User talk:Monty845/Archive 17
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| This is an archive of past discussions with User:Monty845. Do not edit the contents of this page. If you wish to start a new discussion or revive an old one, please do so on the current talk page. |
| Archive 10 | ← | Archive 15 | Archive 16 | Archive 17 | Archive 18 |
Please comment on Wikipedia:Reliable sources/Noticeboard
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Please comment on Talk:Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
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Please comment on Talk:Main Page
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The Signpost: 31 July 2019
- News and notes: Wikimedia grants less accessible for travel, equipment, meetups, and India
WMF grants program changes position on funding random individuals globally and 100 crore people in one region
- In the media: Politics starts getting rough
Are we ready for the sharp elbows?
- Discussion report: New proposals in aftermath of Fram ban
Resysop requests on the ’crat board prove controversial; plus, aftermath of Framgate.
- Arbitration report: A month of reintegration
Arbitration begins setting new boundaries after the June blow-up
- Gallery: Classic panoramas from Heinrich Berann
It looks nice and cool up in those mountains
- On the bright side: What's making you happy this month?
A selection of good news and encouraging stories that are from the Wikiverse.
- Community view: Video based summaries of Wikipedia articles. How and why?
It's easy, education saves lives.
- News from the WMF: Designing ethically with AI: How Wikimedia can harness machine learning in a responsible and human-centered way
Or, how to avoid Artificial Ignorance
- Recent research: Most influential medical journals; detecting pages to protect
And other new research publications
- Special report: Administrator cadre continues to contract
A new record set: fewer than 500 active admins.
- Traffic report: World cups, presidential candidates, and stranger things
and don't forget the movies
- In focus: The French Wikipedia is overtaking the German
Who is growing? Who is not?
Articles you might like to edit, from SuggestBot
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Please comment on Wikipedia talk:Notability (people)
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Administrators' newsletter – August 2019
News and updates for administrators from the past month (July 2019).
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- Following a request for comment, the page Wikipedia:Office actions has been changed from a policy page to an information page.
- A request for comment (permalink) is in progress regarding the administrator inactivity policy.
- Editors may now use the template {{Ds/aware}} to indicate that they are aware that discretionary sanctions are in force for a topic area, so it is unnecessary to alert them.
- Following a research project on masking IP addresses, the Foundation is starting a new project to improve the privacy of IP editors. The result of this project may significantly change administrative and counter-vandalism workflows. The project is in the very early stages of discussions and there is no concrete plan yet. Admins and the broader community are encouraged to leave feedback on the talk page.
- The new page reviewer right is bundled with the admin tool set. Many admins regularly help out at Special:NewPagesFeed, but they may not be aware of improvements, changes, and new tools for the Curation system. Stay up to date by subscribing here to the NPP newsletter that appears every two months, and/or putting the reviewers' talk page on your watchlist.
Since the introduction of temporary user rights, it is becoming more usual to accord the New Page Reviewer right on a probationary period of 3 to 6 months in the first instance. This avoids rights removal for inactivity at a later stage and enables a review of their work before according the right on a permanent basis.
Please comment on Wikipedia:Village pump (policy)
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Please comment on Wikipedia talk:Criteria for speedy deletion
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Please comment on Wikipedia talk:Disambiguation
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Please comment on Talk:List of common misconceptions
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Please comment on Talk:2019 Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protests
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Please comment on Talk:Penny Rowson
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Please comment on Talk:Mindhunter (TV series)
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The Signpost: 30 August 2019
- News and notes: Documenting Wikimania and our beginnings
The oldest surviving Wikipedia edit restored to article history, Wikimania, and the mystery of a disappearing Funds Dissemination Committee.
- In focus: Ryan Merkley joins WMF as Chief of Staff
Working with leadership and the community, taking on both operational and strategic responsibilities
- In the media: Many layers of fake news: Fake fiction and fake news vandalism
And the media report it all
- Discussion report: Meta proposals on partial bans and IP users
Can we survive without IP addresses?
- Traffic report: Once upon a time in Greenland with Boris and cornflakes
And some summer flicks with the usual heroes and villains
- Op-Ed: We couldn't have told you this, but Wikipedia was censored
Should we break the law or publish the truth?
- Opinion: The Curious Case of Croatian Wikipedia
Or how to make a concentration camp disappear?
- Community view: Chinese Wikipedia and the battle against extradition from Hong Kong
From streets to Wikipedia - What are editors from Hong Kong facing?
- News from the WMF: Meet Emna Mizouni, the newly minted 2019 Wikimedian of the Year
Emna Mizouni was named the 2019 Wikimedian of the Year.
- Recent research: Special issue on gender gap and gender bias research
A roundup of many recent publications examining Wikpedia's gender gaps in participation and content, and their possible reasons
- On the bright side: What's making you happy this month?
A selection of good news and encouraging stories that are from the Wikiverse
Please comment on Talk:List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft
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Please comment on Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Taiwan
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Administrators' newsletter – September 2019
News and updates for administrators from the past month (August 2019).

Bradv • Chetsford • Izno
Floquenbeam • Lectonar
DESiegel • Jake Wartenberg • Rjanag • Topbanana
Callanecc • Fox • HJ Mitchell • LFaraone • There'sNoTime
- Editors using the mobile website on Wikipedia can opt-in to new advanced features via your settings page. This will give access to more interface links, special pages, and tools.
- The advanced version of the edit review pages (recent changes, watchlist, and related changes) now includes two new filters. These filters are for "All contents" and "All discussions". They will filter the view to just those namespaces.
- A request for comment is open to provide an opportunity to amend the structure, rules, and procedures of the 2019 English Wikipedia Arbitration Committee election and to resolve any issues not covered by existing rules.
- A global request for comment is in progress regarding whether a user group should be created that could modify edit filters across all public Wikimedia wikis.
Please comment on Template talk:Infobox film
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Please comment on Wikipedia talk:WikiProject UK Railways
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Please comment on Wikipedia:Requests for comment/User rights of (site) banned users
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Please comment on Wikipedia talk:Template editor
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Please comment on Wikipedia talk:Portal/Guidelines
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Please comment on Wikipedia:Village pump (proposals)
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Please comment on Wikipedia talk:Manual of Style
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The Signpost: 30 September 2019
- From the editors: Where do we go from here?
Our constitutional crisis may continue
- Special report: Post-Framgate wrapup
Summary of actions around a formerly banned former administrator: Arbitration Committee action and withdrawn request for adminship
- In the media: A net loss: Wikipedia attacked, closing off Russia? welcoming back Turkey?
The internet may not be as stable as it seems
- Traffic report: Varied and intriguing entries, less Luck, and some retreads
Luck, Serena, Bianca, 9/11, bad films, mass murderers and other good stuff
- News from the WMF: How the Wikimedia Foundation is making efforts to go green
Wikipedia's footprint is equivalent to 251 average US homes’ energy use. Yes we can go green.
- Recent research: Wikipedia's role in assessing credibility of news sources; using wikis against procrastination; OpenSym 2019 report
And other recent research publications
- Gallery: Finding freely licensed photo collections
Wikimedia Commons is not the only place to find freely licensed photos
- On the bright side: What's making you happy this month?
A selection of good news and encouraging stories that are from the Wikiverse
- In focus: Wikidata & Wikibase for national libraries: the inaugural meeting
National libraries are planning to leverage Wikidata to interoperate and to bring information to the public
Administrators' newsletter – October 2019
News and updates for administrators from the past month (September 2019).
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- Following a discussion, a new criterion for speedy category renaming was added: C2F: One eponymous article, which
applies if the category contains only an eponymous article or media file, provided that the category has not otherwise been emptied shortly before the nomination. The default outcome is an upmerge to the parent categories
.
- Following a discussion, a new criterion for speedy category renaming was added: C2F: One eponymous article, which
- As previously noted, tighter password requirements for Administrators were put in place last year. Wikipedia should now alert you if your password is less than 10 characters long and thus too short.
- The 2019 CheckUser and Oversight appointment process has begun. The community consultation period will take place October 4th to 10th.
- The arbitration case regarding Fram was closed. While there will be a local RfC
focus[ing] on how harassment and private complaints should be handled in the future
, there is currently a global community consultation on partial and temporary office actions in response to the incident. It will be open until October 30th.
- The Community Tech team has been working on a system for temporarily watching pages, and welcomes feedback.
Please comment on Wikipedia talk:Redirect
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Please comment on Wikipedia talk:Wikipedia as a press source
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Please comment on Template talk:Infobox film
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Please comment on Wikipedia:Requests for comment/2019 Resysop Criteria (2)
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Please comment on Wikipedia talk:What Wikipedia is not
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Please comment on Help talk:Citation Style 1
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Please comment on Category talk:Transportation in the United States by county
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Please comment on Wikipedia talk:Criteria for speedy deletion
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The Signpost: 31 October 2019
- In the media: How to use or abuse Wikipedia for fun or profit
Sweden, Poland, Armenia, Russia, the Vatican, and clueless English pubs.
- Special report: “Catch and Kill” on Wikipedia: Paid editing and the suppression of material on alleged sexual abuse
"It's time for Wikipedia to grow up."
- In focus: The BBC looks at Chinese government editing
But they aren't entirely sure they see it
- Interview: Carl Miller on Wikipedia Wars
A discussion on info wars, government editing and our defences.
- Community view: Observations from the mainland
A different point of view
- Arbitration report: October actions
An "unblockable" is blocked; a former arb resigns.
- Traffic report: Wrestling with a couple of teenagers, a Nobelist, and a lot of jokers
Plus a few celebrities.
- Gallery: Wiki Loves Broadcast
The future of public broadcasting has arrived.
- Recent research: Research at Wikimania 2019: More communication doesn't make editors more productive; Tor users doing good work; harmful content rare on English Wikipedia
And other new research publications
- Essay: Wikipedia is in the real world
Editing can have serious consequences.
- News from the WMF: Welcome to Wikipedia! Here's what we're doing to help you stick around
Twenty questions to get you started.
- On the bright side: What's making you happy this month?
A selection of good news and encouraging stories from the Wikiverse.
Administrators' newsletter – November 2019
News and updates for administrators from the past month (October 2019).
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- An RfC was closed with the consensus that the resysop criteria should be made stricter.
- The follow-up RfC to develop that change is now open at Wikipedia:Requests for comment/2019 Resysop Criteria (2).
- A related RfC is seeking the community's sentiment for a binding desysop procedure.
- Eligible editors may now nominate themselves as candidates for the 2019 Arbitration Committee Elections. The self-nomination period will close November 12, with voting running from November 19 through December 2.
Please comment on Wikipedia:Requests for comment/2019 community sentiment on binding desysop procedure
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Please comment on Wikipedia talk:Manual of Style
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Please comment on Wikipedia talk:Username policy
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Please comment on Template talk:Infobox person
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ArbCom 2019 election voter message
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Please comment on Talk:Rojava
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Please comment on Wikipedia talk:Rules for Fools
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The Signpost: 29 November 2019
- From the editor: Put on your birthday best
"We get by with a little help from our friends"
- News and notes: How soon for the next million articles?
And when will we get the second extraterrestrial edit?
- In the media: You say you want a revolution
Everybody wants to change Wikipedia.
- On the bright side: What's making you happy this month?
A selection of good news and encouraging stories from the Wikiverse.
- Arbitration report: Two requests for arbitration cases
Important or imprudent? Pondering portals. And an editor gets transported off-wiki for good.
- Traffic report: The queen and the princess meet the king and the joker
Could this be the end of the Terminator?
- Technology report: Reference things, sister things, stranger things
The latest tech news and updates.
- Gallery: Winter and holidays
Some interesting and unusual winter and holiday images.
- Recent research: Bot census; discussions differ on Spanish and English Wikipedia; how nature's seasons affect pageviews
And other new research publications.
- Essay: Adminitis
Some humor about the otherwise serious subject of burnout.
- From the archives: WikiProject Spam, revisited
Veteran editor: Wikipedia is losing existential battle against spam.
- In focus: An update on the Wikimedia Movement 2030 Strategy
Coming to the end of a long road formulating the strategy.
- Special report: How many people edit in your favorite language? Where are they from?
Only now can we say!
Please comment on Wikipedia:Village pump (policy)
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Administrators' newsletter – December 2019
News and updates for administrators from the past month (November 2019).

