604:. I've had numerous Foundation people tell me off the record that they want to "kill" the Toolserver. It has become a political football between WMDE and the WMF. The WMF want to push WMF Labs and WMDE don't want to pay for the upkeep of Toolserver. Who benefits from this squabbling? Nobody. What we'd do if we were grown ups is realise that Toolserver is home to important tools that facilitate the running of the Wikimedia projects (even something like a humble edit counter tool is pretty damn important for en.wp admins and users on a daily basis) and work out a sensible transition plan for moving users from Toolserver to Labs or to continue running Toolserver or whatever. But why make these kinds of technical decisions in a calm and rational way when you can scream and shout and turn it into a game of Chapter vs. Foundation charades? This is one of many reasons I hate Wikipolitics. —
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to install new racks or that WMDE would be allowed to install and equip them with new servers in
Amsterdam. As long as the WMF does not allow WMDE to do that because it wants to narrow its focus on technical issues, WMDE's hands are tied. Further, the WMF doesn't want WMDE to provide critical hardware at all. So, of course, the WMF should provide the necessary tools to replace the Toolserver. I too share the concerns by Merlissmo, DaB. as a toolserver user and developer that the current Tool Labs cannot replace the Toolserver; hence, the WMF should announce a schedule when the promised
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586:: Only 30 persons took part in the general assambly and only those were asked to vote - the remaining members of WMDE may have an idea on the topic but I would claim that not more than those who are active in the community really understand it. So I think mentioning 2400 member is really misleading concerning the debate and the vote. --
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changes to the annual fundraiser. The foundation has decided to separate the main
English-language campaigns in key fundraising countries (AU, CA, NZ, UK, US) from a later campaign in other parts of the world to be held in April 2013. The foundation anticipates that this arrangement will reduce the
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Hence, either the WMF will take care of the tools on the
Toolserver or they'll change their mind and support WMDE operating it. Since changing their minds would be harmful for both parties afaics, the best solution would be to make Wikilabs/Tool Labs a real replacement of the Toolserver. But that's
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My recommendation to change the text was accepted and adopted by DaB. (!) because WMDE bought three new DB servers these days so that five more til early-2013 would be too many. Further, the racks which the WMF provides for new DB servers are almost full. Hence, convince the WMF (viz. Mark
Bergsma)
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The text sponsored by DerHexer also replaced a concrete commitment —to both invest in five new servers and guarantee one full-time staffer—with relatively vague wording, saying that the chapter aims to ensure a "(nearly) trouble-free functionality for the
Toolserver", but without specific financial
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The chapter set up the
Toolserver in the Netherlands in 2005, and has funded its general budget, which has grown to €100k (US$ 130k), with some financial and technical assistance from the WMF and some financial assistance from European chapters ever since. However, in 2011 the foundation decided to
30:
Toolserver finance remains uncertain: On
November 24, a general assembly of Wikimedia Germany (WMDE) voted on the fate of the Wikimedia Toolserver, a central external piece of technical infrastructure supporting the editing communities with volunteer-developed scripts and webpages of various kinds
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replacement of the toolserver (e.g. with providing help or resources to transfer tools from one script language to another or to re-write them or let then rewrite for the new hardware setting). But as long as the WMF does not want WMDE to continue providing the
Toolserver, we cannot change that
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to go along with the changes to DaB's proposal. By this decision, it replaced the assurance to fund the
Toolserver until a later general assembly can make a final decision based on the facts concerning what will by then be the established WikiLabs project during a six-month transitional period.
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The
Wikimedia Foundation claims publicly that it wants to replace the Toolserver with Tool Labs (with good reason: their technical experience) but doesn't offer all the functions the Toolserver currently has. At the same time they make it impossible for Wikimedia Deutschland to take care of it
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to run its infrastructure beyond 2013. The text sponsored by DerHexer also replaced a concrete commitment—to both invest in five new servers and guarantee one full-time staffer—with relatively vague wording, saying that the chapter aims to ensure a "(nearly) trouble-free functionality for the
199:, the long-serving "root" volunteer of the Toolserver, said he would resign by the end of the year unless sufficient funding is provided to handle the growing demands on the system. The chapter's management delivered what he saw as insufficient assurances and responded by publishing a
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are my edits" (for one article I worked on recently). People are a lot less likely to check what I did if they have to laboriously pick my edits out of the page history. Unfortunately, over the past year, the toolserver has sometimes taken up to two weeks to show my edits. - Dank
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because on this very issue WMDE is dependent on the WMF. So please do not complain about WMDE which cannot change the situation but go to the WMF and request the promised solution for the full replacement of the toolserver like WMDE will do. My personal views, —
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Thanks for the perspective. It is insightful to know that people have this view. Toolserver functions are extremely important to me and I hope that any management disagreements find resolution because I would like to see the Toolserver services developed.
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The total number of new administrators in this week alone dwarfs the number promoted in September and October, which saw only one promoted, and the total this month (five) marks the second-most administrators promoted in one month
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Whatever would be the future, we should make sure that we form a collective group of generic tools that in future always will work, even if the owner of it changes, because there are already too much tools broken right now.
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anymore by not supporting it with further database dumps (with good reason: technical and administrative ones) and further technical stuff in Amsterdam (with good reason too: focussing on critical hardware themselves).
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During this time-window, WMDE seeks a binding statement by WMF until when and how the foundation's project is going to replace Toolserver functions. If the demand is not met, the chapter will work out a big-picture
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that he was "disappointed", emphazising that DerHexer's changes to his proposal are leaving open significant risks of ambiguity. He said he will announce next Sunday whether he will step down by year's end.
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it has signed an agreement with the French government to cooperate on the set-up of Semanticpedia, a project designed to enhance the proportion of French Knowledge articles extractable by DBpedia by 20–30%.
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to remove her access to advanced permissions and the arbitration mailing lists. This is not the first time emails from the Arbitration Committee's mailing lists have been leaked: emails from
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The problem will be that every tool on every wiki with base in the Toolserver will be broken. Each link needs adjustments. I do not know a greater disappointment than broken functionalities.
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455:: Eight months after a number of Wikimedia chapters embarked on a collective effort to coordinate their work more effectively, their representatives settled
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why WikiLabs cannot replace the functionality of WMDE's infrastructure remains unaffected by the vote. Summing up his views the day after, DaB stated on the
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The poor performance of the toolserver over the past year has hurt my ability to get and give feedback, particularly when copyediting. Typically I'll say "
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Out of the chapter's 2400 members, who are largely not active on WMF projects, 24 supported the amended proposal and six voted against the changes
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in Switzerland. The resolution emphasizes that the decision does not predetermine where the WCA might set up an office in the future.
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members, who are largely not active on WMF projects, 24 supported the amended proposal and six voted against the changes (
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for the upcoming financial year, saying it will not continue to fund the Toolserver after a transitional period, a
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to make its reliance on the Toolserver transparent to voters at the general assembly, the WMDE board, led by
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On November 24, a general assembly of Wikimedia Germany (WMDE) voted on the fate of the Wikimedia
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Toolserver", but without specific financial or personnel commitments. Out of the chapter's
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financial support for what would become at least partially redundant infrastructure.
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You're right. That's tiresome. Looks like it's not yet published. Why, I wonder?
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437:: On November 25, acrimonious board elections for Wikimedia Australia ended as
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Wikimedia Labs, the project that is supposed to replace the Toolserver in 2013.
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successfully faced down a challenge for the presidency by his former deputy,
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on the potential of WikiLabs to replace the older structure got traction.
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The "significant amendment" link isn't viewable to most people.
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The Toolserver situation can only be described in one way: a
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Wikimedia Chapters Association place of registration settled
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that are assisting in performing mostly menial tasks.
571:If your comment has not appeared here, you can try
459:where to register the sought after organization:
270:: On November 26, the WMF fundraising department
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431:to close down the English Wikinews was defeated.
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379:user-rights after successfully passing the
752:not WMDE's but WMF's decision. Cheers, —
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221:On November 24, the assembly voted and
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201:proposal to the WMDE general assembly
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641:The text lacks of some information:
72:Toolserver finance remains uncertain
847:Knowledge Signpost archives 2012-11
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425:Wikinews request for closure fails
401:at 662, down from a peak of 1,021
275:overall campaign days per country.
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744:User:DerHexer/ToolserverÄnderung
337:system for the web on Knowledge.
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796:: doing it for free since 2005.
176:create WikiLabs (also known as
567:add the page to your watchlist
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777:17:55, 28 November 2012 (UTC)
762:14:48, 28 November 2012 (UTC)
728:14:28, 28 November 2012 (UTC)
702:13:18, 28 November 2012 (UTC)
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435:Wikimedia Australia elections
203:to guarantee future funding.
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18:Knowledge:Knowledge Signpost
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310:on Knowledge Review in 2011
284:Arbitration Committee leaks
251:list of significant reasons
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187:After WMDE published its
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268:Annual fundraiser update
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417:: Wikimedia France has
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341:Four new administrators
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381:Requests for adminship
333:premiering a citation
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323:Citation microformat?
216:significant amendment
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602:complete clusterfuck
560:from this article's
427:: On November 19, a
286:: An arbitrator has
218:to DaB's proposal.
551:Discuss this story
536:WikiProject report
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482:"News and notes" →
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335:microformat
327:Andy Mabbet
262:Brief notes
189:annual plan
606:Tom Morris
443:Laura Hale
243:Merlissimo
170:Toolserver
83:Share this
78:Contribute
22:2012-11-26
822:Subscribe
562:talk page
419:announced
399:currently
249:that his
182:wind down
841:Category
817:Newsroom
812:Archives
794:Signpost
754:DerHexer
654:DerHexer
472:Previous
429:proposal
405:and 705
392:Signpost
383:process.
361:Basalisk
345:Monty845
331:proposed
317:coverage
315:Signpost
302:arbcom-l
293:arbcom-l
272:outlined
247:Signpost
212:DerHexer
125:LinkedIn
105:Facebook
20: |
720:Romaine
698:(talk)
679:undated
457:by vote
407:in June
353:Bgwhite
306:in 2009
223:decided
115:Twitter
758:(Talk)
658:(Talk)
631:(talk)
461:Geneva
298:motion
288:leaked
208:survey
193:debate
135:Reddit
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807:About
768:These
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802:Home
792:The
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308:and
233:2400
145:Digg
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373:RfA
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197:DaB
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