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Enable a domain where all beta features are enabled to easily test them
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Description

Most of our users are anonymous and unlikely to go through the process of creating an account and enable beta features.

We can provide a domain to Wikipedia (and other projects) where they access the same content as in the regular Wikipedia but with all beta features enabled. This would be similar to the mobile domain (en.m.wikipedia.org). In this case it could be "Future" ( en.future.wikipedia.org ) instead since it is a quick way to take a look on what the (near) future of Wikipedia looks like.

In addition to that, we may want to consider:

  • Informing users of the recent beta feature changes once they reach the site. That would help to understand why some aspects look so different since the last time they visited it.
  • Inform users that they can add individual beta features to their regular Wikipedia experience, and redirect them to the account creation process of the regular site.

Expected benefits:

  • Once we release a beta feature we can just share a quick link for users in talk pages, bog posts, and other social media to try it without further set-up instructions.
  • Users willing to try the latest improvements can just use the "future" domain instead, without the need of log-in.
  • Interferences between different beta features would be easier to notice and fix.

Event Timeline

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I hope this won't apply to beta features that can change article contents, because it would probably mean damages to articles due to anonymous users not checking the result of the beta features. By such beta features, I include things that would be like Content Translation

I hope this won't apply to beta features that can change article contents, because it would probably mean damages to articles due to anonymous users not checking the result of the beta features. By such beta features, I include things that would be like Content Translation

The main goal of this proposal was to be able to expose features that are targeted to improve the reading experience but are only reaching a small fraction of our users if we limit them to logged-in users. We should definitely evaluate which features are worth exposing in this way (especially those that have an effect beyond how the site is displayed to you).

Regarding Content Translation, even with communities where they are open to have Content Translation available by default out of beta (once the blocking issues they identified in T102107 are solved), the next step will be to enable it for logged users only initially and reconsider making available to more based on feedback.