[WikiEN-l] How to clear a backlog

[theProject]

On 12/10/06, Tim Starling <tstarling at wikimedia.org> wrote:
>
> Utkarshraj Atmaram wrote:
> > On 12/11/06, theProject <wp.theproject at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> I've spent the last week or two observing and trying to help out with
> the
> >> backlog on [[Category:Articles to be merged]]. Unfortunately, it looks
> like
> >> the backlog is rapidly spinning out of control -- I haven't actually
> kept
> >> track, but I have a sneaking suspicion that there are many more merge
> >> requests added than are serviced every day. Right now the backlog is a
> >> little under 10,000 articles, and I would like to see if we can't
> brainstorm
> >> a new way to deal with backlogs, because our current methods aren't
> dealing
> >> with our worst backlogs. (Our worst backlogs, ironically but
> expectedly, are
> >> the ones users are least likely to start tackling.)
> >>
> >
> > Unlike wikification and other such tasks, in most cases, a merge is best
> done by
> > somebody who has little knowledge about the subject. I do hunt out the
> articles
> > to be merged that I know something about.
> >
> > Right now, many people who put the [[Template:Merge]] or
> [[Template:Mergeto]]
> > don't use [[Template:Mergefrom]]. This is one of the main reasons behind
> the
> > backlog.
> >
> > The article to be merged is usually an orphaned or little known about
> > article. On
> > the other hand, the article that is to receive the merged material is
> usually on
> > many watchlists. If [[Template:Mergefrom]] is used, many editors will
> notice
> > it and help with the merge.
>
> You want to ugly up major articles with "merge from" templates for obscure
> orphans? Why? You won't get things done even by having todo templates fly
> across every article on the site in flashing red reindeer-shaped boxes.
> Merging does not need to be centralised, it's a simple task which can be
> done by any interested editor. Like every other editorial task, it can be
> organised from the wikiprojects, perhaps with a rotation of requests on a
> wiki-wide forum like the community portal.
>
> -- Tim Starling
>
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That's what I'm suggesting, I suppose -- I'm just wondering if the idea
would work. Err, did I suggest it in the wrong place?

-- 
theProject