https://mwstake.org/w/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Chris+Koerner 2026-04-09T14:27:23Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.39.6 https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:52&diff=900 2017-06-12T20:59:28Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=MediaWiki Stakeholders' June News Roundup<br /> |tags=News, Event, Mediawiki Release, Request for Comments<br /> |people=Karsten Hoffmeyer, Cindy Cicalese, Yaron Koren, Markus Glaser, Sabine Melnicki, Victoria Coleman<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> It's been a few months since we last had a MediaWiki Stakeholders' news roundup. In no particular order are a few items that MediaWiki folks might find interesting.<br /> <br /> * [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2017-May/088190.html Extension compatibility policy can now be declared in infobox - please update!] - If you have an extension on MediaWiki.org you can now add what your compatibility policy is. Tgr also added new fields for &quot;maintainer&quot; and &quot;services&quot; if those apply.<br /> <br /> * At EMWCon Spring 2017 Victoria Coleman asked &quot;how the third-party MediaWiki community benefits the Wikimedia Foundation and what support that community would like from the Foundation&quot;. After the event Stakeholders' members came together to send Victoria a response. That response is now public on [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/EMWCon_Spring_2017/Third-party_wikis MediaWiki.org] [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2017-May/088176.html (malling list announcement)]<br /> <br /> * [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/mediawiki-l/2017-April/046494.html Increase MediaWiki minimum supported MySQL version to 5.5] What it says on the tin. Should the minimum supported version of MySQL be 5.5? MediaWiki users are encouraged to join the conversation.<br /> <br /> * [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/mediawiki-l/2017-April/046462.html Introducing the MediaWiki Platform Team!] Yep, that's right. The Wikimedia Foundation is forming a team dedicated to, &quot;leading maintenance and improvements related to the core MediaWiki platform codebase. That includes encouraging future development of the MediaWiki platform and addressing the technical debt that has accumulated during the 15-year history of MediaWiki.&quot;. I'm a little biased, but I think this is encouraging news for the MediaWiki community. <br /> <br /> * [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2017-May/088084.html Improvements to developer events in the WMF Annual Plan draft] Some potential changes to the dev summit to make it &quot;more strategic and influential function for the movement&quot;.<br /> <br /> * [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2017-May/088232.html Arch Comm evolution plan needs your feedback] - The WMF Architecture Committee (ArchComm) is changing to the Wikimedia Technical Committee. This change brings about a change is mandate and scope of the committee. Review of [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Architecture_committee/Charter the charter] and general feedback is welcome.<br /> <br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Fantastic_MediaWikis_Program The MediaWiki Stakeholders' track at the recent Vienna hackathon] was well received. Our own [http://www.wikiahoi.at/kleine-souvenirs-vom-wikimedia-hackathon-in-wien/ Sabine Melnicki] and [https://blog.bluespice.com/2017/05/23/a-culture-of-knowledge-sharing-impressions-from-the-wikimedia-hackathon-2017/ Markus Glaser] wrote about their experiences at the event.<br /> <br /> * Speaking of the hackathon, there were [https://etherpad.wikimedia.org/p/Hackathon_showcase_2017 many great projects in the showcase]. Take a look to see what sorts of things people are working on in, and around, the MediaWiki world. ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQDSd9ewjSw Video recording])<br /> <br /> * [https://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/SMWCon_Fall_2017/Announcement SMWCon Fall 2017 Announcement] Another Fall, another SMWCon! The is s the 14th Semantic MediaWiki Conference, this time in Rotterdam, The Netherlands October 4-6.<br /> <br /> * Karsten is scratching his head over [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/mediawiki-l/2017-May/046551.html a change in the default search behavior in MediaWiki] after upgrading from 1.23 to 1.27. Anyone with similar issues is welcome to help figure out what's going on.<br /> <br /> * [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/mediawiki-announce/2017-May/000210.html 1.29.0-rc.0 released, timeline on 1.29.0, EOL of 1.23.x] - More procedural work to move MediaWiki forward. Take a look at the notes, help test the RC, and bug your admin to update. :)<br /> <br /> * [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2017-June/088261.html RFC call for comments on Reading List Service] - The Readers department at the Wikimedia Foundation is looking to create a Reading List Service. This would allow folks to create a list of articles to bookmark. The discussion is around what would this service look like and how can it be used by folks. Comments welcome.<br /> <br /> * [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/mediawiki-l/2017-May/046586.html Announcing: the Enterprise MediaWiki Consortium] Yaron Koren's membership-driven initiative to create a fund to further the development of extensions and other software for MediaWiki sites.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:52&diff=899 2017-06-12T20:58:56Z

<p>Chris Koerner: Created page with &quot;{{Blog Post |title=MediaWiki Stakeholders' June News Roundup |tags=News, Event, Mediawiki Release, Request for Comments |people=Karsten Hoffmeyer, Cindy Cicalese, Yaron Koren,...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=MediaWiki Stakeholders' June News Roundup<br /> |tags=News, Event, Mediawiki Release, Request for Comments<br /> |people=Karsten Hoffmeyer, Cindy Cicalese, Yaron Koren, Markus Glaser, Sabine Melnicki, Victoria Coleman<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> It's been a few months since we last had a MediaWiki Stakeholders' news roundup. In no particular order are a few items that MediaWiki folks might find interesting.<br /> <br /> * [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2017-May/088190.html Extension compatibility policy can now be declared in infobox - please update!] - If you have an extension on MediaWiki.org you can now add what your compatibility policy is. Tgr also added new fields for &quot;maintainer&quot; and &quot;services&quot; if those apply.<br /> <br /> * At EMWCon Spring 2017 Victoria Coleman asked &quot;how the third-party MediaWiki community benefits the Wikimedia Foundation and what support that community would like from the Foundation&quot;. After the event Stakeholders' members came together to send Victoria a response. That response is now public on [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/EMWCon_Spring_2017/Third-party_wikis MediaWiki.org] [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2017-May/088176.html (malling list announcement)]<br /> <br /> * [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/mediawiki-l/2017-April/046494.html Increase MediaWiki minimum supported MySQL version to 5.5] What it says on the tin. Should the minimum supported version of MySQL be 5.5? MediaWiki users are encouraged to join the conversation.<br /> <br /> * [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/mediawiki-l/2017-April/046462.html Introducing the MediaWiki Platform Team!] Yep, that's right. The Wikimedia Foundation is forming a team dedicated to, &quot;leading maintenance and improvements related to the core MediaWiki platform codebase. That includes encouraging future development of the MediaWiki platform and addressing the technical debt that has accumulated during the 15-year history of MediaWiki.&quot;. I'm a little biased, but I think this is encouraging news for the MediaWiki community. <br /> <br /> * [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2017-May/088084.html Improvements to developer events in the WMF Annual Plan draft] Some potential changes to the dev summit to make it &quot;more strategic and influential function for the movement&quot;.<br /> <br /> * [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2017-May/088232.html Arch Comm evolution plan needs your feedback] - The WMF Architecture Committee (ArchComm) is changing to the Wikimedia Technical Committee. This change brings about a change is mandate and scope of the committee. Review of [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Architecture_committee/Charter the charter] and general feedback is welcome.<br /> <br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Fantastic_MediaWikis_Program The MediaWiki Stakeholders' track at the recent Vienna hackathon] was well received. Our own [http://www.wikiahoi.at/kleine-souvenirs-vom-wikimedia-hackathon-in-wien/ Sabine Melnicki] and [https://blog.bluespice.com/2017/05/23/a-culture-of-knowledge-sharing-impressions-from-the-wikimedia-hackathon-2017/ Markus Glaser] wrote about their experiences at the event.<br /> <br /> * Speaking of the hackathon, there were [https://etherpad.wikimedia.org/p/Hackathon_showcase_2017 many great projects in the showcase]. Take a look to see what sorts of things people are working on in, and around, the MediaWiki world. ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQDSd9ewjSw Video recording])<br /> <br /> * [https://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/SMWCon_Fall_2017/Announcement SMWCon Fall 2017 Announcement] Another Fall, another SMWCon! The is s the 14th Semantic MediaWiki Conference, this time in Rotterdam, The Netherlands October 4-6.<br /> <br /> * Karsten is scratching his head over [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/mediawiki-l/2017-May/046551.html a change in the default search behavior in MediaWiki] after upgrading from 1.23 to 1.27. Anyone with similar issues is welcome to help figure out what's going on.<br /> <br /> * [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/mediawiki-announce/2017-May/000210.html 1.29.0-rc.0 released, timeline on 1.29.0, EOL of 1.23.x] - More procedural work to move MediaWiki forward. Take a look at the notes, help test the RC, and bug your admin to update. :)<br /> <br /> * [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2017-June/088261.html RFC call for comments on Reading List Service] - The Readers department at the Wikimedia Foundation is looking to create a Reading List Service. This would allow folks to create a list of articles to bookmark. The discussion is around what would this service look like and how can it be used by folks. Comments welcome.<br /> <br /> * [Announcing: the Enterprise MediaWiki Consortium https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/mediawiki-l/2017-May/046586.html] Yaron Koren's membership-driven initiative to create a fund to further the development of extensions and other software for MediaWiki sites.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:50&diff=879 2017-03-21T15:46:14Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=MediaWiki Stakeholders' March News Roundup<br /> |tags=Event, News, Updates, Jobs<br /> |people=Cindy Cicalese, Markus Glaser, Yaron Koren, Chris Koerner, Mark Hershberger, Bernadette Clemente, Peter Mayer<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> Here's another quick round of updates from across the MediaWiki world.<br /> <br /> First up, the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/EMWCon_Spring_2017 2nd Enterprise MediaWiki Conference] was a resounding success. 34 some odd folks showed up in McLean, VA for three days of presentations, panels, lightning talks, and participation in the create camp. A great thanks to the chairs, Cindy Cicalese, Bernadette Clemente, Yaron Karen, and Mark Hershberger.<br /> Videos and sides of the presentations [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/EMWCon_Spring_2017 are available on the conference page].<br /> <br /> A few things that came out of the conference:<br /> * Yaron Koren announced the release of the second edition of his seminal book &quot;[http://workingwithmediawiki.com Working With MediaWiki]&quot;. For the first time the book is [http://workingwithmediawiki.com/book available to read online] in its entirety. eBook and physical versions are also available. <br /> * EMWCon was live-streamed again this year with a peak of about 20 additional folks joining us throughout the event. The unedited videos are available [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZavo6makpqtRhlFxJkn6HA on the conference YouTube channel]. Edited versions will be coming soon.<br /> * As a collaborative effort attendees were able to develop a document covering [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Best_practices_for_using_MediaWiki best practices for using MediaWiki]. A resource for current and future MediaWiki users on how to best introduce and utilize a wiki inside organizations.<br /> * The Wikimedia DC chapter [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Meetup/DC/RelinkingGovt hosted a Wikipedia edit-a-thon on the first night of the event]. The results were a collaboration between EMWCon attendees and local Wikipedians in helping to restore citation links to whitehouse.gov that became invalid during the presidential transition. 60+ articles on the English Wikipedia were updated with correct links!<br /> <br /> Other news:<br /> <br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Code_of_Conduct The Code of Conduct for technical spaces] is now a community policy. There is currently [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2017-March/087731.html a call for candidates to form the first Code of Conduct committee]. Please consider proposing yourself or other community members who might be interested.<br /> * The Wikimedia Foundation is hiring a [https://boards.greenhouse.io/wikimedia/jobs/613548?gh_src=1u385n1 Product Manager for MediaWiki]! This position will be a pivotal role in defining the roadmap and future development of MediaWiki as a technological product of the foundation. Please apply if interested and share among the community.<br /> * MediaWiki will be [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2017-March/087810.html dropping javascript support for Internet Explorer 9] in the near future. It will be affecting Wikimedia wikis in April and be part of the 1.29 release of MediaWiki in May.<br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_testimonials The MediaWiki testimonials page] hasn't seen any additions in a few years. With the urging of WMF staffer and Stakeholder member Chris Koerner [Editors note: That's me :) ], there's a renewed interest in updating the list of testimonials. Submissions are encouraged and welcomed!<br /> * As Marcus mentioned, the MediaWiki Stakeholders' [https://www.wikimedia.at/hackathon/fantastic-mediawikis/ will be hosting a track] at the upcoming Vienna Hackathon. Please attend and participate.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:50&diff=878 2017-03-21T15:44:45Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=MediaWiki Stakeholders' March News Roundup<br /> |tags=Event, News, Updates, Jobs<br /> |people=Cindy Cicalese, Markus Glaser, Yaron Koren, Chris Koerner, Mark Hershberger, Bernadette Clemente, Peter Mayer<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> Here's another quick round of updates from across the MediaWiki world.<br /> <br /> First up, the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/EMWCon_Spring_2017 2nd Enterprise MediaWiki Conference] was a resounding success. 34 some odd folks showed up in McLean, VA for three days of presentations, panels, lightning talks, and participation in the create camp. A great thanks to the chairs, Cindy Cicalese, Bernadette Clemente, Yaron Karen, and Mark Hershberger.<br /> Videos and sides of the presentations [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/EMWCon_Spring_2017 are available on the conference page].<br /> <br /> A few things that came out of the conference:<br /> * Yaron Koren announced the release of the second edition of his seminal book &quot;[http://workingwithmediawiki.com Working With MediaWiki]&quot;. For the first time the book is [http://workingwithmediawiki.com/book available to read online] in its entirety. eBook and physical versions are also available. <br /> * EMWCon was live-streamed again this year with a peak of about 20 additional folks joining us throughout the event. The unedited videos are available [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZavo6makpqtRhlFxJkn6HA on the conference YouTube channel]. Edited versions will be coming soon.<br /> * As a collaborative effort attendees were able to develop a document covering [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Best_practices_for_using_MediaWiki best practices for using MediaWiki]. A resource for current and future MediaWiki users.<br /> * The Wikimedia DC chapter [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Meetup/DC/RelinkingGovt hosted a Wikipedia edit-a-thon on the first night of the event]. The results were a collaboration between EMWCon attendees and local Wikipedians in helping to restore citation links to whitehouse.gov that became invalid during the presidential transition. 60+ articles on the English Wikipedia were updated with correct links!<br /> <br /> Other news:<br /> <br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Code_of_Conduct The Code of Conduct for technical spaces] is now a community policy. There is currently [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2017-March/087731.html a call for candidates to form the first Code of Conduct committee]. Please consider proposing yourself or other community members who might be interested.<br /> * The Wikimedia Foundation is hiring a [https://boards.greenhouse.io/wikimedia/jobs/613548?gh_src=1u385n1 Product Manager for MediaWiki]! This position will be a pivotal role in defining the roadmap and future development of MediaWiki as a technological product of the foundation. Please apply if interested and share among the community.<br /> * MediaWiki will be [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2017-March/087810.html dropping javascript support for Internet Explorer 9] in the near future. It will be affecting Wikimedia wikis in April and be part of the 1.29 release of MediaWiki in May.<br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_testimonials The MediaWiki testimonials page] hasn't seen any additions in a few years. With the urging of WMF staffer and Stakeholder member Chris Koerner [Editors note: That's me :) ], there's a renewed interest in updating the list of testimonials. Submissions are encouraged and welcomed!<br /> * As Marcus mentioned, the MediaWiki Stakeholders' [https://www.wikimedia.at/hackathon/fantastic-mediawikis/ will be hosting a track] at the upcoming Vienna Hackathon. Please attend and participate.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:50&diff=877 2017-03-21T15:41:43Z

<p>Chris Koerner: Created page with &quot;{{Blog Post |title=MediaWiki Stakeholders' March News Roundup |tags=Event, News, Updates, Jobs |people=Cindy Cicalese, Markus Glaser, Yaron Koren, Chris Koerner, Mark Hershber...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=MediaWiki Stakeholders' March News Roundup<br /> |tags=Event, News, Updates, Jobs<br /> |people=Cindy Cicalese, Markus Glaser, Yaron Koren, Chris Koerner, Mark Hershberger, Bernadette Clemente<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> Here's another quick round of updates from across the MediaWiki world.<br /> <br /> First up, the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/EMWCon_Spring_2017 2nd Enterprise MediaWiki Conference] was a resounding success. 34 some odd folks showed up in McLean, VA for three days of presentations, panels, lightning talks, and participation in the create camp. A great thanks to the chairs, Cindy Cicalese, Bernadette Clemente, Yaron Karen, and Mark Hershberger.<br /> Videos and sides of the presentations [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/EMWCon_Spring_2017 are available on the conference page].<br /> <br /> A few things that came out of the conference:<br /> * Yaron Koren announced the release of the second edition of his seminal book &quot;[http://workingwithmediawiki.com Working With MediaWiki]&quot;. For the first time the book is [http://workingwithmediawiki.com/book available to read online] in its entirety. eBook and physical versions are also available. <br /> * EMWCon was live-streamed again this year with a peak of about 20 additional folks joining us throughout the event. The unedited videos are available [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZavo6makpqtRhlFxJkn6HA on the conference YouTube channel]. Edited versions will be coming soon.<br /> * As a collaborative effort attendees were able to develop a document covering [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Best_practices_for_using_MediaWiki best practices for using MediaWiki]. A resource for current and future MediaWiki users.<br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Code_of_Conduct The Code of Conduct for technical spaces] is now a community policy. There is currently [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2017-March/087731.html a call for candidates to form the first Code of Conduct committee]. Please consider proposing yourself or other community members who might be interested.<br /> <br /> Other news:<br /> <br /> * The Wikimedia Foundation is hiring a [https://boards.greenhouse.io/wikimedia/jobs/613548?gh_src=1u385n1 Product Manager for MediaWiki]! This position will be a pivotal role in defining the roadmap and future development of MediaWiki as a technological product of the foundation. Please apply if interested and share among the community.<br /> * MediaWiki will be [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2017-March/087810.html dropping javascript support for Internet Explorer 9] in the near future. It will be affecting Wikimedia wikis in April and be part of the 1.29 release of MediaWiki in May.<br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_testimonials The MediaWiki testimonials page] hasn't seen any additions in a few years. With the urging of WMF staffer and Stakeholder member Chris Koerner [Editors note: That's me :) ], there's a renewed interest in updating the list of testimonials. Submissions are encouraged and welcomed!<br /> * As Marcus mentioned, the MediaWiki Stakeholders' [https://www.wikimedia.at/hackathon/fantastic-mediawikis/ will be hosting a track] at the upcoming Vienna Hackathon. Please attend and participate.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:47&diff=876 2017-03-21T15:19:54Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=MediaWiki Stakeholders' January News Roundup<br /> |tags=News,<br /> |people=Cindy Cicalese, Mark Hershberger, Markus Glaser, Chris Koerner,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> The New Year is bringing in a flurry (pardon the Winter pun) of activity for MediaWiki.<br /> <br /> == Wikimedia Developer Summit ==<br /> <br /> First up, a reminder that the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Developer_Summit Wikimedia Developer Summit] is next week in San Francisco, CA. The event will see 160 folks from the community - including the Wikimedia Foundation - come together to discuss the future of MediaWiki and related technologies.<br /> <br /> We’ll have a few representatives from the user group in attendance. For folks who would like to participate remotely, please see [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Developer_Summit/2017/Remote_Participation this related page on MediaWiki.org].<br /> <br /> The MediaWiki Stakeholders’ have [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T149586 an Unconference session planned] for the Summit. and there are quite a few other sessions of interest. <br /> <br /> A few in particular: <br /> <br /> [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T149612 Bringing &quot;Enterprise MediaWiki&quot; to the Wikimedia Foundation]<br /> <br /> [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T148598 Actions to grow the diversity of our technical community]<br /> <br /> THere will also be a Q&amp;A Session with Victoria Coleman CTO and Wes Moran VP of Product at the Wikimedia Foundation. You can see [http://www.allourideas.org/wikidev17-product-technology-questions/results a list of popular community questions] that may be addressed during the Summit.<br /> <br /> If you’ll be in San Francisco, I’ll (Chris Koerner) be [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Developer_Summit_2017/Dinner_sign-up#In-N-Out_Burger_.E2.80.94_CKoerner_.28WMF.29_-_.28Chris_Koerner.29 hosting a dinner outting] Monday evening. Please join if you’d like! <br /> <br /> <br /> == MediaWiki Stakeholders’ Incorporated ==<br /> <br /> The Stakeholders’ group is working to find time to discuss the [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M13lfsYS4LtsjMV_Npsb06GKLVQQ3hpgdpDtVyOYqWw/edit?ts=581acc4a Memorandum of Understanding] to describe the working relationship between third-party MediaWiki users and the Wikimedia Foundation. Feedback and input is welcome. <br /> <br /> The Stakeholders’ group is also looking to incorporate as an organization to support and grow the usage of MediaWiki. One of the first steps is to draft [https://docs.google.com/document/d/18xh-P9SENXsL_ywhLaGq9XLJRVVQ0fO6aRa1YHVD0HE/edit?ts=586d064b a set of bylaws] for this new organization. Please review and provide feedback if possible.<br /> <br /> <br /> == EMWCon in March ==<br /> <br /> The [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/EMWCon_Spring_2017 second EMWCon] is being hosted in McLean, Virginia, USA from March 8-10th. If you use MediaWiki, it is one of the biggest yearly events to learn and share knowledge with other MediaWiki folks. Registration is open and the organizers are actively seeking submissions for talks. Please help spread the word and we hope to see you there!<br /> <br /> <br /> == Wikimedia Conference ==<br /> <br /> The Stakeholders’ group will be represented by Marcus (and possibly Mark Hershberger) at the [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Conference_2017 Wikimedia Conference] in Berlin 31 March to 2 April. This conference is the annual meeting of all Wikimedia organizations. The event is a great opportunity for the group to share what we have accomplished, learn from other organizations, and encourage others to join our efforts.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Event:51&diff=869 2017-02-08T18:50:36Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Event<br /> |mwstake-meeting=Yes<br /> |start-date=2017/02/10<br /> |start-hour=15<br /> |url=https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/E334<br /> }}<br /> Etherpad: https://etherpad.wikimedia.org/p/mwstake-2017-02<br /> <br /> Video chat: https://bluejeans.com/683921370</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Event:51&diff=868 2017-02-08T18:50:28Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Event<br /> |mwstake-meeting=Yes<br /> |start-date=2017/02/10<br /> |start-hour=15<br /> |url=https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/E334<br /> }}<br /> Etherpad: https://etherpad.wikimedia.org/p/mwstake-2017-02<br /> Video chat: https://bluejeans.com/683921370</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Main_Page&diff=865 2017-01-30T16:02:11Z

<p>Chris Koerner: add link to #mwstake room in Phab</p> <hr /> <div>[[File:450px-WikiApiaryLogo.png|thumbnail|200px|right|link=http://wikiapiary.com/|[http://wikiapiary.com/ WikiApiary]]]<br /> The '''MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group''' is a MediaWiki [[:mw:Groups|user group]] consisting of MediaWiki developers, system administrators, users, consultants, and hosting providers who cooperate in order to improve the software and advocate the needs of MediaWiki users outside the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF), its projects and the traditional Wikimedia movement.<br /> <br /> This wiki, MWStake.org, acts as a repository for news and events around our work. To be kept up-to-date on our activities, you can follow the tasks on [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/tag/mediawiki-stakeholders-group/ our workboard in] Phabricator. You can also follow us on Twitter at [https://twitter.com/@mwstakeholders @mwstakeholders]. You can find members of our group in the [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/Z245 #mwstake room in Phabricator].<br /> <br /> Our scope of influence is deliberately broad and meant to be flexible to encompass the needs of our diverse community. Our areas of collaboration are described on our [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group user group page on mediawiki.org].<br /> <br /> The group was [[:mw:meta:Affiliations_Committee/Resolutions/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group_-_Liaison_approval,_November_2014|recognized by the Affiliations Committee]] on [[:mw:Thread:Talk:MediaWiki Stakeholder's Group/Congratulations!|November 11, 2014]] and renewed in January 2016.<br /> <br /> In 2016 the MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group became the maintainer of [https://wikiapiary.com/wiki/Main_Page WikiApiary], a service which collects, displays and analyzes information about MediaWiki websites.<br /> <br /> {| cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; width=100%<br /> | style=&quot;vertical-align: top;width: 30%;&quot; | {{FancyBox<br /> | color = CCA300<br /> | title = Recent blog posts<br /> | icon = [[File:Blog.png|24px|link=]]<br /> | content =<br /> {{#ask:[[Category:Blog Posts]]<br /> |?Page creator<br /> |?Creation date<br /> |format=ul<br /> |template=Blog Post Row<br /> |link=none<br /> |headers=hide<br /> |sort=Creation date<br /> |order=desc<br /> |limit=10<br /> |searchlabel=<br /> }}<br /> }}<br /> | style=&quot;vertical-align: top;padding-left: 1.2em; width: 30%;&quot; | {{FancyBox<br /> | color = CCA300<br /> | title = Recent MWstake meetings<br /> | icon = [[File:Meeting.png|24px|link=]]<br /> | content =<br /> {{#ask:[[Category:Events]][[MWstake Meeting::true]][[Start Date::≤{{CURRENTYEAR}}-{{CURRENTMONTH}}-{{CURRENTDAY}}]]<br /> |?Date<br /> |?Event URL<br /> |format=ul<br /> |template=Meeting Row<br /> |headers=hide<br /> |link=none<br /> |sort=Start Date<br /> |order=desc<br /> |limit=20<br /> |searchlabel=<br /> }}<br /> }}<br /> | style=&quot;vertical-align: top;padding-left: 1.2em; width: 30%;&quot; | {{FancyBox<br /> | color = CCA300<br /> | title = Upcoming events<br /> | icon = [[File:Calendar.png|24px|link=]]<br /> | content =<br /> {{#ask:[[Category:Events]][[Start Date::&gt;{{CURRENTYEAR}}-{{CURRENTMONTH}}-{{CURRENTDAY}}]]<br /> |?Start Date<br /> |?End Date<br /> |?Event URL<br /> |?MWstake Meeting<br /> |format=ul<br /> |template=Event Row<br /> |headers=hide<br /> |link=none<br /> |sort=Start Date<br /> |order=asc<br /> |limit=10<br /> |searchlabel=<br /> }}<br /> }}<br /> |-<br /> | {{FancyBox<br /> | color = CCA300<br /> | title = Recent other events<br /> | icon = [[File:Meeting.png|24px|link=]]<br /> | content =<br /> {{#ask:[[Category:Events]][[MWstake Meeting::false]][[Start Date::≤{{CURRENTYEAR}}-{{CURRENTMONTH}}-{{CURRENTDAY}}]]<br /> |?Start Date<br /> |?End Date<br /> |?Event URL<br /> |format=ul<br /> |template=Event Row<br /> |headers=hide<br /> |link=none<br /> |sort=Start Date<br /> |order=desc<br /> |limit=20<br /> |searchlabel=<br /> }}<br /> }}<br /> |}<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;display:none;&quot;&gt;<br /> {{DISPLAYTITLE:MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group (#MWstake)}}<br /> [[Category:Framework Pages]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:48&diff=844 2017-01-23T18:27:07Z