EvergreenFir • ToBeFree
Akhilleus • Athaenara • John Vandenberg • Melchoir • MichaelQSchmidt • NeilN • Youngamerican • 😂
Interface administrator changes
- An RfC on the administrator resysop criteria was closed. 18 proposals have been summarised with a variety of supported and opposed statements. The inactivity grace period within which a new request for adminship is not required has been reduced from three years to two. Additionally, Bureaucrats are permitted to use their discretion when returning administrator rights.
- Following a proposal, the edit filter mailing list has been opened up to users with the Edit Filter Helper right.
- Wikimedia projects can set a default block length for users via MediaWiki:ipb-default-expiry. A new page, MediaWiki:ipb-default-expiry-ip, allows the setting of a different default block length for IP editors. Neither is currently used. (T219126)
- Voting in the 2019 Arbitration Committee Elections is open to eligible editors until Monday 23:59, 2 December 2018 UTC. Please review the candidates and, if you wish to do so, submit your choices on the voting page.
- The global consultation on partial and temporary office actions that ended in October received a closing statement from staff concluding, among other things, that the WMF
will no longer use partial or temporary Office Action bans... until and unless community consensus that they are of value or Board directive
.
- The global consultation on partial and temporary office actions that ended in October received a closing statement from staff concluding, among other things, that the WMF
Please comment on Talk:Textus Receptus
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Please comment on Wikipedia talk:New pages patrol/Reviewers/Redirect autopatrol
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Please comment on Wikipedia talk:Did you know
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The Signpost: 27 December 2019
- From the editors: Caught with their hands in the cookie jar, again
You can buy "cleaners" but you might not come away clean.
- News and notes: What's up (and down) with administrators, articles and languages
Active administrators and articles achieved are marking milestone metrics, but in diverging directions. Plus, the first time any court has found there exists a constitutional right to read Wikipedia.
- Special report: Are reputation management operatives scrubbing Wikipedia articles?
Son of Wiki-PR.
- In the media: "The fulfillment of the dream of humanity" or a nightmare of PR whitewashing on behalf of one-percenters?
Praise for possibly pansophic Wikipedia from a Nobel laureate collides head-on with real-world events in December.
- Discussion report: December discussions around the wiki
Regarding integrity of information presented by Wikipedia, as well as the processes and people who ensure it remains trustworthy.
- Arbitration report: Announcement of 2020 Arbitration Committee
ArbCom election results and status of open and requested cases.
- Traffic report: Queens and aliens, exactly alike, once upon a December
We may have scrambled the headlines a bit.
- Technology report: User scripts and more
Customise your Wikipedia experience
- Gallery: Holiday wishes
Messages of holiday cheer from us to you.
- Recent research: Acoustics and Wikipedia; Wiki Workshop 2019 summary
16 recent papers, and other research news
- From the archives: The 2002 Spanish fork and ads revisited (re-revisited?)
A look at different approaches taken by Wikipedia's founders in 2002, as seen from the perspective of nine years when it was written; nearly twenty years ago now.
- On the bright side: What's making you happy this month?
A selection of good news and encouraging stories from the Wikiverse.
- Op-Ed: Why we need to keep talking about Wikipedia's gender gap
There's still a long way to go.
- WikiProject report: Wikiproject Tree of Life: A Wikiproject report
Eight years after our last interview, WikiProject Tree of Life continues to thrive.
Administrators' newsletter – January 2020
News and updates for administrators from the past month (December 2019).
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- A request for comment asks whether partial blocks should be enabled on the English Wikipedia. If enabled, this functionality would allow administrators to block users from editing specific pages or namespaces, rather than the entire site.
- A proposal asks whether admins who don't use their tools for a significant period of time (e.g. five years) should have the toolset procedurally removed.
- Following a successful RfC, a whitelist is now available for users whose redirects will be autopatrolled by a bot, removing them from the new pages patrol queue. Admins can add such users to Wikipedia:New pages patrol/Redirect whitelist after a discussion following the guidelines at Wikipedia talk:New pages patrol/Redirect whitelist.
- The fourth case on Palestine-Israel articles was closed. The case consolidated all previous remedies under one heading, which should make them easier to understand, apply, and enforce. In particular, the distinction between "primary articles" and "related content" has been clarified, with the former being
the entire set of articles whose topic relates to the Arab-Israeli conflict, broadly interpreted
rather thanreasonably construed
. - Following the 2019 Arbitration Committee elections, the following editors have been appointed to the Arbitration Committee: Beeblebrox, Bradv, Casliber, David Fuchs, DGG, KrakatoaKatie, Maxim, Newyorkbrad, SoWhy, Worm That Turned, Xeno.
- The fourth case on Palestine-Israel articles was closed. The case consolidated all previous remedies under one heading, which should make them easier to understand, apply, and enforce. In particular, the distinction between "primary articles" and "related content" has been clarified, with the former being
- This issue marks three full years of the Admin newsletter. Thanks for reading!
The Signpost: 27 January 2020
- From the editor: Reaching six million articles is great, but we need a moratorium
How long can we ignore Wiki-PR?
- News and notes: Six million articles on the English language Wikipedia
You ain't seen nothing yet.
- Special report: The limits of volunteerism and the gatekeepers of Team Encarta
How to survive the asshole consensus.
- In the media: Turkey's back up, but what's happening with Dot-org and a new visual identity?
Plus politics and other oddities.
- Arbitration report: Three cases at ArbCom
The new arbs have a big load.
- Traffic report: The most viewed articles of 2019
As only The Signpost can describe them.
- Gallery: Wiki Loves Monuments 2019, we're all winners
The top 15 international photos.
- News from the WMF: Capacity Building: Top 5 Themes from Community Conversations
Growing our community and our abilities.
- Community view: Our most important new article since November 1, 2015
Well, it's a bit subjective.
- In focus: Cryptos and bitcoins and blockchains, oh no!
Everybody needs to make a buck somehow — just not here, thanks.
- Recent research: How useful is Wikipedia for novice programmers trying to learn computing concepts?
And other new research publications.
- From the archives: A decade of The Signpost, 2005-2015
The first 10 years are the hardest.
- On the bright side: What's making you happy this month?
A selection of good news and encouraging stories from the Wikiverse.
- WikiProject report: WikiProject Japan: a wikiProject Report
An interview with four members of the WikiProject Japan.
- Humour: Predicting the 6,000,000th article
I may fall in love all over again!
- Obituary: Remembering Wikipedia contributor Brian Boulton
A mentor to us all
Administrators' newsletter – February 2020
News and updates for administrators from the past month (January 2020).
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- Following a request for comment, partial blocks are now enabled on the English Wikipedia. This functionality allows administrators to block users from editing specific pages or namespaces rather than the entire site. A draft policy is being workshopped at Wikipedia:Partial blocks.
- The request for comment seeking the community's sentiment for a binding desysop procedure closed with
wide-spread support for an alternative desysoping procedure based on community input
. No proposed process received consensus.
- Twinkle now supports partial blocking. There is a small checkbox that toggles the "partial" status for both blocks and templating. There is currently one template: {{uw-pblock}}.
- When trying to move a page, if the target title already exists then a warning message is shown. The warning message will now include a link to the target title.
- Following a recent arbitration case, the Arbitration Committee reminded administrators
that checkuser and oversight blocks must not be reversed or modified without prior consultation with the checkuser or oversighter who placed the block, the respective functionary team, or the Arbitration Committee.
- Following a recent arbitration case, the Arbitration Committee reminded administrators
- Voting in the 2020 Steward elections will begin on 08 February 2020, 14:00 (UTC) and end on 28 February 2020, 13:59 (UTC). The confirmation process of current stewards is being held in parallel. You can automatically check your eligibility to vote.
- The English Wikipedia has reached six million articles. Thank you everyone for your contributions!
The Signpost: 1 March 2020
- From the editor: The ball is in your court
How to stop abusive commercial editing.
- News and notes: Alexa ranking down to 13th worldwide
Falling behind Chinese websites.
- Special report: More participation, more conversation, more pageviews
A statistical insight into the English Wikipedia's very own online community newsletter.
- In the media: Mapping IP editors, Smithsonian open-access, and coronavirus disinformation
We're all over the map this month.
- Discussion report: Do you prefer M or P?
Wikimedia or Wikipedia?
- Arbitration report: Two prominent administrators removed
Arbitration Committee and the "blue wall of silence".
- By the numbers: How many actions by administrators does it take to clean up spam?
Numbers for vandalism and sockpuppeting included at no additional charge!
- Community view: The Incredible Invisible Woman
No more "Hidden Figures", let's work to make women visible on Wikipedia!
- In focus: History of The Signpost, 2015–2019
Covering Wikipedia for another five years!
- Recent research: Wikipedia generates $50 billion/year consumer surplus in the US alone
And other new research results
- From the archives: Is Wikipedia for sale?
How long has Wikipedia been for sale? When will it stop?
- Traffic report: February articles, floating in the dark
Kobe sets another record.
- Gallery: Feel the love
Renewing our vows.
- On the bright side: What's making you happy this month?
A selection of good news and encouraging stories from the Wikiverse.
- Op-Ed: What I learned as Wikimedia UK Communications Coordinator
Getting across the Wikipedia experience to the press.
- Opinion: Wikipedia is another country
Or: how to best bite a newbie.
- Humour: The Wilhelm scream
WikiWorld is back.
Administrators' newsletter – March 2020
News and updates for administrators from the past month (February 2020).
- Following an RfC, the blocking policy was changed to state that sysops
must not
undo or alter CheckUser or Oversight blocks, rather thanshould not
. - A request for comment confirmed that sandboxes of established but inactive editors may not be blanked due solely to inactivity.
- Following an RfC, the blocking policy was changed to state that sysops
- Following a discussion, Twinkle's default CSD behavior will soon change, most likely this week. After the change, Twinkle will default to "tagging mode" if there is no CSD tag present, and default to "deletion mode" if there is a CSD tag present. You will be able to always default to "deletion mode" (the current behavior) using your Twinkle preferences.
- Following the 2020 Steward Elections, the following editors have been appointed as stewards: BRPever, Krd, Martin Urbanec, MusikAnimal, Sakretsu, Sotiale, and Tks4Fish. There are a total of seven editors that have been appointed as stewards, the most since 2014.
- The 2020 appointees for the Ombudsman commission are Ajraddatz and Uzoma Ozurumba; they will serve for one year.
The Signpost: 29 March 2020
- From the editors: The bad and the good
Getting ready for anything.
- News and notes: 2018 Wikipedian of the year blocked
Wheel war on Tatar Wikipedia.
- WikiProject report: WikiProject COVID-19: A WikiProject Report
An interview with members of the COVID Project.
- Special report: Wikipedia on COVID-19: what we publish and why it matters
Wikipedia presents solid widely-consulted information on COVID-19 and related topics.
- In the media: Blocked in Iran but still covering the big story
COVID-19, Zika, edit-a-thons, and macrons.
- Discussion report: Rethinking draft space
Plus: geonotices, reliable sources, and job titles.
- Arbitration report: Unfinished business
A new case, a case returns from limbo, and an RfC being prepared.
- In focus: "I have been asked by Jeffrey Epstein …"
The twists and turns of Epstein’s portrayal on Wikipedia.
- Community view: Wikimedia community responds to COVID-19
Individually and in organized groups, Wikimedians stand up and make a difference.
- Recent research: Disease outbreak uncertainties, AfD forecasting, auto-updating Wikipedia
New research publications on "the fear of being erased" and other topics.
- From the archives: Text from Wikipedia good enough for Oxford University Press to claim as own
Five years ago with a different crisis.
- Traffic report: The only thing that matters in the world
Going to movies and sport stadiums is history, and readers turn to Wikipedia for crucial medical information and updates.
- Gallery: Visible Women on Wikipedia
Images from the Whose Knowlege? campaign.
- News from the WMF: Amid COVID-19, Wikimedia Foundation offers full pay for reduced hours, mobilizes all staff to work remote, and waives sick time
The WMF responds.
- On the bright side: What's making you happy this month?
A selection of good news and encouraging stories from the Wikiverse.
Administrators' newsletter – April 2020
News and updates for administrators from the past month (March 2020).
|
|
- There is an ongoing request for comment to streamline the source deprecation and blacklisting process.
- There is a plan for new requirements for user signatures. You can give feedback.
- Following the banning of an editor by the WMF last year, the Arbitration Committee resolved to hold a
Arbcom RfC regarding on-wiki harassment
. A draft RfC has been posted at Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee/Anti-harassment RfC (Draft) and not open to comments from the community yet. Interested editors can comment on the RfC itself on its talk page.
- Following the banning of an editor by the WMF last year, the Arbitration Committee resolved to hold a
- The WMF has begun a pilot report of the pages most visited through various social media platforms to help with anti-vandalism and anti-disinformation efforts. The report is updated daily and will be available through the end of May.
The Signpost: 26 April 2020
- News and notes: Unbiased information from Ukraine's government?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs pitches in.
- In the media: Coronavirus, again and again
Plus the importance of language.
- Discussion report: Redesigning Wikipedia, bit by bit
The Wikimedia community discusses modifying or hiding the sidebar on the left of every page.
- Featured content: Featured content returns
Movies, roads, awards and more.
- Arbitration report: Two difficult cases
Even our best editors sometimes disagree.
- Traffic report: Disease the Rhythm of the Night
Coronavirus, coronavirus, and Joe Exotic.
- Gallery: Roy is doing fine and sending more photos
A coronavirus cruise can't stop Roy!
- Recent research: Trending topics across languages; auto-detecting bias
And other new research results.
- Essay: Wikipedia:An article about yourself isn't necessarily a good thing
And it could get worse!
- By the numbers: Open data and COVID-19: Wikipedia as an informational resource during the pandemic
What COVID-19 data are available from the WMF?
- Opinion: Trusting Everybody to Work Together
In an increasingly factious world, Wikipedia's approach to collaboration and trust-building point to a brighter future.
- On the bright side: What's making you happy this month?
A selection of good news and encouraging stories from the Wikiverse.
- Interview: Health and RfA's: An interview with Guy Macon
A Wikipedia editor reflects on his recent RfA and the health issues that became part of it.
- In focus: Multilingual Wikipedia
How to better integrate articles across language editions.
- WikiProject report: The Guild of Copy Editors
An interview with members of the WP:GOCE
Administrators' newsletter – May 2020
News and updates for administrators from the past month (April 2020).

