Hi all. Even though this would not be a policy edit, I am making a suggestion here first rather than directly editing as I'm not part of the project, mainly just a tag filter user. I propose a change to the lead section, to read as follows:
The edit filter tool, also known as the abuse filter,[1] is a Wikipedia extension mainly[2] used for detecting common patterns of harmful editing, and addressing potentially-harmful edits at the moment of (attempted) submission. The tool automatically checks each new submission against a list of filters.
If a match occurs, the tool will log the action in the public edit filter log, and may additionally take any of the following actions:
- tag the edit summary
- warn the author
- revoke the author's autoconfirmed status[3]
- prevent the edit entirely (in this case, the attempted edit will only remain visible to other users via the log)
Because even the smallest mistake in editing a filter can significantly disrupt the encyclopedia, only editors in the edit filter manager permission group can configure filters. These permissions are rarely awarded, and users must first show very good judgement and technical proficiency. Currently, there are 140 edit filter managers and 23 edit filter helpers. The filters currently in use can be found at Special:AbuseFilter.
Note: This page does not discuss technical details relating to the operation of the extension. These can be found at Extension:AbuseFilter.
The AbuseFilter extension was enabled on English Wikipedia in 2009. "Edit filter" is currently used for user-facing elements of the filter, as some edits it flags are not harmful; the terms are otherwise synonymous. Edit filters can and have been used to track or tag certain non-harmful edits, for example, the addition of WikiLove. The extension also allows blocking, but this feature is disabled on English Wikipedia.
Reason: This wording and order is more focused on what most (i.e. non-managing) users see when we investigate potentially-rogue contributors, and helps us understand the operation of the tool better and more quickly, without detracting for managers. It also disambiguates the tool itself from the individual filters (both are currently called "filter"); keeps related information together; is more concise; and makes it clearer that we can see prevented edits via the log.
Me first discovering the latter today - in the process, discovering an obvious sockpuppet - was what motivated me to finally put some more effort into understanding the edit filter, and to suggest a change that hopefully helps others do the same.
Let me know of any objections or suggestions. Turtlecrown (talk) 19:16, 30 April 2024 (UTC)