Hi all,
I'd like to make it easier for novice users to create Sign Language definition pages with videos for en.wiktionary's new "Sign gloss:" namespace. It's already possible to create such pages, but it requires a large number of steps, which can deter potential contributors.
I'd like to make a command-line tool or web-form. The user would provide 1. Their name and password* 2. The name of the page 3. The text contents of the page (definition, etymology, etc. as plain text fields) 4. A video of the sign (and maybe also a video of it in use)
The tool would then automatically 0a. Check if the page already exists (and stop if it does) 0b. Convert the video to a format appropriate for Commons, if needed 1. Log in as the user 2. Upload the video to Commons 3. Create the page with the desired contents.
Is this a good idea?
Is there something like this already that I could use as a basis?
If this were a web form, how would I handle username+password securely?
Thanks, Ben
*: Ideally I'd like to be able to help users who don't yet have accounts to make accounts, and also somehow automatically handle the account-linking business between Commons, Wiktionary, etc.
Ben Schwartz wrote:
Hi all,
I'd like to make it easier for novice users to create Sign Language definition pages with videos for en.wiktionary's new "Sign gloss:" namespace. It's already possible to create such pages, but it requires a large number of steps, which can deter potential contributors.
I'd like to make a command-line tool or web-form. The user would provide
- Their name and password*
- The name of the page
- The text contents of the page (definition, etymology, etc. as plain
text fields) 4. A video of the sign (and maybe also a video of it in use)
The tool would then automatically 0a. Check if the page already exists (and stop if it does) 0b. Convert the video to a format appropriate for Commons, if needed
- Log in as the user
- Upload the video to Commons
- Create the page with the desired contents.
Is this a good idea?
Is there something like this already that I could use as a basis?
I don't think that's appropiate as a single web form. You would want to make it a Wizard with several steps, so you don't make him record a video just to then tell "We already have that page". Neil may be interested on this. He recently made the UploadWizard.
*: Ideally I'd like to be able to help users who don't yet have accounts to make accounts, and also somehow automatically handle the account-linking business between Commons, Wiktionary, etc.
That's not really a problem. All of these steps could be handled quite easily.
If this were a web form, how would I handle username+password securely?
This is best done in an extension.
On 12/14/2010 05:40 PM, Platonides wrote:
Ben Schwartz wrote:
I'd like to make a command-line tool or web-form.
...
Is there something like this already that I could use as a basis?
I don't think that's appropiate as a single web form. You would want to make it a Wizard with several steps, so you don't make him record a video just to then tell "We already have that page".
Oh, good idea... although an AJAXy webform could also serve that purpose.
Neil may be interested on this. He recently made the UploadWizard.
I hadn't heard of this extension, but it looks interesting. I presume it's not yet active on the actual Commons?
*: Ideally I'd like to be able to help users who don't yet have accounts to make accounts, and also somehow automatically handle the account-linking business between Commons, Wiktionary, etc.
That's not really a problem. All of these steps could be handled quite easily.
If this were a web form, how would I handle username+password securely?
This is best done in an extension.
Can a single extension span Commons and Wiktionary? Would I have to convince both of them to install my extension before I can use it? I had planned to prototype this on a third-party server, precisely to avoid interfering with the real infrastructure. I'm trying to minimize the number of required clicks, so I'd hate to push people through a multi-step upload wizard on one site, and then a separate definition-page-creation wizard on another site.
Thanks, Ben
@2010-12-15 00:12, Ben Schwartz:
On 12/14/2010 05:40 PM, Platonides wrote:
Neil may be interested on this. He recently made the UploadWizard.
I hadn't heard of this extension, but it looks interesting. I presume it's not yet active on the actual Commons?
Recently activated: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:UploadWizard
Regards, Nux.
On 12/14/10 3:12 PM, Ben Schwartz wrote:
I hadn't heard of this extension, but it looks interesting. I presume it's not yet active on the actual Commons?
Nope, we deployed it (mostly just to see if we could), and it works for many people, but it's still buggy, so it's not widely promoted.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:UploadWizard
bugzilla - http://bit.ly/UploadWizardBugs
Can a single extension span Commons and Wiktionary?
With a minimum of cooperation between the two, we can put an extension on Wiktionary that uploads to Commons, and then you can configure Wiktionary to get some of its media from Commons via the InstantCommons extension.
Would I have to convince both of them to install my extension before I can use it?
No.
I'd hate to push people through a multi-step upload wizard on one site, and then a separate definition-page-creation wizard on another site.
The usability project has a working system with Add Media Wizard where you can drop in a media file (and even upload it to Commons) while editing an article. I don't know if that meets your needs.
I hadn't really thought about special-purpose upload wizards, but it could certainly be done. Maybe the page could be invoked in special ways for slightly altered flows.
At the moment my main goal is get the number of crucial bugs down, but this is a cool idea. I happen to have an interest (although not a talent) in ASL since I have a deaf friend, so this might be something I could work on in my spare time.
wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org