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Wikimedia Meta-Wiki: Difference between revisions
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'''Wikimedia Meta-Wiki''' – this '{{tag|meta}}' [[wiki]] is used by the {{tag|Wikimedia Foundation}} (WMF) to act as a central primary coordination wiki for all of their 'projects' and activities, which include running [[:Category:Wikipedia|Wikipedia]] and various sister projects, and also originally included developing their own wiki engine software, known as {{tag|MediaWiki}}. | '''Wikimedia Meta-Wiki''' – this '{{tag|meta}}' [[wiki]] is used by the {{tag|Wikimedia Foundation}} (WMF) to act as a central primary coordination wiki for all of their 'projects' and activities, which include running [[:Category:Wikipedia|Wikipedia]] and various sister projects, and also originally included developing their own wiki engine software, known as {{tag|MediaWiki}}. | ||
This meta {{tag|wiki}} also used to include a lot of information about MediaWiki; including user manuals, installation manuals, and development information; however, this has now been moved to the [[MediaWiki.org]] wiki (a more logical place for it). | This meta {{tag|wiki}} also used to include a lot of information about MediaWiki; including user manuals, installation manuals, and development information; however, this has now been moved to the [[MediaWiki.org]] wiki (a more logical place for it). Inevitably, the discussion pages related to those manuals start to act as a kind of support forum, but there are [[mw:Communication|other channels]] for seeking user/admin/development support. | ||
==Purposes== | |||
The main purposes of meta-wiki are to help facilitate: | |||
#Discussion and formulation of Wikimedia projects, in particular policy discussion relevant to across projects, such as open-content licensing. The central venue for discussion is the Wikimedia Forum. Some high-level discussions, held mainly in 2009, were split to [[Strategy Wiki]]. | |||
#Interlingual (cross-wiki) and international coordination concerning the Wikimedia projects and the Wikimedia movement in general, including discussion in languages other than English. This includes requests (for pan-Wikimedia or other wikis), translations and news, and the description, documentation, and discussion of real-life activities and facts related to the Wikimedia Foundation and affiliates. This includes reports, events, outreach:, and grants. | |||
#Writing and dissemination of personal essays about Wikimedia projects. Because these are usually not delivered from a neutral point of view, they are often summarized on neutral issues pages from multiple points of view. There is a degree of freedom in determining what is related to Wikimedia projects, which makes Meta also a [[meatball wiki]] of sorts, discussing such matters as wiki culture and patterns. This role includes more formal research and related discussion. | |||
The third purpose, essays, has not actually resulted in a large number of essays; only something in the low triple digits.[https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Essays] Likewise, there are not many issues pages.[https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Issues] | |||
Elections of Wikimedia board members, stewards, global sysops, etc. occur at Meta-Wiki, and sometimes users of all projects are invited to comment on proposed global policies at Meta. Sometimes users make complaints about what is going on at other projects, if it appears that the sysops of those projects have run amok, and that intervention from stewards may be necessary. | |||
==Culture== | |||
A lot of high-level Wikimedia staff members, stewards, global sysops, etc. frequent meta. Many of them use it as their home base, and ask that users on other projects contact them there. As a result of these users being so readily accessible on-wiki, disputes that occur on Meta often quickly get escalated to the highest levels of Wikimedia, with complaints being posted on those users' talk pages, which would not be the case on other wikis. Thus, it is fairly common to see, for example, attempts to drag high ranking Wikimedia legal counsel into conflicts that would, on another wiki, be settled at a much lower level. | |||
It is fairly easy to get blocked on Meta, often with little explanation or with a vague and/or misleading explanation. Usually the blocks for common vandalism are for lengthier periods than would be the case on Wikipedia. Although there is no Arbitration Committee, the goings-on at Meta are not completely transparent because there is a great deal of [[revision deletion]] that occurs there. | |||
As is the case on MediaWiki.org, Meta sysops typically have free rein to do what they wish, as the community does not exercise much oversight over them. The difference is that there is more likelihood of disputes because of the controversial subject matter (policies, etc.) that are discussed at Meta, so users are more likely to get blocked. There is no equivalent of an administrators' noticeboard incidents page or a requests for comment page, where users would lodge complaints. | |||
There are not many rules governing conduct, so it is left up to sysops to make their own judgments of what is appropriate or inappropriate. Specifically, there are only seven policies applicable to Meta in particular.[https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Meta:Policies_and_guidelines] Meta has an "anti 'snowball' policy" that prohibits speedy closure of discussions at this project, but in practice sysops can and do close discussions summarily and implement what they think is best sometimes.[https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Meta:Snowball] | |||
The users of Meta-Wiki tend to be more multilingual than those of other projects, and much of the editing that goes on consists of translations of pages. | |||
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