- Discretionary sanctions have been authorized for all pages and edits related to COVID-19, to be logged at WP:GS/COVID19.
- Following a recent discussion on Meta-Wiki, the edit filter maintainer global group has been created.
- A request for comment has been proposed to create a new main page editor usergroup.
- A request for comment has been proposed to make the bureaucrat activity requirements more strict.
- The Editing team has been working on the talk pages project. You can review the proposed design and share your thoughts on the talk page.
- Enterprisey created a script that will show a link to the proper Special:Undelete page when viewing a since-deleted revision, see User:Enterprisey/link-deleted-revs.
- A request for comment closed with consensus to create a Village Pump-style page for communication with the Wikimedia Foundation.
The Signpost: 31 May 2020
- From the editor: Meltdown May?
Or will it be meltdown June?
- News and notes: 2019 Picture of the Year, 200 French paid editing accounts blocked, 10 years of Guild Copyediting
Many of these accounts now blocked on the English-language Wikipedia.
- In the media: CBS on COVID-19, Sanger on bias, false noses, and five prolific editors
Worth Every Goddamn Second!
- Discussion report: WMF's Universal Code of Conduct
It's no April Fool's joke, but we discuss those, too.
- Special report: The sum of human knowledge? Not in one Wikipedia language edition
Cultural context, diversity, and the future of languages.
- Featured content: Weathering the storm
Battles, bombs, wars, and more storms.
- Arbitration report: Board member likely to receive editing restriction
Sanctions of multiple flavors, and a non-decision on the breadth of discretionary sanctions.
- Traffic report: Come on and slam, and welcome to the jam
Time to bring on the Bulls.
- Op-Ed: Where Is Political Bias Taking Us?
Straight down the tubes.
- Gallery: Wildlife photos by the book
Birds, insects, elephants, a macaque and more.
- News from the WMF: WMF Board announces Community Culture Statement
Enacting new standards to address harassment and promote inclusivity across projects.
- Recent research: Automatic detection of covert paid editing; Wiki Workshop 2020
New results from academic research
- Community view: Transit routes and mapping during stay-at-home order downtime
Hello Columbus.
- On video: COVID-19 spurs innovations in Wikimedia video and virtual programming
Community harnesses new technologies for remote participation in events and gatherings
- WikiProject report: Revitalizing good articles
Can our energy be turned into long-term change?
- On the bright side: 500,000 articles in the Egyptian Arabic Wikipedia
A selection of good news and encouraging stories from the Wikiverse.
- Obituaries: Dmitrismirnov, Kattenkruid, Muidlatif, Ronhjones, Tsirel
Rest in peace.
Pending suspension of administrative permissions due to inactivity
Established policy provides for removal of the administrative permissions of users who have not made any edits or logged actions in the preceding twelve months. Because you have been inactive, your administrative permissions will be removed if you do not return to activity within the next month.
Inactive administrators are encouraged to rejoin the project in earnest rather than to make token edits to avoid loss of administrative permissions. Resources and support for reengaging with the project are available at Wikipedia:WikiProject Editor Retention/administrators. If you do not intend to rejoin the project in the foreseeable future, please consider voluntarily resigning your administrative permissions by making a request at the bureaucrats' noticeboard.
Thank you for your past contributions to the project. — JJMC89 bot 00:04, 1 June 2020 (UTC)
Administrators' newsletter – June 2020
News and updates for administrators from the past month (May 2020).

CaptainEek • Creffett • Cwmhiraeth
Anna Frodesiak • Buckshot06 • Ronhjones • SQL
- A request for comment asks whether the Unblock Ticket Request System (UTRS) should allowed any unblock request or just private appeals.
- The Wikimedia Foundation announced that they will develop a universal code of conduct for all WMF projects. There is an open local discussion regarding the same.
Feedback request: Politics, government, and law request for comment
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Imminent suspension of administrative permissions due to inactivity
Established policy provides for removal of the administrative permissions of users who have not made any edits or logged actions in the preceding twelve months. Because you have been inactive, your administrative permissions will be removed if you do not return to activity within the next several days.
Inactive administrators are encouraged to rejoin the project in earnest rather than to make token edits to avoid loss of administrative permissions. Resources and support for reengaging with the project are available at Wikipedia:WikiProject Editor Retention/administrators. If you do not intend to rejoin the project in the foreseeable future, please consider voluntarily resigning your administrative permissions by making a request at the bureaucrats' noticeboard.
Thank you for your past contributions to the project. — JJMC89 bot 00:03, 24 June 2020 (UTC)
The Signpost: 28 June 2020
- News and notes: Progress at Wikipedia Library and Wikijournal of Medicine
Plus Swedish biographies and the big oops!
- Community view: Community open letter on renaming
Reacting to the WMF's rebranding proposal.
- Gallery: After the killing of George Floyd
Protests and photos from around the world...
- In the media: Part collaboration and part combat
Racial justice, Facebook, LGBTQ+, Ryan Merkley, and a woman.
- Discussion report: Community reacts to WMF rebranding proposals
Many Wikimedia community members are upset about the WMF's plan to rebrand. Plus, a discussion of Fox News's reliability.
- Featured content: Sports are returning, with a rainbow
Battles, music, and animals feature prominently in this month's best content.
- Arbitration report: Anti-harassment RfC and a checkuser revocation
The RfC should keep everybody busy.
- Traffic report: The pandemic, alleged murder, a massacre, and other deaths
Plus Rajput, Musk, Epstein, Maxwell, Owens and Anonymous
- News from the WMF: We stand for racial justice
On these issues, there is no neutral stance.
- Recent research: Wikipedia and COVID-19; automated Wikipedia-based fact-checking
And other new research publications
- Interview: What is wrong with rebranding to "Wikipedia Foundation"?
Four signers of the open letter explain.
- Humour: Cherchez une femme
It's amazing what one can do.
- Opinion: Trying to find COI or paid editors? Just read the news
A scientific scandal and the Ronaldo of investment banking.
- On the bright side: For what are you grateful this month?
A selection of good news and encouraging stories from the Wikiverse.
- In focus: Edit Loud, Edit Proud: LGBTIQ+ Wikimedians and Global Information Activism
The history and impact of LGBTIQ+ contributions to Wikimedia projects.
- WikiProject report: WikiProject Black Lives Matter
How Wikipedia is covering racial injustice, both in the outer world and on-site
Administrators' newsletter – July 2020
News and updates for administrators from the past month (June 2020).
- A request for comment is in progress to remove the T2 (template that misrepresents established policy) speedy deletion criterion.
- Protection templates on mainspace pages are now automatically added by User:MusikBot II (BRFA).
- Following the banning of an editor by the WMF last year, the Arbitration Committee resolved to hold an
RfC regarding on-wiki harassment
. The RfC has been posted at Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee/Anti-harassment RfC and is open to comments from the community. - The Medicine case was closed, with a remedy authorizing standard discretionary sanctions for
all discussions about pharmaceutical drug prices and pricing and for edits adding, changing, or removing pharmaceutical drug prices or pricing from articles
.
- Following the banning of an editor by the WMF last year, the Arbitration Committee resolved to hold an
Suspension of administrative permissions due to inactivity
Established policy provides for removal of the administrative permissions of users who have not made any edits or logged actions in the preceding twelve months. Because you have been inactive, your administrative permissions have been removed.
Subject to certain time limits and other restrictions, your administrative permissions may be returned upon request at WP:BN.
Thank you for your past contributions to the project. — xaosflux Talk 14:57, 1 July 2020 (UTC)
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Feedback request: Wikipedia policies and guidelines request for comment

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Administrators' newsletter – August 2020
News and updates for administrators from the past month (July 2020).

- There is an open request for comment to decide whether to increase the minimum duration a sanction discussion has to remain open (currently 24 hours).
- Speedy deletion criterion T2 (template that misrepresents established policy) has been repealed following a request for comment.
- Speedy deletion criterion X2 (pages created by the content translation tool) has been repealed following a discussion.
- There is a proposal to restrict proposed deletion to confirmed users.
The Signpost: 2 August 2020
- Special report: Wikipedia and the End of Open Collaboration?
Comparing Wikipedia to similar projects.
- COI and paid editing: Some strange people edit Wikipedia for money
And thanks for the photo, Ghislaine!
- News and notes: Abstract Wikipedia, a hoax, sex symbols, and a new admin
Plus lots of affiliations!
- In the media: Dog days gone bad
Pandemic, politics, and possibly paid editing.
- Discussion report: Fox News, a flight of RfAs, and banning policy
Plus a proposed massive invasion of privacy!
- Featured content: Remembering Art, Valor, and Freedom
soldiers, sports, and actors feature heavily this month.
- Traffic report: Now for something completely different
Death and Alexander Hamilton.
- Gallery: Photos of threatened species from iNaturalist
Sometimes you just have to ask.
- News from the WMF: New Chinese national security law in Hong Kong could limit the privacy of Wikipedia users
Privacy is critical to sustaining freedom of expression and association, enabling knowledge and ideas to thrive.
- Recent research: Receiving thanks increases retention, but not the time contributed to Wikipedia
And other new research publications
- Essay: Not compatible with a collaborative project
Some editors aren't.
- Obituaries: Hasteur and Brian McNeil
Rest in peace.
- In focus: WikiLoop DoubleCheck, reviewing edits made easy
Making Wikipedia the encyclopedia that anyone can review.
Feedback request: Wikipedia policies and guidelines request for comment

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The Signpost: 30 August 2020
- News and notes: The high road and the low road
Will the Scots language Wikipedia survive?
- In the media: Storytelling large and small
COVID, Fox, Kamala, Scots, cryptocurrency, and more.
- Featured content: Going for the goal
Sports, music, military and more
- Special report: Wikipedia's not so little sister is finding its own way
Wikidata's profound impact on Wikipedia
- Op-Ed: The longest-running hoax
Watch out for those Mustelodons!
- Traffic report: Heart, soul, umbrellas, and politics
More politics than usual.
- News from the WMF: Fourteen things we’ve learned by moving Polish Wikimedia conference online
Celebrating of our community in a different format.
- Recent research: Detecting spam, and pages to protect; non-anonymous editors signal their intelligence with high-quality articles
And other new research results
- Arbitration report: A slow couple of months
Everybody deserves a vacation!
- From the archives: Wikipedia for promotional purposes?
A question from 2005 that we still haven't answered.
- Obituaries: Marcus Sherman, Jerome West, and Pauline van Till
Rest in Peace.
Administrators' newsletter – September 2020
News and updates for administrators from the past month (August 2020).

