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Move "Changetags" right only for bots and administrators by default in Wikimedia production
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Description

In 99% of cases, users do not need to set manual tags, but this functionality is very easily susceptible to vandalism and is very difficult to rollback (https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:Log/tag). Those who set up wikis may not know about this functionality in principle. It seems to me that these rights should be given by default only to bots and administrators.

As you can see many wikis have requested that these rights be removed from regular users: https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/search/query/rGhue4JXkFhy/#R

Current not-default permissions:

WikiCurrent ('user' default)Future not-default permissions ('bot', 'sysop' default)
cswikibot, sysop-
commonswikibot, sysop-
enwikibot, sysop-
frwikibot, autopatrolledautopatrolled
hrwikibot, sysop-
itwikibot, botadmin, sysopbotadmin
jawikibot, abusefilter, sysop, interface-adminabusefilter, interface-admin
metawikibot, sysop-
ruwikibot, sysop-
simplewikibot, sysop-
trwikisysop-bot
wikidatasysop-bot
simplewikibot, sysop-
hewiki-user

See also:

Event Timeline

Do you mean "by default in Wikimedia production" or "by default for all users of MediaWiki everywhere"? The title and tag says the latter, and so is a MW product decision, but the content of your description implies the former, which is a smaller, simpler call.

Do you mean "by default in Wikimedia production" or "by default for all users of MediaWiki everywhere"? The title and tag says the latter, and so is a MW product decision, but the content of your description implies the former, which is a smaller, simpler call.

It seems to me that this would be useful in general for "by default for all users of MediaWiki everywhere". But we can start with "by default in Wikimedia production" :)

Jdforrester-WMF renamed this task from Move "Changetags" right only for bots and administrators by default to Move "Changetags" right only for bots and administrators by default in Wikimedia production.Jan 24 2024, 4:51 PM

Change 992763 had a related patch set uploaded (by Jforrester; author: Jforrester):

[operations/mediawiki-config@master] Remove 'changetags' from default's user group, grant to +sysop and +bot

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/992763

Slightly unrelated, but seems like what we really should do is have an undo button on special:logs/tag

It seems to me that for now we can warn the community and ask if there are any cases where this is used:

In the near future, it is planned to remove the <code>changetags</code> right to manually [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Tags|edit tags]] from users and give it to bots and administrators by default. This has already been done for many Wikimedia projects to prevent vandalism and incorrect tagging. If you use this functionality, please write it as a task on the Phabricator.

Hi there. A couple of questions.
If patroller X has a patrolling script that adds tags to some existing edit, will it work?
If AbuseFilter triggered by autoconfirmed adds tags to theirs edit, will it work?

If patroller X has a patrolling script that adds tags to some existing edit, will it work?

No. If https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/992763 gets merged, the right will only be granted to bots and sysops.

If AbuseFilter triggered by autoconfirmed adds tags to theirs edit, will it work?

Yes. Extension's actions are not affected by user rights.

One more question, please. If we "write it as a task on the Phabricator", as mentioned above, what are our chances to leave it on our wiki as is? You said nothing about this.

It seems to me that for now we can warn the community and ask if there are any cases where this is used:

Better wording to reflect what’s happening:

Future change: The right to change [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Tags|edit tags]] (<code>changetags</code>) will be removed from users and bots by default in Wikimedia sites. Your community can ask to keep the old configuration on your wiki before this change happens. This needs to be done by [insert date] at T355639.

(for example)

Really hope this is the case. The current text looks like "write us, we make statistics, and abandon the current task, if there are a lot".

Most wikis have no user-defined tags. Only 123 wikis should be concerned:

