[WikiEN-l] Slow Response Time When Editing

[Marc Riddell]

on 4/11/11 9:44 PM, Tim Starling at tstarling at wikimedia.org wrote:

> On 12/04/11 06:39, Marc Riddell wrote:
>> Is anyone else experiencing an extremely long response time when trying to
>> edit the English Wikipedia? When trying to "Save Page" on my last two edits,
>> both resulted in time outs and wouldn't, or couldn't, complete the edit. In
>> both cases I finally gave up. Any suggestions?
> 
> Usually this means that the templates on the page are too slow to
> parse. Try cutting down the navboxes.
> 
> Putting {{REVISIONID}} or a related variable on the page will cause it
> to be parsed twice on save, so saving will take twice as long as
> previewing. Certain kinds of abuse filter rule also cause a double
> parse on save. If it takes more than 3 minutes, then the edit won't go
> through.
> 
> -- Tim Starling
> 
Tim, thank you for responding. First I need to say that the sum total of my
technical computer skills amounts to type, point and click :-). But I have
somehow managed nearly 9,000 edits since I started without crashing the
Project :-). I understand most of what you said, but I don't know what a
"navbox" is. My problem of slow response to editing started abruptly about a
week ago, and has gotten progressively worse - to the point where my last
two attempts (yesterday) resulted in my giving up trying.

These are the last two articles I tried to edit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrice_Lillie

* In her article her birth name is incorrect, and I have the correct one
with a reference.

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Chapin

* With him, I have his full birth & death dates with a reference.

Both of these edits timed out and couldn't complete the edit.

Most of my editing has consisted of researching and finding the more
obscure, fine details of an article. I do this with the help of the library
teams at the Pratt Library in Baltimore, and the New York Public Library.
But, since my edits cannot be completed, I've just about given up. I hope
you can understand and help.

Thank you, Tim,

Marc Riddell