Wikipedia:Bots/Noticeboard

Bots noticeboard

Here we coordinate and discuss Wikipedia issues related to bots and other programs interacting with the MediaWiki software. Bot operators are the main users of this noticeboard, but even if you are not one, your comments will be welcome. Just make sure you are aware about our bot policy and know where to post your issue. Do not post here if you came to discuss non-urgent bot issues, bugs and suggestions for improvement. Do that at the bot operator's talk page discuss urgent/major bot issues. Do that according to instructions at WP:BOTISSUE discuss general questions about the MediaWiki software and syntax. We have the village pump's technical section for that request approval for your new bot. Here is where you should do it request new functionality for bots. Share your ideas at the dedicated page

Blocked user-operated bots

I have an idea that may be unpopular, but I suggest that bots operated by blocked users should not just be blocked, but should instead be "adopted" to a new owner who will then refurbish it, rename it, and make it do new tasks. I see no reason to block innocent bots that have not done anything wrong because their owners have been blocked, instead it just slows down the project's productivity. 2003 LN6 19:30, 8 April 2024 (UTC)

We have plenty of bots, inactive or otherwise, who have had their tasks taken over by someone else. If the code is available there is no reason to take over the bot; just copy over the code. Primefac (talk) 19:40, 8 April 2024 (UTC)

It takes a lot of work to adopt (on Toolforge) or fork a bot. The idea of blocking first due to the bot operator losing trust, then other folks taking their time and adopting or forking the bot if the bot is important and if it is hosted in our ecosystem and/or has open source code, is already practiced. The idea of usurping an existing Wikipedia bot account of a blocked user seems unnecessary since a new account can be created to run the same program code as the original bot. –Novem Linguae (talk) 19:40, 8 April 2024 (UTC)

That is not a good idea because bots are just an extension of their operator, so the account should certainly not be just handed over. Of course the task can be replaced by anyone that wants to under a different bot account if it is still needed. — xaosflux ^Talk 10:29, 1 May 2024 (UTC)

Meatbot sisterlink updates

Well this may be pretty poor timing judging by the threads above on this page, but… :)

I'm about to run PWB's replace.py on my main account (from PAWS) over the ~267 articles in Category:Child Ballads to update a bunch of sisterlinks to Wikisource after a page reorganisation there. The changes will be variations on this edit; I'll be manually checking and approving each edit; and the rate will be as high as I can possibly make while still manually checking (i.e. not very, on average).

So far as I know this should require no particular approval (much less BRFA), but… 1) I haven't been paying attention to enWP for a couple of years (and I note WP:BOTPOL has been rather actively edited lately), so I could be out of touch. 2) It's likely I'll need to do similar cleanup on enWP, after wielding the mop over on enWS, in the future so I figure better safe than sorry.

So… thumbs up? No don't do it? RFC? BRFA? Xover (talk) 17:50, 18 April 2024 (UTC)

267 edits is a drop in the bucket, we wouldn't even blink if someone did that on AWB. Primefac (talk) 18:15, 18 April 2024 (UTC)

That's what I figured. Thanks. Xover (talk) 18:38, 18 April 2024 (UTC)

More specifically, the manual checking of each edit makes it fall under WP:SEMIAUTOMATED, and planning to be not very fast helps avoid trouble too. Use a good edit summary and it should be fine. Anomie⚔ 21:32, 18 April 2024 (UTC)

Inactive bots (May 2024)

Bot account	Operator(s)	Last edit (UTC)	Last operator activity (UTC)
Thehelpfulbot	Thehelpfulone	26 Dec 2012	01 Mar 2022
TheMagikBOT	TheMagikCow	21 Dec 2018	13 Apr 2022
PowerBOT	力	01 Aug 2019	30 Apr 2022

Per User:MajavahBot/Bot status report. * Pppery * _{it has begun...} 02:00, 1 May 2024 (UTC)

Notifications have been left. Primefac (talk) 08:47, 1 May 2024 (UTC)

Is it time to process this now? * Pppery * _{it has begun...} 15:21, 10 May 2024 (UTC)

It would appear so.  Done. Primefac (talk) 15:25, 10 May 2024 (UTC)

The unflagged bots list has been updated. --Redrose64 🌹 (talk) 17:36, 10 May 2024 (UTC)