<p>Chris Koerner: Created page with &quot;{{Blog Post |title=Stakeholders’ Call to Action - Developer Wishlist |tags=Event, Developers, Wishlist, Wikimedia, |author=Chris Koerner }} Hello again. I have a few updates...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=Stakeholders’ Call to Action - Developer Wishlist<br /> |tags=Event, Developers, Wishlist, Wikimedia,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> Hello again. I have a few updates to share with you and I’d like to encourage your help in getting some attention on issues impacting MediaWiki developers. <br /> <br /> First, have you heard of the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Developer_Wishlist Developer Wishlist]? It’s an opportunity for MediaWiki developers to suggest ideas on what would most benefit developers in their experiences within the movement. Is it code review? Documentation? Process? Tools? Or something else all together? <br /> <br /> So, we need your ideas! You can visit the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Developer_Wishlist Developer Wishlist page on MediaWiki.org] for more information and to submit your ideas.<br /> <br /> If you already know of existing Phabricator tasks that would be good candidates for the wishlist, please add the #devwish17 tag to those tasks. The deadline for submissions is '''31 January'''! Voting will open in early February. <br /> <br /> You can [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/project/view/2436/ view existing submissions on Phabricator].<br /> <br /> Second, please remember that [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/EMWCon_Spring_2017 EMWCon is coming up in a few months]! Registration is open, we are seeking new presentation submissions, and [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/EMWCon_Spring_2017#Grants_for_Wikimedians travel &amp; participation support] is available. <br /> <br /> Third, a reminder that [https://wikimania2017.wikimedia.org/wiki/Scholarships Wikimania scholarships] are open till 20 February, a little less than a month away! [https://wikimania2017.wikimedia.org Wikimania] is the largest annual event of Wikimania contributors. This year Wikimania is being held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in August.<br /> <br /> Wikimania is a great opportunity to meet, share, and learn from the diverse members of the Wikimedia movement. I hope to see you there!</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:47&diff=822 2017-01-06T23:11:49Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=MediaWiki Stakeholders' News Roundup<br /> |tags=News,<br /> |people=Cindy Cicalese, Mark Hershberger, Markus Glaser, Chris Koerner,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> The New Year is bringing in a flurry (pardon the Winter pun) of activity for MediaWiki.<br /> <br /> == Wikimedia Developer Summit ==<br /> <br /> First up, a reminder that the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Developer_Summit Wikimedia Developer Summit] is next week in San Francisco, CA. The event will see 160 folks from the community - including the Wikimedia Foundation - come together to discuss the future of MediaWiki and related technologies.<br /> <br /> We’ll have a few representatives from the user group in attendance. For folks who would like to participate remotely, please see [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Developer_Summit/2017/Remote_Participation this related page on MediaWiki.org].<br /> <br /> The MediaWiki Stakeholders’ have [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T149586 an Unconference session planned] for the Summit. and there are quite a few other sessions of interest. <br /> <br /> A few in particular: <br /> <br /> [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T149612 Bringing &quot;Enterprise MediaWiki&quot; to the Wikimedia Foundation]<br /> <br /> [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T148598 Actions to grow the diversity of our technical community]<br /> <br /> THere will also be a Q&amp;A Session with Victoria Coleman CTO and Wes Moran VP of Product at the Wikimedia Foundation. You can see [http://www.allourideas.org/wikidev17-product-technology-questions/results a list of popular community questions] that may be addressed during the Summit.<br /> <br /> If you’ll be in San Francisco, I’ll (Chris Koerner) be [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Developer_Summit_2017/Dinner_sign-up#In-N-Out_Burger_.E2.80.94_CKoerner_.28WMF.29_-_.28Chris_Koerner.29 hosting a dinner outting] Monday evening. Please join if you’d like! <br /> <br /> <br /> == MediaWiki Stakeholders’ Incorporated ==<br /> <br /> The Stakeholders’ group is working to find time to discuss the [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M13lfsYS4LtsjMV_Npsb06GKLVQQ3hpgdpDtVyOYqWw/edit?ts=581acc4a Memorandum of Understanding] to describe the working relationship between third-party MediaWiki users and the Wikimedia Foundation. Feedback and input is welcome. <br /> <br /> The Stakeholders’ group is also looking to incorporate as an organization to support and grow the usage of MediaWiki. One of the first steps is to draft [https://docs.google.com/document/d/18xh-P9SENXsL_ywhLaGq9XLJRVVQ0fO6aRa1YHVD0HE/edit?ts=586d064b a set of bylaws] for this new organization. Please review and provide feedback if possible.<br /> <br /> <br /> == EMWCon in March ==<br /> <br /> The [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/EMWCon_Spring_2017 second EMWCon] is being hosted in McLean, Virginia, USA from March 8-10th. If you use MediaWiki, it is one of the biggest yearly events to learn and share knowledge with other MediaWiki folks. Registration is open and the organizers are actively seeking submissions for talks. Please help spread the word and we hope to see you there!<br /> <br /> <br /> == Wikimedia Conference ==<br /> <br /> The Stakeholders’ group will be represented by Marcus (and possibly Mark Hershberger) at the [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Conference_2017 Wikimedia Conference] in Berlin 31 March to 2 April. This conference is the annual meeting of all Wikimedia organizations. The event is a great opportunity for the group to share what we have accomplished, learn from other organizations, and encourage others to join our efforts.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:47&diff=821 2017-01-06T23:08:09Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=MediaWiki Stakeholders' News Roundup<br /> |tags=News,<br /> |people=Cindy Cicalese, Mark Hershberger, Markus Glaser, Chris Koerner,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> The New Year is bringing in a flurry (pardon the Winter pun) of activity for MediaWiki.<br /> <br /> == Wikimedia Developer Summit ==<br /> <br /> First up, a reminder that the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Developer_Summit Wikimedia Developer Summit] is next week in San Francisco, CA. The event will see 160 folks from the community - including the Wikimedia Foundation - come together to discuss the future of MediaWiki and related technologies.<br /> <br /> We’ll have a few representatives from the user group in attendance. For folks who would like to participate remotely, please see [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Developer_Summit/2017/Remote_Participation this related page on MediaWiki.org].<br /> <br /> The MediaWiki Stakeholders’ have [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T149586 an Unconference session planned] for the Summit. and there are quite a few other sessions of interest. <br /> <br /> A few in particular: <br /> <br /> [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T149612 Bringing &quot;Enterprise MediaWiki&quot; to the Wikimedia Foundation]<br /> <br /> [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T148598 Actions to grow the diversity of our technical community]<br /> <br /> If you’ll be in San Francisco, I’ll (Chris Koerner) be [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Developer_Summit_2017/Dinner_sign-up#In-N-Out_Burger_.E2.80.94_CKoerner_.28WMF.29_-_.28Chris_Koerner.29 hosting a dinner outting] Monday evening. Please join if you’d like! <br /> <br /> <br /> == MediaWiki Stakeholders’ Incorporated ==<br /> <br /> The Stakeholders’ group is working to find time to discuss the [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M13lfsYS4LtsjMV_Npsb06GKLVQQ3hpgdpDtVyOYqWw/edit?ts=581acc4a Memorandum of Understanding] to describe the working relationship between third-party MediaWiki users and the Wikimedia Foundation. Feedback and input is welcome. <br /> <br /> The Stakeholders’ group is also looking to incorporate as an organization to support and grow the usage of MediaWiki. One of the first steps is to draft [https://docs.google.com/document/d/18xh-P9SENXsL_ywhLaGq9XLJRVVQ0fO6aRa1YHVD0HE/edit?ts=586d064b a set of bylaws] for this new organization. Please review and provide feedback if possible.<br /> <br /> <br /> == EMWCon in March ==<br /> <br /> The [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/EMWCon_Spring_2017 second EMWCon] is being hosted in McLean, Virginia, USA from March 8-10th. If you use MediaWiki, it is one of the biggest yearly events to learn and share knowledge with other MediaWiki folks. Registration is open and the organizers are actively seeking submissions for talks. Please help spread the word and we hope to see you there!<br /> <br /> <br /> == Wikimedia Conference ==<br /> <br /> The Stakeholders’ group will be represented by Marcus (and possibly Mark Hershberger) at the [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Conference_2017 Wikimedia Conference] in Berlin 31 March to 2 April. This conference is the annual meeting of all Wikimedia organizations. The event is a great opportunity for the group to share what we have accomplished, learn from other organizations, and encourage others to join our efforts.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:47&diff=820 2017-01-06T23:07:50Z

<p>Chris Koerner: /* MediaWiki Stakeholders’ Incorporated */</p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=MediaWiki Stakeholders' News Roundup<br /> |tags=News,<br /> |people=Cindy Cicalese, Mark Hershberger, Markus Glaser, Chris Koerner,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> The New Year is bringing in a flurry (pardon the Winter pun) of activity for MediaWiki.<br /> <br /> == Wikimedia Developer Summit ==<br /> <br /> First up, a reminder that the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Developer_Summit Wikimedia Developer Summit] is next week in San Francisco, CA. The event will see 160 folks from the community - including the Wikimedia Foundation - come together to discuss the future of MediaWiki and related technologies.<br /> <br /> We’ll have a few representatives from the user group in attendance. For folks who would like to participate remotely, please see [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Developer_Summit/2017/Remote_Participation this related page on MediaWiki.org].<br /> <br /> The MediaWiki Stakeholders’ have [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T149586 an Unconference session planned] for the Summit. and there are quite a few other sessions of interest. <br /> <br /> A few in particular: <br /> <br /> [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T149612 Bringing &quot;Enterprise MediaWiki&quot; to the Wikimedia Foundation]<br /> <br /> [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T148598 Actions to grow the diversity of our technical community]<br /> <br /> If you’ll be in San Francisco, I’ll (Chris Koerner) be [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Developer_Summit_2017/Dinner_sign-up#In-N-Out_Burger_.E2.80.94_CKoerner_.28WMF.29_-_.28Chris_Koerner.29 hosting a dinner outting] Monday evening. Please join if you’d like! <br /> <br /> <br /> == MediaWiki Stakeholders’ Incorporated ==<br /> <br /> The Stakeholders’ group is working to find time to discuss the [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M13lfsYS4LtsjMV_Npsb06GKLVQQ3hpgdpDtVyOYqWw/edit?ts=581acc4a Memorandum of Understanding] to describe the working relationship between third-party MediaWiki users and the Wikimedia Foundation. Feedback and input is welcome. <br /> <br /> The Stakeholders’ group is also looking to incorporate as an organization to support and grow the usage of MediaWiki. One of the first steps is to draft [https://docs.google.com/document/d/18xh-P9SENXsL_ywhLaGq9XLJRVVQ0fO6aRa1YHVD0HE/edit?ts=586d064b a set of bylaws] for this new organization. Please review and provide feedback if possible.<br /> <br /> == EMWCon in March ==<br /> <br /> The [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/EMWCon_Spring_2017 second EMWCon] is being hosted in McLean, Virginia, USA from March 8-10th. If you use MediaWiki, it is one of the biggest yearly events to learn and share knowledge with other MediaWiki folks. Registration is open and the organizers are actively seeking submissions for talks. Please help spread the word and we hope to see you there!<br /> <br /> <br /> == Wikimedia Conference ==<br /> <br /> The Stakeholders’ group will be represented by Marcus (and possibly Mark Hershberger) at the [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Conference_2017 Wikimedia Conference] in Berlin 31 March to 2 April. This conference is the annual meeting of all Wikimedia organizations. The event is a great opportunity for the group to share what we have accomplished, learn from other organizations, and encourage others to join our efforts.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:47&diff=819 2017-01-06T23:07:09Z

<p>Chris Koerner: Created page with &quot;{{Blog Post |title=MediaWiki Stakeholders' News Roundup |tags=News, |people=Cindy Cicalese, Mark Hershberger, Markus Glaser, Chris Koerner, |author=Chris Koerner }} The New Ye...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=MediaWiki Stakeholders' News Roundup<br /> |tags=News,<br /> |people=Cindy Cicalese, Mark Hershberger, Markus Glaser, Chris Koerner,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> The New Year is bringing in a flurry (pardon the Winter pun) of activity for MediaWiki.<br /> <br /> == Wikimedia Developer Summit ==<br /> <br /> First up, a reminder that the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Developer_Summit Wikimedia Developer Summit] is next week in San Francisco, CA. The event will see 160 folks from the community - including the Wikimedia Foundation - come together to discuss the future of MediaWiki and related technologies.<br /> <br /> We’ll have a few representatives from the user group in attendance. For folks who would like to participate remotely, please see [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Developer_Summit/2017/Remote_Participation this related page on MediaWiki.org].<br /> <br /> The MediaWiki Stakeholders’ have [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T149586 an Unconference session planned] for the Summit. and there are quite a few other sessions of interest. <br /> <br /> A few in particular: <br /> <br /> [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T149612 Bringing &quot;Enterprise MediaWiki&quot; to the Wikimedia Foundation]<br /> <br /> [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T148598 Actions to grow the diversity of our technical community]<br /> <br /> If you’ll be in San Francisco, I’ll (Chris Koerner) be [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Developer_Summit_2017/Dinner_sign-up#In-N-Out_Burger_.E2.80.94_CKoerner_.28WMF.29_-_.28Chris_Koerner.29 hosting a dinner outting] Monday evening. Please join if you’d like! <br /> <br /> <br /> == MediaWiki Stakeholders’ Incorporated ==<br /> <br /> The Stakeholders’ group is working to find time to discuss the [Memorandum of Understanding https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M13lfsYS4LtsjMV_Npsb06GKLVQQ3hpgdpDtVyOYqWw/edit?ts=581acc4a] to describe the working relationship between third-party MediaWiki users and the Wikimedia Foundation. Feedback and input is welcome. <br /> <br /> The Stakeholders’ group is also looking to incorporate as an organization to support and grow the usage of MediaWiki. One of the first steps is to draft [https://docs.google.com/document/d/18xh-P9SENXsL_ywhLaGq9XLJRVVQ0fO6aRa1YHVD0HE/edit?ts=586d064b a set of bylaws] for this new organization. Please review and provide feedback if possible. <br /> <br /> <br /> == EMWCon in March ==<br /> <br /> The [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/EMWCon_Spring_2017 second EMWCon] is being hosted in McLean, Virginia, USA from March 8-10th. If you use MediaWiki, it is one of the biggest yearly events to learn and share knowledge with other MediaWiki folks. Registration is open and the organizers are actively seeking submissions for talks. Please help spread the word and we hope to see you there!<br /> <br /> <br /> == Wikimedia Conference ==<br /> <br /> The Stakeholders’ group will be represented by Marcus (and possibly Mark Hershberger) at the [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Conference_2017 Wikimedia Conference] in Berlin 31 March to 2 April. This conference is the annual meeting of all Wikimedia organizations. The event is a great opportunity for the group to share what we have accomplished, learn from other organizations, and encourage others to join our efforts.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:44&diff=785 2016-07-29T15:03:23Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=MediaWiki Pingback Coming in 1.28<br /> |tags=Mediawiki Release, News, Community, Pingback,<br /> |people=Ori Livneh,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> MediaWiki Pingback, a new feature coming in 1.28 will allow MediaWiki installs to share anonymous data about its installation. This feature will help the community of MediaWiki admins, developers, and users better understand how MediaWiki is being used. It will also provide invaluable feedback to MediaWiki developers to better understand changes that impact compatibility. Questions like, &quot;Can we update the minimum requirements for PHP?&quot; or &quot;How much memory do most MediaWiki installations have?&quot; can now be addressed with more certainty.<br /> <br /> For more information on the feature and to join the discussion, see [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2016-July/086111.html Ori's post on wikitech-l]. <br /> <br /> There's also a (admittedly light) page on the MediaWiki Manual. <br /> <br /> https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:$wgPingback</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:44&diff=784 2016-07-29T15:03:09Z

<p>Chris Koerner: Created page with &quot;{{Blog Post |title=MediaWiki wingback coming in 1.28 |tags=Mediawiki Release, News, Community, Pingback, |people=Ori Livneh, |author=Chris Koerner }} MediaWiki Pingback, a new...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=MediaWiki wingback coming in 1.28<br /> |tags=Mediawiki Release, News, Community, Pingback,<br /> |people=Ori Livneh,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> MediaWiki Pingback, a new feature coming in 1.28 will allow MediaWiki installs to share anonymous data about its installation. This feature will help the community of MediaWiki admins, developers, and users better understand how MediaWiki is being used. It will also provide invaluable feedback to MediaWiki developers to better understand changes that impact compatibility. Questions like, &quot;Can we update the minimum requirements for PHP?&quot; or &quot;How much memory do most MediaWiki installations have?&quot; can now be addressed with more certainty.<br /> <br /> For more information on the feature and to join the discussion, see [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikitech-l/2016-July/086111.html Ori's post on wikitech-l]. <br /> <br /> There's also a (admittedly light) page on the MediaWiki Manual. <br /> <br /> https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:$wgPingback</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Event:32&diff=773 2016-07-07T14:27:43Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Event<br /> |mwstake-meeting=Yes<br /> |start-date=2016/07/08<br /> |start-hour=15<br /> |start-minute=00<br /> |end-hour=16<br /> |url=https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/E211<br /> }}<br /> We'll be using Bluejeans for the meeting. Join us at: https://bluejeans.com/505377966/</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:41&diff=758 2016-06-09T14:31:32Z

<p>Chris Koerner: Created page with &quot;{{Blog Post |title=Semantic MediaWiki Conference Fall 2016 - Call for Participation |tags=SMWCon, Event, Semantic MediaWIki, MediaWiki, Community, Enterprise, Developers, Admi...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=Semantic MediaWiki Conference Fall 2016 - Call for Participation<br /> |tags=SMWCon, Event, Semantic MediaWIki, MediaWiki, Community, Enterprise, Developers, Administration,<br /> |people=Lia Veja, Karsten Hoffmeyer,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> Lia Veja and Karsten Hoffmeyer [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/mediawiki-l/2016-June/045587.html have announced] the [https://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/SMWCon_Fall_2016 Fall SMWCon] for September 28 - 30th in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.<br /> <br /> This is the 13th SMWCon since starting in 2010. The event covers the use of Semantic MediaWiki in various industries and organizations. From the call to participation, &quot;Everybody interested in semantic wikis, wikis and open knowledge, especially in Semantic MediaWiki, e.g., users, developers, consultants, business or government representatives, researchers.&quot; That means you! :)<br /> <br /> The organizers are currently looking for interested parties to participate. You can help with organization, propose a session, or just sign up to attend. Take a look at [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/mediawiki-l/2016-June/045587.html Lia and Karsten's full announcement] and add [https://www.semantic-mediawiki.org/w/index.php?title=SMWCon_Fall_2016&amp;action=watch the conference page to your watchlist]!</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki_Foundation_Notes&diff=729 2016-05-06T15:10:13Z

<p>Chris Koerner: Created page with &quot;April 20 - Followup on hackathon, plan for May meeting - https://etherpad.wikimedia.org/p/MWF20160408 April 20 - Hash out Vision, Plan for May meeting- https://etherpad.wikim...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>April 20 - Followup on hackathon, plan for May meeting - https://etherpad.wikimedia.org/p/MWF20160408<br /> <br /> April 20 - Hash out Vision, Plan for May meeting- https://etherpad.wikimedia.org/p/MWF20160420<br /> <br /> May 6 - Get feedback from public on MWF - happening now<br /> <br /> <br /> == Unsorted Docs ==<br /> <br /> https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/0BwpS5uZKotnxV1VVT1BzaGh2OTA<br /> <br /> <br /> https://etherpad.wikimedia.org/p/cik1yiIgVZ</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:40&diff=717 2016-03-11T22:40:41Z

<p>Chris Koerner: Created page with &quot;{{Blog Post |title=Announcing The Enterprise MediaWiki Conference Spring 2016 - EMWCon |tags=Event, SMWCon, EMWCon, Conference, |people=Yaron Koren, Peter Woudsma, Pharos, |au...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=Announcing The Enterprise MediaWiki Conference Spring 2016 - EMWCon<br /> |tags=Event, SMWCon, EMWCon, Conference,<br /> |people=Yaron Koren, Peter Woudsma, Pharos,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> Yaron Koren is shaking things up a little this year with the announcement of EMWCon - The Enterprise MediaWiki Conference. This new conference will sit in the spot occupied by the Spring SMWCon, which traditionally has been hosted on the North America continent.<br /> <br /> From his announcement, &quot;...EMWCon is a natural outgrowth of SMWCon. Already at SMWCon events, there is a lot of discussion about the use of MediaWiki as a whole, plus extensions that aren't directly related to SMW. Add to that the fact that there has so far never been an event devoted to the use of &quot;enterprise MediaWiki&quot; in general - despite the fact that it's the world's most popular wiki software - and it seemed like a good idea to try to expand our conference to fill that gap.&quot;<br /> <br /> It sounds like a logical evolution in the growing use of MediaWiki as a solution for third-party users. It also helps to bridge a gap between SMW users and the bigger MediaWiki community.<br /> <br /> You can [https://sourceforge.net/p/semediawiki/mailman/message/34875772/ read Yaron's announcement on the semantic MediaWiki mailing list] and [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/EMWCon_Spring_2016 learn more about the conference over at MediaWiki.org].</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:39&diff=691 2016-02-11T19:45:36Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=MediaWiki Core Minimum PHP Requirements Increased to 5.5.9 or Newer<br /> |tags=Core, PHP, 1.27, Breaking, Future,<br /> |people=Kunal Mehta,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> [http://article.gmane.org/gmane.science.linguistics.wikipedia.technical/85669 Legoktm announced] that MediaWiki core now requires PHP 5.5.9 or newer moving forward. This implementation came after a long discussion, in places like [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T118932 Phabricator], request for comments on Mediawiki. org, iRC meetings - all with WMF staff and volunteer developers.<br /> <br /> The change is a positive one. The previous minimum version for MediaWiki was 5.3, which was released in July 2010. That version is no longer seeing updates, and was quite old in program-language-time. Newer versions of PHP have brought bug and security fixes, performance improvements, and modernizations to the language. The most current version of PHP is 7.0.3. This sets up the next version of Mediawiki (1.27) a a LTS (long-term support) [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Version_lifecycle release until May 2019]. At which point PHP 5.5 will be ancient. :)<br /> <br /> Since this change will also have an impact to extensions, Legoktm also released a list of MediaWiki extensions that have unit tests and their status - including those that are failing!: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/User:Legoktm/PHP_5.5/Extensions<br /> <br /> For those of you using MediaWiki on older releases of PHP, please consider updating. It's part of being a good citizen of the Internet and can prevent so many headaches in security and updates down the road.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:39&diff=690 2016-02-11T19:42:19Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=MediaWiki Core Minimum PHP Requirements Increased to 5.5.9 or Newer<br /> |tags=Core, PHP, 1.27, Breaking, Future,<br /> |people=Kunal Mehta,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> [http://article.gmane.org/gmane.science.linguistics.wikipedia.technical/85669 Legoktm announced] that MediaWiki core now requires PHP 5.5.9 or newer moving forward. This implementation came after a long discussion, in places like [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T118932 Phabricator], request for comments on Mediawiki. org, iRC meetings - all with WMF staff and volunteer developers.<br /> <br /> The change is a positive one. The previous minimum version for MediaWiki was 5.3, which was released in July 2010. That version is no longer seeing updates, and was quite old in program-language-time. Newer versions of PHP have brought bug and security fixes, performance improvements, and modernizations to the language. The most current version of PHP is 7.0.3. This sets up the next version of Mediawiki (1.27) a a LTS (long-term support) [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Version_lifecycle release until May 2019]. At which point PHP 5.5 will be ancient. :)<br /> <br /> Since this change will also have an impact to extension, Legoktm also released a list of externs that have unit tests and their status - including those that are failing!: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/User:Legoktm/PHP_5.5/Extensions</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:39&diff=689 2016-02-11T19:40:32Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=MediaWiki Core Minimum PHP Requirements Increased to 5.5.9 or Newer<br /> |tags=Core, PHP, 1.27, Breaking, Future,<br /> |people=Kunal Mehta,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> [http://article.gmane.org/gmane.science.linguistics.wikipedia.technical/85669 Legoktm announced] that MediaWiki core now requires PHP 5.5.9 or newer moving forward. This implementation came after a long discussion, [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T118932 in Phabricator] with WMF staff and volunteer developers.<br /> <br /> The change is a positive one. The previous minimum version for MediaWiki was 5.3, which was released in July 2010. That version is no longer seeing updates, and was quite old in program-language-time. Newer versions of PHP have brought bug and security fixes, performance improvements, and modernizations to the language. The most current version of PHP is 7.0.3. This sets up the next version of Mediawiki (1.27) a a LTS (long-term support) [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Version_lifecycle release until May 2019]. At which point PHP 5.5 will be ancient. :)<br /> <br /> Since this change will also have an impact to extension, Legoktm also released a list of externs that have unit tests and their status - including those that are failing!: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/User:Legoktm/PHP_5.5/Extensions</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:39&diff=688 2016-02-11T19:40:06Z

