Last modified: 2011-03-13 18:04:25 UTC
Some wiki platforms offer a nice soft-locking feature, where users are warned if any other user has started editing the page/section they have just begun to edit within the last [few minutes]. For instance, Moinmoin has messages of the form: "Other users will be warned until 2005-02-11 07:11:45 that you are editing this page. Use the Preview button to extend the locking period." This would be moughty helpful, and would save the use of ugly {{inuse}} templates.
compare with bug 2438: Prevent edit conflicts with "in use" warning
(In reply to comment #1) > bug 2438: Prevent edit conflicts with "in use" warning Aren't these duplicates?
*** Bug 2438 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
More detailed description in Bug 2438
So are you suggesting that we provide a "View source" tab in all circumstances? Because I frequently open mostly templates in "Edit mode" to copy and paste code around, and this would result in those pages being left unusable in the meantime.
(In reply to comment #5) > So are you suggesting that we provide a "View source" tab in all circumstances? > Because I frequently open mostly templates in "Edit mode" to copy and paste code > around, and this would result in those pages being left unusable in the meantime. Please read the descriptions again. This is a warning; not an edit lock.
Phil: if you open a page and it warns you, and you go ahead any way, then you are no worse off than before when you had no idea whether there was anyone else interested or not (since many people don't use or don't know about {{inuse}}).
We have automatic conflict resolution, a warning would be meaningless for most users, since their edit would be merged automatically. I'd propose to close this as WONTFIX
(In reply to comment #8) > We have automatic conflict resolution, which only works in some situations.
There is an Ajax Show Editors extension in SVN, though it requires a schema change (an extra table). It adds a div above the edit window with currently editing users and how long it's been since they last typed in the box. Perhaps that functionality could be merged into mainstream MW?
http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:EditWarning
(In reply to comment #11) > http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:EditWarning Hmmm. * It should recognize anonymous edits, too. * If the "page lock" feature is implemented, we should make sure it is turned off for Wikipedia.
(In reply to comment #12) > * It should recognize anonymous edits, too. Should be easy to do, user_id=0 and user_name='123.456.789.012'. Unfortunately, the extension isn't in SVN, maybe the author should be contacted.
This is too obtrusive for new users. Auto-merging and improved conflict handling is the way to go, not just saying "you shouldn't edit" or "be warned".
This should definitely be fixed. Edit conflicts are far too obtrusive, confusing, and stressful to rely on. This is already implemented in other wikis.
