Thanks for the links! This time we're focusing on documentation, UX, etc., and minimizing the need for any engineering effort. We haven't considered moving off-wiki. Next time we'll be making changes will be before CWS 2023.

We (the Product department, Wikimedia Foundation) are working on an announcement. Within a week, we'll post it on Meta-Wiki, and within two weeks, promote it across the communities. Thank you!

@Legoktm I'd like to check again because I may need to make a tweak in the announcement. The switchover will take place in the week of Sep 13th, and editing will only be affected on Sep 14, won't it?

Because I'm out next week, I'll do whatever could be done beforehand (banners + Tech News), and Nick could potentially send MassMessage.

@Theklan wrote:
It should work in the exact same way it used to work, with a pop-up in wiki, without going to any other project.
The link introduced creates a New Item at Wikidata, instead of linking to other languages.

I've added my two cents in T285806#7254431. These dates work for us.

• (1) From my perspective, the switchover went smoothly. Most tasks were well documented and automated. I know of no serious consequences of the late communication.
• (2) [Proposed solution to an issue described below]
  • A Technology dep team should send messages to the following mailing lists:
    • ops - two weeks before
    • wikitech-l - two and one week before
    • Optionally, any internal WMF mailing list - two weeks before?
  • Two weeks before (after the message to wikitech-l), the CRS team will send a message to translators-l - with a request to proofread this message.

Banners set up, a Tech News notice added. Messages to the Village Pumps will be sent in a few days.

@ovasileva, @Jdlrobson and I have been discussing this briefly. We have had an idea to approach the French Wikipedia community first because:

Fixed right after the first comment about eswiki was sent. Thank you!

I'd like to briefly present, from a "community" person POV, why red links in the user menu might not make sense.

1. I doubt if newbies know what a red link means and if they take the hint that *they* (not anyone) can *& should* create these pages. I've quickly consulted a potential newbie and a person training power users to train newbies, and they share my doubt.
2. As I understand it, by the time newbies learn how to use the knowledge "red = non-existent", add signatures, interpret red signatures etc., they'll also understand that links in the user menu are part of the UI, and that UI is different than content. (This, BTW, kinda leads us to a question about links in the sidebar: generic wikilinks vs. OOUI.)

I think we're good. We're adjusting the plan. A minor delay in communication won't impact the switchover, IMHO.

We are tentatively planning a datacenter switchover [...] A date for switching back hasn't been set yet.

Thanks for the reminder!

In T281974#7135875, @Huji wrote:

Please see my response here. In short, flagged revs may need to be revised to also use indicators.

I answered on wiki. Marking this as resolved.

CentralNotice set up, first heads-up message sent out to the three wikis.

Jan, would you be able to make fixes on German as well?