<p>Chris Koerner: Created page with &quot;{{Blog Post |title=MediaWiki Core Minimum PHP Requirements Increased to 5.5.9 or Newer |tags=Core, PHP, 1.27, Breaking, Future, |people=Kunal Mehta, |author=Chris Koerner }} [...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=MediaWiki Core Minimum PHP Requirements Increased to 5.5.9 or Newer<br /> |tags=Core, PHP, 1.27, Breaking, Future,<br /> |people=Kunal Mehta,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> [http://article.gmane.org/gmane.science.linguistics.wikipedia.technical/85669 Legoktm announced] that MediaWiki core now requires PHP 5.5.9 or newer moving forward. This implementation came after a long discussion, [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T118932 in Phabricator] with WMF staff and volunteer developers.<br /> <br /> The change is a positive one. The previous minimum version for MediaWiki was 5.3, which was released in July 2010. That version is no longer seeing updates, and was quite old in program-language-time. Newer versions of PHP have brought bug and security fixes, performance improvements, and modernizations to the language. The most current version of PHP is 7.0.3. This sets up the next version of Mediawiki (1.27) a a LTS (long-term support) release until May 2019. At which point PHP 5.5 will be ancient. :)<br /> <br /> Since this change will also have an impact to extension, Legoktm also released a list of externs that have unit tests and their status - including those that are failing!: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/User:Legoktm/PHP_5.5/Extensions</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:38&diff=674 2016-01-14T14:53:57Z

<p>Chris Koerner: Created page with &quot;{{Blog Post |title=MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group Affiliation Status Renewed |tags=Paperwork, Sausage-making, User Group, |author=Chris Koerner }} On January 13th, 2016 the Med...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group Affiliation Status Renewed<br /> |tags=Paperwork, Sausage-making, User Group,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> On January 13th, 2016 the MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group was approved as an active Wikimedia User Group for a second year. Thanks to Maarcus Glaser and other Stakeholder members in putting together [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Annual_Report_2015 our annual report for 2015]. <br /> <br /> You can learn more about what we're up to, and get involved [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group on MediaWiki.org].<br /> <br /> Here's to another productive year of MediaWiki!</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki_Usage_Report_2015/Announcement&diff=625 2015-12-14T04:50:56Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>The [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group MediaWiki Stakeholders' User Group] wants to improve MediaWiki and advocates the needs of MediaWiki users outside Wikimedia Foundation-supported projects. <br /> <br /> But who is using MediaWiki? In an effort to answer this question the MediaWiki Stakeholders’ Group [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey organized a survey] during the summer of 2015 and asked people using MediaWiki to respond. The result is a sampling of over 100 responses from people using MediaWiki around the world. The results were interesting. Folks from all sorts of communities and industries use MediaWiki - from organizations like NASA, THE LGBT History Project, Society of Exploration Geophysicists, and more.<br /> <br /> Combined with some statistics we were able to obtain with help from individuals at the WMF, and the results of the survey we have completed our [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Usage_Report_2015 MediaWiki Usage Report for 2015]. This report provides insight into the various ways MediaWiki is being used - How people upgrade, what extensions are their &quot;must have's&quot;, what they enjoy about the software, their concerns, and more. We encourage those using MediaWiki to have a look and provide any feedback or thoughts.<br /> <br /> If you'd like to know more about the MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group, or to get involved, [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group join us for one of our regular hangouts] or [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Talk:MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group leave a note on our talk page].<br /> <br /> ==MediaWiki Wishlist==<br /> <br /> Combined with existing collaboration around request features and responses from one particular survey question, &quot;What would you like to see most improved in MediaWiki the software?&quot; we [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist created a priorities 'wishlist' of MediaWiki features]. Our next project is figuring out how to implement these requests. <br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> *A raw download of the survey results (anonymised of course) [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey/Survey_Results_Anonymized.csv can be found on MediaWiki.org]<br /> *If you were at our session at Wikimania 2015, this might sound familiar. There [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Report.pdf we shared preliminary results] from the survey while we were still collecting responses.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki_Usage_Report_2015/Announcement&diff=624 2015-12-14T04:49:29Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>The [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group MediaWiki Stakeholders' User Group] wants to improve MediaWiki and advocates the needs of MediaWiki users outside Wikimedia Foundation-supported projects. <br /> <br /> But who is using MediaWiki? In an effort to answer this question the MediaWiki Stakeholders’ Group [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey organized a survey] during the summer of 2015 and asked people using MediaWiki to respond. The result is a sampling of over 100 responses from people using MediaWiki around the world. The results were interesting. Folks from all sorts of communities and industries use MediaWiki - from organizations like NASA, THE LGBT History Project, Society of Exploration Geophysicists, and more.<br /> <br /> Combined with some statistics we were able to obtain with help from individuals at the WMF, and the results of the survey we have completed our [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Usage_Report_2015 MediaWiki Usage Report for 2015]. This report provides insight into the various ways MediaWiki is being used - How people upgrade, what extensions are their 'must have's&quot;, what they enjoy about the software, their concerns, and more. We encourage those using MediaWiki to have a look and provide any feedback or thoughts.<br /> <br /> If you'd like to know more about the MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group, or to get involved, [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group join us for one of our regular hangouts] or [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Talk:MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group leave a note on our talk page].<br /> <br /> ==MediaWiki Wishlist==<br /> <br /> Combined with existing collaboration around request features and responses from one particular survey question, &quot;What would you like to see most improved in MediaWiki the software?&quot; we [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist created a priorities 'wishlist' of MediaWiki features]. <br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> *A raw download of the survey results (anonymised of course) [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey/Survey_Results_Anonymized.csv can be found on MediaWiki.org]<br /> *If you were at our session at Wikimania 2015, this might sound familiar. There [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Report.pdf we shared preliminary results] from the survey while we were still collecting responses.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki_Usage_Report_2015/Announcement&diff=623 2015-12-14T04:48:57Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>The [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group MediaWiki Stakeholders' User Group] wants to improve MediaWiki and advocates the needs of MediaWiki users outside Wikimedia Foundation-supported projects. <br /> <br /> But who is using MediaWiki? In an effort to answer this question the MediaWiki Stakeholders’ Group [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey organized a survey] during the summer of 2015 and asked people using MediaWiki to respond. The result is a sampling of over 100 responses from people using MediaWiki around the world. The results were interesting. Folks from all sorts of communities and industries use MediaWiki - from organizations like NASA, THE LGBT History Project, Society of Exploration Geophysicists, and more.<br /> <br /> Combined with some statistics we were able to obtain with help from individuals a the WMF, and the results of the survey we have completed our [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Usage_Report_2015 MediaWiki Usage Report for 2015]. This report provides insight into the various ways MediaWiki is being used - How people upgrade, what extensions are their 'must have's&quot;, what they enjoy about the software, their concerns, and more. We encourage those using MediaWiki to have a look and provide any feedback or thoughts.<br /> <br /> If you'd like to know more about the MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group, or to get involved, [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group join us for one of our regular hangouts] or [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Talk:MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group leave a note on our talk page].<br /> <br /> ==MediaWiki Wishlist==<br /> <br /> Combined with existing collaboration around request features and responses from one particular survey question, &quot;What would you like to see most improved in MediaWiki the software?&quot; we [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist created a priorities 'wishlist' of MediaWiki features]. <br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> *A raw download of the survey results (anonymised of course) [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey/Survey_Results_Anonymized.csv can be found on MediaWiki.org]<br /> *If you were at our session at Wikimania 2015, this might sound familiar. There [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Report.pdf we shared preliminary results] from the survey while we were still collecting responses.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki_Usage_Report_2015/Announcement&diff=622 2015-12-14T04:45:56Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>The [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group MediaWiki Stakeholders' User Group] wants to improve MediaWiki and advocates the needs of MediaWiki users outside Wikimedia Foundation-supported projects. <br /> <br /> But who is using MediaWiki? In an effort to answer this question the MediaWiki Stakeholders’ Group [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey organized a survey] during the summer of 2015 and asked people using MediaWiki to respond. The result is a sampling of over 100 responses from people using MediaWiki around the world. The results were interesting. Folks from all sorts of communities and industries use MediaWiki - from organizations like NASA, THE LGBT History Project, Society of Exploration Geophysicists, and more.<br /> <br /> Combined with some statistics we were able to obtain with help from individuals a the WMF, and the results of the survey we have completed our [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Usage_Report_2015 MediaWiki Usage Report for 2015]. This report provides insight into the various ways MediaWiki is being used - How people upgrade, what extensions are their 'must have's&quot;, what they enjoy about the software, their concerns, and more. We encourage those using MediaWiki to have a look and provide any feedback or thoughts.<br /> <br /> If you'd like to know more about the MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group, or to get involved, [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group join us for one of our regular hangouts] or [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Talk:MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group leave a note on our talk page].<br /> <br /> ==MediaWiki Wishlist==<br /> <br /> Combined with existing collaboration around request features and responses from one particular survey question, &quot;What would you like to see most improved in MediaWiki the software?&quot; we [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist created a priorities 'wishlist' of MediaWiki features]. <br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> *A raw download of the survey results (anonymosed of course) [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey/Survey_Results_Anonymized.csv can be found on MediaWiki.org]<br /> *If you were at our session at Wikimania 2015, this might sound familiar. There [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Report.pdf we shared preliminary results] from the survey while we were still collecting responses.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki_Usage_Report_2015/Announcement&diff=621 2015-12-14T04:42:03Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>The [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group MediaWiki Stakeholders' User Group] wants to improve MediaWiki and advocates the needs of MediaWiki users outside Wikimedia Foundation-supported projects. <br /> <br /> But who is using MediaWiki? In an effort to answer this question the MediaWiki Stakeholders’ Group [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey organized a survey] during the summer of 2015 and asked people using MediaWiki to respond. The result is a sampling of over 100 responses from people using MediaWiki around the world. The results were interesting. Folks from all sorts of communities and industries use MediaWiki - from organizations like NASA, THE LGBT History Project, Society of Exploration Geophysicists, and more.<br /> <br /> Combined with some statistics we were able to obtain with help from individuals a the WMF, and the results of the survey we have completed our [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Usage_Report_2015 MediaWiki Usage Report for 2015]. This report provides insight into the various ways MediaWiki is being used - How people upgrade, what extensions are their 'must have's&quot;, what they enjoy about the software, their concerns, and more.<br /> <br /> Combined with existing collaboration around request features and responses from one particular survey question, &quot;What would you like to see most improved in MediaWiki the software?&quot; we [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist created a priorities 'wishlist' of MediaWiki features]. <br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> *A raw download of the survey results (anonymosed of course) [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey/Survey_Results_Anonymized.csv can be found on MediaWiki.org]<br /> *If you were at our session at Wikimania 2015, this might sound familiar. There [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Report.pdf we shared preliminary results] from the survey while we were still collecting responses.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki_Usage_Report_2015/Announcement&diff=620 2015-12-14T04:41:22Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>The [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group MediaWiki Stakeholders' User Group] wants to improve MediaWiki and advocates the needs of MediaWiki users outside Wikimedia Foundation-supported projects. <br /> <br /> But who is using MediaWiki? In an effort to answer this question the MediaWiki Stakeholders’ Group [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey organized a survey] during the summer of 2015 and asked people using MediaWiki to respond. The result is a sampling of over 100 responses from people using MediaWiki around the world. The results were interesting. Folks from all sorts of communities and industries use MediaWiki - from organizations like NASA, THE LGBT History Project, Society of Exploration Geophysicists, and more.<br /> <br /> We even discovered an interesting trend in download of MediaWiki from China.<br /> <br /> Combined with some statistics we were able to obtain with help from individuals a the WMF, and the results of the survey we have completed our [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Usage_Report_2015 MediaWiki Usage Report for 2015]. This report provides insight into the various ways MediaWiki is being used - How people upgrade, what extensions are their 'must have's&quot;, what they enjoy about the software, their concerns, and more.<br /> <br /> Combined with existing collaboration around request features and responses from one particular survey question, &quot;What would you like to see most improved in MediaWiki the software?&quot; we [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist created a priorities 'wishlist' of MediaWiki features]. <br /> <br /> ==See Also==<br /> *A raw download of the survey results (anonymosed of course) [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey/Survey_Results_Anonymized.csv can be found on MediaWiki.org]<br /> *If you were at our session at Wikimania 2015, this might sound familiar. There [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Report.pdf we shared preliminary results] from the survey while we were still collecting responses.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki_Usage_Report_2015/Announcement&diff=619 2015-12-14T04:30:36Z

<p>Chris Koerner: Created page with &quot;The [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group MediaWiki Stakeholders' User Group] wants to improve MediaWiki and advocates the needs of MediaWiki users o...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>The [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group MediaWiki Stakeholders' User Group] wants to improve MediaWiki and advocates the needs of MediaWiki users outside Wikimedia Foundation-supported projects. <br /> <br /> But who is using MediaWiki? In an effort to answer this question the MediaWiki Stakeholders’ Group [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey organized a survey] and sent it to MediaWiki users during the summer of 2015. The result is a sampling of over 100 responses from people using MediaWiki around the world. <br /> <br /> Combined with some statistics we were able to obtain, and the results of the survey we have completed our MediaWiki Usage Report for 2015. This</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki_Usage_Report_2015&diff=618 2015-12-14T04:23:15Z

<p>Chris Koerner: /* Next steps and requirements */</p> <hr /> <div>The MediaWiki Stakeholders' User Group wants to improve MediaWiki and advocates the needs of MediaWiki users outside Wikimedia Foundation-supported projects. But who is using MediaWiki? In an effort to answer this question the MediaWiki Stakeholders’ Group organized a survey we submitted to MediaWiki users during the summer of 2015.<br /> <br /> We wanted to hear from existing MediaWiki users and asked that respondents complete ashort survey about their use of MediaWiki. The results of the survey will helped in providing input that should influence the future development of MediaWiki. We also hope to grow the community of MediaWiki Users and improve involvement.<br /> <br /> This article summarizes the 134 responses.<br /> <br /> ==Distribution== <br /> There's a huge wiki world beyond Wikimedia Foundation.&lt;ref&gt;https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T113210&lt;/ref&gt;.<br /> According to [https://wikiapiary.com/wiki/Statistics WikiApiary] there are over 25,000 independent wikis out there. And these are just the wikis that are public and are being tracked by WikiApiary!<br /> <br /> There are some very well known companies and organisations which have MediaWiki installed such as Cirque du Soleil, Mozilla, NASA, and even WordPress). But beyond them we know almost nothing about the multitude of users of MediaWiki.<br /> <br /> ===Downloads and Hostings===<br /> [[File:MediaWiki User Report Downloads.png|thumbnail|right|Download countries]]<br /> According to stats from MediaWiki.org there have been over 102,000 downloads of MediaWiki between May 18th and July 15th 2015, about '''7,200 downloads per month''' from the central project page. <br /> <br /> The country with the most downloads is surprisingly China. USA and Germany rank second and third. China as the number one county is unexpected, because we are not aware of a sizable Chinese MediaWiki community. <br /> <br /> Furthermore there are thousands of installed MediaWikis on shared hosting (one-click) providers. For example, Bluehost said, they had &quot;thousands of installs on our shared platform and we are installing 100s more per month&quot;. &lt;ref&gt;[https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T113210 Wikimedia Phabricator: How should the WMF support non-technical mediawiki installs?], 2015&lt;/ref&gt; <br /> <br /> ===Most downloaded extensions===<br /> [[File:MediaWiki User Report Download Extensions.png|thumbnail|right|Downloaded extensions]]<br /> Identifying the most popular extensions is difficult. At least [https://grafana.wikimedia.org/dashboard/db/extension-distributor-downloads some data] (shared by [[mw:User:Legoktm|Legoktm]]) are interesting to get a first impression of needed add-ons in wikis beyond the Wikimedia Foundation. Many &quot;Top 20&quot; extensions already prove the intense use of MediaWiki in companies and organizations.<br /> <br /> ==Typical MediaWiki users==<br /> The '''typical survey participant''' is either a developer/administrator or in management and works in a small organization with 25 or less people. Using MediaWiki now for over 5 years, they count as long time user. They are managing 2 - 5 wikis, from which at least one is public and one private. The user sees 25 or less people on their wiki. The user uses MediaWiki because of it being open source and easy to use due to its similarity to Wikipedia. Their public wiki is a fun site and their enterprise wiki is used for internal knowledge creation and management. They are unhappy with the upgrade process and the installation of new extensions and would like to see WordPress-like simple update buttons in the admin backend. For the enterprise wiki, access control and a functioning easy Visual Editor are important, but even more important is a slick, superpretty GUI. The user is part of the software community and contributes some feedback and bug reports. They also spread the word of MediaWiki with people they contact. One point of irritation is the connection to Wikipedia and the scrambled software documentation, which isn't very user-friendly. Community-wise, they wish for a master plan, good communication and easy ways of involvement to give back to the community and support the project.<br /> <br /> ===Position/Title===<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;„Sysadmin, high Queen, that idiot.“&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> Out of 134 participants of the survey, almost every fifth (20 %, 27) is in software development, every sixth (16 %, 22) is a software admin. External functions like management and leadership can be found in every sixth participant (14 %, 20), one eighth (12 %, 17) has science and academic background. Defined wiki users only acount for 12 % (12 %, 16) of the participants. 1 out of 10 have any other external background. (10 %, 14). At maximum 4 percent of the participants (4 %, 5) have direct or indirect relation to WMF or are software distributors. About one eighth of the answers (12 %, 16) were either unclear or unanswered.<br /> <br /> In 10 survey participants:<br /> * 2 are software developers<br /> * 2 administrators<br /> * 2 are in management/leadership position<br /> * 1 have academic background<br /> * 1 are solely wiki-users<br /> * 2 are doing something else...<br /> * 1 does not answer the question<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/What is your position or title?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Sizes of organization===<br /> [[File:2015 MediaWiki User Survey Brief Summary.png|thumbnail|right|Organization Size, Update Cycles, MW Versions e.a.]]<br /> About half of all participants work in organizations with 25 or less people (48,12 %, 64). Every fourth participant is part of an organization between 25 and 500 people (21 %, 28). Organizations with 500 or more people account for almost a third of all (28 %, 37).<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/How large is your organization?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Usage time of MediaWiki===<br /> More than half of the survey participants are long time users of MediaWiki, they use it 5+ years (54 %, 72). Almost a quarter is still using the software for 3–5 years (22 %, 30). The last quarter of participants is using the software for 1-2 years or less than 6 months. (24 %, 32). New users, who use the software for less than 6 months, account for about 5 % of the participants (5 %, 7). This figure can be an indication for how visible the survey was to new users.<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/How long have you been using MW?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Number of MediaWiki sites===<br /> The vast majority of users is managing 2 or more MediaWiki sites (almost 70 % of all). More than a third of all users / 4 out of 10 users manage 2–5 wikis. This is the highest figure in total (40 %, 54). Together with managers of 5-10 wikis, this accounts for half of all users. Every third participant is managing 5 or more. (30 %, 40). The figure of users managing more than 10 wikis is double as high (19 %, 26) as those managing 5 to 10 wikis (10 %, 14). Still, a quarter of the participants is managing 1 single MW site (25 %, 34). Only a few participants (4,5 %, 6) are not managing any MW site.<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/How many MediaWiki sites do you manage?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Public and private sites===<br /> Out of 133 answers, 36 users manage public wikis (27 %), 38 users manage private wikis (28,5 %) and 59 users manage a mix of both (44 %).<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/Are your sites public or private?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Number of users===<br /> Out of 133 answers, about a third of all survey parcicipants have 25 people or less on their wikis (36 %, 48), 1 in 10 participants are using the wiki just to themselves (11 %, 15).<br /> <br /> Relatively equally spread are the numbers of wikis with more users than 25:<br /> * 25–100 &gt; (19 %, 26)<br /> *100–500 &gt; (15 %, 20)<br /> *500+ &gt; (25 %, 33)<br /> <br /> Significant is the number of large wikis with 500 users or more, which account for a quarter of all participants (25 %, 33).<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/Approximately how many people are there on your MediaWiki sites?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===MediaWiki versions===<br /> The most wikis are updated regularly. Many maintainers use long term supported releases (LTS). <br /> <br /> ===Updates===<br /> The most user update their wiki &quot;when needed&quot;, but about 30% make updates with every security or minor point release. <br /> <br /> ===Most essential extensions===<br /> [[File:MediaWiki User Report Most Essential Extensions.png|thumbnail|right|Most essential extensions]] <br /> This graph shows, which extensions MediaWiki are important for users.<br /> <br /> ==Reasons for using MediaWiki==<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;„bad habits die hard.“&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;''Note: Telling from the answers, the question could have been clearer or separated into more than one. People understood different questions: ''<br /> <br /> * ''Why do you use MediaWiki –&amp;nbsp;and no other (collaboration) software?''<br /> * ''Why do you use MediaWiki –&amp;nbsp;and no other wiki software?''<br /> * ''What features and strengths do you value in the MediaWiki software?''<br /> * ''What do you use MediaWiki for? (I use it as...)''<br /> &lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> === Features / Functions, also in comparison to other software ===<br /> Participants choose MW mainly for these reasons: It is easy to use, it is simple, but flexible, adaptable and expandible, it has an active Open Source community. A role in this play general public reputation, the possibility to participate and the proximity to the widely known Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> ==== Wikipedia. ====<br /> In comparison to other wiki software, primarily for public wikis the similarity to Wikipedia was the most motivating reason for choosing MW. Wikipedia here functions on the one hand as an acceleration for implementation and change management due to the known code base (wikitext) and the familiarity with the interface. Good experiences should transfer. Reputation also plays a role. And on the other hand as a motivator („learn 1, know 2“). '''<br /> <br /> ====Open Source / Free. Community, Movement.====<br /> Users choose MW, because of it being Open Source, the big and active community, the trust in the broad authorship and hence the stability. Being free of charge also helps.<br /> <br /> Nice to see that one user mentioned that, when MW is &quot;developed by a non-profit organization and volunteers from all over the world and when you run a non-profit site it is a major plus for you if you can run your site on open-source free software&quot;.<br /> <br /> ====Simple, easy to use, stable.====<br /> An important part plays also the independence of the user in relation to functionalities: MW is easy to setup, easy to extend (good scalability), easy to adapt/adjust to ones needs, to many different needs. MediaWiki is simple, but extendible. This high flexibility is a valued feature.<br /> <br /> ====Questionable aspects====<br /> ''On the positive side, the software feels easy to handle and update, with an active, approachable community:''<br /> *„[...] features including easy-to-configure wikifarm set up […]”<br /> *&quot;[…] solid single-source solution for corporate knowledge management.&quot;<br /> *&quot; It's perfect for our company&quot;<br /> *&quot;The data model and core upgrade with simplicity&quot;<br /> ''These are all things later being answered to the contrary.''<br /> <br /> ''The user interface is mentioned once as a reason FOR MediaWiki, although it will later become rather a feature AGAINST it. Participants mention the editing as straightforward and easy, which will, again, later heavily questioned in the wishes for better editing options. This contradiction also holds true for software speed.''<br /> <br /> Some more aspects mentioned:<br /> *The internationalization out of the box<br /> *the version history as attribution of collaboration<br /> *the automation functions via bots and API<br /> *templates<br /> * Semantic MediaWiki<br /> <br /> ===Use cases in public and private wikis===<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;“MediaWiki is the best and best known tool to organize data in an open way for many users.&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> Specific use cases in public wikis circle around public documentation for cultural institutions and NPOs, fun sites and last but not least as a knowledge tool: for collaborative creation, presentation and documentation of knowledge.<br /> <br /> In corporate and therefore private (non-public) situations, wikis are mostly used for internal communication and internal knowledge transfer. <br /> The wiki also serves as a document repository or for manuals and machine documentation, especially technical documentation seems to be an important use case – whether it's meant to share with the public or the company.<br /> <br /> In the rather rarely mentioned personal situations, wikis are used for a personal knowledgebase (e.g. as a collection for research material in scientific contexts) or as a publication platform among a chosen few, like the family.<br /> <br /> MediaWiki is valued as a good platform for organizing big amounts of dynamic knowledge, as a memory base, an information portal. &quot;Sharing&quot; is key here. MediaWiki is also used for Wikipedia's original use case of an encyclopedia.<br /> <br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;“As a platform for almost everything.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/Why do you use MediaWiki?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> ==Feature requests==<br /> The results of the feature requests in the survey have been published earlier at [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders'_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist mediawiki.org]. Here is a short summary.<br /> <br /> === What would you like to see most improved in MediaWiki the software? ''–– The feature wish list.'' ===<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;„I pretty much love it as is.“&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> Out of 113 answers, the most wanted features (mentions) are easy software and extension management, installation and upgrade process (30), detailed access control and enterprise support (12), a feature-rich and functioning editor out of the box (13). An extremely important valued feature is the GUI, UX, usability and the skinning process (18). Users see themselves confronted with the spam problem (6). Participants also see improvements in speed (4), in the development itself (4), have ideas for the codebase (5). File (3) and image handling (4) can be improved, as well as language support (3). Better handling of wiki farms (4). They would like to see support for other databases (2), better error messages (2) and better support for new users (in a wiki) (2). Mobile Frontend (2) could be there out of the box. Template handling (2) can bee improved as well as the search function (2). The discussion pages (2) and the watchlist feature (2) could be improved.<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/What would you like to see most improved in MediaWiki the software?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> See also: [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group/Tasks/Feature wishlist], where most content was already included.<br /> <br /> ===Primary requirements===<br /> The feature requests can be split up into two sections. There's a significant wish for extensive improvement in core funtionalities. Three out of four wishes express the urgend support for the administration and maintenance of MediaWiki sites:<br /> # Easier installation, extension management and a better upgrade process<br /> # Editing and VisualEditor<br /> # Skinning and UI<br /> # Access controls and rights management<br /> <br /> While editing and the development of the VisualEditor is a common goal, skinning and a better UI have not the same priorities inside and outside the Wikimedia Foundation.<br /> <br /> The same goes for the installation and extension management, which are easily managed by a foundation with a well-appointed IT departement - in comparison to a single volunteer wiki maintainer with limited technical skills.<br /> <br /> Access controls and rights management are only issues for corporate and public wikis beyond the Wikimedia sites.<br /> <br /> ===Secondary requirements===<br /> There are diverse secondary requirements:<br /> * Good performance<br /> * Easier media management and licensing<br /> * Template management<br /> * Reliable release management<br /> * Marketing tools and user support<br /> * Developer support<br /> <br /> ==Community==<br /> The last questions asked about the state of the community.<br /> <br /> ===Contributions for the community===<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;„I preach its worth to everyone I talk to“&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> From all survey participants, 5 out of 10 are contributing feedback and bug reports, 4 out of 10 are contributing to extensions.<br /> 3 help with questions and provide support and improve documentation. Only 2 out of 10 contribute patches and bugfixes, even less contribute to MediaWiki core.<br /> <br /> Other contributions worth mentioning are<br /> * Help build the community, organize meetings, like SMWCon<br /> * Support on IRC channel <br /> * Help choosing the SMW of the month<br /> * Promotion and marketing, also like &quot;I preach its worth to everyone I talk to&quot;<br /> * Financial donations<br /> * Writing books about MW<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/Do you make contributions to the MediaWiki community?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Improvements and barriers===<br /> ''Quite a few answers circle around the MediaWiki software, which was part of a preceding question and get mentioned there.''<br /> <br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;&quot;The underlying perception that MediaWiki's focus should be on Wikipedia. MediaWiki is bigger than Wikipedia and everyone needs to accept that fact. It is critical that the community address the needs of the majority, even if that means working on features that aren't relevant for Wikipedia. MediaWiki and Wikipedia can diverge and still thrive together. The more that the WMF supports &quot;3rd-party users&quot;, the more those 3rd-party users will support the WMF.&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Wikipedia'''. A main aspect was the relation to Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation. The connection to WMF and Wikipedia, wasn't seen as solely positive. The focus on Wikipedia in the MW community and of the WMF was criticized. The non-WMF developer community should be better visible, more active and more in charge. The dev team should be separated from Wikipedia (as in .com for Wikipedia and .org for the Open Source software). The core devs should develop more towards the usage of MW beyond Wikimedia sites. Hence, certain independence from WMF development, a wish for a dedicated MediaWiki conference and other events, where involvement could be discussed.<br /> <br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;“Documentation, documentation, documentation. But maybe that's just me.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;&quot;It's a developers' system with mostly developers' documentation.&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> '''Documentation'''. User documentation could be improved by establishing a common language and adding clear tutorials for difficult installation processes (e.g. Visual Editor on Shared Hosting). Documentation should include the most basic, common use cases as well as less commonly used features. Documentation was criticized to often be outdated, incomplete or missing altogether. Participants wished for simple beginner tutorials and user-centered documentation content. Most of the documentation is technology driven, not use-case-driven.<br /> <br /> Developers should also have better documentation and easier access to help in their extension development, collaborative development should be encouraged. Developers see their code not reviewed at all or not quick enough, <br /> Also, the clearer the roadmap is (supported technologies etc.), the better. Clear regulations and starting points should ease the entry of new developers.<br /> <br /> '''Master plan.''' Quite a few users wished for an overall strategy, a master plan, which is focussing on all MediaWiki users (and not only Wikipedia). Interestingly, some participants asked for a community supporting enterprise users (which could mean, the Stakeholder's Group isn't yet seen as this). Some see this in the for-profit sector, some would only like to see a community, strongly supporting the overall development towards their own needs.<br /> <br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;&quot;3rd party MediaWiki users unite!&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Communication'''. Some users feel intimidated by the community, it's like an unaccessible &quot;elite&quot; and not easy to join. Communication tools are not yet properly supporting this: IRC as a discussion platform is not well-known, not very accessible for newbies and not always answered. People don't always know who to address their questions to, some wish for non-public ways of asking for help. Also, developers seem to be connected quite well – but not adminstrators.<br /> <br /> '''People want to help, but are not always sure, how.''' New users sometimes feel intimidated and discouraged. Newbies often don't know where to start, where to find help, who to ask. What contribution is asked for? What communication channel should be used for what? Calls for help are not prominent enough. As a new user, it is very difficult to oversee the status of the software development.<br /> <br /> People wish for concise information about the most important news. The system feels very complex. Some see also technical obstacles, like composer and the steep learning curve.<br /> <br /> '''Awareness'''. Many people do not yet know of (Semantic) MediaWiki's possibilities, so it's time to spread the word.<br /> <br /> Other ideas:<br /> *There was a wish for an &quot;editor-in-chief&quot; on mediawiki.org, the site seems sort of abandoned.<br /> *Even the community ressources should be visually appealing.<br /> <br /> Praise: &quot;Actually think the community is very healthy.&quot;<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/What would you like to see most improved in the community around MediaWiki?]]&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br /&gt;<br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/What barriers, if any, do you think exist to participation in the MediaWiki community? What can we do to help?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Next steps and requirements==<br /> There is a vast MediaWiki world outside the Wikimedia Foundation, as long as MediaWiki is only a byproduct of Wikipedia, third party users, independent developers and service providers live with uncertainities and have a limited motivation for serious contributions to bug reports, extension updates and documntation. <br /> <br /> The survey shows, that there's a need for more<br /> * Reliability<br /> * Standardization<br /> * Additional services in core<br /> * Focus on MediaWiki as an collaborative standard software for different use cases<br /> <br /> The ask for a clear plan, a roadmap and a strategy focussing on MW users.<br /> <br /> '''Docking stations''' <br /> * '''for developers''': for instance maintained hooks in MediaWiki for additional services, which are not supported or necessary for Wikipedia and its sister projects<br /> * '''for a user community''': for instance welcome newcomers (introduce and include newbies, encourage productivity, offer basic technical workshops and tutorials, call for help on prominant places in a friendly, open and appealing manner)<br /> * '''for maintainers''': for instance estabilsh local events and MediaWiki conference, improve documentation, include clear documenation for common use cases, improve documentation from developent-driven towards use-case-driven, cntralize communication channels (IRC, mailing lists, discussion pages, bug reports… &gt; forum?), make clear what channels are best used for what<br /> <br /> ==Collection of links related to this topic==<br /> * [[MediaWiki_Usage_Report_for_Wikimania_2015|MediaWiki User Report]], Wikimania 2015<br /> * [[Blog_Post:36|WMF Survey To Help Understand Third-party use of Wikipedia's Content]], 2015<br /> * [[MediaWiki_Usage_Questions|MediaWiki Usage Questions]]<br /> * [[Blog_Post:29|Meeting summary: Survey write up and Collaboration on core contributions]]<br /> * [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Report.pdf 2015 MediaWiki User Report PDF on Commons] and on [https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MUDdnj9DEV7IKQbocG1samCxylDHpsISm1Uzf5x4WMc/edit#slide=id.g5a5c0b7c3_0_36 Google Docs]<br /> * [https://archive.org/details/videoeditserver-87 Presentation] (2015-07-18 MediaWiki Stakeholders)<br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey mw.org: 2015 MediaWiki User Survey]<br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist mw.org: MediaWiki Stakeholders Group/Tasks/Feature wishlist]<br /> * 30 PDFs: [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey_Plots.pdf Survey Plots PDF] (overview: [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey_Brief_Summary.png Survey Brief Summary PNG])<br /> *[https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T117193 T117193]<br /> <br /> ==References==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki_Usage_Report_2015&diff=617 2015-12-14T04:20:53Z

