Change Details

VisualEditor is leaving blank archive arguments in CS1|2 templates. This is having unintended consequences with other bots. Example: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Physical_therapy&type=revision&diff=783526710&oldid=782964011 Other archive bots in the past left blank archive arguments when they made an error. They tried to add an archive but something went wrong and instead only added blank arguments. So WaybackMedic, which is a general archive fixing bot, has to assume the blank arguments were made in error, check if an archive link is available and fill it in if so. This process is resource intensive. Then WaybackMedic deletes the blank arguments so the next time it processes the page it won't repeat the process of checking for errors. This is confusing editors who see VE leaving blank arguments and other bots like WaybackMedic deleting blank arguments. With VisualEditor leaving blank arguments it confuses things as we no longer know what was done in error and what was done on purpose. Indeed leaving blank arguments is arguably an error. It clutters the wikitext, causes unintended consequences and complications, and does not encourage editors to fill in the blanks. With the deployment of InternetArchiveBot we now have an automated system that adds archive URLs and probably 90%+ of all archives are now being added by bot not humans. IABot adds about 10,000 archive links a day to enwiki with other languages being added. The perceived need to encourage users to add archive links is now largely delegated to other bots.

VisualEditor is leaving blank archive arguments in CS1|2 templates. This is having unintended consequences with other bots. Example: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Physical_therapy&type=revision&diff=783526710&oldid=782964011 Other archive bots in the past left blank archive arguments when they made an error. They tried to add an archive but something went wrong and instead only added blank arguments. So WaybackMedic, which is a general archive fixing bot, has to assume the blank arguments were made in error, check if an archive link is available and fill it in if so. This process is resource intensive. Then WaybackMedic deletes the blank arguments so the next time it processes the page it won't repeat the process of checking for errors. This is confusing editors who see VE leaving blank arguments and other bots like WaybackMedic deleting blank arguments. With VisualEditor leaving blank arguments it confuses things as we no longer know what was done in error and what was done on purpose. Indeed leaving blank arguments is arguably an error. It clutters the wikitext, causes unintended consequences and complications, and does not encourage editors to fill in the blanks. With the deployment of IABot we now have an automated system that adds archive URLs and probably 90%+ of all archives are now being added by bot not humans. IABot adds about 10,000 archive links a day to enwiki with other languages being added. The perceived need to encourage users to add archive links is now largely delegated to other bots.

VisualEditor is leaving blank archive arguments in CS1|2 templates. This is having unintended consequences with other bots. Example: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Physical_therapy&type=revision&diff=783526710&oldid=782964011 Other archive bots in the past left blank archive arguments when they made an error. They tried to add an archive but something went wrong and instead only added blank arguments. So WaybackMedic, which is a general archive fixing bot, has to assume the blank arguments were made in error, check if an archive link is available and fill it in if so. This process is resource intensive. Then WaybackMedic deletes the blank arguments so the next time it processes the page it won't repeat the process of checking for errors. This is confusing editors who see VE leaving blank arguments and other bots like WaybackMedic deleting blank arguments. With VisualEditor leaving blank arguments it confuses things as we no longer know what was done in error and what was done on purpose. Indeed leaving blank arguments is arguably an error. It clutters the wikitext, causes unintended consequences and complications, and does not encourage editors to fill in the blanks. With the deployment of InternetArchiveBotIABot we now have an automated system that adds archive URLs and probably 90%+ of all archives are now being added by bot not humans. IABot adds about 10,000 archive links a day to enwiki with other languages being added. The perceived need to encourage users to add archive links is now largely delegated to other bots.