https://bugzilla.wikimedia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=46306
Viswaprabha <viswapra...@gmail.com> changed:
What |Removed |Added
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CC| |viswapra...@gmail.com
--- Comment #16 from Viswaprabha <viswapra...@gmail.com> ---
Hello All,
This is my first time entering the hightec world of Bugzilla.wikimedia.org.
Nevertheless, I have been a Wikimedia (WM) user, preacher and evangelist for
long many years with significant contributions to both the content as well as
idea of WM ventures. Hence a brief self-intro may be befitting.
One of my major efforts towards the propagation of WM has been to educate new
users at scenarios completely unexpected such as non-standard hardware/OS/input
methods, accessibility compromised users, network-restricted systems etc. I
have had quite an extensive experience in encountering such situations.
Besides, I often work in a completely multi-language situation with editing in
at least 5 different language wikis and reading in a dozen or more. Also, I
have been instrumentally active on the web in helping and guiding people to
work with Unicode web pages ever since Unicode became a standard for
multi-lingual computing.
With this intro, let me express my annoyance I am facing with the ULS in some
such situations as a user and user-trainer.
1. As for my own use, I DO NOT NEED ANY ULS! I am using several tools, as
appropriate as the situation calls for, completely at the system or browser
level with no dependence on the Wikimedia pages. In other words, as long as
Mediawiki can serve its pages and take back my inputs in the right character
encoding as specified, I DO NOT WANT MEDIAWIKI OR THE WIKIMEDIA SERVERS TO
BOTHER about my input/render issues!
I would rather want a much faster transfer of real knowledge content than some
javascript and webfonts loading my often pitifully sluggish and broken internet
service.
A similar situation to me is Hotcat, WikiEd and such other gadgets. Often, if I
am in a tight situation (due to hardware/bandwidth issues) I just disable them
so that my real intended work can get done. Please note that they are also
indispensable tools to me at some other time when their utility is required.
The bug mentioned here is exactly the kind of feature that I require! Instead
of only able to disable the substructure features, (in addition to that), a
carpet-blank toggle to switch the ULS completely OFF is much desired.
Certain other issues too call for this.
2. I have been living in a locale (ar) where my day-to-day life, contacts and
Wikimedia circles have no connection with that local language. ULS tries to
pick-up (AND DECIDE!) a locale and set the user(!) preferences according to its
own dictated terms! Unacceptable for a non-local) (say expatriate) user in a
foreign country where he is living temporarily or permanently for his own
personal reasons.
3. Introduction of ULS tends to bind a user to the OS/browser in peculiar ways.
Ideally, MW should be just streaming out and taking out content. And the user
reciprocating the same. Any features and tools be only interconnecting these
two nodes without forcing them to abide by any conditions. Features (not just
ULS but any!) provided by MW by means of client-side scripts and web fonts, may
facilitate general comfort and efficiency to a user. But there is a down-side.
It also makes both the user and MW stream more dependent on the kinds and
versions of OS and browser. By default, Wikipedia must be supplying knowledge
to users of every unthinkable kind in every unthinkable client situation. The
very purpose of ULS may thus be killed by itself!
4. Language dependent issues may cause ULS to actually deteriorate user
experience. It is possible that the particular web fonts or input methods
forced as initial defaults or even provided as additional options by the server
may not be technically or aesthetically best suited for a user. Then he should
be able to disable the whole feature and select his own preferred local tools.
Right now, such a situation has arisen at http://ml.wikipedia.org . Please see
this rather unusual voting being taken place there:
http://ml.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki_Panchayath_Technical#English_translation_of_the_proposal_being_voted_here
. You may also see how the number of edits and user activity has suddenly come
down after the introduction of ULS there.
The Mediawiki sofware should be more bothered about the concept of 'universal
freedom to choose'. The people there should know that 'every human being' has a
right to deny a facility that he is not interested in.
--
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