<p>Chris Koerner: /* Typical MediaWiki users */</p> <hr /> <div>The MediaWiki Stakeholders' User Group wants to improve MediaWiki and advocates the needs of MediaWiki users outside Wikimedia Foundation-supported projects. But who is using MediaWiki? In an effort to answer this question the MediaWiki Stakeholders’ Group organized a survey we submitted to MediaWiki users during the summer of 2015.<br /> <br /> We wanted to hear from existing MediaWiki users and asked that respondents complete ashort survey about their use of MediaWiki. The results of the survey will helped in providing input that should influence the future development of MediaWiki. We also hope to grow the community of MediaWiki Users and improve involvement.<br /> <br /> This article summarizes the 134 responses.<br /> <br /> ==Distribution== <br /> There's a huge wiki world beyond Wikimedia Foundation.&lt;ref&gt;https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T113210&lt;/ref&gt;.<br /> According to [https://wikiapiary.com/wiki/Statistics WikiApiary] there are over 25,000 independent wikis out there. And these are just the wikis that are public and are being tracked by WikiApiary!<br /> <br /> There are some very well known companies and organisations which have MediaWiki installed such as Cirque du Soleil, Mozilla, NASA, and even WordPress). But beyond them we know almost nothing about the multitude of users of MediaWiki.<br /> <br /> ===Downloads and Hostings===<br /> [[File:MediaWiki User Report Downloads.png|thumbnail|right|Download countries]]<br /> According to stats from MediaWiki.org there have been over 102,000 downloads of MediaWiki between May 18th and July 15th 2015, about '''7,200 downloads per month''' from the central project page. <br /> <br /> The country with the most downloads is surprisingly China. USA and Germany rank second and third. China as the number one county is unexpected, because we are not aware of a sizable Chinese MediaWiki community. <br /> <br /> Furthermore there are thousands of installed MediaWikis on shared hosting (one-click) providers. For example, Bluehost said, they had &quot;thousands of installs on our shared platform and we are installing 100s more per month&quot;. &lt;ref&gt;[https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T113210 Wikimedia Phabricator: How should the WMF support non-technical mediawiki installs?], 2015&lt;/ref&gt; <br /> <br /> ===Most downloaded extensions===<br /> [[File:MediaWiki User Report Download Extensions.png|thumbnail|right|Downloaded extensions]]<br /> Identifying the most popular extensions is difficult. At least [https://grafana.wikimedia.org/dashboard/db/extension-distributor-downloads some data] (shared by [[mw:User:Legoktm|Legoktm]]) are interesting to get a first impression of needed add-ons in wikis beyond the Wikimedia Foundation. Many &quot;Top 20&quot; extensions already prove the intense use of MediaWiki in companies and organizations.<br /> <br /> ==Typical MediaWiki users==<br /> The '''typical survey participant''' is either a developer/administrator or in management and works in a small organization with 25 or less people. Using MediaWiki now for over 5 years, they count as long time user. They are managing 2 - 5 wikis, from which at least one is public and one private. The user sees 25 or less people on their wiki. The user uses MediaWiki because of it being open source and easy to use due to its similarity to Wikipedia. Their public wiki is a fun site and their enterprise wiki is used for internal knowledge creation and management. They are unhappy with the upgrade process and the installation of new extensions and would like to see WordPress-like simple update buttons in the admin backend. For the enterprise wiki, access control and a functioning easy Visual Editor are important, but even more important is a slick, superpretty GUI. The user is part of the software community and contributes some feedback and bug reports. They also spread the word of MediaWiki with people they contact. One point of irritation is the connection to Wikipedia and the scrambled software documentation, which isn't very user-friendly. Community-wise, they wish for a master plan, good communication and easy ways of involvement to give back to the community and support the project.<br /> <br /> ===Position/Title===<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;„Sysadmin, high Queen, that idiot.“&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> Out of 134 participants of the survey, almost every fifth (20 %, 27) is in software development, every sixth (16 %, 22) is a software admin. External functions like management and leadership can be found in every sixth participant (14 %, 20), one eighth (12 %, 17) has science and academic background. Defined wiki users only acount for 12 % (12 %, 16) of the participants. 1 out of 10 have any other external background. (10 %, 14). At maximum 4 percent of the participants (4 %, 5) have direct or indirect relation to WMF or are software distributors. About one eighth of the answers (12 %, 16) were either unclear or unanswered.<br /> <br /> In 10 survey participants:<br /> * 2 are software developers<br /> * 2 administrators<br /> * 2 are in management/leadership position<br /> * 1 have academic background<br /> * 1 are solely wiki-users<br /> * 2 are doing something else...<br /> * 1 does not answer the question<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/What is your position or title?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Sizes of organization===<br /> [[File:2015 MediaWiki User Survey Brief Summary.png|thumbnail|right|Organization Size, Update Cycles, MW Versions e.a.]]<br /> About half of all participants work in organizations with 25 or less people (48,12 %, 64). Every fourth participant is part of an organization between 25 and 500 people (21 %, 28). Organizations with 500 or more people account for almost a third of all (28 %, 37).<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/How large is your organization?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Usage time of MediaWiki===<br /> More than half of the survey participants are long time users of MediaWiki, they use it 5+ years (54 %, 72). Almost a quarter is still using the software for 3–5 years (22 %, 30). The last quarter of participants is using the software for 1-2 years or less than 6 months. (24 %, 32). New users, who use the software for less than 6 months, account for about 5 % of the participants (5 %, 7). This figure can be an indication for how visible the survey was to new users.<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/How long have you been using MW?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Number of MediaWiki sites===<br /> The vast majority of users is managing 2 or more MediaWiki sites (almost 70 % of all). More than a third of all users / 4 out of 10 users manage 2–5 wikis. This is the highest figure in total (40 %, 54). Together with managers of 5-10 wikis, this accounts for half of all users. Every third participant is managing 5 or more. (30 %, 40). The figure of users managing more than 10 wikis is double as high (19 %, 26) as those managing 5 to 10 wikis (10 %, 14). Still, a quarter of the participants is managing 1 single MW site (25 %, 34). Only a few participants (4,5 %, 6) are not managing any MW site.<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/How many MediaWiki sites do you manage?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Public and private sites===<br /> Out of 133 answers, 36 users manage public wikis (27 %), 38 users manage private wikis (28,5 %) and 59 users manage a mix of both (44 %).<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/Are your sites public or private?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Number of users===<br /> Out of 133 answers, about a third of all survey parcicipants have 25 people or less on their wikis (36 %, 48), 1 in 10 participants are using the wiki just to themselves (11 %, 15).<br /> <br /> Relatively equally spread are the numbers of wikis with more users than 25:<br /> * 25–100 &gt; (19 %, 26)<br /> *100–500 &gt; (15 %, 20)<br /> *500+ &gt; (25 %, 33)<br /> <br /> Significant is the number of large wikis with 500 users or more, which account for a quarter of all participants (25 %, 33).<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/Approximately how many people are there on your MediaWiki sites?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===MediaWiki versions===<br /> The most wikis are updated regularly. Many maintainers use long term supported releases (LTS). <br /> <br /> ===Updates===<br /> The most user update their wiki &quot;when needed&quot;, but about 30% make updates with every security or minor point release. <br /> <br /> ===Most essential extensions===<br /> [[File:MediaWiki User Report Most Essential Extensions.png|thumbnail|right|Most essential extensions]] <br /> This graph shows, which extensions MediaWiki are important for users.<br /> <br /> ==Reasons for using MediaWiki==<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;„bad habits die hard.“&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;''Note: Telling from the answers, the question could have been clearer or separated into more than one. People understood different questions: ''<br /> <br /> * ''Why do you use MediaWiki –&amp;nbsp;and no other (collaboration) software?''<br /> * ''Why do you use MediaWiki –&amp;nbsp;and no other wiki software?''<br /> * ''What features and strengths do you value in the MediaWiki software?''<br /> * ''What do you use MediaWiki for? (I use it as...)''<br /> &lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> === Features / Functions, also in comparison to other software ===<br /> Participants choose MW mainly for these reasons: It is easy to use, it is simple, but flexible, adaptable and expandible, it has an active Open Source community. A role in this play general public reputation, the possibility to participate and the proximity to the widely known Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> ==== Wikipedia. ====<br /> In comparison to other wiki software, primarily for public wikis the similarity to Wikipedia was the most motivating reason for choosing MW. Wikipedia here functions on the one hand as an acceleration for implementation and change management due to the known code base (wikitext) and the familiarity with the interface. Good experiences should transfer. Reputation also plays a role. And on the other hand as a motivator („learn 1, know 2“). '''<br /> <br /> ====Open Source / Free. Community, Movement.====<br /> Users choose MW, because of it being Open Source, the big and active community, the trust in the broad authorship and hence the stability. Being free of charge also helps.<br /> <br /> Nice to see that one user mentioned that, when MW is &quot;developed by a non-profit organization and volunteers from all over the world and when you run a non-profit site it is a major plus for you if you can run your site on open-source free software&quot;.<br /> <br /> ====Simple, easy to use, stable.====<br /> An important part plays also the independence of the user in relation to functionalities: MW is easy to setup, easy to extend (good scalability), easy to adapt/adjust to ones needs, to many different needs. MediaWiki is simple, but extendible. This high flexibility is a valued feature.<br /> <br /> ====Questionable aspects====<br /> ''On the positive side, the software feels easy to handle and update, with an active, approachable community:''<br /> *„[...] features including easy-to-configure wikifarm set up […]”<br /> *&quot;[…] solid single-source solution for corporate knowledge management.&quot;<br /> *&quot; It's perfect for our company&quot;<br /> *&quot;The data model and core upgrade with simplicity&quot;<br /> ''These are all things later being answered to the contrary.''<br /> <br /> ''The user interface is mentioned once as a reason FOR MediaWiki, although it will later become rather a feature AGAINST it. Participants mention the editing as straightforward and easy, which will, again, later heavily questioned in the wishes for better editing options. This contradiction also holds true for software speed.''<br /> <br /> Some more aspects mentioned:<br /> *The internationalization out of the box<br /> *the version history as attribution of collaboration<br /> *the automation functions via bots and API<br /> *templates<br /> * Semantic MediaWiki<br /> <br /> ===Use cases in public and private wikis===<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;“MediaWiki is the best and best known tool to organize data in an open way for many users.&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> Specific use cases in public wikis circle around public documentation for cultural institutions and NPOs, fun sites and last but not least as a knowledge tool: for collaborative creation, presentation and documentation of knowledge.<br /> <br /> In corporate and therefore private (non-public) situations, wikis are mostly used for internal communication and internal knowledge transfer. <br /> The wiki also serves as a document repository or for manuals and machine documentation, especially technical documentation seems to be an important use case – whether it's meant to share with the public or the company.<br /> <br /> In the rather rarely mentioned personal situations, wikis are used for a personal knowledgebase (e.g. as a collection for research material in scientific contexts) or as a publication platform among a chosen few, like the family.<br /> <br /> MediaWiki is valued as a good platform for organizing big amounts of dynamic knowledge, as a memory base, an information portal. &quot;Sharing&quot; is key here. MediaWiki is also used for Wikipedia's original use case of an encyclopedia.<br /> <br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;“As a platform for almost everything.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/Why do you use MediaWiki?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> ==Feature requests==<br /> The results of the feature requests in the survey have been published earlier at [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders'_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist mediawiki.org]. Here is a short summary.<br /> <br /> === What would you like to see most improved in MediaWiki the software? ''–– The feature wish list.'' ===<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;„I pretty much love it as is.“&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> Out of 113 answers, the most wanted features (mentions) are easy software and extension management, installation and upgrade process (30), detailed access control and enterprise support (12), a feature-rich and functioning editor out of the box (13). An extremely important valued feature is the GUI, UX, usability and the skinning process (18). Users see themselves confronted with the spam problem (6). Participants also see improvements in speed (4), in the development itself (4), have ideas for the codebase (5). File (3) and image handling (4) can be improved, as well as language support (3). Better handling of wiki farms (4). They would like to see support for other databases (2), better error messages (2) and better support for new users (in a wiki) (2). Mobile Frontend (2) could be there out of the box. Template handling (2) can bee improved as well as the search function (2). The discussion pages (2) and the watchlist feature (2) could be improved.<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/What would you like to see most improved in MediaWiki the software?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> See also: [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group/Tasks/Feature wishlist], where most content was already included.<br /> <br /> ===Primary requirements===<br /> The feature requests can be split up into two sections. There's a significant wish for extensive improvement in core funtionalities. Three out of four wishes express the urgend support for the administration and maintenance of MediaWiki sites:<br /> # Easier installation, extension management and a better upgrade process<br /> # Editing and VisualEditor<br /> # Skinning and UI<br /> # Access controls and rights management<br /> <br /> While editing and the development of the VisualEditor is a common goal, skinning and a better UI have not the same priorities inside and outside the Wikimedia Foundation.<br /> <br /> The same goes for the installation and extension management, which are easily managed by a foundation with a well-appointed IT departement - in comparison to a single volunteer wiki maintainer with limited technical skills.<br /> <br /> Access controls and rights management are only issues for corporate and public wikis beyond the Wikimedia sites.<br /> <br /> ===Secondary requirements===<br /> There are diverse secondary requirements:<br /> * Good performance<br /> * Easier media management and licensing<br /> * Template management<br /> * Reliable release management<br /> * Marketing tools and user support<br /> * Developer support<br /> <br /> ==Community==<br /> The last questions asked about the state of the community.<br /> <br /> ===Contributions for the community===<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;„I preach its worth to everyone I talk to“&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> From all survey participants, 5 out of 10 are contributing feedback and bug reports, 4 out of 10 are contributing to extensions.<br /> 3 help with questions and provide support and improve documentation. Only 2 out of 10 contribute patches and bugfixes, even less contribute to MediaWiki core.<br /> <br /> Other contributions worth mentioning are<br /> * Help build the community, organize meetings, like SMWCon<br /> * Support on IRC channel <br /> * Help choosing the SMW of the month<br /> * Promotion and marketing, also like &quot;I preach its worth to everyone I talk to&quot;<br /> * Financial donations<br /> * Writing books about MW<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/Do you make contributions to the MediaWiki community?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Improvements and barriers===<br /> ''Quite a few answers circle around the MediaWiki software, which was part of a preceding question and get mentioned there.''<br /> <br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;&quot;The underlying perception that MediaWiki's focus should be on Wikipedia. MediaWiki is bigger than Wikipedia and everyone needs to accept that fact. It is critical that the community address the needs of the majority, even if that means working on features that aren't relevant for Wikipedia. MediaWiki and Wikipedia can diverge and still thrive together. The more that the WMF supports &quot;3rd-party users&quot;, the more those 3rd-party users will support the WMF.&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Wikipedia'''. A main aspect was the relation to Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation. The connection to WMF and Wikipedia, wasn't seen as solely positive. The focus on Wikipedia in the MW community and of the WMF was criticized. The non-WMF developer community should be better visible, more active and more in charge. The dev team should be separated from Wikipedia (as in .com for Wikipedia and .org for the Open Source software). The core devs should develop more towards the usage of MW beyond Wikimedia sites. Hence, certain independence from WMF development, a wish for a dedicated MediaWiki conference and other events, where involvement could be discussed.<br /> <br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;“Documentation, documentation, documentation. But maybe that's just me.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;&quot;It's a developers' system with mostly developers' documentation.&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> '''Documentation'''. User documentation could be improved by establishing a common language and adding clear tutorials for difficult installation processes (e.g. Visual Editor on Shared Hosting). Documentation should include the most basic, common use cases as well as less commonly used features. Documentation was criticized to often be outdated, incomplete or missing altogether. Participants wished for simple beginner tutorials and user-centered documentation content. Most of the documentation is technology driven, not use-case-driven.<br /> <br /> Developers should also have better documentation and easier access to help in their extension development, collaborative development should be encouraged. Developers see their code not reviewed at all or not quick enough, <br /> Also, the clearer the roadmap is (supported technologies etc.), the better. Clear regulations and starting points should ease the entry of new developers.<br /> <br /> '''Master plan.''' Quite a few users wished for an overall strategy, a master plan, which is focussing on all MediaWiki users (and not only Wikipedia). Interestingly, some participants asked for a community supporting enterprise users (which could mean, the Stakeholder's Group isn't yet seen as this). Some see this in the for-profit sector, some would only like to see a community, strongly supporting the overall development towards their own needs.<br /> <br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;&quot;3rd party MediaWiki users unite!&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Communication'''. Some users feel intimidated by the community, it's like an unaccessible &quot;elite&quot; and not easy to join. Communication tools are not yet properly supporting this: IRC as a discussion platform is not well-known, not very accessible for newbies and not always answered. People don't always know who to address their questions to, some wish for non-public ways of asking for help. Also, developers seem to be connected quite well – but not adminstrators.<br /> <br /> '''People want to help, but are not always sure, how.''' New users sometimes feel intimidated and discouraged. Newbies often don't know where to start, where to find help, who to ask. What contribution is asked for? What communication channel should be used for what? Calls for help are not prominent enough. As a new user, it is very difficult to oversee the status of the software development.<br /> <br /> People wish for concise information about the most important news. The system feels very complex. Some see also technical obstacles, like composer and the steep learning curve.<br /> <br /> '''Awareness'''. Many people do not yet know of (Semantic) MediaWiki's possibilities, so it's time to spread the word.<br /> <br /> Other ideas:<br /> *There was a wish for an &quot;editor-in-chief&quot; on mediawiki.org, the site seems sort of abandoned.<br /> *Even the community ressources should be visually appealing.<br /> <br /> Praise: &quot;Actually think the community is very healthy.&quot;<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/What would you like to see most improved in the community around MediaWiki?]]&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br /&gt;<br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/What barriers, if any, do you think exist to participation in the MediaWiki community? What can we do to help?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Next steps and requirements==<br /> There is a vast MediaWiki world outside the Wikimedia Foundation, as long as MediaWiki is only a byproduct of Wikipedia, third party users, independent developers and service providers live with uncertainities and have a limited motivation for serious contributions to bug reports, extension updates and documntation. <br /> <br /> The survey shows, that there's a need für more<br /> * Reliability<br /> * Standardization<br /> * Additional services in core<br /> * Focus on MediaWiki as an collaborative standard software for different use cases<br /> <br /> The ask for a clear plan, a roadmap and a strategy focussing on MW users.<br /> <br /> '''Docking stations''' <br /> * '''for developers''': for instance maintained hooks in MediaWiki for additional services, which are not supported or necessary for Wikipedia and its sister projects<br /> * '''for a user community''': for instance welcome newcomers (introduce and include newbies, encourage productivity, offer basic technical workshops and tutorials, call for help on prominant places in a friendly, open and appealing manner)<br /> * '''for maintainers''': for instance estabilsh local events and MediaWiki conference, improve documentation, include clear documenation for common use cases, improve documentation from developent-driven towards use-case-driven, cntralize communication channels (IRC, mailing lists, discussion pages, bug reports… &gt; forum?), make clear what channels are best used for what<br /> <br /> ==Collection of links related to this topic==<br /> * [[MediaWiki_Usage_Report_for_Wikimania_2015|MediaWiki User Report]], Wikimania 2015<br /> * [[Blog_Post:36|WMF Survey To Help Understand Third-party use of Wikipedia's Content]], 2015<br /> * [[MediaWiki_Usage_Questions|MediaWiki Usage Questions]]<br /> * [[Blog_Post:29|Meeting summary: Survey write up and Collaboration on core contributions]]<br /> * [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Report.pdf 2015 MediaWiki User Report PDF on Commons] and on [https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MUDdnj9DEV7IKQbocG1samCxylDHpsISm1Uzf5x4WMc/edit#slide=id.g5a5c0b7c3_0_36 Google Docs]<br /> * [https://archive.org/details/videoeditserver-87 Presentation] (2015-07-18 MediaWiki Stakeholders)<br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey mw.org: 2015 MediaWiki User Survey]<br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist mw.org: MediaWiki Stakeholders Group/Tasks/Feature wishlist]<br /> * 30 PDFs: [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey_Plots.pdf Survey Plots PDF] (overview: [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey_Brief_Summary.png Survey Brief Summary PNG])<br /> *[https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T117193 T117193]<br /> <br /> ==References==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki_Usage_Report_2015&diff=616 2015-12-14T04:11:06Z

<p>Chris Koerner: /* Distribution */</p> <hr /> <div>The MediaWiki Stakeholders' User Group wants to improve MediaWiki and advocates the needs of MediaWiki users outside Wikimedia Foundation-supported projects. But who is using MediaWiki? In an effort to answer this question the MediaWiki Stakeholders’ Group organized a survey we submitted to MediaWiki users during the summer of 2015.<br /> <br /> We wanted to hear from existing MediaWiki users and asked that respondents complete ashort survey about their use of MediaWiki. The results of the survey will helped in providing input that should influence the future development of MediaWiki. We also hope to grow the community of MediaWiki Users and improve involvement.<br /> <br /> This article summarizes the 134 responses.<br /> <br /> ==Distribution== <br /> There's a huge wiki world beyond Wikimedia Foundation.&lt;ref&gt;https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T113210&lt;/ref&gt;.<br /> According to [https://wikiapiary.com/wiki/Statistics WikiApiary] there are over 25,000 independent wikis out there. And these are just the wikis that are public and are being tracked by WikiApiary!<br /> <br /> There are some very well known companies and organisations which have MediaWiki installed such as Cirque du Soleil, Mozilla, NASA, and even WordPress). But beyond them we know almost nothing about the multitude of users of MediaWiki.<br /> <br /> ===Downloads and Hostings===<br /> [[File:MediaWiki User Report Downloads.png|thumbnail|right|Download countries]]<br /> According to stats from MediaWiki.org there have been over 102,000 downloads of MediaWiki between May 18th and July 15th 2015, about '''7,200 downloads per month''' from the central project page. <br /> <br /> The country with the most downloads is surprisingly China. USA and Germany rank second and third. China as the number one county is unexpected, because we are not aware of a sizable Chinese MediaWiki community. <br /> <br /> Furthermore there are thousands of installed MediaWikis on shared hosting (one-click) providers. For example, Bluehost said, they had &quot;thousands of installs on our shared platform and we are installing 100s more per month&quot;. &lt;ref&gt;[https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T113210 Wikimedia Phabricator: How should the WMF support non-technical mediawiki installs?], 2015&lt;/ref&gt; <br /> <br /> ===Most downloaded extensions===<br /> [[File:MediaWiki User Report Download Extensions.png|thumbnail|right|Downloaded extensions]]<br /> Identifying the most popular extensions is difficult. At least [https://grafana.wikimedia.org/dashboard/db/extension-distributor-downloads some data] (shared by [[mw:User:Legoktm|Legoktm]]) are interesting to get a first impression of needed add-ons in wikis beyond the Wikimedia Foundation. Many &quot;Top 20&quot; extensions already prove the intense use of MediaWiki in companies and organizations.<br /> <br /> ==Typical MediaWiki users==<br /> The '''typical survey participant''' is either a developer/administrator or in management and works in a small organization with 25 or less people. Using MediaWiki now for over 5 years, he counts as long time user. He is managing 2 - 5 wikis, from which at least one is public and one private. The user sees 25 or less people on his wiki. The user uses MediaWiki because of it being Open Source and easy to use due to its similarity to Wikipedia. His public wiki is a fun site and his enterprise wiki is used for internal knowledge creation and management. He is unhappy with the upgrade process and the installation of new extensions and would like to see WordPress-like simple update buttons in the admin backend. For the enterprise wiki, access control and a functioning easy Visual Editor are important, but even more important is a slick, superpretty GUI. The user is part of the software community and contributes some feedback and bug reports. He also spreads the word. Irritating is the connection to Wikipedia and the scrambled software documentation, which isn't very user-friendly. Community-wise, he wishes for a master plan, good communication and easy ways of involvement to give back to the community and support the project.<br /> <br /> ===Position/Title===<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;„Sysadmin, high Queen, that idiot.“&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> Out of 134 participants of the survey, almost every fifth (20 %, 27) is in software development, every sixth (16 %, 22) is a software admin. External functions like management and leadership can be found in every sixth participant (14 %, 20), one eighth (12 %, 17) has science and academic background. Defined wiki users only acount for 12 % (12 %, 16) of the participants. 1 out of 10 have any other external background. (10 %, 14). At maximum 4 percent of the participants (4 %, 5) have direct or indirect relation to WMF or are software distributors. About one eighth of the answers (12 %, 16) were either unclear or unanswered.<br /> <br /> In 10 survey participants:<br /> * 2 are software developers<br /> * 2 administrators<br /> * 2 are in management/leadership position<br /> * 1 have academic background<br /> * 1 are solely wiki-users<br /> * 2 are doing something else...<br /> * 1 does not answer the question<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/What is your position or title?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Sizes of organization===<br /> [[File:2015 MediaWiki User Survey Brief Summary.png|thumbnail|right|Organization Size, Update Cycles, MW Versions e.a.]]<br /> About half of all participants work in organizations with 25 or less people (48,12 %, 64). Every fourth participant is part of an organization between 25 and 500 people (21 %, 28). Organizations with 500 or more people account for almost a third of all (28 %, 37).<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/How large is your organization?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Usage time of MediaWiki===<br /> More than half of the survey participants are long time users of MediaWiki, they use it 5+ years (54 %, 72). Almost a quarter is still using the software for 3–5 years (22 %, 30). The last quarter of participants is using the software for 1-2 years or less than 6 months. (24 %, 32). New users, who use the software for less than 6 months, account for about 5 % of the participants (5 %, 7). This figure can be an indication for how visible the survey was to new users.<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/How long have you been using MW?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Number of MediaWiki sites===<br /> The vast majority of users is managing 2 or more MediaWiki sites (almost 70 % of all). More than a third of all users / 4 out of 10 users manage 2–5 wikis. This is the highest figure in total (40 %, 54). Together with managers of 5-10 wikis, this accounts for half of all users. Every third participant is managing 5 or more. (30 %, 40). The figure of users managing more than 10 wikis is double as high (19 %, 26) as those managing 5 to 10 wikis (10 %, 14). Still, a quarter of the participants is managing 1 single MW site (25 %, 34). Only a few participants (4,5 %, 6) are not managing any MW site.<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/How many MediaWiki sites do you manage?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Public and private sites===<br /> Out of 133 answers, 36 users manage public wikis (27 %), 38 users manage private wikis (28,5 %) and 59 users manage a mix of both (44 %).<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/Are your sites public or private?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Number of users===<br /> Out of 133 answers, about a third of all survey parcicipants have 25 people or less on their wikis (36 %, 48), 1 in 10 participants are using the wiki just to themselves (11 %, 15).<br /> <br /> Relatively equally spread are the numbers of wikis with more users than 25:<br /> * 25–100 &gt; (19 %, 26)<br /> *100–500 &gt; (15 %, 20)<br /> *500+ &gt; (25 %, 33)<br /> <br /> Significant is the number of large wikis with 500 users or more, which account for a quarter of all participants (25 %, 33).<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/Approximately how many people are there on your MediaWiki sites?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===MediaWiki versions===<br /> The most wikis are updated regularly. Many maintainers use long term supported releases (LTS). <br /> <br /> ===Updates===<br /> The most user update their wiki &quot;when needed&quot;, but about 30% make updates with every security or minor point release. <br /> <br /> ===Most essential extensions===<br /> [[File:MediaWiki User Report Most Essential Extensions.png|thumbnail|right|Most essential extensions]] <br /> This graph shows, which extensions MediaWiki are important for users. <br /> <br /> ==Reasons for using MediaWiki==<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;„bad habits die hard.“&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;''Note: Telling from the answers, the question could have been clearer or separated into more than one. People understood different questions: ''<br /> <br /> * ''Why do you use MediaWiki –&amp;nbsp;and no other (collaboration) software?''<br /> * ''Why do you use MediaWiki –&amp;nbsp;and no other wiki software?''<br /> * ''What features and strengths do you value in the MediaWiki software?''<br /> * ''What do you use MediaWiki for? (I use it as...)''<br /> &lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> === Features / Functions, also in comparison to other software ===<br /> Participants choose MW mainly for these reasons: It is easy to use, it is simple, but flexible, adaptable and expandible, it has an active Open Source community. A role in this play general public reputation, the possibility to participate and the proximity to the widely known Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> ==== Wikipedia. ====<br /> In comparison to other wiki software, primarily for public wikis the similarity to Wikipedia was the most motivating reason for choosing MW. Wikipedia here functions on the one hand as an acceleration for implementation and change management due to the known code base (wikitext) and the familiarity with the interface. Good experiences should transfer. Reputation also plays a role. And on the other hand as a motivator („learn 1, know 2“). '''<br /> <br /> ====Open Source / Free. Community, Movement.====<br /> Users choose MW, because of it being Open Source, the big and active community, the trust in the broad authorship and hence the stability. Being free of charge also helps.<br /> <br /> Nice to see that one user mentioned that, when MW is &quot;developed by a non-profit organization and volunteers from all over the world and when you run a non-profit site it is a major plus for you if you can run your site on open-source free software&quot;.<br /> <br /> ====Simple, easy to use, stable.====<br /> An important part plays also the independence of the user in relation to functionalities: MW is easy to setup, easy to extend (good scalability), easy to adapt/adjust to ones needs, to many different needs. MediaWiki is simple, but extendible. This high flexibility is a valued feature.<br /> <br /> ====Questionable aspects====<br /> ''On the positive side, the software feels easy to handle and update, with an active, approachable community:''<br /> *„[...] features including easy-to-configure wikifarm set up […]”<br /> *&quot;[…] solid single-source solution for corporate knowledge management.&quot;<br /> *&quot; It's perfect for our company&quot;<br /> *&quot;The data model and core upgrade with simplicity&quot;<br /> ''These are all things later being answered to the contrary.''<br /> <br /> ''The user interface is mentioned once as a reason FOR MediaWiki, although it will later become rather a feature AGAINST it. Participants mention the editing as straightforward and easy, which will, again, later heavily questioned in the wishes for better editing options. This contradiction also holds true for software speed.''<br /> <br /> Some more aspects mentioned:<br /> *The internationalization out of the box<br /> *the version history as attribution of collaboration<br /> *the automation functions via bots and API<br /> *templates<br /> * Semantic MediaWiki<br /> <br /> ===Use cases in public and private wikis===<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;“MediaWiki is the best and best known tool to organize data in an open way for many users.&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> Specific use cases in public wikis circle around public documentation for cultural institutions and NPOs, fun sites and last but not least as a knowledge tool: for collaborative creation, presentation and documentation of knowledge.<br /> <br /> In corporate and therefore private (non-public) situations, wikis are mostly used for internal communication and internal knowledge transfer. <br /> The wiki also serves as a document repository or for manuals and machine documentation, especially technical documentation seems to be an important use case – whether it's meant to share with the public or the company.<br /> <br /> In the rather rarely mentioned personal situations, wikis are used for a personal knowledgebase (e.g. as a collection for research material in scientific contexts) or as a publication platform among a chosen few, like the family.<br /> <br /> MediaWiki is valued as a good platform for organizing big amounts of dynamic knowledge, as a memory base, an information portal. &quot;Sharing&quot; is key here. MediaWiki is also used for Wikipedia's original use case of an encyclopedia.<br /> <br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;“As a platform for almost everything.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/Why do you use MediaWiki?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> ==Feature requests==<br /> The results of the feature requests in the survey have been published earlier at [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders'_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist mediawiki.org]. Here is a short summary.<br /> <br /> === What would you like to see most improved in MediaWiki the software? ''–– The feature wish list.'' ===<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;„I pretty much love it as is.“&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> Out of 113 answers, the most wanted features (mentions) are easy software and extension management, installation and upgrade process (30), detailed access control and enterprise support (12), a feature-rich and functioning editor out of the box (13). An extremely important valued feature is the GUI, UX, usability and the skinning process (18). Users see themselves confronted with the spam problem (6). Participants also see improvements in speed (4), in the development itself (4), have ideas for the codebase (5). File (3) and image handling (4) can be improved, as well as language support (3). Better handling of wiki farms (4). They would like to see support for other databases (2), better error messages (2) and better support for new users (in a wiki) (2). Mobile Frontend (2) could be there out of the box. Template handling (2) can bee improved as well as the search function (2). The discussion pages (2) and the watchlist feature (2) could be improved.<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/What would you like to see most improved in MediaWiki the software?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> See also: [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group/Tasks/Feature wishlist], where most content was already included.<br /> <br /> ===Primary requirements===<br /> The feature requests can be split up into two sections. There's a significant wish for extensive improvement in core funtionalities. Three out of four wishes express the urgend support for the administration and maintenance of MediaWiki sites:<br /> # Easier installation, extension management and a better upgrade process<br /> # Editing and VisualEditor<br /> # Skinning and UI<br /> # Access controls and rights management<br /> <br /> While editing and the development of the VisualEditor is a common goal, skinning and a better UI have not the same priorities inside and outside the Wikimedia Foundation.<br /> <br /> The same goes for the installation and extension management, which are easily managed by a foundation with a well-appointed IT departement - in comparison to a single volunteer wiki maintainer with limited technical skills.<br /> <br /> Access controls and rights management are only issues for corporate and public wikis beyond the Wikimedia sites.<br /> <br /> ===Secondary requirements===<br /> There are diverse secondary requirements:<br /> * Good performance<br /> * Easier media management and licensing<br /> * Template management<br /> * Reliable release management<br /> * Marketing tools and user support<br /> * Developer support<br /> <br /> ==Community==<br /> The last questions asked about the state of the community.<br /> <br /> ===Contributions for the community===<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;„I preach its worth to everyone I talk to“&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> From all survey participants, 5 out of 10 are contributing feedback and bug reports, 4 out of 10 are contributing to extensions.<br /> 3 help with questions and provide support and improve documentation. Only 2 out of 10 contribute patches and bugfixes, even less contribute to MediaWiki core.<br /> <br /> Other contributions worth mentioning are<br /> * Help build the community, organize meetings, like SMWCon<br /> * Support on IRC channel <br /> * Help choosing the SMW of the month<br /> * Promotion and marketing, also like &quot;I preach its worth to everyone I talk to&quot;<br /> * Financial donations<br /> * Writing books about MW<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/Do you make contributions to the MediaWiki community?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Improvements and barriers===<br /> ''Quite a few answers circle around the MediaWiki software, which was part of a preceding question and get mentioned there.''<br /> <br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;&quot;The underlying perception that MediaWiki's focus should be on Wikipedia. MediaWiki is bigger than Wikipedia and everyone needs to accept that fact. It is critical that the community address the needs of the majority, even if that means working on features that aren't relevant for Wikipedia. MediaWiki and Wikipedia can diverge and still thrive together. The more that the WMF supports &quot;3rd-party users&quot;, the more those 3rd-party users will support the WMF.&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Wikipedia'''. A main aspect was the relation to Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation. The connection to WMF and Wikipedia, wasn't seen as solely positive. The focus on Wikipedia in the MW community and of the WMF was criticized. The non-WMF developer community should be better visible, more active and more in charge. The dev team should be separated from Wikipedia (as in .com for Wikipedia and .org for the Open Source software). The core devs should develop more towards the usage of MW beyond Wikimedia sites. Hence, certain independence from WMF development, a wish for a dedicated MediaWiki conference and other events, where involvement could be discussed.<br /> <br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;“Documentation, documentation, documentation. But maybe that's just me.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;&quot;It's a developers' system with mostly developers' documentation.&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> '''Documentation'''. User documentation could be improved by establishing a common language and adding clear tutorials for difficult installation processes (e.g. Visual Editor on Shared Hosting). Documentation should include the most basic, common use cases as well as less commonly used features. Documentation was criticized to often be outdated, incomplete or missing altogether. Participants wished for simple beginner tutorials and user-centered documentation content. Most of the documentation is technology driven, not use-case-driven.<br /> <br /> Developers should also have better documentation and easier access to help in their extension development, collaborative development should be encouraged. Developers see their code not reviewed at all or not quick enough, <br /> Also, the clearer the roadmap is (supported technologies etc.), the better. Clear regulations and starting points should ease the entry of new developers.<br /> <br /> '''Master plan.''' Quite a few users wished for an overall strategy, a master plan, which is focussing on all MediaWiki users (and not only Wikipedia). Interestingly, some participants asked for a community supporting enterprise users (which could mean, the Stakeholder's Group isn't yet seen as this). Some see this in the for-profit sector, some would only like to see a community, strongly supporting the overall development towards their own needs.<br /> <br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;&quot;3rd party MediaWiki users unite!&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Communication'''. Some users feel intimidated by the community, it's like an unaccessible &quot;elite&quot; and not easy to join. Communication tools are not yet properly supporting this: IRC as a discussion platform is not well-known, not very accessible for newbies and not always answered. People don't always know who to address their questions to, some wish for non-public ways of asking for help. Also, developers seem to be connected quite well – but not adminstrators.<br /> <br /> '''People want to help, but are not always sure, how.''' New users sometimes feel intimidated and discouraged. Newbies often don't know where to start, where to find help, who to ask. What contribution is asked for? What communication channel should be used for what? Calls for help are not prominent enough. As a new user, it is very difficult to oversee the status of the software development.<br /> <br /> People wish for concise information about the most important news. The system feels very complex. Some see also technical obstacles, like composer and the steep learning curve.<br /> <br /> '''Awareness'''. Many people do not yet know of (Semantic) MediaWiki's possibilities, so it's time to spread the word.<br /> <br /> Other ideas:<br /> *There was a wish for an &quot;editor-in-chief&quot; on mediawiki.org, the site seems sort of abandoned.<br /> *Even the community ressources should be visually appealing.<br /> <br /> Praise: &quot;Actually think the community is very healthy.&quot;<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/What would you like to see most improved in the community around MediaWiki?]]&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br /&gt;<br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/What barriers, if any, do you think exist to participation in the MediaWiki community? What can we do to help?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Next steps and requirements==<br /> There is a vast MediaWiki world outside the Wikimedia Foundation, as long as MediaWiki is only a byproduct of Wikipedia, third party users, independent developers and service providers live with uncertainities and have a limited motivation for serious contributions to bug reports, extension updates and documntation. <br /> <br /> The survey shows, that there's a need für more<br /> * Reliability<br /> * Standardization<br /> * Additional services in core<br /> * Focus on MediaWiki as an collaborative standard software for different use cases<br /> <br /> The ask for a clear plan, a roadmap and a strategy focussing on MW users.<br /> <br /> '''Docking stations''' <br /> * '''for developers''': for instance maintained hooks in MediaWiki for additional services, which are not supported or necessary for Wikipedia and its sister projects<br /> * '''for a user community''': for instance welcome newcomers (introduce and include newbies, encourage productivity, offer basic technical workshops and tutorials, call for help on prominant places in a friendly, open and appealing manner)<br /> * '''for maintainers''': for instance estabilsh local events and MediaWiki conference, improve documentation, include clear documenation for common use cases, improve documentation from developent-driven towards use-case-driven, cntralize communication channels (IRC, mailing lists, discussion pages, bug reports… &gt; forum?), make clear what channels are best used for what<br /> <br /> ==Collection of links related to this topic==<br /> * [[MediaWiki_Usage_Report_for_Wikimania_2015|MediaWiki User Report]], Wikimania 2015<br /> * [[Blog_Post:36|WMF Survey To Help Understand Third-party use of Wikipedia's Content]], 2015<br /> * [[MediaWiki_Usage_Questions|MediaWiki Usage Questions]]<br /> * [[Blog_Post:29|Meeting summary: Survey write up and Collaboration on core contributions]]<br /> * [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Report.pdf 2015 MediaWiki User Report PDF on Commons] and on [https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MUDdnj9DEV7IKQbocG1samCxylDHpsISm1Uzf5x4WMc/edit#slide=id.g5a5c0b7c3_0_36 Google Docs]<br /> * [https://archive.org/details/videoeditserver-87 Presentation] (2015-07-18 MediaWiki Stakeholders)<br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey mw.org: 2015 MediaWiki User Survey]<br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist mw.org: MediaWiki Stakeholders Group/Tasks/Feature wishlist]<br /> * 30 PDFs: [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey_Plots.pdf Survey Plots PDF] (overview: [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey_Brief_Summary.png Survey Brief Summary PNG])<br /> *[https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T117193 T117193]<br /> <br /> ==References==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki_Usage_Report_2015&diff=612 2015-12-08T15:53:48Z

