Patrick Collison wrote:
There's a partial overnight. See http://wikimedia.org/stats/live/ org.wikimedia.all.squid.requests-hits-day.png.
If there is a decision to change the syntax in a major way, locking the database for 12 hours is hardly a huge price to pay. How could syntax versions work? Can you mix syntax versions in the same article? If so, does the parser know what regions use what syntax? If not, can only new articles use the new syntax? I don't think a hack is the solution to a hack-ish syntax.
I think the idea was that old articles would be flagged as "old syntax", and then a conversion bot can be run *while the site remains up*. As soon as the bot has converted an article, it will be flagged as "new syntax" and can henceforth be edited in the new syntax.
I don't agree to the proposal, though.