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Revision as of 15:54, 1 June 2007 editAlison (talk | contribs)Edit filter managers, Autopatrolled, Checkusers, Administrators47,247 edits →Notes: reflist template← Previous edit Latest revision as of 16:26, 29 July 2024 edit undo142.113.140.146 (talk) mention and link to 2023 RfC 
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{{historical|type=guideline|WP:MPFAP|WP:NOPRO|WP:TFAP}}
{{Disputedpolicy}}
{{Nutshell|Misplaced Pages's ] ] should as a rule not be fully protected, but it may be ] for part or all of the day should vandalism warrant it.}}
{{guideline|]<br/>]}}
⚫ Misplaced Pages's '''] ]''' is one of the most visible and heavily edited on the site. For this reason, it receives a lot of ] edits from unregistered users visiting Misplaced Pages. It has thus been suggested many times in the past that the featured article should thus be ] or ]. Full protection of the page is generally prohibited. ] may semi-protect the page until the end of the day or for shorter periods as a response to heavy vandalism. They should notify the community when they choose to do so. Circumstances under which semi-protection are appropriate are given below.


⚫ Misplaced Pages's ] ] is one of the most visible and heavily edited on the site. For this reason, it receives a lot of ] edits from unregistered users visiting Misplaced Pages. Consequently, it is and has been suggested many times that the featured article should be ]. Full protection of the page is ''generally'' prohibited. ] may ] the page for part or all of the day as if the page were any other article.<ref>For some thoughts on what level of vandalism qualifies for semi-protection, and other considerations, see ].</ref> The length of protection is as short as the situation reasonably permits. Possible circumstances under which an administrator might consider semi-protection appropriate are given below.
==Rationale==
There are several reasons for this policy.


==Since 2023==
* Some featured articles may be improved by their time on the main page.<ref> of ]: Today's featured article on ] ].</ref> Fully protecting the featured articles might postpone or even prevent these improvements. However, unprotected articles are not always improved and can be damaged while on the Main Page.<ref> of ]: Today's featured article on ] ]. There are three errors introduced by vandals: "predecessor =<nowiki>]</nowiki>", "In 817" (should be 917), and "they was resting".</ref> There is also no evidence that ''semi''-protecting the articles will prevent improvement.
{{main|Misplaced Pages:Village_pump_(policy)/Archive_186#RfC:_Automatically_semi-protect_Today's_Featured_Article}}
* A featured article ] ''"exemplify our very best work, representing Misplaced Pages's unique qualities on the Internet"''. This includes being editable by anyone.<ref>]'s slogan describes it as 'the 💕 that anyone can edit.'</ref> Visitors often tend to look at our most visible articles, and having those articles editable helps attract new users to the project.
The 2023 RfC overturned this guideline. Now Today's Featured Article is semi-protected.
* Much vandalism (especially to highly visible articles like the main page featured article) is cleaned up fairly quickly. Main page featured article vandalism is reverted with an average response time of 1 minute 35 seconds.<ref name="December study" /> This is helped by specialized automated bots such as ]. What is most important for readers however is not how quickly vandalism is removed, but how much time the page spends in a vandalized state. On average FAs are vandalized for over two hours of total time during their stay on the main page.<ref name="December study">For detailed data see ] - a study on the nature of edits while on the Main Page.</ref><ref>See also ] and ]</ref>
* Although the more visible featured article of the day attracts more vandals than other articles, it also attracts more curious and good faith editors. A higher than normal volume of edits due to the high visibility of the article will correspond with a higher than normal volume of vandalism.


==Counter rationale== ==Before 2023==
{{main|Wikipedia_talk:Today's_featured_article/Archive_5#RfC:_Time_to_dispense_with_WP:NOPRO.3F}}
Reasons not to have the policy.
* Without exception, featured articles on the main page are brutally vandalized, and many editors spend more time reverting vandals than improving the article.
* "Our best work" is not exemplified by a new user coming in and seeing vandalized pages featured on the main page.
* It is best to not allow the problem to occur in the first place than wasting time cleaning up.
* Having to fight vandals subject the article's editors to harassment and is insulting to their work. The attitude that the article on the Main Page should not be protected from unregistered users is insulting and fails to consider the welfare of the people behind the article.
* Many users waste their time fighting front-page article vandals instead of producing good articles.
* Many new and newer users come to the talk page to register their complaints and dismay that the FA is being vandalized and request protection. When it is protected, few good faith new users seem to ever request unprotection on the talk page, countering the idea that new users would prefer a page they can edit to a page that isn't vandalized.
*Most of the logic that applies to main page protection also applies to the main page FA, though the polices are completely different - one being completely protected, the other less so than a normal article.
*Registration is required for much more trivial matters than editing the main page, such as uploading a picture to ].

⚫ ==Protection==
⚫ Full protection prevents anyone without administrative powers from editing an article. This should almost never occur on the day's featured article, and should only be used in rare situations where semi-protection is ineffective.


===Semi-protection=== ===Semi-protection===
] prevents all unregistered or recently registered users from editing a page. The main page featured article may be semi-protected until the end of the day or for shorter periods when, for example, a range of dynamic ]es are being used to vandalize the featured article page in quick succession; where personal information or potentially distressing content is being repeatedly placed onto the article; or where a few minutes of protection are needed to remove harmful vandalism from a page. In general, the higher the number of readers, the greater the likelihood of anonymous user vandalism, and the more the need for semi-protection. ] prevents all unregistered or recently registered users from editing a page. The Main Page featured article may sometimes be semi-protected in accordance with the ]. Pages which are already indefinitely semi-protected because of vandalism are left protected while on the Main Page. Semi-protection can be introduced for a limited amount of time when necessary, for example—when a range of dynamic IP addresses are being used to vandalise the featured article page in quick succession; where personal information or potentially distressing content is being repeatedly placed onto the article; or where protection is needed to remove or prevent vandalism or other disruption.