- Following a request for comment, the minimum length for site ban discussions was increased to 72 hours, up from 24.
- A request for comment is ongoing to determine whether paid editors
must
orshould
use the articles for creation process. - A request for comment is open to resolve inconsistencies between the draftification and alternative to deletion processes.
- A request for comment is open to provide an opportunity to amend the structure, rules, and procedures of the 2020 English Wikipedia Arbitration Committee election and to resolve any issues not covered by existing rules.
- An open request for comment asks whether active Arbitrators may serve on the Trust and Safety Case Review Committee or Ombudsman commission.
The Signpost: 27 September 2020
- Special report: Paid editing with political connections
WE charity and Justin Trudeau, Bell Pottinger, Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs.
- News and notes: More large-scale errors at a "small" wiki
With inline parenthetical citations!
- In the media: WIPO, Seigenthaler incident 15 years later
A celebrity quiz, Scots, and a Crypto-hating Wikipedia editor
- Featured content: Life finds a Way
Animals, sports, military, and science feature heavily in this month's best content.
- Arbitration report: Clarifications and requests
Who is that guy JzG?
- Traffic report: Is there no justice?
Perhaps on the tennis court.
- Recent research: Wikipedia's flood biases
And other new research publications.
The Signpost: 27 September 2020
- Special report: Paid editing with political connections
WE charity and Justin Trudeau, Bell Pottinger, Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs.
- News and notes: More large-scale errors at a "small" wiki
With inline parenthetical citations!
- In the media: WIPO, Seigenthaler incident 15 years later
A celebrity quiz, Scots, and a Crypto-hating Wikipedia editor
- Featured content: Life finds a Way
Animals, sports, military, and science feature heavily in this month's best content.
- Arbitration report: Clarifications and requests
Who is that guy JzG?
- Traffic report: Is there no justice?
Perhaps on the tennis court.
- Recent research: Wikipedia's flood biases
And other new research publications.
Administrators' newsletter – September 2020
News and updates for administrators from the past month (September 2020).

Ajpolino • LuK3
Jackmcbarn
Ad Orientem • Harej • Lid • Lomn • Mentoz86 • Oliver Pereira • XJaM
There'sNoTime → TheresNoTime
- A request for comment found consensus that incubation as an alternative to deletion should generally only be recommended when draftification is appropriate, namely
1) if the result of a deletion discussion is to draftify; or 2) if the article is newly created
.
- A request for comment found consensus that incubation as an alternative to deletion should generally only be recommended when draftification is appropriate, namely
- The filter log now provides links to view diffs of deleted revisions (phab:T261630).
- The 2020 CheckUser and Oversight appointment process has begun. The community consultation period will take place from September 27th to October 7th.
- Following a request for comment, sitting Committee members may not serve on either the Ombuds Commission or the WMF Case Review Committee. The Arbitration Committee passed a motion implementing those results into their procedures.
- The Universal Code of Conduct draft is open for community review and comment until October 6th, 2020.
- Office actions may now be appealed to the Interim Trust & Safety Case Review Committee.
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Administrators' newsletter – November 2020
News and updates for administrators from the past month (October 2020).
|
|
- Community sanctions now authorize administrators to place under indefinite semiprotection
any article on a beauty pageant, or biography of a person known as a beauty pageant contestant, which has been edited by a sockpuppet account or logged-out sockpuppet
, to be logged at WP:GS/PAGEANT.
- Community sanctions now authorize administrators to place under indefinite semiprotection
- Sysops will once again be able to view the deleted history of JS/CSS pages; this was restricted to interface administrators when that group was introduced.
- Twinkle's block module now includes the ability to note the specific case when applying a discretionary sanctions block and/or template.
- Sysops will be able to use Special:CreateLocalAccount to create a local account for a global user that is prevented from auto-creation locally (such as by a filter or range block). Administrators that are not sure if such a creation is appropriate should contact a checkuser.
- The 2020 Arbitration Committee Elections process has begun. Eligible editors will be able to nominate themselves as candidates from November 8 through November 17. The voting period will run from November 23 through December 6.
- The Anti-harassment RfC has concluded with a summary of the feedback provided.
- A reminder that
standard discretionary sanctions are authorized for all edits about, and all pages related to post-1932 politics of the United States and closely related people.
(American Politics 2 Arbitration case).
- A reminder that
The Signpost: 1 November 2020
- News and notes: Ban on IPs on ptwiki, paid editing for Tatarstan, IP masking
Branding pause, birthday.
- In the media: Murder, politics, religion, health and books
A possible conspiracy and 2 infodemics!
- Book review: Review of Wikipedia @ 20
We made it this far, but where do we go from here?
- Op-Ed: Anti-vandalism with masked IPs: the steps forward
Getting input from editors.
- Discussion report: Proposal to change board composition, In The News dumps Trump story
Will editors be affected?
- Featured content: The "Green Terror" is neither green nor sufficiently terrifying. Worst Hallowe'en ever.
A hairy starfish flower might help!
- Traffic report: Jump back, what's that sound?
Here comes the judge.
- Interview: Joseph Reagle and Jackie Koerner
The co-editors of Wikipedia @ 20.
- News from the WMF: Meet the 2020 Wikimedian of the Year
Sandister Tei.
- Recent research: OpenSym 2020: Deletions and gender, masses vs. elites, edit filters
Ortega's hypothesis was right! (If you start with the right definitions and assumptions.)
- In focus: The many (reported) deaths of Wikipedia
The grove continues to grow – despite periods of dismal predictions.
Feedback request: Politics, government, and law request for comment

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The Signpost: 29 November 2020
- News and notes: Jimmy Wales "shouldn't be kicked out before he's ready"
Arbitration Committee elections begin.
- Op-Ed: Re-righting Wikipedia
Wikipedia deprecates more right-wing sources than left-wing sources ... but is it a problem?
- Opinion: How billionaires re-write Wikipedia
Billionaires are different from you and me.
- In the media: Relying on Wikipedia: voters, scientists, and a Canadian border guard
And yes, it does!
- Featured content: Frontonia sp. is thankful for delicious cyanobacteria
The Réunion swamphen is a lot less thankful.
- Traffic report: 007 with Borat, the Queen, and an election
Plus Alex Trebek and the Queen's Gambit.
- News from Wiki Education: An assignment that changed a life: Kasey Baker
Wiki Education and changing our encyclopedia.
- GLAM plus: West Coast New Zealand's Wikipedian at Large
Succeeding one step at a time.
- Wikicup report: Lee Vilenski wins the 2020 WikiCup
Gog the Mild and The Rambling Man in second and third!
- Recent research: Wikipedia's Shoah coverage succeeds where libraries fail
And other new research publications.
- Essay: Writing about women
Male is not the default.
Administrators' newsletter – December 2020
News and updates for administrators from the past month (November 2020).

Andrwsc • Anetode • GoldenRing • JzG • LinguistAtLarge • Nehrams2020
Interface administrator changes
- There is a request for comment in progress to either remove T3 (duplicated and hardcoded instances) as a speedy deletion criterion or eliminate its seven-day waiting period.
- Voting for proposals in the 2021 Community Wishlist Survey, which determines what software the Wikimedia Foundation's Community Tech team will work on next year, will take place from 8 December through 21 December. In particular, there are sections regarding administrators and anti-harassment.
- Voting in the 2020 Arbitration Committee Elections is open to eligible editors until Monday 23:59, 7 December 2020 UTC. Please review the candidates and, if you wish to do so, submit your choices on the voting page.
The Signpost: 28 December 2020
- News and notes: Year-end legal surprises cause concern, but Public Domain Day is imminent
New laws in the US and Europe might enable trolls; sad admin milestone for English Wikipedia, or not?
- In the media: Concealment, data journalism, a non-pig farmer, and some Bluetick Hounds
As 2020 draws to a close, this website has been splattered all over the headlines.
- Arbitration report: 2020 election results
Congratulations to the new Arbs!
- Opinion: How to make your factory's safety and labor issues disappear
Edit wars fought on the back of workers.
- Featured content: Very nearly ringing in the New Year with "Blank Space" – but we got there in time.
Texas amphibia, mongeese, and Normandy invasion plans grateful.
- Traffic report: 2020 wraps up
Punks and heroes, losers and winners, the bereaved and the deceased – they're all here.
- News from the WMF: What Wikipedia saw during election week in the U.S., and what we’re doing next
No evidence of large-scale state-sponsored disinformation.
- Recent research: Predicting the next move in Wikipedia discussions
Six million talk page threads analyzed, and other research.
- Essay: Subjective importance
Is not important to notability.
- Op-Ed: An unforgettable year we might wish to forget
The year that was 2020.
- Gallery: Angels in the architecture
Spinning in infinity.
- Humour: 'Twas the Night Before Wikimas
And to all a good night!
Administrators' newsletter – January 2021
News and updates for administrators from the past month (December 2020).
|
- Speedy deletion criterion T3 (duplication and hardcoded instances) has been repealed following a request for comment.
- You can now put pages on your watchlist for a limited period of time.
- By motion, standard discretionary sanctions have been temporarily authorized
for all pages relating to the Horn of Africa (defined as including Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Djibouti, and adjoining areas if involved in related disputes)
. The effectiveness of the discretionary sanctions can be evaluated on the request by any editor after March 1, 2021 (or sooner if for a good reason). - Following the 2020 Arbitration Committee elections, the following editors have been appointed to the Arbitration Committee: Barkeep49, BDD, Bradv, CaptainEek, L235, Maxim, Primefac.
- By motion, standard discretionary sanctions have been temporarily authorized
Feedback requests from the Feedback Request Service

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Feedback request: Wikipedia policies and guidelines request for comment

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The Signpost: 31 January 2021
- News and notes: 1,000,000,000 edits, board elections, virtual Wikimania 2021
Who else but Ser Amantio di Nicolao?
- Special report: Wiki reporting on the United States insurrection
From the Hill to the news to Wikipedia in minutes!
- In focus: From Anarchy to Wikiality, Glaring Bias to Good Cop: Press Coverage of Wikipedia's First Two Decades
A new "wiki journalism" is needed.
- Opinion: Wikipedia's war against scientific disinformation
Are we getting lead by the nose?
- In the media: The world's press says "Happy Birthday!" with a few twists
Even the world's richest man is happy we exist!
- Technology report: The people who built Wikipedia, technically
Starting with trust, expanding, controversy, and opportunities.
- Videos and podcasts: Celebrating 20 years
Multimedia in many styles!
- News from the WMF: Wikipedia celebrates 20 years of free, trusted information for the world
Happy birthday!
- Recent research: Students still have a better opinion of Wikipedia than teachers
And other new research results
- Humour: Dr. Seuss's Guide to Wikipedia
With a special appearance by Senator Ted Cruz!
- Featured content: New Year, same Featured Content report!
...Well, except we did change the articles and pictures out. ...Mostly.
- Traffic report: The most viewed articles of 2020
The end of the world as we know it?
- Obituary: Flyer22 Frozen
RIP.
Feedback request: Politics, government, and law request for comment

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Administrators' newsletter – February 2021
News and updates for administrators from the past month (January 2021).
- The standard discretionary sanctions authorized for American Politics were amended by motion to cover
post-1992 politics of United States and closely related people
, replacing the 1932 cutoff.
- The standard discretionary sanctions authorized for American Politics were amended by motion to cover
- Voting in the 2021 Steward elections will begin on 05 February 2021, 14:00 (UTC) and end on 26 February 2021, 13:59 (UTC). The confirmation process of current stewards is being held in parallel. You can automatically check your eligibility to vote.
- Wikipedia has now been around for 20 years, and recently saw its billionth edit!
The Signpost: 28 February 2021
- News and notes: Maher stepping down
UCC launch.
- Disinformation report: A "billionaire battle" on Wikipedia: Sex, lies, and video
Edits of the rich and famous.
- Opinion: The call for feedback on community seats is a distraction
Free as in Liberty.
- In the media: Corporate influence at OSM, Fox watching the hen house
Wikidata, Turkey, Valentine's Day and all sorts of bias!
- News from the WMF: Who tells your story on Wikipedia
You can!
- Recent research: Take an AI-generated flashcard quiz about Wikipedia; Wikipedia's anti-feudalism
And other new research publications
- Featured content: A Love of Knowledge, for Valentine's Day
Stealing your heart, and Charles Darwin's notebooks.
- Traffic report: Does it almost feel like you've been here before?
Watching the Super Bowl at the Cecil?
- Gallery: What is Black history and culture?
In paintings, photos, and recordings.
Administrators' newsletter – March 2021
News and updates for administrators from the past month (February 2021).

Interface administrator changes
- A request for comment is open that proposes a process for the community to revoke administrative permissions. This follows a 2019 RfC in favor of creating one such a policy.
- A request for comment is in progress to remove F7 (invalid fair-use claim) subcriterion a, which covers immediate deletion of non-free media with invalid fair-use tags.
- A request for comment seeks to grant page movers the
delete-redirectuserright, which allows moving a page over a single-revision redirect, regardless of that redirect's target. The full proposal is at Wikipedia:Page mover/delete-redirect. - A request for comment asks if sysops may
place the General sanctions/Coronavirus disease 2019 editnotice template on pages in scope that do not have page-specific sanctions
? - There is a discussion in progress concerning automatic protection of each day's featured article with Pending Changes protection.
- When blocking an IPv6 address with Twinkle, there is now a checkbox with the option to just block the /64 range. When doing so, you can still leave a block template on the initial, single IP address' talkpage.
- When protecting a page with Twinkle, you can now add a note if doing so was in response to a request at WP:RfPP, and even link to the specific revision.
- There have been a number of reported issues with Pending Changes. Most problems setting protection appear to have been resolved (phab:T273317) but other issues with autoaccepting edits persist (phab:T275322).
- By motion, the discretionary sanctions originally authorized under the GamerGate case are now authorized under a new Gender and sexuality case, with sanctions
authorized for all edits about, and all pages related to, any gender-related dispute or controversy and associated people.
Sanctions issued under GamerGate are now considered Gender and sexuality sanctions. - The Kurds and Kurdistan case was closed, authorizing standard discretionary sanctions for
the topics of Kurds and Kurdistan, broadly construed
.
- By motion, the discretionary sanctions originally authorized under the GamerGate case are now authorized under a new Gender and sexuality case, with sanctions
- Following the 2021 Steward Elections, the following editors have been appointed as stewards: AmandaNP, Operator873, Stanglavine, Teles, and Wiki13.
Feedback request: Politics, government, and law request for comment

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The Signpost: 28 March 2021
- News and notes: A future with a for-profit subsidiary?
Or becoming more business-like?
- Gallery: Wiki Loves Monuments
2020 international winners
- In the media: Wikimedia LLC and disinformation in Japan
Plus CPAC misinformation
- News from the WMF: Project Rewrite: Tell the missing stories of women on Wikipedia and beyond
Telling women’s stories is a radical act.
- Recent research: 10%-30% of Wikipedia’s contributors have subject-matter expertise
And other recent research results
- From the archives: Google isn't responsible for Wikipedia's mistakes
Huge profits sustained by unpaid labor.
- Essay: Wikipedia:The Free Encyclopedia
As in "free software" and "free culture".
- Obituary: Yoninah
Barukh dayan ha-emet ("Blessed is the true judge.")
- From the editor: What else can we say?
What can we link to?
- Arbitration report: Open letter to the Board of Trustees
Let's do the UCoC right!
- Traffic report: Wanda, Meghan, Liz, Phil and Zack
Another royal bash!
Administrators' newsletter – April 2021
News and updates for administrators from the past month (March 2021).

Alexandria • Happyme22 • RexxS
- Following a request for comment, F7 (invalid fair-use claim) subcriterion a has been deprecated; it covered immediate deletion of non-free media with invalid fair-use tags.
- Following a request for comment, page movers were granted the
delete-redirectuserright, which allows moving a page over a single-revision redirect, regardless of that redirect's target.
- When you move a page that many editors have on their watchlist the history can be split and it might also not be possible to move it again for a while. This is because of a job queue problem. (T278350)
- Code to support some very old web browsers is being removed. This could cause issues in those browsers. (T277803)
- A community consultation on the Arbitration Committee discretionary sanctions procedure is open until April 25.
Feedback request: Wikipedia policies and guidelines request for comment

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Feedback request: Wikipedia policies and guidelines request for comment

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Feedback request: Wikipedia policies and guidelines request for comment

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Feedback request: Politics, government, and law request for comment

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The Signpost: 25 April 2021
- From the editor: A change is gonna come
But not soon enough.
- Disinformation report: Paid editing by a former head of state's business enterprise
The Trump Organization's paid editors
- In the media: Fernando, governance, and rugby
Jimmy does OK too!
- Opinion: The (Universal) Code of Conduct
Explicit behavioral expectations are better than unwritten social norms
- Op-Ed: A Little Fun Goes A Long Way
Why do we work so hard to avoid having a sense of humor?
- Changing the world: The reach of protest images on Wikipedia
Wikipedia's retweet and share buttons
- Recent research: Quality of aquatic and anatomical articles
And other research publications
- Traffic report: The verdict is guilty, guilty, guilty
Plus Godzilla and Kong
- News from Wiki Education: Encouraging professional physicists to engage in outreach on Wikipedia
Even a Nobel laureate can learn more!
The Signpost: 25 April 2021
- From the editor: A change is gonna come
But not soon enough.
- Disinformation report: Paid editing by a former head of state's business enterprise
The Trump Organization's paid editors
- In the media: Fernando, governance, and rugby
Jimmy does OK too!
- Opinion: The (Universal) Code of Conduct
Explicit behavioral expectations are better than unwritten social norms
- Op-Ed: A Little Fun Goes A Long Way
Why do we work so hard to avoid having a sense of humor?
- Changing the world: The reach of protest images on Wikipedia
Wikipedia's retweet and share buttons
- Recent research: Quality of aquatic and anatomical articles
And other research publications
- Traffic report: The verdict is guilty, guilty, guilty
Plus Godzilla and Kong
- News from Wiki Education: Encouraging professional physicists to engage in outreach on Wikipedia
Even a Nobel laureate can learn more!
Administrators' newsletter – May 2021
News and updates for administrators from the past month (April 2021).

Interface administrator changes
- Following an RfC, consensus was found that third party appeals are allowed but discouraged.
- The 2021 Desysop Policy RfC was closed with no consensus. Consensus was found in a previous RfC for a community based desysop procedure, though the procedure proposed in the 2021 RfC did not gain consensus.
- The user group
oversightwill be renamed tosuppress. This is for technical reasons. You can comment at T112147 if you have objections.
- The user group
- The community consultation on the Arbitration Committee discretionary sanctions procedure was closed, and an initial draft based on feedback from the now closed consultation is expected to be released in early June to early July for community review.
Feedback request: Politics, government, and law request for comment

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Administrators' newsletter – June 2021
News and updates for administrators from the past month (May 2021).

Ashleyyoursmile • Less Unless
Husond • MattWade • MJCdetroit • Carioca • Vague Rant • Kingboyk • Thunderboltz • Gwen Gale • AniMate • SlimVirgin (deceased)
- Consensus was reached to deprecate Wikipedia:Editor assistance.
- Following a Request for Comment the Book namespace was deprecated.
- Wikimedia previously used the IRC network Freenode. However, due to changes over who controlled the network with reports of a forceful takeover by several ex-staff members, the Wikimedia IRC Group Contacts decided to move to the new Libera Chat network. It has been reported that Wikimedia related channels on Freenode have been forcibly taken over if they pointed members to Libera. There is a migration guide and Wikimedia discussions about this.
- After a Clarification request, the Arbitration Committee modified Remedy 5 of the Antisemitism in Poland case. This means sourcing expectations are a discretionary sanction instead of being present on all articles. It also details using the talk page or the Reliable Sources Noticeboard to discuss disputed sources.
The Signpost: 27 June 2021
- News and notes: Elections, Wikimania, masking and more
Submit your candidacy today!
- In the media: Boris and Joe, reliability, love, and money
Will he hang it in the Oval Office?
- Disinformation report: Croatian Wikipedia: capture and release
Curious and curiouser!
- Recent research: Feminist critique of Wikipedia's epistemology, Black Americans vastly underrepresented among editors, Wiki Workshop report
Summaries of 26 new research publications
- Traffic report: So no one told you life was gonna be this way
We'll be there for you!
- News from the WMF: Searching for Wikipedia
How do our readers find us?
- Humour: Wikipedia's best articles on the world's strangest things
It's the wheel thing.
- WikiProject report: WikiProject on open proxies interview
Interview with volunteers at WikiProject on open proxies
- Forum: Is WMF fundraising abusive?
A calm discussion.
- Discussion report: Reliability of WikiLeaks discussed
WikiLeaks on multiple boards.
- Obituary: SarahSV
Requiescat in pace.
Administrators' newsletter – July 2021
News and updates for administrators from the past month (June 2021).
|
|
- Consensus has been reached to delete all books in the book namespace. There was rough consensus that the deleted books should still be available on request at WP:REFUND even after the namespace is removed.
- An RfC is open to discuss the next steps following a trial which automatically applied pending changes to TFAs.
- IP addresses of unregistered users are to be hidden from everyone. There is a rough draft of how IP addresses may be shown to users who need to see them. This currently details allowing administrators, checkusers, stewards and those with a new usergroup to view the full IP address of unregistered users. Editors with at least 500 edits and an account over a year old will be able to see all but the end of the IP address in the proposal. The ability to see the IP addresses hidden behind the mask would be dependent on agreeing to not share the parts of the IP address they can see with those who do not have access to the same information. Accessing part of or the full IP address of a masked editor would also be logged. Comments on the draft are being welcomed at the talk page.
- The community authorised COVID-19 general sanctions have been superseded by the COVID-19 discretionary sanctions following a motion at a case request. Alerts given and sanctions placed under the community authorised general sanctions are now considered alerts for and sanctions under the new discretionary sanctions.
The Signpost: 25 July 2021
- News and notes: Wikimania and a million other news stories
And one new admin!
- Special report: Hardball in Hong Kong
Three strikes and you're out?
- In the media: Larry is at it again
Bias, propaganda and more murderous mistakes!
- Board of Trustees candidates: See the candidates
Watch the video!
- Recent research: Gender bias and statistical fallacies, disinformation and mutual intelligibility
And other recent research publications
- Traffic report: Football, tennis and marveling at Loki
But you can call it soccer if you'd like.
- News from the WMF: Uncapping our growth potential – interview with James Baldwin, Finance and Administration Department
Money, money, money.
- Humour: A little verse
Two poems of Wikipedia.
Administrators' newsletter – July 2021
News and updates for administrators from the past month (July 2021).
|
|
- An RfC is open to add a delay of one week from nomination to deletion for G13 speedy deletions.
- Last week all wikis were very slow or not accessible for 30 minutes. This was due to server lag caused by regenerating dynamic lists on the Russian Wikinews after a large bulk import. (T287380)
- Following an amendment request, the committee has clarified that the Talk page exception to the 500/30 rule in remedy 5 of the Palestine-Israel articles 4 case does not apply to requested move discussions.
- You can vote for candidates in the 2021 Board of Trustees elections from 4 August to 17 August. Four community elected seats are up for election.
The Signpost: 29 August 2021
- News and notes: Enough time left to vote! IP ban
Just do it!
- In the media: Vive la différence!
May Father Will forgive us!
- Wikimedians of the year: Seven Wikimedians of the year
With two musical celebrations!
- Gallery: Our community in 20 graphs
We just look at the pictures!
- News from Wiki Education: Changing the face of Wikipedia
Moving forward.
- Recent research: IP editors, inclusiveness and empathy, cyclones, and world heritage
A monthly overview of new research results.
- WikiProject report: WikiProject Days of the Year Interview
You can start with your birthday article!
- Traffic report: Olympics, movies, and Afghanistan
Winners and losers.
- Community view: Making Olympic history on Wikipedia
Higher, faster, stronger and more informative!
Administrators' newsletter – September 2021
News and updates for administrators from the past month (August 2021).

