Extension:PureWikiDeletion

This is the Pure Wiki Deletion extension.

What can this extension do?
When this extension is installed, the following features come into effect:

A former version of this article was blanked by [USER NAME/IP] on [DATE]. The reason given for blanking was: [EDIT SUMMARY]. You may view the article's history, edit the last version, or type new article into the white space below.
 * A link to a blank page will show up as a red link.
 * When a user follows a link to a blank page, the page will behave the same way that deleted pages do now, except there will be an additional message, reading:
 * Users will be directed to a random non-blank page when Special:RandomExcludeBlank is used.
 * An  parser function can be used to detect page existence.
 * Blanked pages have noindex and nofollow attributes.

This can be used to implement a policy of "pure wiki deletion," in which pages are blanked if they contain nothing but unverifiable content, patent nonsense, content that is outside project scope, etc. Content removed in this manner remains accessible to non-sysops via the page history. Such a policy enhances transparency and user empowerment by allowing any user to easily review the content removal decision to see whether it was appropriate, and to revert if it was not. Wiki owners will likely regard deletion, rather than blanking, as appropriate for pages containing content, such as copyright violations, that the owner is legally required to remove from any viewing by non-sysops.

Usage
There are two parser functions, #ifblank and #ifnotblank. Their syntax is as follows: returns true. returns false.

Installation
Add this line to LocalSettings.php:

Edit MediaWiki:Sidebar. There should be a line pertaining to the random page. Delete that line and replace it with:

Go to Special:PopulateBlankedPagesTable. It will automatically populate your blanked pages table with any blanked pages that may exist on your wiki.

Configuration parameters
You can change the style of broken, blank and known links. By default, broken links are a cherry red that is a bit brighter than the shade of red we are accustomed to seeing in broken links. These parameters should be placed in LocalSettings.php:

$wgPureWikiDeletionBlankLinkStyle="color: red";

By default, anyone can blank or unblank pages. You can limit this to logged-in users:

$wgPureWikiDeletionLoginRequiredToBlank=true; $wgPureWikiDeletionLoginRequiredToUnblank=true;

Note that blankings/unblankings by non-logged-in users will not appear in the log until bug 14735 is fixed.

Development notes
See Extension talk:PureWikiDeletion.

Compatibility
There is a known glitch when this extension is used with v1.16beta3. When you visit a blank page, you will be sent into an infinite loop in which the edit page redirects back to itself. It doesn't occur with v1.16beta2 or with v1.17. Ideally, you should use v1.17+ with this extension, so that you get that nice "Action complete" screen after blanking a page.