We have a mediawiki setting that allows a local wiki to welcome new users (not exactly sure of the mechanism, though I believe that it is Extension:NewUserMessage).
We have an issue where an edit at Wikidata is triggering the newusermessage to be delivered at the target wiki for the WD edit. This is quite disconcerting to have a welcome message appear at a wiki when you are not registered there, so let alone I haven't edited there.
Take into account that these are messages
- from an unknown account, sometimes where there is no ability to translate the language
- from a wiki where you have never been
- where you have to guess that they are a welcome message, not a spam attack
- not time-relevant to an edit that you made
- the default settings at the new wiki make it difficult to see the context of the message (bot account; wikidata edits are hidden; delayed response to edit time)
Example, this edit at Wikidata
https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?title=Special:EntityPage/Q5296&curid=6240&diff=627751450&oldid=627679753
Revision as of 03:49, 7 February 2018
has been identified by many wikis to send me a variety of welcome messages over a period of time. One example:
D विकिविश्वविद्यालय:मुखपृष्ठ (Q5296); 09:19 . . Billinghurst (talk | contribs) (Reverted edits by Manvydasz (talk) to last revision by Sjoerddebruin)
It has created 7 accounts for me, and I have received at least two messages. sort on "atttached on" Fortunately I had 800++ accounts already, otherwise it could have been a bit of a welcome message storm.
Can we please have one of the following implemented
a) newusermessage bot needs a physical edit on the wiki in questions rather than a shadow edit elsewhere; or
b) that WD edits are not visible to the extension
As a side note to WD, interesting to see the changes made at [03:49, 7 February 2018 ] still propagate through the wikis at [01:08, 10 February]