<p>Chris Koerner: /* Collection of links related to this topic */ - credit is to the MSG, not just me.</p> <hr /> <div>The MediaWiki Stakeholders' User Group wants to improve MediaWiki and advocates the needs of MediaWiki users outside Wikimedia Foundation-supported projects. But who is using MediaWiki? In an effort to answer this question the MediaWiki Stakeholders’ Group organized a survey we submitted to MediaWiki users during the summer of 2015.<br /> <br /> We wanted to hear from existing MediaWiki users and asked that respondents complete ashort survey about their use of MediaWiki. The results of the survey will helped in providing input that should influence the future development of MediaWiki. We also hope to grow the community of MediaWiki Users and improve involvement.<br /> <br /> This article summarizes the 134 responses.<br /> <br /> ==Distribution== <br /> There's a huge wiki world beyond Wikimedia Foundation.&lt;ref&gt;https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T113210&lt;/ref&gt;.<br /> According to [https://wikiapiary.com/wiki/Statistics WikiApairy] there are over 25,000 independent wikis out there. And these are just the wikis that are public.<br /> <br /> There are some very well known companies and organisations which have MediaWiki installed (e.g. Mozilla, NASA, WordPress). But beyond them we know almost nothing about the users of MediaWiki.<br /> <br /> ===Downloads and Hostings===<br /> [[File:MediaWiki User Report Downloads.png|thumbnail|right|Download countries]]<br /> According to stats from MediaWiki.org there have been over 102,000 downloads of MediaWiki between May 18th and July 15th 2015, about '''7,200 downloads per month''' from the central project page. <br /> <br /> The country with the most downloads is surprisingly China. USA and Germany rank second and third. This is unexpected, because we are not aware of a sizable Chinese MediaWiki community. <br /> <br /> Furthermore there are thousands of installed MediaWikis on shared hosting (one-click) providers. For example, Bluehost said, they had &quot;thousands of installs on our shared platform and we are installing 100s more per month&quot;. &lt;ref&gt;[https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T113210 Wikimedia Phabricator: How should the WMF support non-technical mediawiki installs?], 2015&lt;/ref&gt; <br /> <br /> ===Most downloaded extensions===<br /> [[File:MediaWiki User Report Download Extensions.png|thumbnail|right|Downloaded extensions]]<br /> Identifying the most popular extensions is difficult. At least [https://grafana.wikimedia.org/dashboard/db/extension-distributor-downloads some data] (shared by [[mw:User:Legoktm|Legoktm]]) are interesting to get a first impression of needed add-ons in wikis beyond the Wikimedia Foundation. Many &quot;top 20&quot; extensions already prove the intense use of MediaWiki in companies and organizations. <br /> <br /> ==Typical MediaWiki users==<br /> The '''typical survey participant''' is either a developer/administrator or in management and works in a small organization with 25 or less people. Using MediaWiki now for over 5 years, he counts as long time user. He is managing 2 - 5 wikis, from which at least one is public and one private. The user sees 25 or less people on his wiki. The user uses MediaWiki because of it being Open Source and easy to use due to its similarity to Wikipedia. His public wiki is a fun site and his enterprise wiki is used for internal knowledge creation and management. He is unhappy with the upgrade process and the installation of new extensions and would like to see WordPress-like simple update buttons in the admin backend. For the enterprise wiki, access control and a functioning easy Visual Editor are important, but even more important is a slick, superpretty GUI. The user is part of the software community and contributes some feedback and bug reports. He also spreads the word. Irritating is the connection to Wikipedia and the scrambled software documentation, which isn't very user-friendly. Community-wise, he wishes for a master plan, good communication and easy ways of involvement to give back to the community and support the project.<br /> <br /> ===Position/Title===<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;„Sysadmin, high Queen, that idiot.“&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> Out of 134 participants of the survey, almost every fifth (20 %, 27) is in software development, every sixth (16 %, 22) is a software admin. External functions like management and leadership can be found in every sixth participant (14 %, 20), one eighth (12 %, 17) has science and academic background. Defined wiki users only acount for 12 % (12 %, 16) of the participants. 1 out of 10 have any other external background. (10 %, 14). At maximum 4 percent of the participants (4 %, 5) have direct or indirect relation to WMF or are software distributors. About one eighth of the answers (12 %, 16) were either unclear or unanswered.<br /> <br /> In 10 survey participants:<br /> * 2 are software developers<br /> * 2 administrators<br /> * 2 are in management/leadership position<br /> * 1 have academic background<br /> * 1 are solely wiki-users<br /> * 2 are doing something else...<br /> * 1 does not answer the question<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/What is your position or title?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Sizes of organization===<br /> [[File:2015 MediaWiki User Survey Brief Summary.png|thumbnail|right|Organization Size, Update Cycles, MW Versions e.a.]]<br /> About half of all participants work in organizations with 25 or less people (48,12 %, 64). Every fourth participant is part of an organization between 25 and 500 people (21 %, 28). Organizations with 500 or more people account for almost a third of all (28 %, 37).<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/How large is your organization?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Usage time of MediaWiki===<br /> More than half of the survey participants are long time users of MediaWiki, they use it 5+ years (54 %, 72). Almost a quarter is still using the software for 3–5 years (22 %, 30). The last quarter of participants is using the software for 1-2 years or less than 6 months. (24 %, 32). New users, who use the software for less than 6 months, account for about 5 % of the participants (5 %, 7). This figure can be an indication for how visible the survey was to new users.<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/How long have you been using MW?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Number of MediaWiki sites===<br /> The vast majority of users is managing 2 or more MediaWiki sites (almost 70 % of all). More than a third of all users / 4 out of 10 users manage 2–5 wikis. This is the highest figure in total (40 %, 54). Together with managers of 5-10 wikis, this accounts for half of all users. Every third participant is managing 5 or more. (30 %, 40). The figure of users managing more than 10 wikis is double as high (19 %, 26) as those managing 5 to 10 wikis (10 %, 14). Still, a quarter of the participants is managing 1 single MW site (25 %, 34). Only a few participants (4,5 %, 6) are not managing any MW site.<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/How many MediaWiki sites do you manage?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Public and private sites===<br /> Out of 133 answers, 36 users manage public wikis (27 %), 38 users manage private wikis (28,5 %) and 59 users manage a mix of both (44 %).<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/Are your sites public or private?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Number of users===<br /> Out of 133 answers, about a third of all survey parcicipants have 25 people or less on their wikis (36 %, 48), 1 in 10 participants are using the wiki just to themselves (11 %, 15).<br /> <br /> Relatively equally spread are the numbers of wikis with more users than 25:<br /> * 25–100 &gt; (19 %, 26)<br /> *100–500 &gt; (15 %, 20)<br /> *500+ &gt; (25 %, 33)<br /> <br /> Significant is the number of large wikis with 500 users or more, which account for a quarter of all participants (25 %, 33).<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/Approximately how many people are there on your MediaWiki sites?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===MediaWiki versions===<br /> The most wikis are updated regularly. Many maintainers use long term supported releases (LTS). <br /> <br /> ===Updates===<br /> The most user update their wiki &quot;when needed&quot;, but about 30% make updates with every security or minor point release. <br /> <br /> ===Most essential extensions===<br /> [[File:MediaWiki User Report Most Essential Extensions.png|thumbnail|right|Most essential extensions]] <br /> This graph shows, which extensions MediaWiki are important for users. <br /> <br /> ==Reasons for using MediaWiki==<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;„bad habits die hard.“&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;''Note: Telling from the answers, the question could have been clearer or separated into more than one. People understood different questions: ''<br /> <br /> * ''Why do you use MediaWiki –&amp;nbsp;and no other (collaboration) software?''<br /> * ''Why do you use MediaWiki –&amp;nbsp;and no other wiki software?''<br /> * ''What features and strengths do you value in the MediaWiki software?''<br /> * ''What do you use MediaWiki for? (I use it as...)''<br /> &lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> === Features / Functions, also in comparison to other software ===<br /> Participants choose MW mainly for these reasons: It is easy to use, it is simple, but flexible, adaptable and expandible, it has an active Open Source community. A role in this play general public reputation, the possibility to participate and the proximity to the widely known Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> ==== Wikipedia. ====<br /> In comparison to other wiki software, primarily for public wikis the similarity to Wikipedia was the most motivating reason for choosing MW. Wikipedia here functions on the one hand as an acceleration for implementation and change management due to the known code base (wikitext) and the familiarity with the interface. Good experiences should transfer. Reputation also plays a role. And on the other hand as a motivator („learn 1, know 2“). '''<br /> <br /> ====Open Source / Free. Community, Movement.====<br /> Users choose MW, because of it being Open Source, the big and active community, the trust in the broad authorship and hence the stability. Being free of charge also helps.<br /> <br /> Nice to see that one user mentioned that, when MW is &quot;developed by a non-profit organization and volunteers from all over the world and when you run a non-profit site it is a major plus for you if you can run your site on open-source free software&quot;.<br /> <br /> ====Simple, easy to use, stable.====<br /> An important part plays also the independence of the user in relation to functionalities: MW is easy to setup, easy to extend (good scalability), easy to adapt/adjust to ones needs, to many different needs. MediaWiki is simple, but extendible. This high flexibility is a valued feature.<br /> <br /> ====Questionable aspects====<br /> ''On the positive side, the software feels easy to handle and update, with an active, approachable community:''<br /> *„[...] features including easy-to-configure wikifarm set up […]”<br /> *&quot;[…] solid single-source solution for corporate knowledge management.&quot;<br /> *&quot; It's perfect for our company&quot;<br /> *&quot;The data model and core upgrade with simplicity&quot;<br /> ''These are all things later being answered to the contrary.''<br /> <br /> ''The user interface is mentioned once as a reason FOR MediaWiki, although it will later become rather a feature AGAINST it. Participants mention the editing as straightforward and easy, which will, again, later heavily questioned in the wishes for better editing options. This contradiction also holds true for software speed.''<br /> <br /> Some more aspects mentioned:<br /> *The internationalization out of the box<br /> *the version history as attribution of collaboration<br /> *the automation functions via bots and API<br /> *templates<br /> * Semantic MediaWiki<br /> <br /> ===Use cases in public and private wikis===<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;“MediaWiki is the best and best known tool to organize data in an open way for many users.&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> Specific use cases in public wikis circle around public documentation for cultural institutions and NPOs, fun sites and last but not least as a knowledge tool: for collaborative creation, presentation and documentation of knowledge.<br /> <br /> In corporate and therefore private (non-public) situations, wikis are mostly used for internal communication and internal knowledge transfer. <br /> The wiki also serves as a document repository or for manuals and machine documentation, especially technical documentation seems to be an important use case – whether it's meant to share with the public or the company.<br /> <br /> In the rather rarely mentioned personal situations, wikis are used for a personal knowledgebase (e.g. as a collection for research material in scientific contexts) or as a publication platform among a chosen few, like the family.<br /> <br /> MediaWiki is valued as a good platform for organizing big amounts of dynamic knowledge, as a memory base, an information portal. &quot;Sharing&quot; is key here. MediaWiki is also used for Wikipedia's original use case of an encyclopedia.<br /> <br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;“As a platform for almost everything.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/Why do you use MediaWiki?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> ==Feature requests==<br /> The results of the feature requests in the survey have been published earlier at [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders'_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist mediawiki.org]. Here is a short summary.<br /> <br /> === What would you like to see most improved in MediaWiki the software? ''–– The feature wish list.'' ===<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;„I pretty much love it as is.“&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> Out of 113 answers, the most wanted features (mentions) are easy software and extension management, installation and upgrade process (30), detailed access control and enterprise support (12), a feature-rich and functioning editor out of the box (13). An extremely important valued feature is the GUI, UX, usability and the skinning process (18). Users see themselves confronted with the spam problem (6). Participants also see improvements in speed (4), in the development itself (4), have ideas for the codebase (5). File (3) and image handling (4) can be improved, as well as language support (3). Better handling of wiki farms (4). They would like to see support for other databases (2), better error messages (2) and better support for new users (in a wiki) (2). Mobile Frontend (2) could be there out of the box. Template handling (2) can bee improved as well as the search function (2). The discussion pages (2) and the watchlist feature (2) could be improved.<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/What would you like to see most improved in MediaWiki the software?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> See also: [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group/Tasks/Feature wishlist], where most content was already included.<br /> <br /> ===Primary requirements===<br /> The feature requests can be split up into two sections. There's a significant wish for extensive improvement in core funtionalities. Three out of four wishes express the urgend support for the administration and maintenance of MediaWiki sites:<br /> # Easier installation, extension management and a better upgrade process<br /> # Editing and VisualEditor<br /> # Skinning and UI<br /> # Access controls and rights management<br /> <br /> While editing and the development of the VisualEditor is a common goal, skinning and a better UI have not the same priorities inside and outside the Wikimedia Foundation.<br /> <br /> The same goes for the installation and extension management, which are easily managed by a foundation with a well-appointed IT departement - in comparison to a single volunteer wiki maintainer with limited technical skills.<br /> <br /> Access controls and rights management are only issues for corporate and public wikis beyond the Wikimedia sites.<br /> <br /> ===Secondary requirements===<br /> There are diverse secondary requirements:<br /> * Good performance<br /> * Easier media management and licensing<br /> * Template management<br /> * Reliable release management<br /> * Marketing tools and user support<br /> * Developer support<br /> <br /> ==Community==<br /> The last questions asked about the state of the community.<br /> <br /> ===Contributions for the community===<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;„I preach its worth to everyone I talk to“&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> From all survey participants, 5 out of 10 are contributing feedback and bug reports, 4 out of 10 are contributing to extensions.<br /> 3 help with questions and provide support and improve documentation. Only 2 out of 10 contribute patches and bugfixes, even less contribute to MediaWiki core.<br /> <br /> Other contributions worth mentioning are<br /> * Help build the community, organize meetings, like SMWCon<br /> * Support on IRC channel <br /> * Help choosing the SMW of the month<br /> * Promotion and marketing, also like &quot;I preach its worth to everyone I talk to&quot;<br /> * Financial donations<br /> * Writing books about MW<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/Do you make contributions to the MediaWiki community?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Improvements and barriers===<br /> ''Quite a few answers circle around the MediaWiki software, which was part of a preceding question and get mentioned there.''<br /> <br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;&quot;The underlying perception that MediaWiki's focus should be on Wikipedia. MediaWiki is bigger than Wikipedia and everyone needs to accept that fact. It is critical that the community address the needs of the majority, even if that means working on features that aren't relevant for Wikipedia. MediaWiki and Wikipedia can diverge and still thrive together. The more that the WMF supports &quot;3rd-party users&quot;, the more those 3rd-party users will support the WMF.&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Wikipedia'''. A main aspect was the relation to Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation. The connection to WMF and Wikipedia, wasn't seen as solely positive. The focus on Wikipedia in the MW community and of the WMF was criticized. The non-WMF developer community should be better visible, more active and more in charge. The dev team should be separated from Wikipedia (as in .com for Wikipedia and .org for the Open Source software). The core devs should develop more towards the usage of MW beyond Wikimedia sites. Hence, certain independence from WMF development, a wish for a dedicated MediaWiki conference and other events, where involvement could be discussed.<br /> <br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;“Documentation, documentation, documentation. But maybe that's just me.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;&quot;It's a developers' system with mostly developers' documentation.&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> '''Documentation'''. User documentation could be improved by establishing a common language and adding clear tutorials for difficult installation processes (e.g. Visual Editor on Shared Hosting). Documentation should include the most basic, common use cases as well as less commonly used features. Documentation was criticized to often be outdated, incomplete or missing altogether. Participants wished for simple beginner tutorials and user-centered documentation content. Most of the documentation is technology driven, not use-case-driven.<br /> <br /> Developers should also have better documentation and easier access to help in their extension development, collaborative development should be encouraged. Developers see their code not reviewed at all or not quick enough, <br /> Also, the clearer the roadmap is (supported technologies etc.), the better. Clear regulations and starting points should ease the entry of new developers.<br /> <br /> '''Master plan.''' Quite a few users wished for an overall strategy, a master plan, which is focussing on all MediaWiki users (and not only Wikipedia). Interestingly, some participants asked for a community supporting enterprise users (which could mean, the Stakeholder's Group isn't yet seen as this). Some see this in the for-profit sector, some would only like to see a community, strongly supporting the overall development towards their own needs.<br /> <br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;&quot;3rd party MediaWiki users unite!&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Communication'''. Some users feel intimidated by the community, it's like an unaccessible &quot;elite&quot; and not easy to join. Communication tools are not yet properly supporting this: IRC as a discussion platform is not well-known, not very accessible for newbies and not always answered. People don't always know who to address their questions to, some wish for non-public ways of asking for help. Also, developers seem to be connected quite well – but not adminstrators.<br /> <br /> '''People want to help, but are not always sure, how.''' New users sometimes feel intimidated and discouraged. Newbies often don't know where to start, where to find help, who to ask. What contribution is asked for? What communication channel should be used for what? Calls for help are not prominent enough. As a new user, it is very difficult to oversee the status of the software development.<br /> <br /> People wish for concise information about the most important news. The system feels very complex. Some see also technical obstacles, like composer and the steep learning curve.<br /> <br /> '''Awareness'''. Many people do not yet know of (Semantic) MediaWiki's possibilities, so it's time to spread the word.<br /> <br /> Other ideas:<br /> *There was a wish for an &quot;editor-in-chief&quot; on mediawiki.org, the site seems sort of abandoned.<br /> *Even the community ressources should be visually appealing.<br /> <br /> Praise: &quot;Actually think the community is very healthy.&quot;<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/What would you like to see most improved in the community around MediaWiki?]]&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br /&gt;<br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/What barriers, if any, do you think exist to participation in the MediaWiki community? What can we do to help?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Next steps and requirements==<br /> There is a vast MediaWiki world outside the Wikimedia Foundation, as long as MediaWiki is only a byproduct of Wikipedia, third party users, independent developers and service providers live with uncertainities and have a limited motivation for serious contributions to bug reports, extension updates and documntation. <br /> <br /> The survey shows, that there's a need für more<br /> * Reliability<br /> * Standardization<br /> * Additional services in core<br /> * Focus on MediaWiki as an collaborative standard software for different use cases<br /> <br /> The ask for a clear plan, a roadmap and a strategy focussing on MW users.<br /> <br /> '''Docking stations''' <br /> * '''for developers''': for instance maintained hooks in MediaWiki for additional services, which are not supported or necessary for Wikipedia and its sister projects<br /> * '''for a user community''': for instance welcome newcomers (introduce and include newbies, encourage productivity, offer basic technical workshops and tutorials, call for help on prominant places in a friendly, open and appealing manner)<br /> * '''for maintainers''': for instance estabilsh local events and MediaWiki conference, improve documentation, include clear documenation for common use cases, improve documentation from developent-driven towards use-case-driven, cntralize communication channels (IRC, mailing lists, discussion pages, bug reports… &gt; forum?), make clear what channels are best used for what<br /> <br /> ==Collection of links related to this topic==<br /> * [[MediaWiki_Usage_Report_for_Wikimania_2015|MediaWiki User Report]], Wikimania 2015<br /> * [[Blog_Post:36|WMF Survey To Help Understand Third-party use of Wikipedia's Content]], 2015<br /> * [[MediaWiki_Usage_Questions|MediaWiki Usage Questions]]<br /> * [[Blog_Post:29|Meeting summary: Survey write up and Collaboration on core contributions]]<br /> * [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Report.pdf 2015 MediaWiki User Report PDF on Commons] and on [https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MUDdnj9DEV7IKQbocG1samCxylDHpsISm1Uzf5x4WMc/edit#slide=id.g5a5c0b7c3_0_36 Google Docs]<br /> * [https://archive.org/details/videoeditserver-87 Presentation] (2015-07-18 MediaWiki Stakeholders)<br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey mw.org: 2015 MediaWiki User Survey]<br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist mw.org: MediaWiki Stakeholders Group/Tasks/Feature wishlist]<br /> * 30 PDFs: [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey_Plots.pdf Survey Plots PDF] (overview: [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey_Brief_Summary.png Survey Brief Summary PNG])<br /> *[https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T117193 T117193]<br /> <br /> ==References==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki_Usage_Report_2015&diff=611 2015-12-07T19:48:03Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>The MediaWiki Stakeholders' User Group wants to improve MediaWiki and advocates the needs of MediaWiki users outside Wikimedia Foundation-supported projects. But who is using MediaWiki? In an effort to answer this question the MediaWiki Stakeholders’ Group organized a survey we submitted to MediaWiki users during the summer of 2015.<br /> <br /> We wanted to hear from existing MediaWiki users and asked that respondents complete ashort survey about their use of MediaWiki. The results of the survey will helped in providing input that should influence the future development of MediaWiki. We also hope to grow the community of MediaWiki Users and improve involvement.<br /> <br /> This article summarizes the 134 responses.<br /> <br /> ==Distribution== <br /> There's a huge wiki world beyond Wikimedia Foundation.&lt;ref&gt;https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T113210&lt;/ref&gt;.<br /> According to [https://wikiapiary.com/wiki/Statistics WikiApairy] there are over 25,000 independent wikis out there. And these are just the wikis that are public.<br /> <br /> There are some very well known companies and organisations which have MediaWiki installed (e.g. Mozilla, NASA, WordPress). But beyond them we know almost nothing about the users of MediaWiki.<br /> <br /> ===Downloads and Hostings===<br /> [[File:MediaWiki User Report Downloads.png|thumbnail|right|Download countries]]<br /> According to stats from MediaWiki.org there have been over 102,000 downloads of MediaWiki between May 18th and July 15th 2015, about '''7,200 downloads per month''' from the central project page. <br /> <br /> The country with the most downloads is surprisingly China. USA and Germany rank second and third. This is unexpected, because we are not aware of a sizable Chinese MediaWiki community. <br /> <br /> Furthermore there are thousands of installed MediaWikis on shared hosting (one-click) providers. For example, Bluehost said, they had &quot;thousands of installs on our shared platform and we are installing 100s more per month&quot;. &lt;ref&gt;[https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T113210 Wikimedia Phabricator: How should the WMF support non-technical mediawiki installs?], 2015&lt;/ref&gt; <br /> <br /> ===Most downloaded extensions===<br /> [[File:MediaWiki User Report Download Extensions.png|thumbnail|right|Downloaded extensions]]<br /> Identifying the most popular extensions is difficult. At least [https://grafana.wikimedia.org/dashboard/db/extension-distributor-downloads some data] (shared by [[mw:User:Legoktm|Legoktm]]) are interesting to get a first impression of needed add-ons in wikis beyond the Wikimedia Foundation. Many &quot;top 20&quot; extensions already prove the intense use of MediaWiki in companies and organizations. <br /> <br /> ==Typical MediaWiki users==<br /> The '''typical survey participant''' is either a developer/administrator or in management and works in a small organization with 25 or less people. Using MediaWiki now for over 5 years, he counts as long time user. He is managing 2 - 5 wikis, from which at least one is public and one private. The user sees 25 or less people on his wiki. The user uses MediaWiki because of it being Open Source and easy to use due to its similarity to Wikipedia. His public wiki is a fun site and his enterprise wiki is used for internal knowledge creation and management. He is unhappy with the upgrade process and the installation of new extensions and would like to see WordPress-like simple update buttons in the admin backend. For the enterprise wiki, access control and a functioning easy Visual Editor are important, but even more important is a slick, superpretty GUI. The user is part of the software community and contributes some feedback and bug reports. He also spreads the word. Irritating is the connection to Wikipedia and the scrambled software documentation, which isn't very user-friendly. Community-wise, he wishes for a master plan, good communication and easy ways of involvement to give back to the community and support the project.<br /> <br /> ===Position/Title===<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;„Sysadmin, high Queen, that idiot.“&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> Out of 134 participants of the survey, almost every fifth (20 %, 27) is in software development, every sixth (16 %, 22) is a software admin. External functions like management and leadership can be found in every sixth participant (14 %, 20), one eighth (12 %, 17) has science and academic background. Defined wiki users only acount for 12 % (12 %, 16) of the participants. 1 out of 10 have any other external background. (10 %, 14). At maximum 4 percent of the participants (4 %, 5) have direct or indirect relation to WMF or are software distributors. About one eighth of the answers (12 %, 16) were either unclear or unanswered.<br /> <br /> In 10 survey participants:<br /> * 2 are software developers<br /> * 2 administrators<br /> * 2 are in management/leadership position<br /> * 1 have academic background<br /> * 1 are solely wiki-users<br /> * 2 are doing something else...<br /> * 1 does not answer the question<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/What is your position or title?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Sizes of organization===<br /> [[File:2015 MediaWiki User Survey Brief Summary.png|thumbnail|right|Organization Size, Update Cycles, MW Versions e.a.]]<br /> About half of all participants work in organizations with 25 or less people (48,12 %, 64). Every fourth participant is part of an organization between 25 and 500 people (21 %, 28). Organizations with 500 or more people account for almost a third of all (28 %, 37).<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/How large is your organization?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Usage time of MediaWiki===<br /> More than half of the survey participants are long time users of MediaWiki, they use it 5+ years (54 %, 72). Almost a quarter is still using the software for 3–5 years (22 %, 30). The last quarter of participants is using the software for 1-2 years or less than 6 months. (24 %, 32). New users, who use the software for less than 6 months, account for about 5 % of the participants (5 %, 7). This figure can be an indication for how visible the survey was to new users.<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/How long have you been using MW?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Number of MediaWiki sites===<br /> The vast majority of users is managing 2 or more MediaWiki sites (almost 70 % of all). More than a third of all users / 4 out of 10 users manage 2–5 wikis. This is the highest figure in total (40 %, 54). Together with managers of 5-10 wikis, this accounts for half of all users. Every third participant is managing 5 or more. (30 %, 40). The figure of users managing more than 10 wikis is double as high (19 %, 26) as those managing 5 to 10 wikis (10 %, 14). Still, a quarter of the participants is managing 1 single MW site (25 %, 34). Only a few participants (4,5 %, 6) are not managing any MW site.<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/How many MediaWiki sites do you manage?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Public and private sites===<br /> Out of 133 answers, 36 users manage public wikis (27 %), 38 users manage private wikis (28,5 %) and 59 users manage a mix of both (44 %).<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/Are your sites public or private?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Number of users===<br /> Out of 133 answers, about a third of all survey parcicipants have 25 people or less on their wikis (36 %, 48), 1 in 10 participants are using the wiki just to themselves (11 %, 15).<br /> <br /> Relatively equally spread are the numbers of wikis with more users than 25:<br /> * 25–100 &gt; (19 %, 26)<br /> *100–500 &gt; (15 %, 20)<br /> *500+ &gt; (25 %, 33)<br /> <br /> Significant is the number of large wikis with 500 users or more, which account for a quarter of all participants (25 %, 33).<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/Approximately how many people are there on your MediaWiki sites?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===MediaWiki versions===<br /> The most wikis are updated regularly. Many maintainers use long term supported releases (LTS). <br /> <br /> ===Updates===<br /> The most user update their wiki &quot;when needed&quot;, but about 30% make updates with every security or minor point release. <br /> <br /> ===Most essential extensions===<br /> [[File:MediaWiki User Report Most Essential Extensions.png|thumbnail|right|Most essential extensions]] <br /> This graph shows, which extensions MediaWiki are important for users. <br /> <br /> ==Reasons for using MediaWiki==<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;„bad habits die hard.“&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;''Note: Telling from the answers, the question could have been clearer or separated into more than one. People understood different questions: ''<br /> <br /> * ''Why do you use MediaWiki –&amp;nbsp;and no other (collaboration) software?''<br /> * ''Why do you use MediaWiki –&amp;nbsp;and no other wiki software?''<br /> * ''What features and strengths do you value in the MediaWiki software?''<br /> * ''What do you use MediaWiki for? (I use it as...)''<br /> &lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> === Features / Functions, also in comparison to other software ===<br /> Participants choose MW mainly for these reasons: It is easy to use, it is simple, but flexible, adaptable and expandible, it has an active Open Source community. A role in this play general public reputation, the possibility to participate and the proximity to the widely known Wikipedia.<br /> <br /> ==== Wikipedia. ====<br /> In comparison to other wiki software, primarily for public wikis the similarity to Wikipedia was the most motivating reason for choosing MW. Wikipedia here functions on the one hand as an acceleration for implementation and change management due to the known code base (wikitext) and the familiarity with the interface. Good experiences should transfer. Reputation also plays a role. And on the other hand as a motivator („learn 1, know 2“). '''<br /> <br /> ====Open Source / Free. Community, Movement.====<br /> Users choose MW, because of it being Open Source, the big and active community, the trust in the broad authorship and hence the stability. Being free of charge also helps.<br /> <br /> Nice to see that one user mentioned that, when MW is &quot;developed by a non-profit organization and volunteers from all over the world and when you run a non-profit site it is a major plus for you if you can run your site on open-source free software&quot;.<br /> <br /> ====Simple, easy to use, stable.====<br /> An important part plays also the independence of the user in relation to functionalities: MW is easy to setup, easy to extend (good scalability), easy to adapt/adjust to ones needs, to many different needs. MediaWiki is simple, but extendible. This high flexibility is a valued feature.<br /> <br /> ====Questionable aspects====<br /> ''On the positive side, the software feels easy to handle and update, with an active, approachable community:''<br /> *„[...] features including easy-to-configure wikifarm set up […]”<br /> *&quot;[…] solid single-source solution for corporate knowledge management.&quot;<br /> *&quot; It's perfect for our company&quot;<br /> *&quot;The data model and core upgrade with simplicity&quot;<br /> ''These are all things later being answered to the contrary.''<br /> <br /> ''The user interface is mentioned once as a reason FOR MediaWiki, although it will later become rather a feature AGAINST it. Participants mention the editing as straightforward and easy, which will, again, later heavily questioned in the wishes for better editing options. This contradiction also holds true for software speed.''<br /> <br /> Some more aspects mentioned:<br /> *The internationalization out of the box<br /> *the version history as attribution of collaboration<br /> *the automation functions via bots and API<br /> *templates<br /> * Semantic MediaWiki<br /> <br /> ===Use cases in public and private wikis===<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;“MediaWiki is the best and best known tool to organize data in an open way for many users.&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> Specific use cases in public wikis circle around public documentation for cultural institutions and NPOs, fun sites and last but not least as a knowledge tool: for collaborative creation, presentation and documentation of knowledge.<br /> <br /> In corporate and therefore private (non-public) situations, wikis are mostly used for internal communication and internal knowledge transfer. <br /> The wiki also serves as a document repository or for manuals and machine documentation, especially technical documentation seems to be an important use case – whether it's meant to share with the public or the company.<br /> <br /> In the rather rarely mentioned personal situations, wikis are used for a personal knowledgebase (e.g. as a collection for research material in scientific contexts) or as a publication platform among a chosen few, like the family.<br /> <br /> MediaWiki is valued as a good platform for organizing big amounts of dynamic knowledge, as a memory base, an information portal. &quot;Sharing&quot; is key here. MediaWiki is also used for Wikipedia's original use case of an encyclopedia.<br /> <br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;“As a platform for almost everything.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/Why do you use MediaWiki?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> ==Feature requests==<br /> The results of the feature requests in the survey have been published earlier at [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders'_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist mediawiki.org]. Here is a short summary.<br /> <br /> === What would you like to see most improved in MediaWiki the software? ''–– The feature wish list.'' ===<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;„I pretty much love it as is.“&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> Out of 113 answers, the most wanted features (mentions) are easy software and extension management, installation and upgrade process (30), detailed access control and enterprise support (12), a feature-rich and functioning editor out of the box (13). An extremely important valued feature is the GUI, UX, usability and the skinning process (18). Users see themselves confronted with the spam problem (6). Participants also see improvements in speed (4), in the development itself (4), have ideas for the codebase (5). File (3) and image handling (4) can be improved, as well as language support (3). Better handling of wiki farms (4). They would like to see support for other databases (2), better error messages (2) and better support for new users (in a wiki) (2). Mobile Frontend (2) could be there out of the box. Template handling (2) can bee improved as well as the search function (2). The discussion pages (2) and the watchlist feature (2) could be improved.<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/What would you like to see most improved in MediaWiki the software?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> See also: [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group/Tasks/Feature wishlist], where most content was already included.<br /> <br /> ===Primary requirements===<br /> The feature requests can be split up into two sections. There's a significant wish for extensive improvement in core funtionalities. Three out of four wishes express the urgend support for the administration and maintenance of MediaWiki sites:<br /> # Easier installation, extension management and a better upgrade process<br /> # Editing and VisualEditor<br /> # Skinning and UI<br /> # Access controls and rights management<br /> <br /> While editing and the development of the VisualEditor is a common goal, skinning and a better UI have not the same priorities inside and outside the Wikimedia Foundation.<br /> <br /> The same goes for the installation and extension management, which are easily managed by a foundation with a well-appointed IT departement - in comparison to a single volunteer wiki maintainer with limited technical skills.<br /> <br /> Access controls and rights management are only issues for corporate and public wikis beyond the Wikimedia sites.<br /> <br /> ===Secondary requirements===<br /> There are diverse secondary requirements:<br /> * Good performance<br /> * Easier media management and licensing<br /> * Template management<br /> * Reliable release management<br /> * Marketing tools and user support<br /> * Developer support<br /> <br /> ==Community==<br /> The last questions asked about the state of the community.<br /> <br /> ===Contributions for the community===<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;„I preach its worth to everyone I talk to“&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> From all survey participants, 5 out of 10 are contributing feedback and bug reports, 4 out of 10 are contributing to extensions.<br /> 3 help with questions and provide support and improve documentation. Only 2 out of 10 contribute patches and bugfixes, even less contribute to MediaWiki core.<br /> <br /> Other contributions worth mentioning are<br /> * Help build the community, organize meetings, like SMWCon<br /> * Support on IRC channel <br /> * Help choosing the SMW of the month<br /> * Promotion and marketing, also like &quot;I preach its worth to everyone I talk to&quot;<br /> * Financial donations<br /> * Writing books about MW<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/Do you make contributions to the MediaWiki community?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Improvements and barriers===<br /> ''Quite a few answers circle around the MediaWiki software, which was part of a preceding question and get mentioned there.''<br /> <br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;&quot;The underlying perception that MediaWiki's focus should be on Wikipedia. MediaWiki is bigger than Wikipedia and everyone needs to accept that fact. It is critical that the community address the needs of the majority, even if that means working on features that aren't relevant for Wikipedia. MediaWiki and Wikipedia can diverge and still thrive together. The more that the WMF supports &quot;3rd-party users&quot;, the more those 3rd-party users will support the WMF.&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Wikipedia'''. A main aspect was the relation to Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation. The connection to WMF and Wikipedia, wasn't seen as solely positive. The focus on Wikipedia in the MW community and of the WMF was criticized. The non-WMF developer community should be better visible, more active and more in charge. The dev team should be separated from Wikipedia (as in .com for Wikipedia and .org for the Open Source software). The core devs should develop more towards the usage of MW beyond Wikimedia sites. Hence, certain independence from WMF development, a wish for a dedicated MediaWiki conference and other events, where involvement could be discussed.<br /> <br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;“Documentation, documentation, documentation. But maybe that's just me.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;&quot;It's a developers' system with mostly developers' documentation.&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> '''Documentation'''. User documentation could be improved by establishing a common language and adding clear tutorials for difficult installation processes (e.g. Visual Editor on Shared Hosting). Documentation should include the most basic, common use cases as well as less commonly used features. Documentation was criticized to often be outdated, incomplete or missing altogether. Participants wished for simple beginner tutorials and user-centered documentation content. Most of the documentation is technology driven, not use-case-driven.<br /> <br /> Developers should also have better documentation and easier access to help in their extension development, collaborative development should be encouraged. Developers see their code not reviewed at all or not quick enough, <br /> Also, the clearer the roadmap is (supported technologies etc.), the better. Clear regulations and starting points should ease the entry of new developers.<br /> <br /> '''Master plan.''' Quite a few users wished for an overall strategy, a master plan, which is focussing on all MediaWiki users (and not only Wikipedia). Interestingly, some participants asked for a community supporting enterprise users (which could mean, the Stakeholder's Group isn't yet seen as this). Some see this in the for-profit sector, some would only like to see a community, strongly supporting the overall development towards their own needs.<br /> <br /> &lt;blockquote class=&quot;surveyquote&quot;&gt;&quot;3rd party MediaWiki users unite!&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br /> <br /> '''Communication'''. Some users feel intimidated by the community, it's like an unaccessible &quot;elite&quot; and not easy to join. Communication tools are not yet properly supporting this: IRC as a discussion platform is not well-known, not very accessible for newbies and not always answered. People don't always know who to address their questions to, some wish for non-public ways of asking for help. Also, developers seem to be connected quite well – but not adminstrators.<br /> <br /> '''People want to help, but are not always sure, how.''' New users sometimes feel intimidated and discouraged. Newbies often don't know where to start, where to find help, who to ask. What contribution is asked for? What communication channel should be used for what? Calls for help are not prominent enough. As a new user, it is very difficult to oversee the status of the software development.<br /> <br /> People wish for concise information about the most important news. The system feels very complex. Some see also technical obstacles, like composer and the steep learning curve.<br /> <br /> '''Awareness'''. Many people do not yet know of (Semantic) MediaWiki's possibilities, so it's time to spread the word.<br /> <br /> Other ideas:<br /> *There was a wish for an &quot;editor-in-chief&quot; on mediawiki.org, the site seems sort of abandoned.<br /> *Even the community ressources should be visually appealing.<br /> <br /> Praise: &quot;Actually think the community is very healthy.&quot;<br /> <br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/What would you like to see most improved in the community around MediaWiki?]]&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br /&gt;<br /> &lt;small&gt;Details: [[{{PAGENAME}}/What barriers, if any, do you think exist to participation in the MediaWiki community? What can we do to help?]]&lt;/small&gt;<br /> <br /> ==Next steps and requirements==<br /> There is a vast MediaWiki world outside the Wikimedia Foundation, as long as MediaWiki is only a byproduct of Wikipedia, third party users, independent developers and service providers live with uncertainities and have a limited motivation for serious contributions to bug reports, extension updates and documntation. <br /> <br /> The survey shows, that there's a need für more<br /> * Reliability<br /> * Standardization<br /> * Additional services in core<br /> * Focus on MediaWiki as an collaborative standard software for different use cases<br /> <br /> The ask for a clear plan, a roadmap and a strategy focussing on MW users.<br /> <br /> '''Docking stations''' <br /> * '''for developers''': for instance maintained hooks in MediaWiki for additional services, which are not supported or necessary for Wikipedia and its sister projects<br /> * '''for a user community''': for instance welcome newcomers (introduce and include newbies, encourage productivity, offer basic technical workshops and tutorials, call for help on prominant places in a friendly, open and appealing manner)<br /> * '''for maintainers''': for instance estabilsh local events and MediaWiki conference, improve documentation, include clear documenation for common use cases, improve documentation from developent-driven towards use-case-driven, cntralize communication channels (IRC, mailing lists, discussion pages, bug reports… &gt; forum?), make clear what channels are best used for what<br /> <br /> ==Collection of links related to this topic==<br /> * Chris Koerner: [[MediaWiki_Usage_Report_for_Wikimania_2015|MediaWiki User Report]], Wikimania 2015<br /> * Chris Koerner: [[Blog_Post:36|WMF Survey To Help Understand Third-party use of Wikipedia's Content]], 2015<br /> * [[MediaWiki_Usage_Questions|MediaWiki Usage Questions]]<br /> * [[Blog_Post:29|Meeting summary: Survey write up and Collaboration on core contributions]]<br /> * [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Report.pdf 2015 MediaWiki User Report PDF on Commons] and on [https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MUDdnj9DEV7IKQbocG1samCxylDHpsISm1Uzf5x4WMc/edit#slide=id.g5a5c0b7c3_0_36 Google Docs]<br /> * [https://archive.org/details/videoeditserver-87 Presentation] (2015-07-18 MediaWiki Stakeholders)<br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey mw.org: 2015 MediaWiki User Survey]<br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist mw.org: MediaWiki Stakeholders Group/Tasks/Feature wishlist]<br /> * 30 PDFs: [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey_Plots.pdf Survey Plots PDF] (overview: [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey_Brief_Summary.png Survey Brief Summary PNG])<br /> *[https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T117193 T117193]<br /> <br /> ==References==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:36&diff=597 2015-12-04T18:27:57Z

