As part of the new designs proposed for the Recent Changes page (T142785), users can highlight the results in the list of recent changes to better focus on specific aspects as they process the list (see [[ http://pauginer.github.io/prototypes/edit-review/recent-changes/index.html#//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChangesLinked&namespace=0&target=Wikipedia%3AVital+articles | the current prototype ]]). It sometimes happens, however, that users want to highlight a quality that they don't necessarily want to filter for (especially because, when filters in different groups are selected, the system returns only the intersection of both) To get around this limitation, an "ignore filtering" button was added. This is a helpful option, but in early testing users experienced a number of difficulties, some of which are described below. This task will explore solutions to these issues.
**Problem #1: Finding the Button**
Users make their filtering choices inside the filtering dropdown. Placing the"ignore filtering" button outside the dropdown enables users to more easily understand it's function because they can instantly see its effect (which they couldn't do inside the dropdown as currently designed). However, in the few tests performed so far, testers have not noticed the Ignore button—possibly because it's physically separated from the other filtering functions.
**Problem #2: Design of the Button**# The problem
We want users to combine filters and highlights in useful ways, understanding the possibilities and when to apply each. We have identified issues at different levels:
- **Problem #1: Discovery of the ways to combine filters and highlights** Users make their filtering choices inside the filtering dropdown. When getting to the list of results, even if they realise they do not meet their expectations, it is not clear where to go to change that.
- **Problem #2: Understanding the need for controlling filter behaviour** The concept of "ignore filtering and just highlight" is an unusual one which makes it hard for users to figure out that is what they need in the corresponding scenarios.
- **Problem #3: Provide enough flexibility** The interaction of filtering and highlighting can be complex, with numerous opportunities for users to get results that they weren't intending. In some cases users want highlights to be considered when filtering while it is not desirable for other contexts as illustrated in the scenarios below.
# Example scenarios
- **Scenario #1: Reviewing damaging contributions with special interest on newcomers** A vandal fighter is interested in reviewing all potential edits that are "likely to have problems". She is interested in noticing which of those are from "newcomers" to review them with extra care (e.g., point them to the Teahouse). **The expected result** is to view only the "likely to have problems" but highlighting some of these in blue when they are contributed by "newcomers". Applying filters for both aspects would be problematic: it would lead to just the small set of damaging edits by newcomers (showing all of them highlighted in blue), which is not what the user is interested in.
- **Scenario #2: Reviewing damaging contributions with special interest on new articles** A vandal fighter is interested in reviewing edits that are "likely to have problems" of the default types: Content edits and New page creation (i.e., not including Wikidata or changes in page categories). She is interested in noticing new page creations (but still wants to go through regular edits). **The expected result** is to view only the "likely to have problems" edits that either change content or create new pages (showing the later highlighted in green). Ignoring the application of filters for highlight would be problematic: if "page creation" is not considered for filtering only "content edits" is shown, which is not what the user is interested in.
# Design goals
- **Clarity.** Making more explicit the effects of user actions may help to reduce the gap between the actions and the intent.
The concept of "ignore filtering and just highlight" is an unusual one.- **Simplicity.** While providing support for more scenarios, Finding an icon to communicate this complex idea will be difficult or impossible. Even naming the button is not so easy ("Highlight only"? "Ignore filtering" "Ignore filter and only highlight"?)we don't want to complicate the most simple ones where users may not even need highlighting at all.
# Solution explored #1
This approach provides the highlight control for each item on the filter panel, once the user selects a highlight color. MoreoverThe first time the option is shown, the current, toggling design of the button suffers from the usual issues of such controls: users may find it hard to know whether the tooltip is describing the current state or the state that will be in place after they click.
**Problem #3: Unpredictable Results**an introductory tooltip provides additional details.
The new option will allow to "skip filtering", and the default value will depend on whether other filters are selected in the same group:
The interaction of- If there are no other filtering ands in the same group, the new highlighting can be complex won't filter. In these cases, with numerous opportunities for users to get results that they weren't intending.filtering always would lead to all items being highlighted.
- If there are other filters being applied, Here are two scenarios.highlighting will keep the filter active.
The two example scenarios are illustrated below:
**Scenario #1: Reviewing damaging contributions with special interest on newcomers**
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**Scenario #2: Reviewing damaging contributions with special interest on new articles**
**Scenario #1:** A Welcomer selects and highlights V. Likely Good Faith (yellow) and New Page Creation (green), while filtering but not highlighting Human and Content edits. He's unhappy when the system returns only yellow-green results (the intersection), so clicks "Ignore." But now,{F4559619}
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# Solution explored #2
This approach provides a separate entry point to control highlighting. he sees no green at allFiltering is provided as the main entry point but users can access highlight options when needed. (Because New Page Creation is in the same group as ContentThe separate highlight menu surfaces the selected filters to make it easy to act on them when both filtering and highlight are needed; so when New Page is no longer being explicitly included, it is excluded by the Content filter.)
**Scenario #2:** A user searching for problems selects and highlights V. Likely Problems (yellow), Likely Problems (orange) and Likely bad faith (red). The system returns a small number of red-yellow-orange results and the user realizes it's not what she wants. So she selects the "Ignore" button. But now she sees a long list of edits that are completely unfiltered, though she does have her desired highlighting. (What she actually wanted was to reduce results to Likely Problems and highlight the others, which she could have done if she hadn't added a highlight to Likely Problems).
but provides access to other criteria for the cases where users just want to highlight.
The two example scenarios are illustrated below:
**Scenario #1: Reviewing damaging contributions with special interest on newcomers**
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**Scenario #2: Reviewing damaging contributions with special interest on new articles**
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