- Feedback is requested on the Universal Code of Conduct enforcement draft by the Universal Code of Conduct Phase 2 drafting committee.
- A RfC is open on whether to allow administrators to use extended confirmed protection on high-risk templates.
- A discussion is open to decide when, if ever, should discord logs be eligible for removal when posted onwiki (including whether to oversight them)
- A RfC on the next steps after the trial of pending changes on TFAs has resulted in a 30 day trial of automatic semi protection for TFAs.
- The Score extension has been re-enabled on public wikis. It has been updated, but has been placed in safe mode to address unresolved security issues. Further information on the security issues can be found on the mediawiki page.
- A request for comment is in progress to provide an opportunity to amend the structure, rules, and procedures of the Arbitration Committee election and resolve any issues not covered by existing rules. Comments and new proposals are welcome.
- The 2021 RfA review is now open for comments.
The Signpost: 26 September 2021
- News and notes: New CEO, new board members, China bans
And one new admin!
- In the media: The future of Wikipedia
And a bit about the past.
- Opinion: Wikimedians of Mainland China were warned
But just disregarded the warnings.
- Op-Ed: I've been desysopped
But not banned!
- Disinformation report: Paid promotional paragraphs in German parliamentary pages
Did German Wikipedia love parliaments a little too much? Plus fake-bacon and a ponzi scheme.
- Discussion report: Editors discuss Wikipedia's vetting process for administrators
Emotional injury and rising standards against a backdrop of a dwindling sysop cadre: the 2021 Requests for adminship review grapples with tough issues.
- Recent research: Wikipedia images for machine learning; Experiment justifies Wikipedia's high search rankings
And other new research publications
- Community view: Is writing Wikipedia like making a quilt?
Help us piece together WikiProject Craft!
- Traffic report: Kanye, Emma Raducanu and 9/11
Or is it Donda, Leylah Fernandez, and Flight 93?
- News from Diff: Welcome to the first grantees of the Knowledge Equity Fund
$4.5 million for equity.
- WikiProject report: The Random and the Beautiful
An interview with members of the Random Page Patrol.
Administrators' newsletter – October 2021
News and updates for administrators from the past month (September 2021).
- Following an RfC, extended confirmed protection may be used preemptively on certain high-risk templates.
- Following a discussion at the Village Pump, there is consensus to treat discord logs the same as IRC logs. This means that discord logs will be oversighted if posted onwiki.
- DiscussionTools has superseded Enterprisey's reply-link script. Editors may switch using the "Discussion tools" checkbox under Preferences → Beta features.
- A motion has standardised the 500/30 (extended confirmed) restrictions placed by the Arbitration Committee. The standardised restriction is now listed in the Arbitration Committee's procedures.
- Following the closure of the Iranian politics case, standard discretionary sanctions are authorized for all edits about, and all pages related to, post-1978 Iranian politics, broadly construed.
- The Arbitration Committee encourages uninvolved administrators to use the discretionary sanctions procedure in topic areas where it is authorised to facilitate consensus in RfCs. This includes, but is not limited to, enforcing sectioned comments, word/diff limits and moratoriums on a particular topic from being brought in an RfC for up to a year.
- Editors have approved expanding the trial of Growth Features from 2% of new accounts to 25%, and the share of newcomers getting mentorship from 2% to 5%. Experienced editors are invited to add themselves to the mentor list.
- The community consultation phase of the 2021 CheckUser and Oversight appointments process is open for editors to provide comments and ask questions to candidates.
The Signpost: 31 October 2021
- From the editor: Different stories, same place
What Wikipedians can and cannot do.
- News and notes: The sockpuppet who ran for adminship and almost succeeded
And will the last person to leave the C-Suite please turn off the lights?
- In the media: China bans, and is there intelligent life on this planet?
Beam me up, Scotty – Matt Amodio for sure, and maybe just a few VIPs, billionaires, and Tucker Carlson.
- Opinion: A photo on Wikipedia can ruin your life
Section 230 in practice – this Black life should matter to us.
- Discussion report: Editors brainstorm and propose changes to the Requests for adminship process
Proposals to solve eight core problems – what many describe as a broken process – identified in the 2021 RfA review.
- Recent research: Welcome messages fail to improve newbie retention
And other new research results
- Community view: Reflections on the Chinese Wikipedia
Were the bans justified?
- Traffic report: James Bond and the Giant Squid Game
Plus German elections and movies galore.
- Technology report: Wikimedia Toolhub, winners of the Coolest Tool Award, and more
Now discovering and accessing Wikimedia tools will be easier.
- Serendipity: How Wikipedia helped create a Serbian stamp
Details can make all the difference!
- Book review: Wikipedia and the Representation of Reality
Or you could watch the video!
- WikiProject report: Redirection
An interview with participants at WikiProject Redirect.
- Humour: A very Wiki crossword
24 clues to chew on.
Administrators' newsletter – November 2021
News and updates for administrators from the past month (October 2021).
- Phase 2 of the 2021 RfA review has commenced which will discuss potential solutions to address the 8 issues found in Phase 1. Proposed solutions that achieve consensus will be implemented and you may propose solutions till 07 November 2021.
- Toolhub is a catalogue of tools which can be used on Wikimedia wikis. It is at https://toolhub.wikimedia.org/.
- GeneralNotability, Mz7 and Cyberpower678 have been appointed to the Electoral Commission for the 2021 Arbitration Committee Elections. Ivanvector and John M Wolfson are reserve commissioners.
- Eligible editors are invited to self-nominate themselves to stand in the 2021 Arbitration Committee elections from 07 November 2021 until 16 November 2021.
- The 2021 CheckUser and Oversight appointments process has concluded with the appointment of five new CheckUsers and two new Oversighters.
The Signpost: 29 November 2021
- In the media: Denial: climate change, mass killings and pornography
Will they deny non-fungible tokens next?
- WikiCup report: The WikiCup 2021
15th annual event closes with hundreds of articles improved
- Deletion report: What we lost, what we gained
1,767 nominations in November... AN/Is... DRVs... The largest AfD in history, possibly ever!
- From a Wikipedia reader: What's Matt Amodio?
Wikipedia democratizes knowledge, but is it in Jeopardy?
- Arbitration report: ArbCom in 2021
We should have at least one of these every year!
- Discussion report: On the brink of change – RFA reforms appear imminent
Editors propose modifications to Wikipedia's admin-making process.
- Technology report: What does it take to upload a file?
How MediaWiki works with media files.
- WikiProject report: Interview with contributors to WikiProject Actors and Filmmakers
From the silver screen to your computer screen
- Serendipity: "Did You Know ..." featured a photo of the wrong female WWII pilot
A worthy pilot but the photo didn't match the article!
- News from Diff: Content translation tool helps create one million Wikipedia articles
Sharing the wealth of information!
- Traffic report: Reporting ticket sales on the edge of the Wiki, if Eternals should fail
Conjuring up the jesters again!
- Recent research: Vandalizing Wikipedia as rational behavior
And other recent research publications
- Humour: A very new very Wiki crossword
Answers to last month's puzzle included.
Administrators' newsletter – December 2021
News and updates for administrators from the past month (November 2021).