<p>Chris Koerner: Created page with &quot;{{Blog Post |title=WMF Survey To Help Understand Third-party use of Wikipedia's Content |tags=Survey, MediaWiki, Wikimedia Foundation, API, Data, |author=Chris Koerner }} Anot...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=WMF Survey To Help Understand Third-party use of Wikipedia's Content<br /> |tags=Survey, MediaWiki, Wikimedia Foundation, API, Data,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> Another survey! The WMF is hosting a survey to help better understand how folks are using Wikipedia's data. From the announcement:<br /> <br /> &quot;Dear Wikipedia data/API user,<br /> <br /> The WMF’s Engineering, Product and Partnerships teams are conducting a short survey to help us understand how organizations are pulling and using data from our projects. This information will inform future features and improvements to our data tools and APIs.<br /> <br /> We would appreciate a few minutes of your time. The link to the Survey below will take you to a Google Form - there is no need to sign up to fill out the survey. The survey should take no more than 10 minutes.<br /> <br /> https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1yUrHzyLABN419RCDbzepjoRWCbaWYV4wbtbKPa95C4o/viewform?usp=send_form<br /> <br /> Thank you for your input and feedback!&quot;<br /> <br /> This is yet another great opportunity for you to influence tools and services that may have an impact on MediaWiki - especially around API and extracting data from wikis!</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:35&diff=596 2015-12-04T18:08:44Z

<p>Chris Koerner: Created page with &quot;{{Blog Post |title=Discussions on Minimum PHP Version for MediaWiki and the Future of Long Term Support (LTS) Releases |tags=1.27, Wikimedia Foundation, LTS, Release Managemen...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=Discussions on Minimum PHP Version for MediaWiki and the Future of Long Term Support (LTS) Releases<br /> |tags=1.27, Wikimedia Foundation, LTS, Release Management,<br /> |people=Ori Livneh,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> There are two interesting conversations around the future of PHP support in MediaWiki going on at the moment. Both will impact the upgrading of current wiki installs, and present interesting issues for those MediaWiki users who leverage the LTS release cycle for planning upgrades. <br /> <br /> The first deals with [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T118932 raising MediaWiki's minimum PHP version] to allow for newer features (and security) fixes. This will have an impact on MediaWiki users who are on shared hosting or otherwise can't easily control the version of PHP they are running. The proposed minimum version is 5.5.<br /> <br /> As part of that conversation is also the topic of LTS releases of MediaWiki. The decision to identify the next LTS release (the last being version 1.23 released in 2015) as 1.27 overlaps with the question on what minimum version of PHP we want to bump things up to. PHP 5.5 is no longer in active support, but will continue to receive security updates for another seven months.<br /> <br /> There's [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/E92 a log of the related RfC Meeting on Phabricator] and you can learn more about [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Version_lifecycle MediaWiki's Version Lifecycle on MediaWiki.org].</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:34&diff=595 2015-12-03T19:50:30Z

<p>Chris Koerner: Created page with &quot;{{Blog Post |title=2015 Community Wishlist Survey Voting Begins |tags=Wishlist, Voting, Wikimedia Foundation, Community Tech, |author=Chris Koerner }} Voting is now open for t...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=2015 Community Wishlist Survey Voting Begins<br /> |tags=Wishlist, Voting, Wikimedia Foundation, Community Tech,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> Voting is now open for the [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/2015_Community_Wishlist_Survey Community Wishlist Survey], conducted by the Wikimedia Foundation Community Tech team. The team is asking contributors to Wikimedia projects to provide feedback onto accepted proposals to inprove the technology around the various WMF-supproted projects. While not directly a MediaWiki-specific endeavor some of the proposed improvements will see changes to core MediaWiki and perhaps even enhancements to existing extension - or new extensions all together. <br /> <br /> There are over 100 proposals to vote on in the following categories. <br /> <br /> *Bots and gadgets (4 proposals)<br /> *Categories (7 proposals)<br /> *Commons (6 proposals)<br /> *Editing (15 proposals)<br /> *Miscellaneous (17 proposals)<br /> *Moderation and admin tools (13 proposals)<br /> *Multimedia (5 proposals)<br /> *Notifications (4 proposals)<br /> *Reading (4 proposals)<br /> *Search (5 proposals)<br /> *Special pages (2 proposals)<br /> *Talk pages (4 proposals)<br /> *Templates (3 proposals)<br /> *Watchlists (7 proposals)<br /> *Wikidata (7 proposals)<br /> *Wikisource (6 proposals)<br /> *Wikiversity (1 proposal)<br /> <br /> Community members with more than 100 edit are able to vote and you can vote for any proposal you're interested in. So [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/2015_Community_Wishlist_Survey vote early and vote often]!</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:33&diff=583 2015-11-18T22:26:30Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=How the Wikimedia Foundation Develops MediaWiki<br /> |tags=Wikimedia Foundation, Development, MediaWiki,<br /> |people=Keegan Peterzell,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> Keegan Peterzell, a Community Liaison at the Wikimedia Foundation posted [http://article.gmane.org/gmane.science.linguistics.wikipedia.technical/84938 an insightful note on the wikitech-l mailing list] detailing a draft of principles the foundation uses in developing the MediaWiki software.<br /> <br /> &quot;As you may have seen, engineering in the Wikimedia Foundation is working to define the software product development process to be used internally. As part of this, I'm working on developing a list of guiding principles for the software development process.<br /> <br /> These are high-level principles that are meant to be overarching reminders of good practice for WMF engineering, a sort-of poster on the wall.&quot;<br /> <br /> It is encouraging to see this work being done, much less under such transparency. Take a look at Keegan's thread and be sure to follow the links. My two favorite:<br /> <br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/WMF_product_development_process WMF Product Development Process]<br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Design_and_development_principles Design and Development Principles]</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:33&diff=582 2015-11-18T22:26:07Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=How the Wikimedia Foundation Develops MediaWiki<br /> |tags=Wikimedia Foundation, Development, MediaWiki,<br /> |people=Keegan Peterzell,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> Keegan Peterzell a Community Liaison at the Wikimedia Foundation posted [http://article.gmane.org/gmane.science.linguistics.wikipedia.technical/84938 an insightful note on the wikitech-l mailing list] detailing a draft of principles the foundation uses in developing the MediaWiki software.<br /> <br /> &quot;As you may have seen, engineering in the Wikimedia Foundation is working to define the software product development process to be used internally. As part of this, I'm working on developing a list of guiding principles for the software development process.<br /> <br /> These are high-level principles that are meant to be overarching reminders of good practice for WMF engineering, a sort-of poster on the wall.&quot;<br /> <br /> It is encouraging to see this work being done, much less under such transparency. Take a look at Keegan's thread and be sure to follow the links. My two favorite:<br /> <br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/WMF_product_development_process WMF Product Development Process]<br /> * [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Design_and_development_principles Design and Development Principles]</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:33&diff=581 2015-11-18T22:20:29Z

<p>Chris Koerner: Created page with &quot;{{Blog Post |title=How the Wikimedia Foundation Develops MediaWiki |author=Chris Koerner }} http://article.gmane.org/gmane.science.linguistics.wikipedia.technical/84938&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=How the Wikimedia Foundation Develops MediaWiki<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> http://article.gmane.org/gmane.science.linguistics.wikipedia.technical/84938</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:32&diff=563 2015-11-16T17:21:44Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=Fall SMWCon 2015 in Review<br /> |tags=SMWCon, Event, Review, Opinion,<br /> |people=Chris Koerner, Mark Hershberger, Lex Sulzer, Sabine Melnicki, Toni Hermoso Pulido, Karsten Hoffmeyer, Yaron Koren, Jeroen De Dauw, James Hong Kong,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> This October I was fortunate enough to attend the [http://semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/SMWCon_Fall_2015 Fall SMWCon] in Barcelona, Spain. The event exceeded my expectations. I learned a lot, was able to share the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group] with a new and diverse audience, and presented on topics that I felt good about and believe helped many in our community.<br /> <br /> The biggest motivation behind trying to attend SMWCon this fall was to continue the work we (the MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group) started in Lyon at the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Hackathon_2015 Wikimedia Hackathon] around [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T100060 building up the awareness] around MediaWiki.<br /> <br /> Bringing awareness to the MediaWiki community, both from yet untapped contributors (developers, designers, writers, admins, users, etc.) and from the larger Wikimedia movement (including the Wikimedia Foundation) is something that is needed right now. MediaWiki, the software, is in a position of being an incredibly viable content management system (CMS) and the community is ripe with many active participants. Taking advantage of the growth of both - community and software - goes a long way to ensuring a strong future.<br /> <br /> ==Conference==<br /> <br /> At SMWCon I was introduced to an entirely new continent of Semantic MediaWiki (SMW) admins, developers, and users. We had about 50 folks in attendance from various backgrounds. The location was spectacular. [http://fabraicoats.bcn.cat/en/ Fabra i Coats], a renovated textile factory turned art gallery, was our home for the 3-day event. The event organizers did a great job choosing a location that was near accessible accommodations, and a short walk into a beautiful Barcelona neighborhood, Sant Andreu. I was really happy that we weren't in the city centre (but close) and could experience Barcelona a little closer to how locals go about their day.<br /> <br /> I was fortunate enough to have been asked by one of the organizers to host the Introduction to Semantic MediaWiki session on the first day. We had a lot of folks not only new to SMW, but to MediaWiki itself! Being able to guide folks through common wiki concepts like Categories, Namespaces, and Templates felt really good.<br /> <br /> [https://semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/SMWCon_Fall_2015/What_we_Know_About_MediaWiki_and_Where_we%27re_Going My session] was well received and spurred seemingly endless conversations and tasks! My presentation was titled &quot;What we Know About MediaWiki and Where we're Going&quot; which really is just a long-winded way of saying - &quot;Here's what's going on with MediaWiki and why you should get involved&quot; (Which, as I type that, is just as long of a title).<br /> <br /> I shared with folks some practical examples of the work the stakeholders' group has accomplished like [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey our user survey], [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Report.pdf the resulting report], and our [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist updated and prioritized wishlist]. I also spoke to some practical examples of changes and developments in MediaWiki core. What I was most excited to discuss was the idea that the meaning of MediaWiki is changing. As WMF-lead initiatives look to more service-enabled solutions the definition of MediaWiki as a piece of software is up for question. For third-party users, it is hard (if not impossible) to nail down a single decisive definition of &quot;What is MediaWiki&quot;. However, a individual users part of a larger community we have to be asking these questions and developing some shape to what MediaWiki means. Is it just core MediaWiki and a handful of extensions? Does it include ConfirmAccount? WikiEditor? Semantic MediaWiki? Semantic Forms? Upload Wizard? Echo? VisualEditor?<br /> <br /> What does it mean to support third-party users? Is there a better way? Would a new organization with a unattached roadmap be more fruitful in defining MediaWiki as a software? As a community?<br /> <br /> I don't know if we were able to answer any of these questions, but I do know we're moving in the right direction and engaging the right people. <br /> <br /> From the other sessions I learned a lot about new SMW extensions, updates to existing extensions, and some really interesting ways people and organizations are using the software to do great things. Please take a moment to look through [https://semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/SMWCon_Fall_2015/Conference_Days the various presentations on the conference site]. I guarantee you'll learn something new.<br /> <br /> <br /> ==People==<br /> Some of the individuals that stand out to me are Lex Sulzer, Sabine Melnicki, and Toni Hermoso. Lex and Sabine were two people that not only showed generosity in helping me get around the city, but were also gracious in sharing their knowledge and ideas with the community. Their presentations are worth enjoying and learning from - again SMW user or not.<br /> <br /> Toni was a hero helping to organize the event and being a superb host. His care was present in every morning as he personally went to the local bakery to bring fresh pastries for us to enjoy.<br /> <br /> In fact all of the organizers were pleasant and hardworking folks who you could really tell wanted to put on a great event for everyone.<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Place==<br /> Barcelona is an amazing city with so much life and activity. Coming from a small suburb in the Midwest United States it seems like a world away, but everyone was friendly and accommodating. The art, the food, the history - were all inspiriting and beautiful. <br /> <br /> The most economical flight had me arriving in the city a day ahead of the conference. I was invited to join a self-organized tour of the city and it was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. We walked over 12 miles from every corner of the city seeing the sites. All lead by Rolf, Sabine, and Lex - attendees and impromptu tour guides. I was able to take a few photos of our adventures and have [https://www.flickr.com/photos/thekoerners/sets/72157660537714441 uploaded them to Flickr] (all licensed under Creative Commons, naturally).<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Outcomes==<br /> <br /> At the event I helped to introduce the MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group to attendees and we were successful in getting new folks to say they're interested and want to get involved. We have more folks aware of our work and eager to stay involved.<br /> <br /> One of our goals for the next few months is to work with members of our group to put together a proposal for the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Developer_Summit_2016 Developers Summit in January]. We've created a few tasks to guide our work in Phabricator and I'm helping to put together information for that event.<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Conclusion==<br /> If you work with MediaWiki - not even specifically Semantic MediaWiki - SMWCon is one of the largest, most well organized, and informative events you can attend. I'm thankful for the organizers for hosting and event and allowing me to present, and for the Wikimedia Foundation for their travel and participation support program that enabled me to attend. I'm invigorated to continue working with the stakeholders and to further develop the community around MediaWiki and all its extensions.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:32&diff=561 2015-11-15T17:43:30Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=Fall SMWCon 2015 in Review<br /> |tags=SMWCon, Event, Review, Opinion,<br /> |people=Chris Koerner, Mark Hershberger, Lex Sulzer, Sabine Melnicki, Toni Hermoso Pulido, Karsten Hoffmeyer, Yaron Koren, Jeroen De Dauw, James Hong Kong,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> This October I was fortunate enough to attend the Fall SMWCon in Barcelona, Spain. The event exceeded my expectations. I learned a lot, was able to share the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group] with a new and diverse audience, and presented on topics that I felt good about and believe helped many in our community.<br /> <br /> The biggest motivation behind trying to attend SMWCon this fall was to continue the work we (the MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group) started in Lyon at the Wikimedia Hackathon around building up the awareness around MediaWiki.<br /> <br /> Bringing awareness to the MediaWiki community, both from yet untapped contributors (developers, designers, writers, admins, users, etc.) and from the larger Wikimedia movement (including the Wikimedia Foundation) is something that is needed right now. MediaWiki, the software, is in a position of being an incredibly viable content management system (CMS) and the community is ripe with many active participants. Taking advantage of the growth of both - community and software - goes a long way to ensuring a strong future for both.<br /> <br /> ==Conference==<br /> <br /> At SMWCon I was introduced to an entirely new continent of Semantic MediaWiki (SMW) admins, developers, and users. We had about 50 folks in attendance from various backgrounds. The location was spectacular. [http://fabraicoats.bcn.cat/en/ Fabra i Coats], a renovated textile factory turned art gallery, was our home for the 3-day event. The event organizers did a great job choosing a location that was near accessible accommodations, and a short walk into a beautiful Barcelona neighborhood, Sant Andreu. I was really happy that we weren't in the city centre (but close) and could experience Barcelona a little closer to how locals go about their day.<br /> <br /> I was fortunate enough to have been asked by one of the organizers to host the Introduction to Semantic MediaWiki session on the first day. We had a lot of folks not only new to SMW, but to MediaWiki itself! Being able to guide folks through common wiki concepts like Categories, Namespaces, Templates and more felt really good.<br /> <br /> [https://semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/SMWCon_Fall_2015/What_we_Know_About_MediaWiki_and_Where_we%27re_Going My session] was well received and spurred seemingly endless conversations and tasks! My presentation was titled &quot;What we Know About MediaWiki and Where we're Going&quot; which really is just a long-winded way of saying - &quot;Here's what's going on with MediaWiki and why you should get involved&quot; (Which, as I type that, is just as long of a title).<br /> <br /> I shared with folks some practical examples of the work the stakeholders' group has accomplished like [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey our user survey], [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Report.pdf the resulting report], and our [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist updated and prioritized wishlist]. I also spoke to some practical examples of changes and developments in MediaWiki core. What I was most excited to discuss was the idea that the meaning of MediaWiki is changing. As WMF-lead initiative look to more service-enabled solutions the definition of MediaWiki as a piece of software is up for questions. For third-party users, it is hard (if not impossible) to nail down a single decisive definition of &quot;What is MediaWiki&quot;. However, a individual users part of a larger community we have to be asking these questions and developing some shape to what MediaWiki means. Is it just core MediaWiki and a handful of extensions? Does it include ConfirmAccount? WikiEditor? Semantic MediaWiki? Semantic Forms? Upload Wizard? Echo? VisualEditor?<br /> <br /> What does it mean to support third-party users? Is there a better way? Would a new organization with a unattached roadmap be more fruitful in defining MediaWiki as a software? As a community?<br /> <br /> I don't know if we were able to answer any of these questions, but I do know we're moving in the right direction and engaging the right people. <br /> <br /> From the other sessions I learned a lot about new SMW extensions, updates to existing extensions, and some really interesting ways people and organizations are using the software to do great things. Please take a moment to look through [https://semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/SMWCon_Fall_2015/Conference_Days the various presentations on the conference site]. I guarantee you'll find something new.<br /> <br /> <br /> ==People==<br /> Some of the individuals that stand out to me are Lex Sulzer, Sabine Melnicki, and Toni Hermoso. Lex and Sabine were two people that not only showed generosity in helping get around the city, but were also gracious in sharing their knowledge and ideas with the community. Their presentations are worth enjoying and learning from - again SMW user or not.<br /> <br /> Toni was a hero helping to organize the event and being a superb host. His care was present in every morning as he personally went to the local bakery to bring fresh pastries for us to enjoy.<br /> <br /> In fact all of the organizers were pleasant and hardworking folks who you could really tell wanted to put on a great event for everyone.<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Place==<br /> Barcelona is an amazing city with so much life and activity. Coming from a small suburb in the Midwest United States it seems like a world away, but everyone was friendly and accommodating. The art, the food, the history - were all inspiriting and beautiful. <br /> <br /> The most economical flight had me arriving in the city a day ahead of the conference. I was invited to join a self-organized tour of the city and it was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. We walked over 12 miles from every corner of the city seeing the sites. All lead by Rolf, Sabine, and Lex - attendees and impromptu tour guides. I was able to take a few photos of our adventures and have [https://www.flickr.com/photos/thekoerners/sets/72157660537714441 uploaded them to Flickr] (all licensed under Creative Commons, naturally).<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Outcomes==<br /> <br /> At the event I helped to introduce the MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group to attendees and we were successful in getting new folks to say they're interested and want to get involved. We have more folks aware of our work and eager to stay involved.<br /> <br /> One of our goals for the next few months is to work with members of our group to put together a proposal for the Developers Summit in January. We've created a few tasks to guide our work in Phabricator and I'm helping to put together information for that event.<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Conclusion==<br /> If you work with MediaWiki - not even specifically Semantic MediaWiki - SMWCon is one of the largest, most well organized, and informative events you can attend. I'm thankful for the organizers for hosting and event and allowing me to present, and for the Wikimedia Foundation for their travel and participation support program that enabled me to attend. I'm invigorated to continue working with the stakeholders and to further develop the community around MediaWiki and all its extensions.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:32&diff=560 2015-11-15T17:43:13Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=Fall SMWCon 2015 in Review<br /> |tags=SMWCon, Event, Review, Opinion,<br /> |people=Chris Koerner, Mark Hershberger, Lex Sulzer, Sabine Melnicki, Toni Hermoso Pulido, Karsten Hoffmeyer, Yaron Koren, Jeroen De Dauw, James Hong Kong,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> This October I was fortunate enough to attend the Fall SMWCon in Barcelona, Spain. The event exceeded my expectations. I learned a lot, was able to share the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group] with a new and diverse audience, and presented on topics that I felt good about and believe helped many in our community.<br /> <br /> The biggest motivation behind trying to attend SMWCon this fall was to continue the work we (the MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group) started in Lyon at the Wikimedia Hackathon around building up the awareness around MediaWiki.<br /> <br /> Bringing awareness to the MediaWiki community, both from yet untapped contributors (developers, designers, writers, admins, users, etc.) and from the larger Wikimedia movement (including the Wikimedia Foundation) is something that is needed right now. MediaWiki, the software, is in a position of being an incredibly viable content management system (CMS) and the community is ripe with many active participants. Taking advantage of the growth of both - community and software - goes a long way to ensuring a strong future for both.<br /> <br /> ==Conference==<br /> <br /> At SMWCon I was introduced to an entirely new continent of Semantic MediaWiki (SMW) admins, developers, and users. We had about 50 folks in attendance from various backgrounds. The location was spectacular. [http://fabraicoats.bcn.cat/en/ Fabra i Coats], a renovated textile factory turned art gallery, was our home for the 3-day event. The event organizers did a great job choosing a location that was near accessible accommodations, and a short walk into a beautiful Barcelona neighborhood, Sant Andreu. I was really happy that we weren't in the city centre (but close) and could experience Barcelona a little closer to how locals go about their day.<br /> <br /> I was fortunate enough to have been asked by one of the organizers to host the Introduction to Semantic MediaWiki session on the first day. We had a lot of folks not only new to SMW, but to MediaWiki itself! Being able to guide folks through common wiki concepts like Categories, Namespaces, Templates and more felt really good.<br /> <br /> [https://semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/SMWCon_Fall_2015/What_we_Know_About_MediaWiki_and_Where_we%27re_Going My session] was well received and spurred seemingly endless conversations and tasks! My presentation was titled &quot;What we Know About MediaWiki and Where we're Going&quot; which really is just a long-winded way of saying - &quot;Here's what's going on with MediaWiki and why you should get involved&quot; (Which, as I type that, is just as long of a title).<br /> <br /> I shared with folks some practical examples of the work the stakeholders' group has accomplished like [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey our user survey], [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Report.pdf the resulting report], and our [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist updated and prioritized wishlist]. I also spoke to some practical examples of changes and developments in MediaWiki core. What I was most excited to discuss was the idea that the meaning of MediaWiki is changing. As WMF-lead initiative look to more service-enabled solutions the definition of MediaWiki as a piece of software is up for questions. For third-party users, it is hard (if not impossible) to nail down a single decisive definition of &quot;What is MediaWiki&quot;. However, a individual users part of a larger community we have to be asking these questions and developing some shape to what MediaWiki means. Is it just core MediaWiki and a handful of extensions? Does it include ConfirmAccount? WikiEditor? Semantic MediaWiki? Semantic Forms? Upload Wizard? Echo? VisualEditor?<br /> <br /> What does it mean to support third-party users? Is there a better way? Would a new organization with a unattached roadmap be more fruitful in defining MediaWiki as a software? As a community?<br /> <br /> I don't know if we were able to answer any of these questions, but I do know we're moving in the right direction and engaging the right people. <br /> <br /> From the other sessions I learned a lot about new SMW extensions, updates to existing extensions, and some really interesting ways people and organizations are using the software to do great things. Please take a moment to look through [https://semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/SMWCon_Fall_2015/Conference_Days the various presentations on the conference site]. I guarantee you'll find something new.<br /> <br /> <br /> ==People==<br /> Some of the individuals that stand out to me are Lex Sulzer, Sabine Melnicki, and Toni Hermoso. Lex and Sabine were two people that not only showed generosity in helping get around the city, but were also gracious in sharing their knowledge and ideas with the community. Their presentations are worth enjoying and learning from - again SMW user or not.<br /> <br /> Toni was a hero helping to organize the event and being a superb host. His care was present in every morning as he personally went to the local bakery to bring fresh pastries for us to enjoy.<br /> <br /> In fact all of the organizers were pleasant and hardworking folks who you could really tell wanted to put on a great event for everyone.<br /> <br /> ==Place==<br /> Barcelona is an amazing city with so much life and activity. Coming from a small suburb in the Midwest United States it seems like a world away, but everyone was friendly and accommodating. The art, the food, the history - were all inspiriting and beautiful. <br /> <br /> The most economical flight had me arriving in the city a day ahead of the conference. I was invited to join a self-organized tour of the city and it was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. We walked over 12 miles from every corner of the city seeing the sites. All lead by Rolf, Sabine, and Lex - attendees and impromptu tour guides. I was able to take a few photos of our adventures and have [https://www.flickr.com/photos/thekoerners/sets/72157660537714441 uploaded them to Flickr] (all licensed under Creative Commons, naturally).<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Outcomes==<br /> <br /> At the event I helped to introduce the MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group to attendees and we were successful in getting new folks to say they're interested and want to get involved. We have more folks aware of our work and eager to stay involved.<br /> <br /> One of our goals for the next few months is to work with members of our group to put together a proposal for the Developers Summit in January. We've created a few tasks to guide our work in Phabricator and I'm helping to put together information for that event.<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Conclusion==<br /> If you work with MediaWiki - not even specifically Semantic MediaWiki - SMWCon is one of the largest, most well organized, and informative events you can attend. I'm thankful for the organizers for hosting and event and allowing me to present, and for the Wikimedia Foundation for their travel and participation support program that enabled me to attend. I'm invigorated to continue working with the stakeholders and to further develop the community around MediaWiki and all its extensions.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:32&diff=559 2015-11-15T17:42:51Z

