On semi-automation
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Many tasks in Wikimedia projects are done together and as such, semi-automating them server-side or client-side becomes pertinent. Semi-automation is the kind of behaviour which is triggered by something, but acts absolutely nothing — the only action is a notification of the user, either directly, or when the user visits a certain page.
Full automation may be confusing or in some cases impossible.
Such tasks include:
- Replacing templates, . Replacing them by hand all the time kills our invaluable time and concentration effort.
- For some cases listed in the line above, it is to feel better when you include a customized message with the action — such as reviewing newly created drafts, unblock requests, leaving contributors messages about their vandalism (more detail as here; please see mw.feedback(), it does something of this sort.)
- Creating articles, as each part of an article — name, content, categories, file license — has relevant documentation. Opening it manually and associating it with the relevant parts of an article hard. (Again, see how StackOverflow does this when asking a question — project-specific popups, similar on SuperUser and the like).
A server-side framework for easy semi-automation is due to make the above-mentioned routine work more interactive, humane, and enjoyable.