- Unregistered editors using the mobile website are now able to receive notices to indicate they have talk page messages. The notice looks similar to what is already present on desktop, and will be displayed on when viewing any page except mainspace and when editing any page. (T284642)
- The limit on the number of emails a user can send per day has been made global instead of per-wiki to help prevent abuse. (T293866)
- Voting in the 2021 Arbitration Committee Elections is open until 23:59, 06 December 2021 (UTC).
- The already authorized standard discretionary sanctions for all pages relating to the Horn of Africa (defined as including Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Djibouti, and adjoining areas if involved in related disputes), broadly construed, have been made permanent.
The Signpost: 28 December 2021
- From the editor: Here is the news
And wishing our readers a healthy, fortunate and bountiful 2022.
- News and notes: Jimbo's NFT, new arbs, fixing RfA, and financial statements
Wrapping up 2021 with a pair of auctions, activity surrounding administrators, and an audit.
- Serendipity: Born three months before her brother?
Wikipedia and the Oxford Dictionary of Music have different opinions.
- In the media: The past is not even past
Even for Wikipedia critics in nappies!
- Recent research: STEM articles judged unsuitable for undergraduates below the first paragraph
And other new research results.
- Arbitration report: A new crew for '22
Elections certified, bans unlifted, mailing lists restricted, but no new cases.
- By the numbers: Four billion words and a few numbers
Commemorating a milestone: word count comparisons with other Wikipedias.
- Deletion report: We laughed, we cried, we closed as "no consensus"
More hats than a rodeo: the best, worst, and gnarliest AfDs of 2021.
- Gallery: Wikicommons presents: 2021
Some of 2021's most dramatic moments through Wikicommons images.
- Traffic report: Spider-Man, football and the departed
We'll always remember the Greek alphabet!
- Crossword: Another Wiki crossword for one and all
Answers to last month's puzzle included.
- Humour: Buying Wikipedia
Helpful how-to for the prospective buyer. Why settle for a measly single edit, when you can buy the whole thing?
Administrators' newsletter – January 2022
News and updates for administrators from the past month (December 2021).
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- Following consensus at the 2021 RfA review, the autopatrolled user right has been removed from the administrators user group; admins can grant themselves the autopatrolled permission if they wish to remain autopatrolled.
- Additionally, consensus for proposal 6C of the 2021 RfA review has led to the creation of an administrative action review process. The purpose of this process will be to review individual administrator actions and individual actions taken by users holding advanced permissions.
- Following the 2021 Arbitration Committee elections, the following editors have been appointed to the Arbitration Committee: Beeblebrox, Cabayi, Donald Albury, Enterprisey, Izno, Opabinia regalis, Worm That Turned, Wugapodes.
- The functionaries email list (functionaries-en
lists.wikimedia.org) will no longer accept incoming emails apart from those sent by list members and WMF staff. Private concerns, apart from those requiring oversight, should be directly sent to the Arbitration Committee.
The Signpost: 30 January 2022
- Special report: WikiEd course leads to Twitter harassment
Education, deletion and social media can be a volatile mix.
- News and notes: Feedback for Board of Trustees election
Plus, the incredible shrinking admin cadre.
- Interview: CEO Maryana Iskander "four weeks in"
"Impossible ideas can be created, not just imagined."
- Black History Month: What are you doing for Black History Month?
Over 1,700 U.S. congressmen owned slaves. You can help document this.
- Deletion report: Ringing in the new year: Subject notability guideline under discussion
More than you wanted to know about the massive NSPORTS RfC.
- WikiProject report: The Forgotten Featured
Interview with volunteers at the Unreviewed featured articles 2020 working group.
- Arbitration report: New arbitrators look at new case and antediluvian sanctions
The spirit of 2006 is going strong.
- Traffic report: The most viewed articles of 2021
Royals, Freddy and movies.
- Gallery: No Spanish municipality without a photograph
How many more photos are needed?
- Obituary: Twofingered Typist
Rest in peace.
- Op-Ed: Identifying and rooting out climate change denial
Will this method apply to other sensitive topics?
- Essay: The prime directive
Just imagine!
- Opinion: Should the Wikimedia Foundation continue to accept cryptocurrency donations?
One editor doesn't think so.
- In the media: Fuzzy-headed government editing
Get down and party! But no COI editing!
- Recent research: Articles with higher quality ratings have fewer "knowledge gaps"
And other research results.
- Serendipity: Pooh entered the Public Domain – but Tigger has to wait two more years
Copyright is almost always complicated, but we break it down for you.
- Crossword: Cross swords with a crossword
Featuring an experimental on-wiki entry box.
Administrators' newsletter – February 2022
News and updates for administrators from the past month (January 2022).
- The Universal Code of Conduct enforcement guidelines have been published for consideration. Voting to ratify this guideline is planned to take place 7 March to 21 March. Comments can be made on the talk page.
- The user group
oversightwill be renamedsuppressin around 3 weeks. This will not affect the name shown to users and is simply a change in the technical name of the user group. The change is being made for technical reasons. You can comment in Phabricator if you have objections. - The Reply Tool feature, which is a part of Discussion Tools, will be opt-out for everyone logged in or logged out starting 7 February 2022. Editors wishing to comment on this can do so in the relevant Village Pump discussion.
- The user group
- Community input is requested on several motions aimed at addressing discretionary sanctions that are no longer needed or overly broad.
- The Arbitration Committee has published a generalised comment regarding successful appeals of sanctions that it can review (such as checkuser blocks).
- A motion related to the Antisemitism in Poland case was passed following a declined case request.
- Voting in the 2022 Steward elections will begin on 07 February 2022, 14:00 (UTC) and end on 26 February 2022, 13:59 (UTC). The confirmation process of current stewards is being held in parallel. You can automatically check your eligibility to vote.
- Voting in the 2022 Community Wishlist Survey is open until 11 February 2022.
The Signpost: 27 February 2022
- From the team: Selection of a new Signpost Editor-in-Chief
Bye-bye 'bones!
- News and notes: Impacts of Russian invasion of Ukraine
Plus, the Steward Elections, Leadership Development Task Force and a contest.
- Opinion: Why student editors are good for Wikipedia
Who are the students and how do we assure quality?
- Special report: A presidential candidate's team takes on Wikipedia
Vive l'encyclopédie libre!
- In the media: Wiki-drama in the UK House of Commons
Plus, Wiki Unseen, the "Sports Wars", and much more.
- Serendipity: War photographers: from Crimea (1850s) to the Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022)
"The first casualty when war comes is truth".
- Technology report: Community Wishlist Survey results
Plus, DiscussionTools and dark mode.
- WikiProject report: 10 years of tea
Coffee in Teahouse and other secrets revealed in this interview with volunteers.
- Featured content: Featured Content returns
A fantastic diverse mix of a record-breaking amount of content.
- Deletion report: The 10 most SHOCKING deletion discussions of February
You WON'T believe #8!
- Recent research: How editors and readers may be emotionally affected by disasters and terrorist attacks
And other recent research publications.
- Arbitration report: Parties remonstrate, arbs contemplate, skeptics coordinate
The report on lengthy litigation.
- By the numbers: Does birthplace affect the frequency of Wikipedia biography articles?
Some evidence from people born in France.
- Gallery: The vintage exhibit
Some good-ol' posters, restored to its former glory.
- Traffic report: Euphoria, Pamela Anderson, lies and Netflix
Plus quarterbacks, half-timers, Olympians, and Hulu!
- News from Diff: The Wikimania 2022 Core Organizing Team
Meet the folks in charge!
- Crossword: A Crossword, featuring Featured Articles
Can you fill in the boxes with Wikipedia's best content?
- Humour: Notability of mailboxes
Does yours pass?
Administrators' newsletter – March 2022
News and updates for administrators from the past month (February 2022).
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- A RfC is open to change the wording of revision deletion criterion 1 to remove the sentence relating to non-infringing contributions.
- A RfC is open to discuss prohibiting draftification of articles over 90 days old.
- The deployment of the reply tool as an opt-out feature, as announced in last month's newsletter, has been delayed to 7 March. Feedback and comments are being welcomed at Wikipedia talk:Talk pages project. (T296645)
- Special:Nuke will now allow the selection of standard deletion reasons to be used when mass-deleting pages. This was a Community Wishlist Survey request from 2022. (T25020)
- The ability to undelete the talk page when undeleting a page using Special:Undelete or the API will be added soon. This change was requested in the 2021 Community Wishlist Survey. (T295389)
- Several unused discretionary sanctions and article probation remedies have been rescinded. This follows the community feedback from the 2021 Discretionary Sanctions review.
- The 2022 appointees for the Ombuds commission are Érico, Faendalimas, Galahad, Infinite0694, Mykola7, Olugold, Udehb and Zabe as regular members and Ameisenigel and JJMC89 as advisory members.
- Following the 2022 Steward Elections, the following editors have been appointed as stewards: AntiCompositeNumber, BRPever, Hasley, TheresNoTime, and Vermont.
- The 2022 Community Wishlist Survey results have been published alongside the ranking of prioritized proposals.
The Signpost: 27 March 2022
- From the Signpost team: How The Signpost is documenting the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
We stand in solidarity with free knowledge.
- News and notes: Of safety and anonymity
The diff that resulted in arrest and jail time in Belarus.
- Eyewitness Wikimedian, Kharkiv, Ukraine: Countering Russian aggression with a camera
A Ukrainian Wikipedian volunteers to document the war.
- Eyewitness Wikimedian, Vinnytsia, Ukraine: War diary
Reporting from on the ground in Ukraine.
- Eyewitness Wikimedian, Western Ukraine: Working with Wikipedia helps
Holding up the elephants!
- Disinformation report: The oligarchs' socks
For whom do the Bells toil?
- In the media: Ukraine, Russia, and even some other stuff
Lenin did not say "Wow, check out those yachts"!
- Recent research: Top scholarly citers, lack of open access references, predicting editor departures
And other research publications.
- Wikimedian perspective: My heroes from Russia, Ukraine & beyond
The thought of cities being destroyed is unbearable.
- Discussion report: Athletes are less notable now
The Discussion Report returns with a diverse mix of community proposals.
- Technology report: 2022 Wikimedia Hackathon
Plus, Desktop Improvements and a new uploading tool for Commons.
- Arbitration report: Skeptics given heavenly judgement, whirlwind of Discord drama begins to spin for tropical cyclone editors
Unclear whether storm will make landfall.
- Traffic report: War, what is it good for?
Ukraine, Russia and Anna Sorokin.
- Deletion report: Ukraine, werewolves, Ukraine, YouTube pundits, and Ukraine
Things that go "boom" in the night.
- Gallery: "All we are saying is, give peace a chance..."
The once-seen beauty of Ukraine, in high quality.
- From the archives: Burn, baby burn
A look at when early backups of Wikipedia were recovered.
- Essay: Yes, the sky is blue
There is such thing as over-citing.
- Tips and tricks: Become a keyboard ninja
And other useful Tips of the Day.
- On the bright side: The bright side of news
Happy-er current events.
Administrators' newsletter – April 2022
News and updates for administrators from the past month (March 2022).
- An RfC is open proposing a change to the minimum activity requirements for administrators.
- Access to Special:RevisionDelete has been expanded to include users who have the
deletelogentryanddeletedhistoryrights. This means that those in the Researcher user group and Checkusers who are not administrators can now access Special:RevisionDelete. The users able to view the special page after this change are the 3 users in the Researcher group, as there are currently no checkusers who are not already administrators. (T301928) - When viewing deleted revisions or diffs on Special:Undelete a back link to the undelete page for the associated page is now present. (T284114)
- Wikipedia:Arbitration Committee/Procedures § Opening of proceedings has been updated to reflect current practice following a motion.
- A arbitration case regarding Skepticism and coordinated editing has been closed.
- A arbitration case regarding WikiProject Tropical Cyclones has been opened.
- Voting for the Universal Code of Conduct Enforcement guidelines has closed, and the results were that 56.98% of voters supported the guidelines. The results of this vote mean the Wikimedia Foundation Board will now review the guidelines.
The Signpost: 24 April 2022
- News and notes: Double trouble
The second case of Wikipedian persecution.
- In the media: The battlegrounds outside and inside Wikipedia
What's hot in the media this month.
- Special report: Ukrainian Wikimedians during the war
Writing Wikipedia, joining the armed forces, and volunteering.
- Eyewitness Wikimedian, Vinnytsia, Ukraine: War diary (Part 2)
"Our proud Sparta bleeds too."
- Technology report: 8-year-old attribution issues in Media Viewer
Plus, a new status page and Desktop Improvements.
- Featured content: Wikipedia's best content from March
We showcase the best content that Wikipedians offered this past month.
- In focus: Editing difficulties on Russian Wikipedia
A multi-national encyclopedia tries to move forward.
- Gallery: A voyage around the world with WLM winners
Wiki Loves Monuments 2021 winners announced.
- Interview: On a war and a map
How a war map predated Wikimedia's map of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
- Serendipity: Wikipedia loves photographs, but hates photographers
Why not just link to an article to attribute famous photographers?
- Traffic report: Justice Jackson, the Smiths, and an invasion
Plus deaths, films, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.
- Recent research: Student edits as "civic engagement"; how Wikipedia readers interact with images
And other new research findings
- News from the WMF: How Smart is the SMART Copyright Act?
The deceptively simple Strengthening Measures to Advance Rights Technologies Copyright Act of 2022.
- Essay: The problem with elegant variation
An elegant Wikipedia essay.
- Humour: Really huge message boxes
A serious statement of Wikipedia policy.
- From the archives: Wales resigned WMF board chair in 2006 reorganization
A look at when the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees was reorganized.
Administrators' newsletter – May 2022
News and updates for administrators from the past month (April 2022).
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- Following an RfC, a change has been made to the administrators inactivity policy. Under the new policy, if an administrator has not made at least 100 edits over a period of 5 years they may be desysopped for inactivity.
- Following a discussion on the bureaucrat's noticeboard, a change has been made to the bureaucrats inactivity policy.
- The ability to undelete the associated talk page when undeleting a page has been added. This was the 11th wish of the 2021 Community Wishlist Survey.
- A public status system for WMF wikis has been created. It is located at https://www.wikimediastatus.net/ and is hosted separately to WMF wikis so in the case of an outage it will remain viewable.
- Remedy 2 of the St Christopher case has been rescinded following a motion. The remedy previously authorised administrators to place a ban on single-purpose accounts who were disruptively editing on the article St Christopher Iba Mar Diop College of Medicine or related pages from those pages.
June 2022 Good Article Nominations backlog drive
| Good article nominations | June 2022 Backlog Drive | |
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| You're receiving this message because you have conducted 5+ good article reviews or participated in previous backlog drives. Click here to opt out of any future messages. | |
The Signpost: 29 May 2022
- From the team: A changing of the guard
Your two new Signpost Editors in Chief.
- News and notes: 2022 Wikimedia Board elections
Plus, Form 990, fundraising, RfA and UCoC.
- Community view: Have your say in the 2022 Wikimedia Foundation Board elections
Community shortlisting in an affiliate-based process, and a poll for you to speak your mind.
- Opinion: The Wikimedia Endowment – a lack of transparency
A little more information, please.
- In the media: Putin, Jimbo, Musk and more
A varied collection of "special operations", and interviews.
- Special report: Three stories of Ukrainian Wikimedians during the war
Tales of hope, perseverance and even a little humor.
- In focus: Measuring gender diversity in Wikipedia articles
A new approach at the article level.
- Discussion report: Portals, April Fools, admin activity requirements and more
We summarize the drama for you.
- WikiProject report: WikiProject COVID-19 revisited
March 2020 WikiProject report interviewees return discussing project's evolution and future.
- Technology report: A new video player for Wikimedia wikis
Plus, Growth Features configuration, the Hackathon, and more.
- Featured content: Featured content of April
Showcasing the very best articles, pictures, videos, and other contributions from Wikipedians last month.
- Interview: Wikipedia's pride
An interview with queer Wikimedians.
- Serendipity: Those thieving image farms
Stopping them from taking your photos from Commons.
- Recent research: 35 million Twitter links analysed
And other recent research findings.
- Tips and tricks: The reference desks of Wikipedia
Helpful advice from Tips of the Day.
- Traffic report: Strange highs and strange lows
Were Johnny and Amber exchanging blows?
- News from Diff: Winners of the Human rights and Environment special nomination by Wiki Loves Earth announced
Photos raise awareness for nature protection and human impact on nature.
- News from the WMF: The EU Digital Services Act: What’s the Deal with the Deal?
New regulations governing online censorship.
- Video: How the entire country of Qatar was blocked from editing
A lighthearted video recalling the 2006 incident.
- Gallery: Diving under the sea for World Oceans Day
Exploring Featured Pictures of the world's oceans.
- From the archives: The Onion and Wikipedia
A look at when The Onion published an humorous article regarding Wikipedia.
- Essay: How not to write a Wikipedia article
On creative works.
- Humour: A new crossword
Test your word-puzzle skills!
Administrators' newsletter – June 2022
News and updates for administrators from the past month (May 2022).
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- Several areas of improvement collated from community member votes have been identified in the Universal Code of Conduct Enforcement guidelines. The areas of improvement have been sent back for review and you are invited to provide input on these areas.
- Administrators using the mobile web interface can now access Special:Block directly from user pages. (T307341)
- The IP Info feature has been deployed to all wikis as a Beta Feature. Any autoconfirmed user may enable the feature using the "IP info" checkbox under Preferences → Beta features. Autoconfirmed users will be able to access basic information about an IP address that includes the country and connection method. Those with advanced privileges (admin, bureaucrat, checkuser) will have access to extra information that includes the Internet Service Provider and more specific location.
- Remedy 2 of the Rachel Marsden case has been rescinded following a motion. The remedy previously authorised administrators to delete or reduce to a stub, together with their talk pages, articles related to Rachel Marsden when they violate Wikipedia's biographies of living persons policy.
- An arbitration case regarding WikiProject Tropical Cyclones has been closed.
The Signpost: 26 June 2022
- News and notes: WMF inks new rules on government-ordered takedowns, blasts Russian feds' censor demands, spends big bucks
Office actions to secretly delete stuff when told to? Well, at least not if they're Putin's.
- In the media: Editor given three-year sentence, big RfA makes news, Guy Standing takes it sitting down
Belarusian Mark Bernstein to serve 36 months of "home chemistry" for unapproved posting, Slate covers historically large adminship bid, UBI economist with goofy infobox caption thinks it's funny.
- Special report: "Wikipedia's independence" or "Wikimedia's pile of dosh"?
A review of Wikipedia's fundraising messages and financial status.
- Discussion report: MoS rules on CCP name mulled, XRV axe plea nulled, BLPPROD drafting bid pulled
Just three for the history books this month (or not).
- Opinion: Picture of the Day – how Adam plans to ru(i)n it
Famed FP ace steps up to run main page outfit. Millions tremble in fear, or something.
- Featured content: Articles on Scots' clash, Yank's tux, Austrian's action flick deemed brilliant prose
And who can forget the black-breasted buttonquail.
- Essay: RfA trend line haruspicy: fact or fancy?
Don't be dumb, says math whiz: avoid the gambler's fallacy. Illustrated for your pleasure.
- Recent research: Wikipedia versus academia (again), tables' "immortality" probed
Tables "like to socialize" and "share genes": ooh la la!
- Serendipity: Was she really a Swiss lesbian automobile racer?
What's the deal with Anita Forrer, redlinked woman of mystery who saved Schwarzenbach archives?
- News from the WMF: Wikimedia Enterprise signs first deals
Google and Internet Archive sold on new product, more customers hoped to follow.
- Traffic report: Top view counts for shows, movies, and celeb lawsuit that keeps on giving
Plus editing stampedes for cheery subjects: shootings, deaths, and virus.
- Gallery: Celebration of summer, winter
Lest Southern Hemisphere be forgotten.
- Humour: Shortcuts, screwballers, Simon & Garfunkel
Can we offer you a nice crossword in this trying time?
Administrators' newsletter – July 2022
News and updates for administrators from the past month (June 2022).
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user_global_editcountis a new variable that can be used in abuse filters to avoid affecting globally active users. (T130439)
- An arbitration case regarding conduct in deletion-related editing has been opened.
- The New Pages Patrol queue has around 10,000 articles to be reviewed. As all administrators have the patrol right, please consider helping out. The queue is here. For further information on the state of the project, see the latest NPP newsletter.
The Signpost: 1 August 2022
- From the editors: Rise of the machines, or something
The future of stuff? Who knows, but two articles were written by a computer this month.
- News and notes: Information considered harmful
Wikipedia and human rights, publishers and the Internet Archive, Russia and Wikipedia.
- In the media: Censorship, medieval hoaxes, "pathetic supervillains", FB-WMF AI TL bid, dirty duchess deeds done dirt cheap
Real news or silly season?
- Op-Ed: The "recession" affair
IGNORANCE IS NOT STRENGTH.
- Eyewitness Wikimedian, Vinnytsia, Ukraine: War diary (part 3)
"This year's victory was sad and dull."
- Election guide: The chosen six: 2022 Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees elections
Candidate op-eds, open question spaces, and more.
- Community view: Youth culture and notability
Was Minecraft YouTuber a GNG pass in life, or only in death?
- Opinion: Criminals among us
Mass murderers, sex criminals, Ponzi schemers, insider traders, and business people.
- Arbitration report: Winds of change blow for cyclone editors, deletion dustup draws toward denouement
The last three months of arbitration through the eyes of a GPT-3
- Deletion report: This is Gonzo Country
GPT-3 whips it out.
- Discussion report: Notability for train stations, notices for mobile editors, noticeboards for the rest of us
And when is 'today'?
- Traffic report: US TV, JP ex-PM, outer space, and politics of IN, US, UK top charts for July
The world shows its messy complexity.
- Featured content: A little list with surprisingly few lists
More lists expected next month.
- Tips and tricks: Cleaning up awful citations with Citation bot
It doesn't have to be a pain in the butt!
- In focus: Wikidata insights from a handy little tool
PAC2 explains the item documentation template.
- On the bright side: Ukrainian Wikimedians during the war — three (more) stories
Education, climate change, and journalism.
- Essay: How to research an image
Zoom and enhance.
- Recent research: A century of rulemaking on Wikipedia analyzed
And other new research findings.
- Serendipity: Don't cite Wikipedia
But Commons is a treasure trove.
- Gallery: A backstage pass
All the things about theatre that the general public misses out on.
- From the archives: 2012 Russian Wikipedia shutdown as it happened
Ten years ago, Russian Wikipedia went dark in protest of new Russian laws. Today...
- Humour: Why did the chicken cross the road?
Strange mysteries of our animal world.
Administrators' newsletter – August 2022
News and updates for administrators from the past month (July 2022).

