We should require user signatures to contain at least one link to their user page, talk page or contributions.
Various tools don't work correctly when such a link is missing. For example, Echo notifications are not sent, DiscussionTools will not allow replying to these comments [i], en.wp's [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:SineBot|SineBot]] treats these comments as unsigned.
Such requirement has been present for a long time in many wikis' policies, but it's not enforced by software. Hopefully this is not a controversial requirement.
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=== Dependencies
The patches to meet the "Requirements" described below should NOT be merged until the following tickets are resolved:
- {T254613}
- {T254614}
=== Requirements
- When someone attempts to save a signature that meets any of the conditions below, prevent the signature from being saved and present a message that explains to people: 1) that their signature cannot be saved as it is currently written, 2) why their signature cannot be saved as it is currently written and 3) what changes they need to make to the signature they have written in order to save it.
-- Conditions:
--- The signature does NOT contain at least one link to their user page, talk page or contributions.
--- The signature does NOT contain at least one local link to their user page, talk page or contributions.
//Note: this change should not affect current signatures that would become invalid as a result of this change, as noted in T140606#5829318//
=== Testing details
**Scenario A**
1. Visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Preferences
2. Navigate to the `Signature` section
3. Check the `Treat the above as wiki markup` box
4. Enter a signature that does NOT contain at least one link to your user page, talk page or contributions
5. Click `Save`
6. Notice the follow message appears //beneath// the `Signature:` text field: `Your signature must include a link to your user page, talk page or contributions. Please add it, for example: [[YOUR USERNAME|YOUR USERNAME)]] ([[User talk:YOUR USERNAME|talk]])`
**Scenario B**
1. Visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Preferences
2. Navigate to the `Signature` section
3. Check the `Treat the above as wiki markup` box
4. Enter a signature that does contain at least one link to your user page, talk page or contributions AND said "link" should link to one of the aforementioned pages on a DIFFERENT project. E.g. `[[meta:User:RYasmeen (WMF)|RYasmeen (WMF)]]`
5. Click `Save`
6. Notice the follow message appears //beneath// the `Signature:` text field: `Your signature must include a link to your user page, talk page or contributions. Please add it, for example: [[YOUR USERNAME|YOUR USERNAME)]] ([[User talk:YOUR USERNAME|talk]])`
=== Done
- [ ] Patches are written that meet the "Requirements" described above
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Example wiki policies that require this:
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Signatures#Links "Signatures must include at least one direct internal link to your user page, user talk page, or contributions page"
* https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilfe:Signatur "Eine korrekte Unterschrift enthält einen Link zur Benutzer-, Benutzerdiskussionsseite oder Beitragsliste" = "A correct signature contains a link to the user, user discussion page or list of entries"
* https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Википедия:Подписывайтесь_на_страницах_обсуждения#Собственная_вики-разметка "В этом случае в поле «Новая подпись» обязательна хотя бы одна ссылка на свою страницу участника или обсуждение участника." = "In this case, at least one link to your participant’s page or discussion of the participant is required in the “New Signature” field."
* https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Firma_de_usuario#Consideraciones_de_carácter_obligatorio "La firma debe tener al menos un enlace a la discusión de usuario." = "The signature must have at least one link to the user discussion."
* https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Personalizzare_la_firma "La firma deve sempre contenere un wikilink alla pagina utente o alla propria pagina di discussione (auspicabilmente a entrambe)." = "The signature must always contain a wikilink on the user page or on its own discussion page (hopefully both)."
* https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:签名 "若用户对默认签名进行修改，修改后的签名中必须至少包含该用户的用户页、讨论页或贡献页其中一项的链接。" = "If the user modifies the default signature, the modified signature must include at least one of the user's user page , discussion page, or contribution page."
* https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:署名 "ただし、このチェックを入れた場合でも利用者ページか会話ページへのリンクをどちらか片方残しておくようにしましょう。" = "However, even if you check this, keep either the user page or the link to the conversation page."
(Although I also found a few wikis that don't require it:)
* https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aide:Signature Only strongly advises that notifications won't work without it
* https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomoc:Podpis_wikipedysty Only advises that the signature should include your login
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i. https://w.wiki/Rt9