Wikipedia:Bots/Requests for approval/EarwigBot 11


 * The following discussion is an archived debate. Please do not modify it. To request review of this BRFA, please start a new section at WT:BRFA. The result of the discussion was Symbol oppose vote.svg Withdrawn by operator.

EarwigBot 11
Operator:

Automatic or Manually assisted: Automatic, unsupervised

Programming language(s): Python

Source code available: ~earwig/earwigbot: see catmorebot_run.py

Function overview: Replaces transclusions of main in the category namespace with catmore.

Links to relevant discussions (where appropriate): Bot requests/Archive 34

Edit period(s): One large run at first, then monthly.

Estimated number of pages affected: 3442 initially, 20 or so afterwards

Exclusion compliant (Y/N): Y

Assert Edit flags used (exists, user/bot, none): none, unsupported by pywikipedia (I have never had a problem with this)

Already has a bot flag (Y/N): Y

Function details: This task is pretty simple. The bot will use a query to generate a list of categories that transclude the main template, or any redirects, and will replace them with catmore. The initial run will be pretty large (3442 pages), but subsequent runs are likely to be rather small. The query used is:

Discussion
Why not build this into the Main template? Or would identifying the namespace require substitution..? - Kingpin13 (talk) 11:39, 15 March 2010 (UTC)
 * I'm pretty sure namespace detection can be done without substitution. However, while your idea would work and may be more efficient, I'm not entirely sure if I would be willing to completely change the message displayed by the template, which is normally very simple, for pages in a different namespace. What do other people think? &mdash; The Earwig   (talk)  20:42, 15 March 2010 (UTC)


 * Altering the main seems a reasonable thing to me; clearly editors are using it that way, and it seems a cleaner solution. My problem is, a good bot developer isn't necessarily a good template hacker - to where should this request be bounced? Josh Parris 04:05, 16 March 2010 (UTC)
 * I've picked up a few template hacks ;). Hopefully Template:Main/sandbox is okay, if we actually want that instead of a bot...? I'd suggest we get some input from VP, or the talk pages of the templates. - Kingpin13 (talk) 15:59, 16 March 2010 (UTC)
 * I'll happily close this BRFA if we decide it isn't necessary anymore. Perhaps, even, catmore could be redirected if it is redundant to main? &mdash; The Earwig   (talk)  16:59, 16 March 2010 (UTC)
 * That's a matter for WP:RfD, but I don't think it will be controversial. Josh Parris 13:02, 17 March 2010 (UTC)

I've proposed the change for discussion at Template_talk:Main (this is about changing the Template:Main, not getting rid of Template:Catmore). Probably a good idea to withdraw this if the change goes through. - Kingpin13 (talk) 13:08, 17 March 2010 (UTC)


 * Awesome, excellent work. &mdash; The Earwig   (talk)  17:39, 22 March 2010 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. To request review of this BRFA, please start a new section at WT:BRFA.