopened. HouseBlaster (he/him) 17:42, 18 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The Signpost: 16 May 2024[edit]

* Read this Signpost in full * Single-page * Unsubscribe * MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 10:57, 16 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Tech News: 2024-21[edit]

Latest tech news from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. Translations are available.

Recent changes

  • The Nuke feature, which enables administrators to mass delete pages, will now correctly delete pages which were moved to another title. [11]
  • New changes have been made to the UploadWizard in Wikimedia Commons: the overall layout has been improved, by following new styling and spacing for the form and its fields; the headers and helper text for each of the fields was changed; the Caption field is now a required field, and there is an option for users to copy their caption into the media description. [12][13]

Changes later this week

  • The new version of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from 21 May. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from 22 May. It will be on all wikis from 23 May (calendar). [14][15]
  • The HTML used to render all headings is being changed to improve accessibility. It will change on 22 May in some skins (Timeless, Modern, CologneBlue, Nostalgia, and Monobook). Please test gadgets on your wiki on these skins and report any related problems so that they can be resolved before this change is made in all other skins. The developers are also considering the introduction of a Gadget API for adding buttons to section titles if that would be helpful to tool creators, and would appreciate any input you have on that.

Tech news prepared by Tech News writers and posted by bot • Contribute • Translate • Get help • Give feedback • Subscribe or unsubscribe.

MediaWiki message delivery 23:02, 20 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

FlagIOC[edit]

Would you like me to finish the job and add spaces to the rest of the Flag templates? (please do not ping on reply) Primefac (talk) 06:06, 21 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

That would be awesome! Thank you so much :) HouseBlaster (he/him) 11:33, 21 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Cool. Will save me an additional 50 watchlist notification emails :) Primefac (talk) 11:45, 21 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Also, if you're keen on expanding compact/vague template names, I have a list of acronyms that need expansion. Primefac (talk) 11:54, 21 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I love the title of that page :) Let me see what I can do. HouseBlaster (he/him) 11:57, 21 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Feedback request: Politics, government, and law request for comment[edit]

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Feedback request: Politics, government, and law request for comment[edit]

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Notice of reliable sources noticeboard discussion[edit]

Information icon There is currently a discussion at Wikipedia:Reliable sources/Noticeboard regarding an issue with which you may have been involved. The thread is The Telegraph and trans issues. Thank you. I am informing you because you have commented on a prior RfC on a similar issue. Chess (talk) (please mention me on reply) 02:48, 27 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]


Category question[edit]

Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2023 September 3#Category:Video games with AI-versus-AI modes

Hi! Hope you are doing well. I was wondering if you had sources in mind for Draft:List of video games with AI-versus-AI modes? At Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2023 September 3#Category:Video games with AI-versus-AI modes, you suggested Category:Video games with AI-versus-AI modes be listified, but I am not finding sources which indicate it meets WP:LISTN. See also this discussion at WT:VG. Thanks! HouseBlaster (talk · he/him) 11:50, 15 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Hi. Thanks for the note.
Looking these over, most seem to fall under Category:Fighting games, though honestly, this could apply to any game that has at least 1 AI opponent. The feature in question also being known as autoplay, or more commonly "demo mode". The latter is what I found most when doing a quick search.
I think you're probably right that this might be shaky ground for a stand-alone list. But I think it's info that could probably be merged to List of fighting games, or other such lists. (Maybe by use of a universal footnote for those that have the feature?)
As an aside, thinking about this further, I see that I had mentioned Category:Video game lists by technology or feature. Looking at that category now, I think it probably needs to be re-thought. It seems a catch-all, and not a very good one. I think the word "feature" is looking like it's a bad word to use for categorization, because in computer software, that can mean a very broad grouping of things. I think there probably should be a split/merge in that category's future.
I hope this helps. - jc37 19:22, 27 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@Jc37: thank you for your reply! I am currently leaning towards letting the CFD bot delete the category, and adding the contents of the category at Talk:List of fighting games for future incorporation into the list as a universal footnote. Does that work for you? HouseBlaster (he/him) 19:31, 27 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Sounds like a plan : ) - jc37 19:35, 27 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Awesome :)

Just want to make sure this is okay with Marcocapelle before listing at WT:CFDW? HouseBlaster (he/him) 19:38, 27 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Tech News: 2024-22[edit]

Latest tech news from the Wikimedia technical community. Please tell other users about these changes. Not all changes will affect you. Translations are available.

Recent changes

  • Several bugs related to the latest updates to the UploadWizard on Wikimedia Commons have been fixed. For more information, see T365107 and T365119.
  • In March 2024 a new addPortlet API was added to allow gadgets to create new portlets (menus) in the skin. In certain skins this can be used to create dropdowns. Gadget developers are invited to try it and give feedback.
  • Some CSS in the Minerva skin has been removed to enable easier community configuration. Interface editors should check the rendering on mobile devices for aspects related to the classes: .collapsible, .multicol, .reflist, .coordinates, .topicon. Further details are available on replacement CSS if it is needed.