Semi-protection can thus be introduced for brief periods, though admins may prefer to try other methods of dealing with vandalism first, such as blocking problematic accounts and IPs. Admins should exercise common sense, and may prefer to try other methods of dealing with vandalism first, such as blocking problematic accounts and IPs.

⚫ ===Protection===
⚫ Full protection prevents anyone without administrative powers from editing an article. This almost never occurs on the day's featured article, and is only used in rare situations where ] or semi-protection is ineffective.


===Templates=== ===Templates===
Templates included in the main page FA are sometimes vandalized, and it is more difficult to find the source of this kind of vandalism quickly. It is also less likely that casual readers would need to modify the templates. Admins may semi/full-protect the templates as needed. Templates included in the Main Page FA are sometimes vandalized, and it is more difficult to find the source of this kind of vandalism quickly. It is also less likely that casual readers would need to modify the templates. Admins semi/full-protect the templates as needed.

{{anchor|MOVE}}


===Move protection=== ===Move protection===
{{shortcut|WP:TFAP#MOVE}}
To qualify for ] status, the day's featured article will be at a stable and agreed-upon title. Therefore, admins should protect the article from being moved, before it is posted on the main page. For housekeeping and process reasons, this protection should be lifted at the end of an article's stay on the front page. To qualify for featured article status, the day's featured article will be at a stable and agreed-upon title. Therefore, admins protect the article from being moved, before it is posted on the Main Page. For housekeeping and process reasons, this protection is lifted at the end of an article's stay on the front page.


==Notification== ==Main page==
Should an administrator deem that protection or semi-protection of the Main Page featured article is necessary, a notice should be placed at the ] as to the reason and rationale behind the decision to protect or semi-protect, and whether there are any recommended steps for the unprotection of the page.


⚫ These guidelines do not apply to the Main Page itself, which is always protected "as a result of repeated vandalism of the Main Page and keeps our welcome mat clean."<ref>See ]</ref>
==Other front page articles==
These are covered under the ]. Although they can be semi-protected, admins should generally be more cautious in applying protection to these pages. To qualify for semi-protection, articles linked via the front page should be experiencing a higher frequency of vandalism than other articles.


⚫ ==See also==
⚫ Note that none of these guidelines apply to the main page itself, which is always protected "as a result of repeated vandalism of the Main Page and keeps our welcome mat clean." &ndash; ]
⚫ * ]
* ] — an essay on the subject
* ] — for infrequently-edited articles with high levels of vandalism from new or unregistered users


==Notes== ==Notes==
{{Reflist}} {{Reflist}}


⚫ ]
⚫ ==See also==
⚫ * ]
⚫ ]
] ]

Latest revision as of 16:26, 29 July 2024

This former Misplaced Pages guideline, no longer backed by community consensus, is retained for historical reference. Shortcuts
This page in a nutshell: Misplaced Pages's Main Page featured article should as a rule not be fully protected, but it may be semi-protected for part or all of the day should vandalism warrant it.

Misplaced Pages's Main Page featured article is one of the most visible and heavily edited on the site. For this reason, it receives a lot of vandal edits from unregistered users visiting Misplaced Pages. Consequently, it is and has been suggested many times that the featured article should be semi-protected. Full protection of the page is generally prohibited. Administrators may semi-protect the page for part or all of the day as if the page were any other article. The length of protection is as short as the situation reasonably permits. Possible circumstances under which an administrator might consider semi-protection appropriate are given below.

Since 2023

Main page: Misplaced Pages:Village_pump_(policy)/Archive_186 § RfC:_Automatically_semi-protect_Today's_Featured_Article

The 2023 RfC overturned this guideline. Now Today's Featured Article is semi-protected.

Before 2023

Main page: Wikipedia_talk:Today's_featured_article/Archive_5 § RfC:_Time_to_dispense_with_WP:NOPRO.3F

Semi-protection

Semi-protection prevents all unregistered or recently registered users from editing a page. The Main Page featured article may sometimes be semi-protected in accordance with the protection policy. Pages which are already indefinitely semi-protected because of vandalism are left protected while on the Main Page. Semi-protection can be introduced for a limited amount of time when necessary, for example—when a range of dynamic IP addresses are being used to vandalise the featured article page in quick succession; where personal information or potentially distressing content is being repeatedly placed onto the article; or where protection is needed to remove or prevent vandalism or other disruption.

Admins should exercise common sense, and may prefer to try other methods of dealing with vandalism first, such as blocking problematic accounts and IPs.

Protection

Full protection prevents anyone without administrative powers from editing an article. This almost never occurs on the day's featured article, and is only used in rare situations where blocking or semi-protection is ineffective.

Templates

Templates included in the Main Page FA are sometimes vandalized, and it is more difficult to find the source of this kind of vandalism quickly. It is also less likely that casual readers would need to modify the templates. Admins semi/full-protect the templates as needed.

Move protection

Shortcut

To qualify for featured article status, the day's featured article will be at a stable and agreed-upon title. Therefore, admins protect the article from being moved, before it is posted on the Main Page. For housekeeping and process reasons, this protection is lifted at the end of an article's stay on the front page.

Main page

These guidelines do not apply to the Main Page itself, which is always protected "as a result of repeated vandalism of the Main Page and keeps our welcome mat clean."

See also

Notes

  1. For some thoughts on what level of vandalism qualifies for semi-protection, and other considerations, see Misplaced Pages:Rough guide to semi-protection.
  2. See Misplaced Pages:Main Page FAQ#Why am I not able to edit the Main Page?
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