Hello everyone
If you don't use etherpad, you can ignore this message.
We will *delete all pads after 1st March 2026*! If you need any of your
pads, please make a local backup. We will not be able to recover the data
after 1st March.
The pad cleanup helps to reduce the size of the database and the footprint
on our infrastructure. After the cleanup, etherpad can still be used for
real-time collaboration but please do not expect long term storage.
Additional cleanups might happen after that unannounced.
See also https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T415237 for more information.
Greetings and thank you
Jelto
Summary:
The Cloud Services implementation of Superset
(https://superset.wmcloud.org) is currently unsupported by WMF staff. We
would welcome a volunteer stepping up to maintain it, but without a new
home the service will be shut down at the end of March.
If you would like to take on ownership of this service, please reach out
to WMCS staffor comment on the phabricator task[1]. The day-to-day
maintenance load is minimal, but someone will need to keep track up
updates, security concerns and a potential future of defense against AI
scraping.
Background:
There has always been demand from researchers and volunteers to run
one-off queries against Wikimedia datasets. Quarry.wmcloud.org was built
and launched by the WMF more than 10 years ago. Originally a one-person
skunkworks project, it quickly caught on in popularity as one of the
most trafficked services run by Wikimedia Cloud Services.
A few years ago, we launched superset.wmcloud.org[0] as an intended
Quarry replacement. We soon learned that despite being a less polished,
home-made tool, Quarry provides many features that Superset does not,
and most users resisted migration away from it. Superset has only a
handful of active users.
At this point, Superset is essentially unsupported by WMF staff. As part
of ongoing efforts to improve our support for Toolforge and other more
popular services we will be either shutting it off or transferring
ownership of Superset in a few weeks[1].
[0] https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T169452
[1] https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T416373
Thumbnails shown on-wiki are already quantized to a set of standard sizes
(if a non-standard size is requested, the next-larger standard size is
used, and scaled to the requested size by the browser). We have recently
extended the set of standard sizes, and are now moving to only allow
standard sizes to be used. Regular editing and viewing will not be impacted
by this change at all.
* What isn't changing?
Thumbnails served on wiki (via the "thumb" argument to File:, and via the
Media API) will continue to behave as they do now - if you request a
non-standard size, the next-larger standard size will be provided, and
scaled in-browser if appropriate.
* What is changing?
Requests for non-standard thumbnail sizes using other methods (e.g.
constructing an upload.wikimedia.org URL with a non-standard thumbnail
size) will be blocked by our CDN. These are already being rate-limited for
requests that we assess are not coming from a web-browser.
During this quarter, we will be broadening the scope of the existing
rate-limiting and making it increasingly strict, with the aim being to
refuse such requests entirely by the end of March 2026.
* Why are WMF doing this?
Historically, we have generated thumbnails of whatever size was requested;
this has been a drain on our thumbnailing infrastructure and cost us in
network bandwidth and storage volume. With the increasing prevalence of
highly aggressive scrapers, this has become an intolerable burden on our
network, infrastructure, and staff, who have spent a lot of time over the
holiday period working hard to keep the wikis available for people to read
in the face of automated abuse.
* What do I need to do?
Most likely, nothing: we have already tracked down some of the more
widely-deployed sources of nonstandard thumbnail requests (e.g. Popups
extension) and fixed them. If you own or operate something that requests
thumbnails by constructing a thumbnail URI directly, then now is the time
to either use the Media API instead or to make sure you only request
standard thumbnail sizes.
* What are the standard thumbnail sizes?
They are: 20px, 40px, 60px, 120px, 250px, 330px, 500px, 960px, 1280px,
1920px, 3840px
They are defined in config as $wgThumbnailSteps -
https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/plugins/gitiles/operations/mediawiki-config/…
And also documented on MetaWiki -
https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Common_thumbnail_sizes
To help fix the existing instances, please see
https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T414805 for search-links, and examples of
how to fix them.
Best
--
*Amir Sarabadani (he/him)*
Staff Database Architect
Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>
Hi all,
I know there's been a lot of discussion/concern and policy decisions around
usage of LLMs for authoring content in Wikimedia projects.
