Reword "password email has been sent"
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Description

MediaWiki:Passwordreset-emailsent, currently reads "A password reset email has been sent."

This can be confusing to users, because that message is ALWAYS returned, no matter if the email is known for this user or not (for security reasons). On VP/T I have multiple times seen that people 'think' they are entering the right email address, because it 'still works', but then it later turns out that they either didn't register an email address at all, or in reality had registered a different email address that they are no longer using.

Form: password reset form
Result of form:

Screen Shot 2015-05-19 at 22.46.18.png (322×686 px, 34 KB)

Suggestion for rewording:
"If this email address is a registered email address for your account, then a password reset email will have been sent."

Details

	Subject	Repo	Branch	Lines +/-
	Reword "passwordreset-emailsent"	mediawiki/core	master	+1 -1

Customize query in gerrit

Related Objects

Mentioned In: T130924: GSoC Proposal : Extension for page creating/editing notification
rMW1a00c35e972b: Reword "passwordreset-emailsent"
Mentioned Here: T107593: Create tag for "Voice & Tone" and sufficiently explain what it is meant for

Event Timeline

TheDJ created this task.May 18 2015, 3:43 PM

TheDJ raised the priority of this task from to Needs Triage.

TheDJ updated the task description. (Show Details)

TheDJ added a project: MediaWiki-Special-pages.

TheDJ subscribed.

Restricted Application added a subscriber: Aklapper. · View Herald TranscriptMay 18 2015, 3:43 PM

TheDJ added a project: Design-Research.May 18 2015, 3:43 PM

TheDJ set Security to None.

• ggellerman added subscribers: • Heather, • aripstra, dchen.May 19 2015, 6:14 PM

+ Heather Walls (for voice & tone)

@TheDJ -

could you please send a screenshot that indicates where this happens?
Please clarify if "VP/T" = Village Pump/Technology

TheDJ updated the task description. (Show Details)May 19 2015, 8:47 PM

What is the pattern before they reach this point? Shouldn't it ask for the, "registered email address for your account" when they enter the address, and if it does, will the repetition help the situation?

@Heather, I updated the description a bit.

Shouldn't it ask for the, "registered email address for your account" when they enter the address

It could, but I doubt the repetition will help. The point is that MediaWiki cannot tell the user if the address is correct, or if the user even originally registered an email address, but subsequently uses wording that suggests that it (the software) does know.

Is a more informative message possible? It still seems pretty confusing, and should be considered within the entire sequence.

• Reguyla moved this task from To triage to Passwords/Email on the MediaWiki-Special-pages board.May 26 2015, 12:23 PM

• ggellerman edited projects, added Design-Research-Backlog; removed Design-Research.Jun 12 2015, 12:11 AM

Moving off Design Research board, but adding Voice and Tone tag

When/where was the discussion of the creation of the Voice & Tone tag?

@Legoktm: Now in T107593...

01tonythomas subscribed.Aug 3 2015, 9:02 AM

Currently, you have to enter your UserName into the Special:PasswordReset inputbox, and MW checks if an email address is connected with that account. If not, it will show up an error message there itself.

But, I find that it shows "Password reset email has been sent" when the user had an email account set, but not confirmed. That is a bug, and the message needs to be re-phrased ( or additional check for isEmailConfirmed() done and return error )

Abhinand claimed this task.Aug 5 2015, 1:22 PM

Change 230284 had a related patch set uploaded (by Abhinand):
Reword Passwordreset-emailsent

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/230284

gerritbot added a project: Patch-For-Review.Aug 8 2015, 6:03 AM

Looking at this as part of Gerrit cleanup day...

It's hard to come up with a good wording. Many sites check right away and tell you the email address is unknown. Of course, that's a potential privacy concern.

Do we have to claim that the email has been sent? Delivery isn't instantaneous, so is it okay to say it will be sent? It seems less awkward: