Last modified: 2010-05-15 15:54:49 UTC
This is the current text: "The Wikipedia database is temporarily in read-only mode for the following reason: The database has been automatically locked while the slave database servers catch up to the master This is probably due to routine maintenance; if so, you will be able to edit again within a few minutes. We apologize for any inconvenience this might have caused. You can continue to browse Wikipedia articles while the database is locked. For further information, you can visit the #wikipedia channel on the freenode IRC network." What should be changed: 1) It should say in big huge letters "Your edit has not been saved", then say that you "might be able to save in a few minutes" and only go into technical details after all necessary information has been given. 2) Below that the edit box with the edited text should be re-displayed as in the case of an edit conflict. I believe users of IE will get a "POSTDATA" messgae if they hit the back button and may lose their changes. 3) Don't have a "Return to [[Article name]] link at the bottom. This will encourage users to use that rather than going back to their edit.
Sofixit. This is an editable system message, [[MediaWiki:Readonlytext]]. Post your request on the system messages talk page, or post to the village pump to request that changes to the message be made.
The link is not part of the message, but part of the page, same with displaying the edit box. Also the default text for mediawiki is even worse.
Closed as INVALID, because this issue deals with a system message on en.wikipedia in particular.
