MarioWiki:Maintenance
Maintenance refers to the ongoing tasks involved in helping to keep the wiki clean, up to date and ensuring that our content is in-line withpolicy. Users are encouraged to continuously contribute to areas of maintenance which meet their interests and capabilities. However, some tasks are assigned to certain groups of users. For instance, theadministrators help keep the wiki clean fromvandalism by blocking troublesome editors, and thePoll Committee arranges the weekly poll which is featured on the wiki's main page. Certain basic maintenance tasks may also be assigned to abot, which is able to edit a large number of pages in a short space of time.
Please remember that basic maintenance edits, such as fixing a link or correcting a spelling mistake, should be marked as aminor edit.
Main page
- Main page:MarioWiki:Maintenance/Main page
Themain page is an important way to welcome visitors to the wiki, and invite them to further explore our community by providing them with news, community notices, links to useful pages, and more. A large part of the main page's content must be updated according to a weekly schedule. This includes a rotating preview of the wiki'sfeatured articles, updating a "Did you know?" section withSuper Mario facts, and a regular community poll which is organized by thePoll Committee. The most recentSuper Mario-related news is also presented, as well as a link to the latest edition of our monthly community newspaper,The 'Shroom.
File maintenance
Images, as well asmedia files, are essential to provide examples about what articles are detailing in words. All articles should use at least one image, with the exception ofimplied or unseen subjects. Various maintenance tasks may be required for the file itself (such as issues with quality and categorization), the use of the file on pages, or the request for the uploading of additional files where required. Files should also closely follow theimage use policy, and new revisions to files may only be uploaded byautoconfirmed users.
| Unlicensed files | Files without acopyright tag used to provide legal attribution and assist with organization. SeeCategory:Files with unknown copyright status |
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| Uncategorized files | Files that don't have any categories at all, including a copyright status. SeeSpecial:UncategorizedFiles |
| Files that are missing a category | Almost all files may be attributed to agame orother form of media. The {{uncategorized}} template seen when uploading files should be replaced with an appropriate media category. Users who repeatedly fail to categorize their images may be given an {{imagecategory-reminder}}. SeeCategory:Files with missing categories |
| Files with missing or incomplete aboutfile | Files without the {{aboutfile}} template, or one with unmodified parameters, no values whatsoever, or a missing description. Users who repeatedly upload files with an incorrectly coded template may be given an {{aboutfile-reminder}}. SeeCategory:Files with broken Aboutfile template andCategory:Files with missing Aboutfile description |
| Unused files | All files should be used on at least one page. Some unused files may be eligible for deletion if they are too similar to another file, or otherwise have no use on our articles. SeeSpecial:UnusedFiles |
| Files to be used | These files are currently unused but are planned to be used in the future. SeeCategory:Files to be used |
| Image requested | Articles tagged with with {{image}} require at least one image to illustrate the subject. SeeCategory:Articles that need an image |
| Articles that need more images | Articles with {{image|more=yes}} already have at least one image, although more are required. SeeCategory:Articles that need more images |
| Media requested | Articles tagged with {{media missing}} require at least one audio or visual file for the subject. SeeCategory:Articles that need media |
| Articles that need more media | Articles with {{media missing|more=yes}} already have at least one audio or visual file, although more are required. SeeCategory:Articles that need more media |
| Broken file links | Pages that are currently linking to a file that doesn't exist. If a file link on a page is unnecessary, then it should be removed. SeeCategory:Articles with broken file links andSpecial:WantedFiles |
| Images of poor quality | Images that are of low quality are tagged with {{image-quality}}, and should be reuploaded or replaced. SeeCategory:Images to be reuploaded with higher quality |
| Media files that need reuploading | Media files that are of low quality are tagged with {{media-quality}}, while media files that contain over 30 seconds of copyrighted music and need to betrimmed down are tagged with {{media-length}}. SeeCategory:Media files to be reuploaded with higher quality,Category:Media files to be trimmed in length, andCategory:Articles with audio files over 30 seconds |
| SVG requested | Images showing a basic logo or drawing may be requested as anSVG file. These images are tagged with {{convert to SVG}}. SeeCategory:Images to be converted to SVG |
| Personal file maintenance | Personal files which have been abandoned or are unattributed to a user. SeeCategory:Personal file maintenance |
Written content
The following maintenance issues concern the actual written content of an article. Content should be free from spelling/grammatical errors, be of a decent length and containing all available information, as well as following the wiki'swriting guidelines.
| Wanted pages | Articles that have yet to be created will be shown as a red link. New articles must follow theManual of Style, and can only be created byautoconfirmed users. SeeSpecial:WantedPages |
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| Stub articles | Articles orsections that are very short, and lacking basic information will be tagged with {{stub}} or {{stub|section=yes}} for sections of articles. Users who have created stub articles without marking them as such should receive a {{new stub-reason}} reminder, so that they can understand how their future articles may be improved. SeeCategory:Stubs |
| Rewrite requested | Poorly-written articles which require revising should be tagged with {{rewrite}}. Issues may include being poorly worded, ridden with grammar mistakes, or otherwise going against ourwriting guidelines. Anexpansion may also be required with {{rewrite-expand}}. SeeCategory:Articles to be rewritten |
| Long notes section | Articles containing an overly longnotes: such sections should only contain miscellaneous and notable information which does not fit elsewhere within the article. Notes should be incorporated into other article sections when applicable. SeeCategory:Articles with long notes sections |
General article maintenance
Maintenance that doesn't specifically concern the article's written content or files.
| Articles under construction | Articles that are tagged with the {{construction}} template are not fully finished, and may have an informal appearance. Before trying to complete the article, make sure that the user who marked it as under construction does not intend to finish it themselves. SeeCategory:Articles under construction |
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| No category | Articles without acategory. SeeSpecial:UncategorizedPages |
| Wanted categories | Uncreated categories which are currently being used on articles. SeeSpecial:WantedCategories |
| Citation needed | Articles which contain information requiring a validreference, or replacing links which have since gone defunct. SeeCategory:Articles with sourcing issues |
| Article reference errors | Articles which contain acitation which has not been coded correctly. SeeCategory:Articles with reference errors andcontent pages with missing references tag |
| Duplicate template arguments | Such pages currently have an incorrectly coded template, which is trying to use the same parameter with different values. SeeCategory:Pages using duplicate arguments in template calls |
| Articles with deprecated templates | These articles contain one or more templates pending deletion which need to be removed or replaced. SeeCategory:Articles with deprecated templates |
| Articles with deprecated template parameters | These articles contain one or more template parameters which need to be removed or replaced. SeeCategory:Articles with deprecated template parameters |
| Articles with missing template parameters | These articles contain templates for which one or more parameters need to be added. SeeCategory:Articles with missing template parameters |
| Unknown foreign name meanings | Articles containing {{foreign names}} with one or more blank meaning parameters. The meanings should be filled in, or the parameter omitted if the meaning is self-explanatory. SeeCategory:Articles with unknown foreign name meanings |
| Missing foreign name romanizations | Articles containing {{foreign names}} with one or more blank romanization parameters. The romanizations should be filled in, or the parameter omitted if not applicable. SeeCategory:Articles with missing foreign name romanizations |
| Articles with a title status | These articles have a noteworthy or less-than-ideal title as determined by ournaming policy. They should be moved to an official English title from a reputable source, if found. SeeCategory:Articles by title status |
| Inadequate lost media documentation | These pieces of lost media have inadequate documentation. Please help us find whatever additional information we can about them. Tagged with {{lost}}. SeeCategory:Articles with inadequate lost media documentation |
| Pages without language links | Where available, articles should provide a sidebar link to at least one of thealternate languageSuper Mario wikis. SeeSpecial:WithoutInterwiki |
| Orphaned pages | Articles that have nolinksfrom anywhere else: every article must be referenced and linked to from at least one other article. SeeSpecial:LonelyPages |
| Dead-end pages | Articles that have no linksto anywhere else. Article subjects, such as games and characters, must be given at least one link on the article that they are mentioned. SeeSpecial:DeadendPages |
Other maintenance
This section covers miscellaneous maintenance tasks which do not fit into the above sections.
| Uncategorized categories | Category pages should be given a suitable parent category, which assists in navigating through different category levels. SeeSpecial:UncategorizedCategories |
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| Uncategorized templates | All templates should appear withinCategory:Templates. SeeSpecial:UncategorizedTemplates |
| Double redirects | Redirects that lead to another redirect. They should be edited so they both redirect to the same target page. SeeSpecial:DoubleRedirects |
| Broken redirects | Redirects that lead to a nonexistent page. Articles should be created or redirect target changed to an existing page. If the broken redirect is not necessary, then it should be tagged with {{delete}}. SeeSpecial:BrokenRedirects |
The 'Shroom Spotlight
- Main page:The 'Shroom:Spotlight
The Spotlight is a section found withinThe 'Shroom, the wiki's monthly community newspaper. The Spotlight project brings attention to a small group of articles selected from a range of maintenance categories, inviting users of all interests and abilities to contribute. Progress on the articles is reported on in the subsequent edition, and a new set of focuses are chosen. Discussion and updates on the Spotlight project normally takes place within the dedicatedforum topic, where feedback from readers is always invited.
Pending discussions
Contributing to ongoing discussions concerning areas of the wiki is just as important as any other kind of maintenance work. General queries and unresolved discussions may be tagged with {{talk}} under the section's heading, which places the page withinCategory:Talk pages with unresolved issues. Users are encouraged to browse this category frequently, and provide their input where possible. It is also recommended to check thesplit andmerge suggestion categories, where input can be provided on the re-organization of article information.Category:Pages with move suggestions will contain articles (and even files) that may require a discussion before being renamed.
If a discussion for change receives mixed opinions, or otherwise does not reach an overall consensus, then atalk page proposal may be created so an official decision may be reached through a voting system. Important discussions often take place in the "comments" section on proposals. Major changes, or changes concerning a large number of pages, should instead be taken to themain proposals page. Note that onlyautoconfirmed users may vote in proposals.
Proposals which are yet to be implemented can be foundhere. If the proposal has just recently passed, it's best to first check with the original proposer in case they intend to make the change themselves, or whether they require assistance.
Important wiki discussions may take place on theforums, and an account is required in order to contribute. Many major wiki projects are also co-ordinated from thewiki collaborations forum board, which active editors are encouraged to check. Some ongoing requests and collaborations include the wiki's "Holy Grails" concerning elusive article subjects, and thelevel articles project which aims to give an article for each individual game level.
Administrative maintenance
Administrators andpatrollers (referred to collectively as wiki staff) are promoted users who are given additional tools, which assist in maintaining the upkeep of the wiki. All staff have the ability to countervandalism on the wiki byblocking troublesome editors, reverting detrimental edits by using the "rollback" feature, and hiding inappropriate edits if required. Administrators are also able todelete entire pages and images when necessary.
Regular users are also able to assist the wiki staff in various ways. Unnecessary pages and images may be tagged with {{delete}} so it appears in theimmediate deletion category, which administrators frequently check. If a discussion may be required before the page is deleted, {{delete-request}} should be used instead. All registered users are able to issue official reminders and warnings to other users, as perthe warning policy. Users may also report vandals which require immediate attention by using thestaff noticeboard.