1arwiki
2arwiktionary
3arywiki
4arzwiki
5astwiki
6azwiki
7barwiki
8bawiki
9bgwiki
10bhwiki
11bnwiki
12bnwikibooks
13bnwikivoyage
14bnwiktionary
15cawiki
16cawikiquote
17ckbwiki
18commonswiki
19cowikimedia
20cswiki
21cswiktionary
22dawiki
23dewikisource
24dewiktionary
25elwiki
26enwiki
27enwikibooks
28enwikisource
29enwiktionary
30eswiki
31eswikisource
32etwiki
33fawiki
34fawikivoyage
35fiwiki
36fiwikiquote
37fiwikisource
38fiwikiversity
39fiwiktionary
40frwiki
41frwikinews
42frwikiquote
43frwikisource
44frwiktionary
45ganwiki
46glwiki
47hawiki
48hewiki
49hewikiquote
50hewikisource
51hewiktionary
52hiwiki
53hiwikibooks
54hrwiki
55huwiki
56hywiki
57idwiki
58incubatorwiki
59itwiki
60itwikibooks
61itwiktionary
62jawiki
63jawikibooks
64jawikivoyage
65kaawiki
66kawiki
67knwiki
68kowiki
69kswiki
70kuwiktionary
71kywiki
72ltwiki
73mediawikiwiki
74metawiki
75mkwiki
76mlwiki
77mrwikisource
78mswiki
79newiki
80nlwiki
81nlwiktionary
82nowiki
83orwiki
84pawiki
85plwiki
86plwikisource
87plwiktionary
88ptwiki
89ptwikinews
90ruwiki
91ruwikisource
92shwiki
93simplewiki
94specieswiki
95sqwiki
96srwiki
97svwiki
98tawiki
99test2wiki
100testcommonswiki
101testwiki
102testwikidatawiki
103tewiki
104tgwiki
105thwiki
106trwiki
107trwikiquote
108ukwikisource
109urwiki
110uzwiki
111vecwiki
112viwiki
113viwikibooks
114wikidatawiki
115yuewiktionary
116zhwiki
117zhwikinews
118zhwikiquote
119zhwikiversity
120zhwikivoyage
121zhwiktionary
122zh_classicalwiki
123zh_yuewiki

Being on the list doesn't necessarily mean the wiki needs to have an exception. Each wiki should check their activity on Special:Log/tag and decide if they are affected.

will be removed from users and bots by default in Wikimedia sites

Just users. The task description says:

only for bots and administrators by default

Most wikis have no user-defined tags. Only 123 wikis should be concerned:

1arwiki
2arwiktionary
3arywiki
4arzwiki
5astwiki
6azwiki
7barwiki
8bawiki
9bgwiki
10bhwiki
11bnwiki
12bnwikibooks
13bnwikivoyage
14bnwiktionary
15cawiki
16cawikiquote
17ckbwiki
18commonswiki
19cowikimedia
20cswiki
21cswiktionary
22dawiki
23dewikisource
24dewiktionary
25elwiki
26enwiki
27enwikibooks
28enwikisource
29enwiktionary
30eswiki
31eswikisource
32etwiki
33fawiki
34fawikivoyage
35fiwiki
36fiwikiquote
37fiwikisource
38fiwikiversity
39fiwiktionary
40frwiki
41frwikinews
42frwikiquote
43frwikisource
44frwiktionary
45ganwiki
46glwiki
47hawiki
48hewiki
49hewikiquote
50hewikisource
51hewiktionary
52hiwiki
53hiwikibooks
54hrwiki
55huwiki
56hywiki
57idwiki
58incubatorwiki
59itwiki
60itwikibooks
61itwiktionary
62jawiki
63jawikibooks
64jawikivoyage
65kaawiki
66kawiki
67knwiki
68kowiki
69kswiki
70kuwiktionary
71kywiki
72ltwiki
73mediawikiwiki
74metawiki
75mkwiki
76mlwiki
77mrwikisource
78mswiki
79newiki
80nlwiki
81nlwiktionary
82nowiki
83orwiki
84pawiki
85plwiki
86plwikisource
87plwiktionary
88ptwiki
89ptwikinews
90ruwiki
91ruwikisource
92shwiki
93simplewiki
94specieswiki
95sqwiki
96srwiki
97svwiki
98tawiki
99test2wiki
100testcommonswiki
101testwiki
102testwikidatawiki
103tewiki
104tgwiki
105thwiki
106trwiki
107trwikiquote
108ukwikisource
109urwiki
110uzwiki
111vecwiki
112viwiki
113viwikibooks
114wikidatawiki
115yuewiktionary
116zhwiki
117zhwikinews
118zhwikiquote
119zhwikiversity
120zhwikivoyage
121zhwiktionary
122zh_classicalwiki
123zh_yuewiki

Being on the list doesn't necessarily mean the wiki needs to have an exception. Each wiki should check their activity on Special:Log/tag and decide if they are affected.

Can you please check and let me know what's concerning regarding the Serbian Wikipedia?

srwiki has three user-defined tags: Дискусија на Викимедијиној Остави, ToDoLister, Adiutor. But the activity on Special:Log/tag is minimal (and possibly unconstructive, exactly why the change would be useful).

The tags are added by tools, for which the user needs the applychangetags right (which is not being changed). Therefore, your wiki should be safe. And I think this is the case for most of the concerned wikis.

Better wording to reflect what’s happening:

Future change: The right to change [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Tags|edit tags]] (<code>changetags</code>) will be removed from users and bots by default in Wikimedia sites. Your community can ask to keep the old configuration on your wiki before this change happens. This needs to be done by [insert date] at T355639.

