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System messages shouldn't use "administrator" to mean "system administrator"
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Description

Affects at least MediaWiki:Filereadonlyerror, MediaWiki:Readonlytext, MediaWiki:Readonlywarning.

WMF projects use "administrator" to mean the sysop group, and so does every non-WMF installation I've ever seen. For that group to have DB lock privileges is pathological, especially if the editors aren't paying for hosting. Therefore, don't say so in default system messages. Possible alternatives include "database maintainer", "webmaster", or "DBA" (but not "sysadmin" or "superuser" -- it's been 20 years since the average WWW reader recognized those).

Details

SubjectRepoBranchLines +/-
Avoid confusing use of 'administrator'mediawiki/coremaster+3 -3
Use "system administrator" when server access was neededmediawiki/coremaster+3 -3
Customize query in gerrit

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StatusSubtypeAssignedTask
· · ·
InvalidNoneT40638 [DO NOT USE] Interface messages needing rewording or documentation and other issues with existing messages [superseded by #Voice_&_Tone]
ResolvedsiebrandT103884 System messages shouldn't use "administrator" to mean "system administrator"
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Event Timeline

Xeriphas1994 created this task.Jun 25 2015, 6:25 PM
Xeriphas1994 raised the priority of this task from to Lowest.
Xeriphas1994 updated the task description. (Show Details)
Xeriphas1994 added a project: MediaWiki-User-Interface.
Xeriphas1994 subscribed.
Restricted Application added a subscriber: Aklapper. · View Herald TranscriptJun 25 2015, 6:25 PM
Aklapper added a parent task: T40638: [DO NOT USE] Interface messages needing rewording or documentation and other issues with existing messages [superseded by #Voice_&_Tone].Jun 26 2015, 10:44 AM
TTO subscribed.Aug 30 2015, 4:11 AM

To clarify, anyone who has access to the LocalSettings.php file on the server can lock a wiki. This person need not be a DBA.

I would favour terminology like "server administrator" or "operations team member". "Webmaster" would be acceptable, but it is a slightly old-fashioned term that doesn't translate well.

Ricordisamoa subscribed.Sep 16 2015, 3:29 PM
Liuxinyu970226 set Security to None.Oct 28 2015, 8:22 AM
jrbs added a project: Voice & Tone.Oct 29 2015, 11:48 PM
jrbs subscribed.
• Purodha added a project: Google-Code-In-2015.Nov 2 2015, 5:54 AM
• Purodha subscribed.
• Purodha added a comment.EditedNov 2 2015, 6:03 AM

So as to go well with shared hosting and managed hosting, the person having access to Localsettings.php should not be named server admin etc. as that is usually the hoster. We have the choice to mention "the file LoCalsettings.php of he wiki installation" etc. explicitly in the messages, or we choose a "person with access to the files of the wiki installation on its server".

This must be used consistently!

Also, do distinguish persons having access to the database from those having access to the files. They are not necessarily the same.

Aklapper added a comment.Nov 2 2015, 9:56 AM

@Purodha: Are you going to mentor a GCI student to fix this task? If yes, please explicitly say so and thanks a lot!

rkgudboy subscribed.Nov 16 2015, 5:57 PM

I will mentor this in #GCI2015

Aklapper moved this task from Proposed to Mentors Required on the Google-Code-In-2015 board.Nov 25 2015, 11:23 PM
Petrb subscribed.EditedDec 1 2015, 2:38 PM

I can also mentor this.

gerritbot subscribed.Dec 5 2015, 10:10 AM

Change 257061 had a related patch set uploaded (by Purodha):
Avoid confusing use of 'administrator'

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/257061

gerritbot added a project: Patch-For-Review.Dec 5 2015, 10:10 AM
Nemo_bis subscribed.Dec 8 2015, 7:54 PM

"MediaWiki administration" is the official name in MediaWiki.org docs though. https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Category:MediaWiki_administration

Jdlrobson changed the task status from Open to Stalled.Dec 15 2015, 7:49 PM
Jdlrobson added subscribers: siebrand, Jdlrobson.

@siebrand can you help un-stall this?

siebrand renamed this task from System messages shouldn't use "administrator" to mean DBA to System messages shouldn't use "administrator" to mean "system administrator".Dec 17 2015, 8:55 AM
siebrand updated the task description. (Show Details)
gerritbot added a comment.Dec 17 2015, 9:01 AM

Change 259643 had a related patch set uploaded (by Siebrand):
Use "system administrator" when server access was needed

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/259643

siebrand closed this task as Resolved.Dec 17 2015, 9:02 AM
siebrand claimed this task.

Gerrit 259643 uses "system administrator" when server access was needed.

gerritbot added a comment.Dec 17 2015, 9:09 AM

Change 259643 merged by jenkins-bot:
Use "system administrator" when server access was needed

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/259643

ReleaseTaggerBot added projects: MW-1.27-release (WMF-deploy-2016-01-12_(1.27.0-wmf.10)), MW-1.27-release-notes.Dec 17 2015, 10:00 AM
gerritbot added a comment.Sep 22 2016, 8:39 AM

Change 257061 abandoned by Nikerabbit:
Avoid confusing use of 'administrator'

Reason:
I think the changes to English strings are sufficient.

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/257061

Xeriphas1994 unsubscribed.Feb 24 2018, 6:36 PM
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