Changes later this week

  • The new version of MediaWiki will be on test wikis and MediaWiki.org from 28 May. It will be on non-Wikipedia wikis and some Wikipedias from 29 May. It will be on all wikis from 30 May (calendar). [16][17]
  • When you visit a wiki where you don't yet have a local account, local rules such as edit filters can sometimes prevent your account from being created. Starting this week, MediaWiki takes your global rights into account when evaluating whether you can override such local rules. [18]

Tech news prepared by Tech News writers and posted by bot • Contribute • Translate • Get help • Give feedback • Subscribe or unsubscribe.

MediaWiki message delivery 00:13, 28 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Question from Rachel Kufreabasi (00:47, 28 May 2024)[edit]

How do I create and publish an article on a personality --Rachel Kufreabasi (talk) 00:47, 28 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Rachel Kufreabasi: hello, and welcome to Wikipedia! Who do you want to write about? HouseBlaster (he/him) 00:51, 28 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Question from ACP Writer (04:59, 29 May 2024)[edit]

Hi HouseBlaster,

Did you get your Wiki name because, you work in demolition or something? I tried submitting an article, but it got refused. Not sure if you can see what I tried to contribute Anyway, I am trying to contribute another, If you get a chance, please take a look and I would appreciate any tips you can offer. Thanks. --ACP Writer (talk) 04:59, 29 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@ACP Writer: The story of how I got my username is not that deep: it is the pseudonym I came up with when I was around 8 years old. (I registered for Wikipedia many years later, but I have kept using the name.) The first thing I have to ask is if you have a conflict of interest? (A very incomplete list of why you might have a COI includes having a spouse which works at the company.) If you do, you are strongly encouraged to disclose the COI. A particularly important type of COI is paid editing, which is when you are being compensated for your edits. If you are a paid editor, you are required by the Terms of Use to disclose the paid editing. You can do so by following the instructions at Wikipedia:Paid-contribution disclosure#How to disclose. The second thing I have to ask you is to change your username. Usernames must identify you as a person, not just your role or company (you can file a request to do so at Wikipedia:Changing username/Simple). Something like "ACP John" or "Jane at ACP" is okay, but "ACP Writer" or "ACP rail" is probably not. Once you have done those two things, I would be happy to help you with the article you are trying to write! Best, HouseBlaster (he/him) 11:49, 29 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you for the quick reply. It looks like changing the username would not be an easy thing to do because I do not have any edits under my username yet. Basically, they suggest to just open another account.
Have you ever submitted an article in which you have a COI or was paid for it? In Wikipedia, are articles written by paid writers treated fairly or the bias automatically becomes a hindrance for the article being accepted? ACP Writer (talk) 00:05, 30 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@ACP Writer: you would be changing your username because it violates the username policy, so they will let you rename the account. If you don't change your username, there is a chance you will be blocked from editing.

Like the vast majority of editors, I have never submitted a COI/paid article. Most of us are volunteers, just like people who volunteer at their local animal shelter or to pick up litter off the sidewalk. It is certainly harder to get an article accepted if you are paid, though I wouldn't say it is due to higher standards. Rather, people with COIs tend to write about topics which do not qualify for articles, so we are very careful to make sure that they are writing about topics which satisfy our inclusion guideline.

However, with all due respect, you are not answering my questions: do you have a conflict of interest? Are you a paid editor? HouseBlaster (he/him) 00:48, 30 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Conditional parent categories in templates[edit]

Re Template:Bridges completed in the YYY0s category header etc, rather than use "if exists", isn't it better to set a threshold year after which parent categories should exist, as in the case of Template:Synagogues completed in decade category header? That way, when e.g. a year category is created using the relevant template, it will prompt for the parent (decade category) to be created. Conversely, if a too-early decade category is (re)created against prior consensus, it would rightly not be auto-populated by year categories.

I also suggest documenting the related CFD decision on the template, at least in the edit summary. – Fayenatic London 15:55, 29 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Fayenatic london: if there is a consensus for a specific cutoff year, I agree that would be a better implementation. In Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2024 April 27#Judaism by year, you proposed using 1800 as a cutoff year. However, I don't see consensus for a specific cutoff year in Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2024 May 12#Transport infrastructure by decade, which just said very complicated tree for only a few subcategories about bridges, canals and lighthouses. I would be happy to add a comment about the CFD discussions to the templates which I added {{Category if exists}} to. Does that work for you? HouseBlaster (he/him) 16:09, 29 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
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