[Python-ideas] Encouraging more use of the Python wiki

[M.-A. Lemburg]

On 05.01.2015 15:49, Skip Montanaro wrote:
> On Sun, Jan 4, 2015 at 7:22 PM, Ben Finney <ben+python at benfinney.id.au> wrote:
>> In recent years (I noticed this since about 2013), the Python wiki does
>> not offer an “Edit” function when I am logged in; every page presents
>> “Immutable Page” instead.
> 
> Ben (and others),
> 
> I just noticed this small paragraph on the FrontPage:
> 
> If you want to edit a page and have just signed up, or you find that
> you can no longer edit a page that you could edit before, please write
> to the pydotorg-www mailing list, stating your account name and your
> intended edits and we'll add you to the EditorsGroup.
> 
> I suspect that has something to do with your inability to edit.
> Somewhere along the way, someone must have made the executive decision
> that open editing no longer worked (too much spam?) and that editing
> needed to be a by-invitation or by-request sort of thing.

This was discussed and announced on the pydotorg-www list at the
time. The step was necessary, because of excessive spam and vandalim -
editors were spending more time cleaning up than editing pages and
were losing interest in the wiki altogether because of this.

The first step was to require logins for editing. This worked
for a (short) while. The second was adding more complicated
textchas, the third step was requiring asking for editing rights
on the pydotorg-www mailing list. Which is a little annoying and
some work for the admins, but has resulted in the amount of
spam to go down to zero. We usually grant the editing requests
within a day.

FWIW: I've maintained the wiki VM ever since it came under
attack in 2013.

> I'd add you, but am getting nothing but Gateway Timeout responses at the moment.

If you get those, simply try to resend/reload. The wiki will notice
duplicate editing requests. In my experience, the editing requests
typically make it through to the wiki the first time and you get
a duplicate editing warning on the second one.

-- 
Marc-Andre Lemburg
eGenix.com

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