"The edit filter is a tool that allows editors in the edit filter manager group to set controls mainly[1] to address common patterns of harmful editing.
[1] Edit filters can and have been used to track or tag certain non-harmful edits, for example addition of WikiLove."
DEF:
"A filter automatically compares every edit made to Wikipedia against a defined set of conditions. If an edit matches the conditions of a filter, that filter will respond by logging the edit. It may also tag the edit summary, warn the editor, revoke his/her autoconfirmed status, and/or disallow the edit entirely.[2]"
Footnote 2: "The extension also allows for temporary blocking, but these features are disabled on the English Wikipedia." <-- TODO: Is there wikipedia on which it isn't disallowed?
* Has the definition changed over time (Abuse filters --> edit filters)
"The term "edit filter" rather than "abuse filter" is currently used for user-facing elements of the filter as some of the edits it flags are not harmful;[1] the terms are otherwise synonymous."
"Non-admins in good standing who wish to review a proposed but hidden filter may message the mailing list for details."
// what is "good standing"?
// what are the arguments for hiding a filter?
// are users still informed if their edit triggers a hidden filter?
"For all filters, including those hidden from public view, a brief description of what the rule targets is displayed in the log, the list of active filters, and in any error messages generated by the filter. "
"Filters should only be hidden where necessary, such as in long-term abuse cases where the targeted user(s) could review a public filter and use that knowledge to circumvent it. Filters should not generally be named after abusive editors, but rather with a simple description of the type of abuse, provided not too much information is given away."
"Be careful not to test sensitive parts of private filters in a public test filter (such as Filter 1): use a private test filter (for example Filter 2) if testing is required."
harassment! mailinglist
"If it would not be desirable to discuss the need for a given edit filter on-wiki, such as where the purpose of the filter is to combat harassment by an abusive banned user who is likely to come across the details of the request, edit filter managers can be emailed directly or on the wikipedia-en-editfilters mailing list at wikipedia-en-editfilters@lists.wikimedia.org."
"Except in urgent situations, new edit filters should generally be tested without any actions specified (simply enabled) until a good number of edits have been logged and checked before being implemented in "warn" or "disallow" modes. If the filter is receiving more than a very small percentage of false positives it should usually not be placed in 'disallow' mode."
Alternatives:
"Edit filter managers should be familiar with alternatives that might be more appropriate in a given situation. For example, problems on a single page might be better served with page protection, and problems with page titles or link spam may find the title blacklist and spam blacklist more effective respectively. Because edit filters check every edit in some way, filters that are tripped only rarely are discouraged. "
Exemptions for "urgent situation" -- what/how are these defined?
Discussions may happen postfactum here and filter may be applied before having been thoroughly tested; in this case the corresponding editor is responsible for checking the logs regularly and making sure the filter acts as desired
"Because even the smallest mistake in editing a filter can disrupt the encyclopedia, only editors who have the required good judgment and technical proficiency are permitted to configure filters."
--> Who are these editors? Who decides they are qualified enough?
"Filters are created and configured by edit filter managers, but they can be requested by any editor."
"all administrators can view private filters"
"This group is assignable by administrators, who may also assign the right to themselves"
"The assignment of the edit filter manager user right to non-admins is highly restricted. It should only be requested by and given to highly trusted users, when there is a clear and demonstrated need for it."
"demonstrated knowledge of the extension's syntax and in understanding and crafting regular expressions is absolutely essential"
"Editors who are not edit filter managers should consider helping out at requested edit filters and troubleshooting at false positives to help gain experience and demonstrate these skills"
"Requests for assignment of the group to non-admins can be made at the edit filter noticeboard, where a discussion will be held before a decision is made;discussions are normally held open for 7 days."
"If an edit filter manager is misusing the user right, the concern should first be raised with them directly. If discussion does not resolve the issue, a request for discussion or removal of the user right may be made at the edit filter noticeboard. "
"If you have the edit filter manager user right, please ensure you follow the Password strength requirements and appropriate personal security practices. Two-factor authentication enrollment is available for edit filter managers. Because edit filters affect every edit made, a compromised account will be blocked and its privileges removed on grounds of site security. In the unlikely event that your account is compromised, notify an administrator or bureaucrat (for administrators) immediately so they can block your account and remove any sensitive privileges to prevent damage. "
//interessanterweise is 2factor-auth auch nur für diese speziellen Benutzer*innen erlaubt; sonst kann man die Seite nicht ansehen
What do filters do?/What actions they trigger (vgl DEF) in order of graveness:
- disallow -- editor is informed, if their edit is being disallowed and offered the option to report a false positive;
"It is also possible to have a user's autoconfirmed status revoked if a user trips the filter."
caution to use it seldomly and after a thorough discussion on what is a undesirable edit
- warn -- editor is informed that their edit may be problematic and given the option to save or abort the edit (and in report the false positive trigerred by the filter)
- add a tag - "edit is tagged for review by patrollers." -- TODO who are patrollers? are there some in lang versions other than EN?
"Patrols are a specialized type of WikiProject used in the English Wikipedia to watch over a class of pages and take any appropriate actions. Most patrol actions are performed by individual Wikipedians, but some are performed by bots—computer programs or preprogrammed scripts that make automated edits without a need for real time human decision-making. " https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Patrols
- log the edit - "In this case, the edit is merely added to the AbuseLog. When testing new filters, this is the suggested setting to use."
* what happens afterwards?
## Taking stock
* a descriptive overview/stats of the current situation
* and of the development over time
* how often were (which) filters triggered
* how many filters are there (were there over the years)
* percentage of triggered filters/all edits
* break down triggered filters according to typology
* percentage filters of different types over the years