I wonder if there's been similar discussion around AI coding for technical
editors? I'm not sure I've seen it "go by". Can someone link to where these
discussions are happening?
I also wanted to share a policy I wrote for WP1:
https://github.com/openzim/wp1/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#usage-of-llmsai-co…
Cheers,
-Travis
Hi,
Some translatable messages in MediaWiki and extensions have <br> tags.
Sometimes they are written as <br>, sometimes as <br />, and sometimes as
<br/>. I would love to make it consistent across all the messages, but I'm
not totally sure which form to choose.
I recall that many years ago, I read an article that recommends using <br
/>, because it was the most compatible form with the various browsers and
HTML standards.
Things probably changed since then. From what I'm reading online now, the
<br> form is probably the best.
However, I might be wrong. Are there still any good reasons to use <br />
or <br/> in 2026, or is it safe to switch to <br> everywhere?
--
Amir Elisha Aharoni · אָמִיר אֱלִישָׁע אַהֲרוֹנִי
http://aharoni.wordpress.com
“We're living in pieces,
I want to live in peace.” – T. Moore
Hello everyone!
We're excited to announce that the next Language Community Meeting is
happening soon - on November 28th at 16:00 UTC! If you’d like to join,
simply sign up on the wiki page
<https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Language_and_Product_Localization/…>
.
This is a participant-driven meeting where we share updates on
language-related projects, discuss technical challenges in language wikis,
and collaborate on solutions. For example, in our upcoming meeting, we plan
to hear from contributors of the Wikitongues project and Fante
Wikimedia Community.
Got a topic to share? Whether it’s a technical update from your project, a
challenge you need help with, or a request for interpretation support, we’d
love to hear from you! Feel free to reply to this message or add agenda
items to the document here
<https://etherpad.wikimedia.org/p/language-community-meeting-nov-2025>.
Also, we’d like to highlight that the 9th edition of the Language &
Internationalization Newsletter (October 2025)
<https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Language_and_Product_Localization/…>
is
now available. This newsletter provides updates from the July–September
2025 quarter on new feature development, improvements in various
language-related technical projects and support efforts, details about
community meetings, and ideas for contributing to projects. To stay
updated, you can subscribe to the newsletter
<https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Newsletter:Language_and_Internationalization…>
on
its wiki page.
Are you interested in contributing to the technical work around language
development? See a curated list of technical contribution tasks here:
T407935 <https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T407935>.
We look forward to your ideas and participation at the Language Community
Meeting. See you there!
Cheers,
Srishti
*Srishti Sethi*
Senior Developer Advocate
Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>
Are you ready for a challenge that will test your reflexes, push your focus to the limit, and keep you coming back for just one more try? Then buckle up, because we're diving headfirst into the thrilling, neon-lit world of Slope Game!
https://slopegamefree.com/
This deceptively simple, yet incredibly addictive, online game has captivated players worldwide with its fast-paced gameplay and unforgiving difficulty. Forget complex storylines and intricate character designs, Slope Game strips gaming down to its purest essence: skill, precision, and a whole lot of persistence.
What is Slope Game? A Neon-Fueled Rollercoaster of Skill
Slope Game is a minimalist 3D endless runner where you control a ball careening down a series of randomly generated slopes. The objective? Simple: survive for as long as possible. Avoid obstacles, maintain your speed, and navigate the ever-changing landscape without falling off the edge. Sounds easy, right? Think again!
Developed by RobKay Games, Slope Game was first released in 2014 and quickly gained popularity due to its addictive nature and accessibility. Its simple premise, coupled with its challenging gameplay, makes it a perfect pick-up-and-play game that can be enjoyed in short bursts or lengthy sessions.
Pro Tips and Tricks to Dominate the Slopes
Want to improve your Slope Game skills and climb the leaderboard? Here are some essential tips and tricks to help you become a rolling master:
Focus on Precision: Small, controlled movements are key. Avoid jerky or excessive steering.
Anticipate the Terrain: Scan ahead and try to predict the upcoming path. Reacting quickly is important, but anticipation is even better.
Use the Edges: Briefly riding the edge of the slope can help you navigate tight corners and avoid obstacles.
Practice Makes Perfect: The more you play, the better you'll become at judging distances and timing your movements. Don’t get discouraged by early failures.
Find Your Rhythm: Develop a sense of rhythm and timing that works for you. This will help you maintain control and react more effectively to changes in speed and terrain.
Don't Be Afraid to Slow Down: While maintaining momentum is important, sometimes tapping the brakes (by briefly steering in the opposite direction of your momentum) can help you navigate tricky sections.
Peripheral Vision is Your Friend: Try to maintain awareness of the surrounding area, not just the immediate path in front of you. This will help you spot obstacles and react accordingly.
Learn from Your Mistakes: Analyze why you crashed and try to avoid making the same mistake again. Each run is a learning opportunity.
Take Breaks: If you're getting frustrated, take a break and come back later. A fresh perspective can often help you improve.
Experiment with Different Strategies: There's no one "right" way to play Slope Game. Experiment with different approaches and find what works best for you.
Final Verdict: A Simple Game With Enduring Appeal
Slope Game is a testament to the idea that simple doesn't mean easy. Its addictive gameplay, challenging difficulty, and endless replayability make it a must-try for any fan of arcade-style games. While its repetitive nature and lack of story might not appeal to everyone, its pure, unadulterated test of skill is sure to keep you hooked for hours.
Hello everyone!
We're excited to announce that the next Language Community Meeting is
happening soon - on February 27th at 16:00 UTC! If you’d like to join,
simply sign up on the wiki page
<https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Wikimedia_Language_and_Pr…>
.
This is a participant-driven meeting where we share updates on
language-related projects, discuss technical challenges in language wikis,
and collaborate on solutions. In our upcoming meeting, we’ll hear about a
new Wikidata Visibility Initiative and updates on the CapX Translat-a-thon.
Got a topic to share? Whether it’s a technical update from your project, a
challenge you need help with, or a request for interpretation support, we’d
love to hear from you! Feel free to reply to this message or add agenda
items to the document here
<https://etherpad.wikimedia.org/p/language-community-meeting-feb-2026>.
Also, we’d like to highlight that the 10th edition of the Language &
Internationalization Newsletter (February 2026)
<https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Language_and_Product_Localization/…>
is now available. This newsletter provides updates from the
October–December 2025 quarter on new feature development, improvements in
various language-related projects and support efforts, details about
community meetings, and ideas for contributing to projects.
We look forward to your ideas and participation at the Language Community
Meeting. See you there!
Feel free to translate this message into your local language and share it
on your village pump or other community channels to help spread the word.
Cheers,
Srishti
*Srishti Sethi*
Senior Developer Advocate
Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>
Hello all -
The Developer Outreach team is happy to announce that we will be migrating
the Tech Blog <https://techblog.wikimedia.org/> into Diff
<https://diff.wikimedia.org/>. This move will allow us to provide better
support and more visibility for the incredible work of the technical
community. Diff is the community news and event blog supported by the Movement
Communications team
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation/Communications/Movemen…>.
Diff sees about 20,000 visits a month and has 1,200 email subscribers.
-
What will happen to the Tech Blog content?
-
All Tech Blog posts will be accessible on Diff, clearly tagged with
“techblog”. Old links will automatically redirect to their new location.
New posts with a technical focus will be tagged with “techblog” so they
will be easily discoverable.You'll be able to find all techblog
posts – old
and new – on the landing page at https://diff.wikimedia.org/techblog
-
When is this happening?
-
The migration should be complete in April 2026.
-
How do I submit a blog post with a technical focus?
-
For now, please hold your post until we complete the migration.
-
After the migration is done: As before, talk to your manager about
your interest in writing a blog post so they are not surprised
when you ask
them to approve it once it is written. Then, see the Diff submission
process <https://diff.wikimedia.org/editorial-guidelines/> and select
the category “Technology” and the tag “techblog” when writing your draft.
After you submit, the Developer Outreach team will review your
draft. When
it’s ready to go, we will schedule your post to be published.
We’re excited for the Tech Blog to evolve and thank the Movement
Communications
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation/Communications/Movemen…>
team for helping us make this possible!
--
Lani Goto (they/them)
Senior Technical Program Manager
Forwarding this invite to additional people who may wish to participate or
watch the recording.
Thanks, Kinneret. These presentations sound very interesting.
