Author: macangels
Description:
image of proposal
Hi.
I started a thread at the Village pump and as it was to do with a development, was pointed here.
I would like to suggest a new radio button/checkbox option for the bottom of editing window emphasizing references and citations.
At the bottom of the editing window, there are a couple of clickable radio buttons.
" '''x''' This is a minor edit ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Minor_edit what's this?]) and '''x''' Watch this page "
What I would like to propose is a third button taking the first place;
- '''The purpose of this button would be to flag up that the edit was to add a references or citation, or that the edit included a references or citation.'''
See rough example;
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9a/Wikidevproposal.jpg
- Why?
:a) to promote the idea and encourage individuals to use and add references and citations. This will remind them EVERY time they click the '''Save page''' button. (Good placement is key to good advertising/social programming).
:b) to quickly and easily register that the edits were considerable edits (OK, a small proportion of idiots could fake it and lazy folk ignore it but that is true of any system).
:c) allow for tracking of the number and type of edits being made
:d) assist admins etc in profiling contributors prior to making decisions, e.g. an individual with a high citation account is proportionately more likely to knows what they are doing and why, and be doing something useful.
(Equally, I could suggest another for copyedit or formatting) it would just seem a useful took to have onboard. It would encourage many users to go ahead and add more to build a good editing record. Fine, it wont fix the world but, ditto, it would not take that much coding to do or cause issues. In balance, beneficial.) --[[User:Lucyintheskywithdada|Lucyintheskywithdada]] ([[User talk:Lucyintheskywithdada|talk]]) 09:27, 29 January 2008 (UTC)
:I'd support that if you simplify to "Added reference". Among other reasons for simplification: this is only going to be valuable if this shows up for edits the same way that minor edits to (say, as "r", similar to the "m" for minor edits), and can be used as a filter (so, for example, exclude edits that have the "Added reference" checkbox checked).
:My personal preference would be even more dramatic: disallow the ''addition'' of information to Wikipedia ''unless'' a source (reference) - existing or added - is provided for that information. But I realize that such is not the tradition of Wikipedia, and that quality of information still isn't as important as quantity of information. So perhaps a checkbox will at least nudge editors in the right direction. -- <font style="font-family:Monotype Corsiva; font-size:15px;">[[User:John Broughton|John Broughton]] </font> [[User talk:John Broughton |(♫♫)]] 19:59, 29 January 2008 (UTC)
Version: unspecified
Severity: enhancement
Attached:
