WikiLove/Idea Log

From mediawiki.org

This is the idea log for WikiLove.

High priority[edit]

  • Throttle WikiLove (perhaps only for autoconfirmed users)
    • "Slow down, cowboy. Excessive use of WikiLove can be distracting. Did you perhaps mean to leave this user a message?"
      • Since we already know when the last time the user gave wikilove (it's in our tracking tables), we can do a timeout. Alternatively, though, it may just be easier to set an expiring cookie on them and check for the cookie's presence or absence to allow tool use. Something like "WikiLove_Throttle", expires in 5 minutes. Saves us a database access call.
    • Justification: If WikiLove becomes associated with spamminess or problematic new user behavior, it'll generally lose some of its appeal. So some basic throttling seems like a good way to mitigate that risk.
    • Anti-justification - people like to do a batch of thanking actions, that's cool too.
  • Improve handling of "self-love"
    • Perhaps friendly indicator that you're sending a public message to yourself, so that users don't assume it's a "Decorate your own page" feature
    • Perhaps easy undo feature if it's doable.
    • Justification: We see lots of this on new user talk pages, which may generally associate the feature with "lack of wiki experience" more than we'd like. Some of it is to be expected, but some of it may be the result of users not realizing that it's a public message, or not knowing how to remove it after they've posted it.

Make Your Own:

  • Parse Commons URLs, not just filenames (user tests show that users try URLs)
    • Justification: This really should work.
  • Add brief explanatory note pointing users to "new section" link to reduce confusion of users who use WikiLove for leaving messages
  • Don't autofill filename for "Make Your Own" (part of the reason we're getting so many trophy messages)

Medium Priority[edit]

  • Preference for users that don't want to receive WikiLove (perhaps just use existing pref to disable both sending & receiving)
    • If we do this, we need to still show the heart icon; just disable it (grey it out). Maybe clicking the icon will pop up a small tooltip saying that the user does not wish to receive WikiLove.
    • Justification: Again, one of the main ways to mitigate frustration or annoyance with the feature.
  • Develop some well thought-out "Welcoming" functionality, e.g. with WikiProject invitation or "request my mentorship" support
    • Use a simple category model to organize templates so they don't have to be stuffed into the JS config file?
    • Justification: Very strongly relates to our key priority for this feature (new user engagement). But, somewhat hard to do well (Twinkle already has basic welcoming templating features which are very popular).

Configuration:

  • Make messages in config localizable

Make Your Own:

  • Gallery-driven version
    • Justification: Could be a quick way to increase the appeal/utility for experienced users.

Low Priority[edit]

  • Handling of adding WikiLove to subpages: either allow or let user know with warning/confirmation
  • Suggested text for message box
    • We need to do this with HTML5 placeholder attributes. Otherwise, the suggested text will nearly always be what is sent.
  • Change previews immediately as you cycle through dropwdowns

Configuration: