User:Szyslak/200MWTE

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If you want my support on RFA, you must strictly follow this standard:

  • You must have 200 or more edits in the MediaWiki talk: namespace (or "200MWTE").[1]

You may be asking, why the MediaWiki talk namespace above all? Well, wouldn't you agree that it's impossible to understand Wikipedia without understanding the software behind it? MediaWiki is literally the backbone of Wikipedia. While the code behind MW is the exclusive purvey of the developers, there is a way non-developers can interact with, and better understand, this wonderful piece of free, GNU GPL software: the MediaWiki: namespace.

For example, when you're uploading an image, ever wonder where that mildly cryptic message "Legend: (cur) this is the current file..." comes from? Look no further than MediaWiki:Imghistlegend. Ever come home from bar-hopping, and felt the insatiable urge to engage in some vandalism? I hope not, but if you do, you may end up seeing this friendly message. Think it's not so friendly, and want to change it? Whoops, it's protected, like all MW files. So, once you sober up and the block expires, your only recourse is to discuss the issue, on MediaWiki talk:Blockedtext. What better way to understand and experience consensus? Racking up a big edit count in the MediaWiki talk namespace is a great way to show that you understand Wikipedia policy, the software behind Wikipedia, and Wikipedia in general.

In conclusion, I encourage all RFA participants to adopt the 200MWTE standard. It may seem ridiculous, but makes a lot of sense when you really think about it. The only way to stop potential admins from deleting the Main Page is to impose draconian standards on them, and scare them away from Wikipedia.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ If you have fewer than 200 MediaWiki talk edits, I may consider a neutral vote if you're extremely prolific in other areas of the encyclopedia, and if I like you.