<p>Chris Koerner: /* People */</p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=Fall SMWCon 2015 in Review<br /> |tags=SMWCon, Event, Review, Opinion,<br /> |people=Chris Koerner, Mark Hershberger, Lex Sulzer, Sabine Melnicki, Toni Hermoso Pulido, Karsten Hoffmeyer, Yaron Koren, Jeroen De Dauw, James Hong Kong,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> This October I was fortunate enough to attend the Fall SMWCon in Barcelona, Spain. The event exceeded my expectations. I learned a lot, was able to share the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group] with a new and diverse audience, and presented on topics that I felt good about and believe helped many in our community.<br /> <br /> The biggest motivation behind trying to attend SMWCon this fall was to continue the work we (the MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group) started in Lyon at the Wikimedia Hackathon around building up the awareness around MediaWiki.<br /> <br /> Bringing awareness to the MediaWiki community, both from yet untapped contributors (developers, designers, writers, admins, users, etc.) and from the larger Wikimedia movement (including the Wikimedia Foundation) is something that is needed right now. MediaWiki, the software, is in a position of being an incredibly viable content management system (CMS) and the community is ripe with many active participants. Taking advantage of the growth of both - community and software - goes a long way to ensuring a strong future for both.<br /> <br /> ==Conference==<br /> <br /> At SMWCon I was introduced to an entirely new continent of Semantic MediaWiki (SMW) admins, developers, and users. We had about 50 folks in attendance from various backgrounds. The location was spectacular. [http://fabraicoats.bcn.cat/en/ Fabra i Coats], a renovated textile factory turned art gallery, was our home for the 3-day event. The event organizers did a great job choosing a location that was near accessible accommodations, and a short walk into a beautiful Barcelona neighborhood, Sant Andreu. I was really happy that we weren't in the city centre (but close) and could experience Barcelona a little closer to how locals go about their day.<br /> <br /> I was fortunate enough to have been asked by one of the organizers to host the Introduction to Semantic MediaWiki session on the first day. We had a lot of folks not only new to SMW, but to MediaWiki itself! Being able to guide folks through common wiki concepts like Categories, Namespaces, Templates and more felt really good.<br /> <br /> [https://semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/SMWCon_Fall_2015/What_we_Know_About_MediaWiki_and_Where_we%27re_Going My session] was well received and spurred seemingly endless conversations and tasks! My presentation was titled &quot;What we Know About MediaWiki and Where we're Going&quot; which really is just a long-winded way of saying - &quot;Here's what's going on with MediaWiki and why you should get involved&quot; (Which, as I type that, is just as long of a title).<br /> <br /> I shared with folks some practical examples of the work the stakeholders' group has accomplished like [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey our user survey], [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Report.pdf the resulting report], and our [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist updated and prioritized wishlist]. I also spoke to some practical examples of changes and developments in MediaWiki core. What I was most excited to discuss was the idea that the meaning of MediaWiki is changing. As WMF-lead initiative look to more service-enabled solutions the definition of MediaWiki as a piece of software is up for questions. For third-party users, it is hard (if not impossible) to nail down a single decisive definition of &quot;What is MediaWiki&quot;. However, a individual users part of a larger community we have to be asking these questions and developing some shape to what MediaWiki means. Is it just core MediaWiki and a handful of extensions? Does it include ConfirmAccount? WikiEditor? Semantic MediaWiki? Semantic Forms? Upload Wizard? Echo? VisualEditor?<br /> <br /> What does it mean to support third-party users? Is there a better way? Would a new organization with a unattached roadmap be more fruitful in defining MediaWiki as a software? As a community?<br /> <br /> I don't know if we were able to answer any of these questions, but I do know we're moving in the right direction and engaging the right people. <br /> <br /> From the other sessions I learned a lot about new SMW extensions, updates to existing extensions, and some really interesting ways people and organizations are using the software to do great things. Please take a moment to look through [https://semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/SMWCon_Fall_2015/Conference_Days the various presentations on the conference site]. I guarantee you'll find something new.<br /> <br /> ==People==<br /> Some of the individuals that stand out to me are Lex Sulzer, Sabine Melnicki, and Toni Hermoso. Lex and Sabine were two people that not only showed generosity in helping get around the city, but were also gracious in sharing their knowledge and ideas with the community. Their presentations are worth enjoying and learning from - again SMW user or not.<br /> <br /> Toni was a hero helping to organize the event and being a superb host. His care was present in every morning as he personally went to the local bakery to bring fresh pastries for us to enjoy.<br /> <br /> In fact all of the organizers were pleasant and hardworking folks who you could really tell wanted to put on a great event for everyone.<br /> <br /> ==Place==<br /> Barcelona is an amazing city with so much life and activity. Coming from a small suburb in the Midwest United States it seems like a world away, but everyone was friendly and accommodating. The art, the food, the history - were all inspiriting and beautiful. <br /> <br /> The most economical flight had me arriving in the city a day ahead of the conference. I was invited to join a self-organized tour of the city and it was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. We walked over 12 miles from every corner of the city seeing the sites. All lead by Rolf, Sabine, and Lex - attendees and impromptu tour guides. I was able to take a few photos of our adventures and have [https://www.flickr.com/photos/thekoerners/sets/72157660537714441 uploaded them to Flickr] (all licensed under Creative Commons, naturally).<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Outcomes==<br /> <br /> At the event I helped to introduce the MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group to attendees and we were successful in getting new folks to say they're interested and want to get involved. We have more folks aware of our work and eager to stay involved.<br /> <br /> One of our goals for the next few months is to work with members of our group to put together a proposal for the Developers Summit in January. We've created a few tasks to guide our work in Phabricator and I'm helping to put together information for that event.<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Conclusion==<br /> If you work with MediaWiki - not even specifically Semantic MediaWiki - SMWCon is one of the largest, most well organized, and informative events you can attend. I'm thankful for the organizers for hosting and event and allowing me to present, and for the Wikimedia Foundation for their travel and participation support program that enabled me to attend. I'm invigorated to continue working with the stakeholders and to further develop the community around MediaWiki and all its extensions.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:32&diff=558 2015-11-15T17:42:04Z

<p>Chris Koerner: Created page with &quot;{{Blog Post |title=Fall SMWCon 2015 in Review |tags=SMWCon, Event, Review, Opinion, |people=Chris Koerner, Mark Hershberger, Lex Sulzer, Sabine Melnicki, Toni Hermoso Pulido,...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=Fall SMWCon 2015 in Review<br /> |tags=SMWCon, Event, Review, Opinion,<br /> |people=Chris Koerner, Mark Hershberger, Lex Sulzer, Sabine Melnicki, Toni Hermoso Pulido, Karsten Hoffmeyer, Yaron Koren, Jeroen De Dauw, James Hong Kong,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> This October I was fortunate enough to attend the Fall SMWCon in Barcelona, Spain. The event exceeded my expectations. I learned a lot, was able to share the [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group] with a new and diverse audience, and presented on topics that I felt good about and believe helped many in our community.<br /> <br /> The biggest motivation behind trying to attend SMWCon this fall was to continue the work we (the MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group) started in Lyon at the Wikimedia Hackathon around building up the awareness around MediaWiki.<br /> <br /> Bringing awareness to the MediaWiki community, both from yet untapped contributors (developers, designers, writers, admins, users, etc.) and from the larger Wikimedia movement (including the Wikimedia Foundation) is something that is needed right now. MediaWiki, the software, is in a position of being an incredibly viable content management system (CMS) and the community is ripe with many active participants. Taking advantage of the growth of both - community and software - goes a long way to ensuring a strong future for both.<br /> <br /> ==Conference==<br /> <br /> At SMWCon I was introduced to an entirely new continent of Semantic MediaWiki (SMW) admins, developers, and users. We had about 50 folks in attendance from various backgrounds. The location was spectacular. [http://fabraicoats.bcn.cat/en/ Fabra i Coats], a renovated textile factory turned art gallery, was our home for the 3-day event. The event organizers did a great job choosing a location that was near accessible accommodations, and a short walk into a beautiful Barcelona neighborhood, Sant Andreu. I was really happy that we weren't in the city centre (but close) and could experience Barcelona a little closer to how locals go about their day.<br /> <br /> I was fortunate enough to have been asked by one of the organizers to host the Introduction to Semantic MediaWiki session on the first day. We had a lot of folks not only new to SMW, but to MediaWiki itself! Being able to guide folks through common wiki concepts like Categories, Namespaces, Templates and more felt really good.<br /> <br /> [https://semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/SMWCon_Fall_2015/What_we_Know_About_MediaWiki_and_Where_we%27re_Going My session] was well received and spurred seemingly endless conversations and tasks! My presentation was titled &quot;What we Know About MediaWiki and Where we're Going&quot; which really is just a long-winded way of saying - &quot;Here's what's going on with MediaWiki and why you should get involved&quot; (Which, as I type that, is just as long of a title).<br /> <br /> I shared with folks some practical examples of the work the stakeholders' group has accomplished like [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/2015_MediaWiki_User_Survey our user survey], [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2015_MediaWiki_User_Report.pdf the resulting report], and our [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group/Tasks/Feature_wishlist updated and prioritized wishlist]. I also spoke to some practical examples of changes and developments in MediaWiki core. What I was most excited to discuss was the idea that the meaning of MediaWiki is changing. As WMF-lead initiative look to more service-enabled solutions the definition of MediaWiki as a piece of software is up for questions. For third-party users, it is hard (if not impossible) to nail down a single decisive definition of &quot;What is MediaWiki&quot;. However, a individual users part of a larger community we have to be asking these questions and developing some shape to what MediaWiki means. Is it just core MediaWiki and a handful of extensions? Does it include ConfirmAccount? WikiEditor? Semantic MediaWiki? Semantic Forms? Upload Wizard? Echo? VisualEditor?<br /> <br /> What does it mean to support third-party users? Is there a better way? Would a new organization with a unattached roadmap be more fruitful in defining MediaWiki as a software? As a community?<br /> <br /> I don't know if we were able to answer any of these questions, but I do know we're moving in the right direction and engaging the right people. <br /> <br /> From the other sessions I learned a lot about new SMW extensions, updates to existing extensions, and some really interesting ways people and organizations are using the software to do great things. Please take a moment to look through [https://semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/SMWCon_Fall_2015/Conference_Days the various presentations on the conference site]. I guarantee you'll find something new.<br /> <br /> ==People==<br /> Some of the individuals that stand out to me are Lex Sulzer, Sabine Melnicki, and Toni Hermoso. Lex and Sabine were two people that not only showed generosity in helping get around the city, but were also gracious in sharing their knowledge and ideas with the community. Their presentations are worth enjoying and learning from - again SMW user or not.<br /> <br /> Toni was a hero helping to organize the event and being a superb host. His care was present in every morning as he personally went to the local bakery to bring fresh pastries for us to enjoy.<br /> <br /> In fact all of the organizers were pleasant and hardworking folks who you could really tell wanted to put on a great event for everyone.<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Place==<br /> Barcelona is an amazing city with so much life and activity. Coming from a small suburb in the Midwest United States it seems like a world away, but everyone was friendly and accommodating. The art, the food, the history - were all inspiriting and beautiful. <br /> <br /> The most economical flight had me arriving in the city a day ahead of the conference. I was invited to join a self-organized tour of the city and it was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. We walked over 12 miles from every corner of the city seeing the sites. All lead by Rolf, Sabine, and Lex - attendees and impromptu tour guides. I was able to take a few photos of our adventures and have [https://www.flickr.com/photos/thekoerners/sets/72157660537714441 uploaded them to Flickr] (all licensed under Creative Commons, naturally).<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Outcomes==<br /> <br /> At the event I helped to introduce the MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group to attendees and we were successful in getting new folks to say they're interested and want to get involved. We have more folks aware of our work and eager to stay involved.<br /> <br /> One of our goals for the next few months is to work with members of our group to put together a proposal for the Developers Summit in January. We've created a few tasks to guide our work in Phabricator and I'm helping to put together information for that event.<br /> <br /> <br /> ==Conclusion==<br /> If you work with MediaWiki - not even specifically Semantic MediaWiki - SMWCon is one of the largest, most well organized, and informative events you can attend. I'm thankful for the organizers for hosting and event and allowing me to present, and for the Wikimedia Foundation for their travel and participation support program that enabled me to attend. I'm invigorated to continue working with the stakeholders and to further develop the community around MediaWiki and all its extensions.</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Main_Page&diff=549 2015-11-02T19:45:03Z

<p>Chris Koerner: </p> <hr /> <div>The '''MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group''' is a MediaWiki [[:mw:Groups|user group]] consisting of MediaWiki developers, system administrators, users, consultants, and hosting providers who cooperate in order to improve the software and advocate the needs of MediaWiki users outside the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF), its projects and the traditional Wikimedia movement.<br /> <br /> This wiki, MWStake.org, acts as a repository for news and events around our work. To be kept up-to-date on our activities, you can follow the tasks on [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/tag/mediawiki-stakeholders-group/ our workboard in] Phabricator. You can also follow us on Twitter at [https://twitter.com/@mwstakeholders @mwstakeholders].<br /> <br /> Our scope of influence is deliberately broad and meant to be flexible to encompass the needs of our diverse community. Our areas of collaboration are described on our [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group user group page on mediawiki.org].<br /> <br /> The group was [[:mw:meta:Affiliations_Committee/Resolutions/MediaWiki_Stakeholders%27_Group_-_Liaison_approval,_November_2014|recognized by the Affiliations Committee]] on [[:mw:Thread:Talk:MediaWiki Stakeholder's Group/Congratulations!|November 11, 2014]].<br /> <br /> <br /> {| cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; width=100%<br /> | style=&quot;vertical-align: top;width: 30%;&quot; | {{FancyBox<br /> | color = CCA300<br /> | title = Recent blog posts<br /> | icon = [[File:Blog.png|24px|link=]]<br /> | content =<br /> {{#ask:[[Category:Blog Posts]]<br /> |?Page creator<br /> |?Creation date<br /> |format=ul<br /> |template=Blog Post Row<br /> |link=none<br /> |headers=hide<br /> |sort=Creation date<br /> |order=desc<br /> |limit=10<br /> |searchlabel=<br /> }}<br /> }}<br /> | style=&quot;vertical-align: top;padding-left: 1.2em; width: 30%;&quot; | {{FancyBox<br /> | color = CCA300<br /> | title = Recent MWstake meetings<br /> | icon = [[File:Meeting.png|24px|link=]]<br /> | content =<br /> {{#ask:[[Category:Events]][[MWstake Meeting::true]][[Start Date::≤{{CURRENTYEAR}}-{{CURRENTMONTH}}-{{CURRENTDAY}}]]<br /> |?Date<br /> |?Event URL<br /> |format=ul<br /> |template=Meeting Row<br /> |headers=hide<br /> |link=none<br /> |sort=Start Date<br /> |order=desc<br /> |limit=20<br /> |searchlabel=<br /> }}<br /> }}<br /> | style=&quot;vertical-align: top;padding-left: 1.2em; width: 30%;&quot; | {{FancyBox<br /> | color = CCA300<br /> | title = Upcoming events<br /> | icon = [[File:Calendar.png|24px|link=]]<br /> | content =<br /> {{#ask:[[Category:Events]][[Start Date::&gt;{{CURRENTYEAR}}-{{CURRENTMONTH}}-{{CURRENTDAY}}]]<br /> |?Start Date<br /> |?End Date<br /> |?Event URL<br /> |?MWstake Meeting<br /> |format=ul<br /> |template=Event Row<br /> |headers=hide<br /> |link=none<br /> |sort=Start Date<br /> |order=asc<br /> |limit=10<br /> |searchlabel=<br /> }}<br /> }}<br /> |}<br /> &lt;div style=&quot;display:none;&quot;&gt;<br /> {{DISPLAYTITLE:MediaWiki Stakeholders' Group (#MWstake)}}<br /> [[Category:Framework Pages]]<br /> &lt;/div&gt;</div>

Chris Koerner https://mwstake.org/w/index.php?title=Blog_Post:31&diff=548 2015-11-02T18:27:17Z

<p>Chris Koerner: Created page with &quot;{{Blog Post |title=Upcoming Office Hours with the WMF on the topic of Shared Hosting |tags=Wikimedia Foundation, Office Hours, Shared Hosting, |people=Gilles Dubuc, |author=Ch...&quot;</p> <hr /> <div>{{Blog Post<br /> |title=Upcoming Office Hours with the WMF on the topic of Shared Hosting<br /> |tags=Wikimedia Foundation, Office Hours, Shared Hosting,<br /> |people=Gilles Dubuc,<br /> |author=Chris Koerner<br /> }}<br /> As a follow up to [[Blog_Post:30|our last blog post]], there's an opportunity to future discuss the topic of shared hosting and MediaWiki. Gilles Dubuc is [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/IRC_office_hours#Upcoming_office_hours hosting an office hour on IRC] on November 19th to discuss the topic with members of the community.<br /> <br /> Titled&quot;Reconnecting with the shared hosting community&quot; this is a chance to talk more about this topic and how we might all move forward. I encourage you to attend.<br /> <br /> As an additional note, the originally titled task of &quot;The end of shared hosting support?&quot; was changed to &quot;[https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T113210 How should the WMF support non-technical mediawiki installs?]&quot;. The topic's focus has shifted slightly, but the elephant in the room remains the same - What level of support should the WMF provide to third-party MediaWiki users and how does that impact future development?</div>

Chris Koerner