Pine🌲
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Kinneret Gordon via Analytics <analytics(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
Date: Mon, Feb 23, 2026 at 5:23 AM
Subject: [Analytics] [Wikimedia Research Showcase] AI and Communities -
February 25 at 17:30 UTC
To: <wiki-research-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>, <
foundation-optional(a)wikimedia.org>, <wikimedia-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>, <
analytics(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
Cc: Kinneret Gordon <kgordon(a)wikimedia.org>
Hi everyone,
The February 2026 Research Showcase will be live-streamed this Wednesday,
February 25, at 9:30 AM PT / 17:30 UTC. Find your local time here
<https://zonestamp.toolforge.org/1772040600>. Our theme this month is *AI
and Communities*.
*We invite you to watch via the YouTube
stream: https://www.youtube.com/live/qW5IQJv84HY
<https://www.youtube.com/live/qW5IQJv84HY>.* As always, you can join the
conversation in the YouTube chat as soon as the showcase goes live.
This month, we will have two presentations:
*LLMs in Wikipedia: Investigating How LLMs Impact Participation in
Knowledge Communities*By *Moyan Zhou (University of Minnesota)*Large
language models (LLMs) are reshaping knowledge production as community
members increasingly incorporate them into their contribution workflows.
However, participating in knowledge communities involves more than just
contributing content - it is also a deeply social process shaped by
members' level of expertise. While communities must carefully consider
appropriate and responsible LLM integration, the absence of concrete norms
has left individual editors to experiment and navigate LLM use on their
own. Understanding how LLMs influence community participation across
expertise levels is therefore critical in shaping future norms and
supporting effective adoption. To address this gap, we investigated
Wikipedia, one of the largest knowledge production communities, to
understand participation in three dimensions: 1) how LLMs influence the
ways editors gather knowledge, 2) how editors leverage strategies to align
LLM outputs with community norms, and 3) how other editors in the community
respond to LLM-assisted contributions. Through interviews with 16 Wikipedia
editors with different levels of expertise who had used LLMs for their
edits, we revealed a participation gap mediated by expertise in adopting
LLMs in knowledge contributions across knowledge gathering, alignment with
community norms, and peer responses. Based on these findings, we challenge
existing models of novice editors' involvement and propose design
implications for LLMs that support community engagement, highlighting
opportunities for LLMs to sustain mentorship, knowledge transmission, and
legitimacy building by scaffolding and feedback, process documentation, and
LLM disclosure by good-faith editors.*AI Didn't Start the Fire: Examining
the Stack Exchange Moderator and Contributor Strike*By *Yiwei Wu
(University of Texas at Austin)*Online communities and their host platforms
are mutually dependent yet conflict-prone. When platform policies clash
with community values, communities have resisted through strikes,
blackouts, and even migration to other platforms. Through such collective
actions, communities have sometimes won concessions, but these have
frequently proved to be temporary. Although previous research has
investigated strike events and migration chains, the processes by which
community-platform conflict unfolds remain obscure. How do
community-platform relationships deteriorate? How do communities organize
collective action? How do the participants proceed in the aftermath? We
investigate a conflict between the Stack Exchange platform and community
that occurred in 2023 around an emergency arising from the release of large
language models (LLMs). Based on a qualitative thematic analysis of 2,070
messages from Meta Stack Exchange and 14 interviews with community members,
we reveal how the 2023 conflict was preceded by a long-term deterioration
in the community-platform relationship, driven in particular by the
platform's disregard for the community's highly valued participatory role
in governance. Moreover, the platform's policy response to LLMs aggravated
the community's sense of crisis, triggering strike mobilization. We analyze
how the mobilization was coordinated through a tiered leadership and
communication structure, as well as how community members pivoted in the
aftermath. Building on recent theoretical scholarship in social computing,
we use Hirschman's exit, voice, and loyalty framework to theorize the
challenges of community-platform relations evinced in our data. Finally, we
recommend ways that platforms and communities can institute participatory
governance to be durable and effective.
Looking forward to seeing many of you,
Kinneret
--
Kinneret Gordon
Lead Research Community Officer
Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>
*Learn more about Wikimedia Research <https://research.wikimedia.org/>*
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