- An RfC has been closed with consensus to add javascript that will show edit notices for editors editing via a mobile device. This only works for users using a mobile browser, so iOS app editors will still not be able to see edit notices.
- An RfC has been closed with the consensus that train stations are not inherently notable.
- The Wikimania 2022 Hackathon will take place virtually from 11 August to 14 August.
- Administrators will now see links on user pages for "Change block" and "Unblock user" instead of just "Block user" if the user is already blocked. (T308570)
- The arbitration case request Geschichte has been automatically closed after a 3 month suspension of the case.
- You can vote for candidates in the 2022 Board of Trustees elections from 16 August to 30 August. Two community elected seats are up for election.
- Wikimania 2022 is taking place virtually from 11 August to 14 August. The schedule for wikimania is listed here. There are also a number of in-person events associated with Wikimania around the world.
- Tech tip: When revision-deleting on desktop, hold ⇧ Shift between clicking two checkboxes to select every box in that range.
The Signpost: 31 August 2022
- News and notes: Admins wanted on English Wikipedia, IP editors not wanted on Farsi Wiki, donations wanted everywhere
jimmy@wikipedia.org donate@wikimedia.org (not a typo?) wants a moment of your time.
- Special report: Wikimania 2022: no show, no show up?
Why the 'Festival Edition' was less than perfect, and what we can do better.
- In the media: Truth or consequences? A tough month for truth
But Annie Rauwerda is the real thing!
- Discussion report: Boarding the Trustees
2022 elections, new page patrol, Fox News, Vector 2022, Royal Central and external links
- News from Wiki Education: 18 years a Wikipedian: what it means to me
Change and stability.
- In focus: Thinking inside the box
All there is to know about userboxen.
- Tips and tricks: The unexpected rabbit hole of typo fixing in citations...
Sometimes Citation bot is not enough.
- Technology report: Vector (2022) deployment discussions happening now
Plus, the Private Incident Reporting System, and new bots & user scripts!
- Serendipity: Two photos of every library on earth
One exterior, one interior.
- Featured content: Our man drills are safe for work, but our Labia is Fausta.
Also includes a campaign to "Suck for Luck".
- Recent research: The dollar value of "official" external links
And other new research
- Traffic report: What dreams (and heavily trafficked articles) may come
Because there really is no real theme this month you can grab onto to give a catchy title.
- Essay: Delete the junk!
Some articles aren't worth saving
- Gallery: A Fringe Affair (but not the show by Edward W. Feery that was on this year)
Edinburgh in August.
- Humour: CommonsComix No. 1
Because the Signpost needs a cartoon.
- From the archives: 5, 10, and 15 years ago
The Signpost looks back on The Signpost: New reports, conceived in a spirit of collaboration, and dedicated to the proposition of information and, uh, more information for all.
Administrators' newsletter – September 2022
News and updates for administrators from the past month (August 2022).
- A discussion is open to define a process by which Vector 2022 can be made the default for all users.
- An RfC is open to gain consensus on whether Fox News is reliable for science and politics.
- The impact report on the effects of disabling IP editing on the Persian (Farsi) Wikipedia has been released.
- The WMF is looking into making a Private Incident Reporting System (PIRS) system to improve the reporting of harmful incidents through easier and safer reporting. You can leave comments on the talk page by answering the questions provided. Users who have faced harmful situations are also invited to join a PIRS interview to share the experience. To sign up please email Madalina Ana.
- An arbitration case regarding Conduct in deletion-related editing has been closed. The Arbitration Committee passed a remedy as part of the final decision to create a request for comment (RfC) on how to handle mass nominations at Articles for Deletion (AfD).
- The arbitration case request Jonathunder has been automatically closed after a 6 month suspension of the case.
- The new pages patrol (NPP) team has prepared an appeal to the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) for assistance with addressing Page Curation bugs and requested features. You are encouraged to read the open letter before it is sent, and if you support it, consider signing it. It is not a discussion, just a signature will suffice.
- Voting for candidates for the Wikimedia Board of Trustees is open until 6 September.
The Signpost: 30 September 2022
- News and notes: Board vote results, bot's big GET, crat chat gives new mop, WMF seeks "sound logo" and "organizer lab"
Candidates sign off and peel out – Sigalov is on and Peel is in.
- In focus: NPP: Still heaven or hell for new users – and for the reviewers
Just what is NPP? Why does it need the WMF? Why does it need YOU?
- In the media: A few complaints and mild disagreements
Was Katherine Maher a former encyclopedia salesperson?
- Special report: Decentralized Fundraising, Centralized Distribution
The latest from the Wikimedia Deutschland Movement Strategy & Global Relations Team.
- Discussion report: Much ado about Fox News
Source reliability, NPP, and appearance discussions.
- Interview: ScottishFinnishRadish's Request for Adminship
Find out firsthand what our newest admin, ScottishFinnishRadish, does with a chainsaw.
- Opinion: Are we ever going to reach consensus?
Some Articles for Deletion just drag on.
- Serendipity: Removing watermarks, copyright signs and cigarettes from photos
Suggestion: promote removal of visible copyright signs of images under a CC-BY license.
- Recent research: How readers assess Wikipedia's trustworthiness, and how they could in the future
And other research news.
- Traffic report: Kings and queens and VIPs
Repeat after me: I solemnly swear not to put "oh my!" in a headline.
- Featured content: Farm-fresh content
This month: A FACBot upgrade, a completed list of lists.
- CommonsComix: CommonsComix 2: Paulus Moreelse
When Commons gives you a blank space...
- From the archives: 5, 10, and 15 Years ago: September 2022
Yes, again.
Administrators' newsletter – October 2022
News and updates for administrators from the past month (September 2022).
- Following an RfC, consensus was found that if the rationale for a block depends on information that is not available to all administrators, that information should be sent to the Arbitration Committee, a checkuser or an oversighter for action (as applicable, per ArbCom's recent updated guidance) instead of the administrator making the block.
- Following an RfC, consensus has been found that, in the context of politics and science, the reliability of FoxNews.com is unclear and that additional considerations apply to its use.
- Community comment on the revised Universal Code of Conduct enforcement guidelines is requested until 8 October.
- The Articles for creation helper script now automatically recognises administrator accounts which means your name does not need to be listed at WP:AFCP to help out. If you wish to help out at AFC, enable AFCH by navigating to Preferences → Gadgets and checking the "Yet Another AfC Helper Script" box.
- Remedy 8.1 of the Muhammad images case will be rescinded 1 November following a motion.
- A modification to the deletion RfC remedy in the Conduct in deletion-related editing case has been made to reaffirm the independence of the RfC and allow the moderators to split the RfC in two.
- The second phase of the 2021-22 Discretionary Sanctions Review closes 3 October.
- An administrator's account was recently compromised. Administrators are encouraged to check that their passwords are secure, and reminded that ArbCom reserves the right to not restore adminship in cases of poor account security. You can also use two-factor authentication (2FA) to provide an extra level of security.
- Self-nominations for the electoral commission for the 2022 Arbitration Committee elections open 2 October and close 8 October.
- You are invited to comment on candidates in the 2022 CUOS appointments process.
- An RfC is open to discuss whether to make Vector 2022 the default skin on desktop.
- Tech tip: You can do a fuzzy search of all deleted page titles at Special:Undelete.