Thanks!

Really hope this is the case. The current text looks like "write us, we make statistics, and abandon the current task, if there are a lot".

In 95% of cases, manual tags is not required. All projects where this flag has already been reassigned will be preserved. If someone needs to retain this right for users, they should write here :)

Future change: The right to change [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Tags|edit tags]] (<code>changetags</code>) will be removed from users and bots by default in Wikimedia sites. Your community can ask to keep the old configuration on your wiki before this change happens. This needs to be done by [insert date] at T355639.

@Iniquity
For Tech News, what date should I put in the [insert date]?

Future change: The right to change [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Tags|edit tags]] (<code>changetags</code>) will be removed from users and bots by default in Wikimedia sites. Your community can ask to keep the old configuration on your wiki before this change happens. This needs to be done by [insert date] at T355639.

@Iniquity
For Tech News, what date should I put in the [insert date]?

Hi :) This is hard question, @Jdforrester-WMF, can you help with it?

Future change: The right to change [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Tags|edit tags]] (<code>changetags</code>) will be removed from users and bots by default in Wikimedia sites. Your community can ask to keep the old configuration on your wiki before this change happens. This needs to be done by [insert date] at T355639.

@Iniquity
For Tech News, what date should I put in the [insert date]?

Future change: The right to change [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Tags|edit tags]] (<code>changetags</code>) will be removed from users and bots by default in Wikimedia sites. Your community can ask to keep the old configuration on your wiki before this change happens. This needs to be done by [insert date] at T355639.

@Iniquity
For Tech News, what date should I put in the [insert date]?

Hi :) This is hard question, @Jdforrester-WMF, can you help with it?

I put before the end of March. Hopefully, this is fine. Thanks!

Future change: The right to change [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Tags|edit tags]] (<code>changetags</code>) will be removed from users and bots by default in Wikimedia sites. Your community can ask to keep the old configuration on your wiki before this change happens. This needs to be done by [insert date] at T355639.

@Iniquity
For Tech News, what date should I put in the [insert date]?

Future change: The right to change [[mw:Special:MyLanguage/Manual:Tags|edit tags]] (<code>changetags</code>) will be removed from users and bots by default in Wikimedia sites. Your community can ask to keep the old configuration on your wiki before this change happens. This needs to be done by [insert date] at T355639.

@Iniquity
For Tech News, what date should I put in the [insert date]?

Hi :) This is hard question, @Jdforrester-WMF, can you help with it?

I put before the end of March. Hopefully, this is fine. Thanks!

I also thought about this deadline. Thanks :)

One more question, please. If we "write it as a task on the Phabricator", as mentioned above, what are our chances to leave it on our wiki as is? You said nothing about this.

While we're waiting for the answer, one more question, please. When you say in the Tech News that "Your community can ask to retain the old configuration on your wiki before this change happens.", what do you expect? A local concensus? A request from random user? A request from somebody that actualy used this? Thank you.

One more question, please. If we "write it as a task on the Phabricator", as mentioned above, what are our chances to leave it on our wiki as is? You said nothing about this.

While we're waiting for the answer, one more question, please. When you say in the Tech News that "Your community can ask to retain the old configuration on your wiki before this change happens.", what do you expect? A local concensus? A request from random user? A request from somebody that actualy used this? Thank you.

For both questions, a link to the discussion on the wiki with a request to keep everything as it is + minimal consensus is enough.

One more question, please. If we "write it as a task on the Phabricator", as mentioned above, what are our chances to leave it on our wiki as is? You said nothing about this.

While we're waiting for the answer, one more question, please. When you say in the Tech News that "Your community can ask to retain the old configuration on your wiki before this change happens.", what do you expect? A local concensus? A request from random user? A request from somebody that actualy used this? Thank you.

For both questions, a link to the discussion on the wiki with a request to keep everything as it is + minimal consensus is enough.

Great, thanks a lot.

What is the chart attempting to show? e.g. on commonsiki it appears this will change from (bot, sysop) to (none)? Or is it currently manually at (bot,sysop) and it will change to (default) ((which will be bot,sysop))?

Or is it currently manually at (bot,sysop) and it will change to (default) ((which will be bot,sysop))?

This

I request to cancel the change for hewiki, please. The community decided to ask this, in Village pump, with more than enough voices, at least 31 supported from 32 that participated. You can find the voting over here. Thank you.

Change #1013975 had a related patch set uploaded (by Jforrester; author: Jforrester):

[operations/mediawiki-config@master] Remove 'changetags' from default's user group, grant to +sysop and +bot

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/1013975

@Jdforrester-WMF hi! :) Have we any blockers for your patch?