Forum:As much as I love the currently featured article...

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...it's getting a bit stale now. Can someone please change it?

I understand that:

• there are more "than enough admins for this small wiki"
• my suggestion to unprotect the feature template wasn't worthy
• there isn't a special user class on this wiki to allow trusted users to edit protected templates

So is there another solution to make the feature management work properly around here? I mean, other than me constantly posting these annoying messages? ~ The Bard of Illogicopedia 11:11, 3 Octodest 2011 (UTC)

Have you tried going on IRC and poking an admin? Sometimes that's all it takes, after all, since there are usually one or two around there. And if you want an automated system, please, by all means, create one in your userspace - if it works and whatnot, putting it on the main dealy shouldn't be a major issue. ~ 16:29, 3 Octodest 2011

Poking admins on IRC isn't much different from poking them here: it's still a user reminding admins to do their job. Yes, it's a boring job, but it's necessary. The feature is both an incentive for users to write more and for visitors to pop in more. When it never changes, the wiki looks stagnant to outsiders, and the possibility of actually getting published on the front page looks far away to insiders.

It's fortunate that much of the front page is dynamic, but if the feature isn't going to be rolled regularly, then perhaps it should be moved lower and less prominently?

Creating software to do the job (or, more realistically trying to adapt Uncyc's system) would require a lot of work on my part and would still ignore the fundamental problem: the sysops here are legitimately busy with real life, and the ones that are here aren't interested in this particular task and/or aren't remembering to manage the front page. I've offered plenty of ideas, but it's ultimately up to the management here to decide what to do, if anything.

Last suggestion: Make it one person's responsibility, and have that person create a Google calendar alert to give them a reminder. Otherwise, people hope someone else will do it. I kinda seized control of the ?Times because I liked your design and wanted to see it fly this time. I've kicked it out the door every Saturday morning since, except for the Saturday I asked for Grunty's help because I was busy attending my doggie's funeral. So... can one of the admins commit to the Feature job, and secure a substitute admin in case of Real Life conflicts? I think it's do-able. ~ The Bard of Illogicopedia 18:20, 3 Octodest 2011 (UTC)

Or you could implement the system and stop whinging about how it's not implemented, and about how people don't remember things that only come every two weeks or so. Of course we're not going to remember; memory doesn't cover set spans like that. And of course the wiki is going to look rather stagnant to outsiders; it is rather stagnant. What of it? ~ 23:24, 3 Octodest 2011

Whinging? Fine. "Hi. I'm an admin. It's a nifty title I can wave around while popping in to do whatever I'm in the mood for while neglecting boring gruntwork. If all goes poorly, I'll put the onus on the users to make a tool to do my job for me." Anyway. Do what you like. Done whinging. ~ The Bard of Illogicopedia 23:34, 3 Octodest 2011 (UTC)

Now, really... that's not necessary. And the ?times is all yours now; I couldn't continue with it at this point if I tried, even with a large priest doing all the shiny, so don't think you're getting out of it that easily. ~ 01:41, 4 Octodest 2011

In sincerly think you need to calm down. You already made a huff and a puff of yourself at my talkpage. Sincerely, islandmonkey - go speak 12:33, 4 Octodest 2011 (UTC)

If you'll kindly read the topic from the start (or any of my previous reminders) you'll see that I've been pretty patient throughout this entire process. However, nothing I've suggested has been acceptable and I've been told above that this is my problem to solve... It's not. As a user, I've done all I can. It's an administrative task requiring administrative level. If you want me to solve it, give me the keys to the wiki. Or, you can decide that front page management is unimportant, and leave everything as it is.

As for your page, Mr. Monkey, that's me trying to put an end to your edit-warring on my article. If you're keen to slap a QD on something, there are plenty of short and stupids on the wiki that haven't aged well over the last 4+ years. But as we're an inclusionist wiki, the right approach would be to fix them yourself. Mine included. Add funny. Add nonsense. Don't add templates. ~ The Bard of Illogicopedia 18:23, 4 Octodest 2011 (UTC)

Creating a sub-header because I feel like it. Also I'm a self-centred idiot who likes to see his writing in large, bold letters.

It's something of a sticky situation, with regards to the features. It's basically the only thing admins can do that everyone else can't, and for good reason, but there are very few administrators around to update the feature. I don't think Bard is whinging at all --why would he do that, when his article had the chance of remaining featured for 2 years? :P-- and we should cut him some slack. He only has the wiki's best interests at heart. Sadly, unless there is some sort of system similar to Wikipedia's whereby featured article blurbs can be drafted and queued, there's no way of circumventing the protected article presets. Or is there? Notwithstanding this, I fear political factors are an additional obstacle. Someone other than myself needs to create a 'we need another admin' thread to get the attention of fellow(?) powers that be... -- Hindleyak  Converse • ?blog • Click here! 17:40, 4 Octodest 2011 (UTC)

Well, I worked out how a feature queue is possible, the problem is that it needs to force a cache purge on it regardless. you could stick something like:

{{#ifexist:
{{FeaturedArticle-Y{{#time: Y|now}}-W{{#time: W|now}}}} |
{{FeaturedArticle-Y{{#time: Y|now}}-W{{#time: W|now}}}} |
No Featured Article has been designated for this week
}}

Looks to see if the template FeaturedArticle-Y2023-W43 exists, and displays it if it does, the No feature template can easily be changed to something more fitting. Seems to work well enough. Hook it in with a feature template generator, and an easy means of purging the cache and stick it on a protected page and it should make abusing the feature template harder. --Silent PenguinLeave Me Alone 17:48, 5 Octodest 2011 (UTC)

wat —rms talk 00:03, 6 Octodest 2011 (UTC)

We don't need to use weird subpages... just match up numbers on a page or something. Doable. ~ 02:21, 6 Octodest 2011

Oik! Monsignor Onslow Peaches - Speak slowly into the tube 22:10, 8 Octodest 2011 (UTC)