Wikinews:Water cooler/miscellaneous/archives/2009/June

New Wikinewsie blog and wiki
I have installed a new blog on the wikinewsie.org site - http://wikinewsie.org/opinions/

The vague idea here is to do a blog that is not restricted just to accredited reporters, but to all established contributors. Content would be well thought-out opinions on issues in the news. I want to avoid having a run on particular topics, so those given access to post will have to take that into account - Like, don't run dozens of Scientology stories, don't make the blog look like a single-purpose crusade, so on.

First is sorting out a few things from the basic WordPress 2.7.1 installation. As this is distinct from the Editors' blog it should probably have a different theme or colour scheme. I'm open to suggestions on this, and there are libraries of themes on the WordPress site.

After that you have to look at add-ons such as RSS and http-based management/upgrading. Comments on these from anyone who has managed a blog would be welcome.

I also have a support query in with Godaddy to progress getting a Wiki up and running. Current problem is MediaWiki doesn't work with MtSQL v4.x, and for some reason I've not got 5.x on the hosting account. Should have an answer on that sometime today.

Any other suggestions welcome - I suspect when it comes time for the wiki to go up I'll be looking for people to help skin and theme it. Also expect to be putting in queries to #mediawiki on IRC about addons and such, anyone who can give advice on how best (a) to mimic the config on Wikinews, and (b) make it log-in only access with a main page visible please comment on these points. --Brian McNeil / talk 13:54, 15 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Call me confused, but I have no idea what the purpose of this new Wiki would be. What would it be? —Calebrw (talk) 21:14, 23 May 2009 (UTC)
 * mediawiki should work with mySQL 4 (it needs version 5 of php) according to Installation. (wikinews uses 4.0.40 of mysql according to special:version) From what i understand the wiki is a re-incarnation of embargo wiki proposal. Bawolff ☺☻ 02:15, 24 May 2009 (UTC)
 * The wiki is now installed, it is intended to be a place where we store obituaries out of public view and other sensitive material. --Brian McNeil / talk 08:18, 24 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Got it. Calebrw (talk) 14:42, 24 May 2009 (UTC)
 * http://www.wikinewsie.org/wiki/Main_Page As you can see, it desperately needs a new logo, that's five minutes with photoshop and a who-gives-a-bleep attitude. Size is 150px square, use png24. --Brian McNeil / talk 17:31, 24 May 2009 (UTC)
 * ...it is intended to be a place where we store obituaries out of public view and other sensitive material... Does that mean that it is a closed wiki (i.e. cannot be read by unregistered users, sort of like the OTRS wiki)? Tempodivalse [talk]  17:45, 24 May 2009 (UTC)
 * It isn't... yet. --Brian McNeil / talk 19:11, 24 May 2009 (UTC)

Ah, never mind, I missed your comment above where you said you wanted to make it a closed wiki, but haven't managed to yet. In any case, this sounds like a good idea. A few questions, though:
 * 1) How are we going to determine who can access this secret wiki? Do we limit the users to accredited reporters and/or administrators?
 * 2) What sort of information would be sensitive enough to require being on a private-access wiki?

Tempodivalse [talk]  19:14, 24 May 2009 (UTC)
 * accredited reporters and administrators covers most contributors. A lot will depend on how fine-grained a security model can be set up. If we can have an "Obituaries:" namespace that anyone can access and a "Embargoed:" namespace with a smaller set of users, that'd be perfect.
 * Apart from obituaries, this should give us a chance to start getting embargoed press releases from organisations and work on stories from them without leaking the release information. --Brian McNeil / talk 07:52, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

--
 * On a separate note, as far as making the configuration wikinews like, the two most important extensions are mw:extension:Intersection (aka DPLv1) and mw:extension:parserfunctions. Most of the other extensions on wikinews aren't really used. Whats really important is some of the key templates - source, date, wikinews and the like. Those should probably be imported using special:export/special:import. The mediawiki wiki has some info on restricting access. As for skinning, I'd suggest using something like Datrio's or stw's css so that its clearly visible that it is not wikinews but still noticeable that it is a wiki. Another option is Custom skin however it is kind of abandoned so your millage will most definitly vary with it (I did get it to kind of work on mediawiki 1.11 a very long time ago). Bawolff ☺☻ 20:24, 24 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Great idea on the new skin part. We should defiantly take a strong look at the old skin and make sure that it can be easily updated to the latest version of MW (1.15.x) and to the latest CSS code. From what I saw, it looked pretty good. PS: created account on the new wiki. Calebrw (talk) 05:29, 25 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Import/Export will be vital. Not just for setting up templates and things on the Wikinewsie wiki, but for taking stories ready for publication from the wiki and importing them to Wikinews with full edit history. --Brian McNeil / talk 07:52, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

Securing the wiki
I've implemented some of the basic security features for the wiki - anon users cannot now browse and anyone wanting an account will have to ask from one of the already established users - myself, Bawolff, Blood Red Sandman, Calebrw, and DragonFire1024. All users will be made sysops - I don't see a need for a hierarchy here. --Brian McNeil / talk 08:50, 25 May 2009 (UTC)
 * I agree that most if not all users should be given administrative privileges - avoids a hierarchy. However, how do we decide becomes bureaucrat? I don't think we should give out 'crat to everybody who has an account, as bureaucrat is a very powerful tool (especially on a non-wmf wiki where they can desysop). Maybe we could limit the bureaucrat group to only administrators and/or have a separate RfB page on the wiki? Tempodivalse [talk]  14:03, 25 May 2009 (UTC)
 * This is currently the "throw changes into the setting and figure out what will work" stage. Probably right that we need an RfB page - but on Wikinewsie, or here? --Brian McNeil / talk 14:37, 25 May 2009 (UTC)
 * I feel that since the RfBs pertain to the Wikinewsie wiki and not this project, requests and discussion should be made over there. In any case, I've left a few suggestions and notes at the community portal over there on suggestions how we could promote users, comments are welcome. Tempodivalse [talk]  16:46, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

Just to note, I've created a new page where users can request to be given an account at the cabal wiki: see Request an account at Wikinewsie. I think it's better to have requests made all in one place. Tempodivalse [talk]  21:30, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

Public namespace
Thanks to help from, wikinewsie's public namespace is now available to all.

A project for Wikinewsies to work on is Freedom of Information. I have just submitted a FoI request to test out and document the system for the Scottish Parliament. is working through one at UK level. Someone at least get US level, and I know there's been a dig at one where we were told the data was not covered - please document these. --Brian McNeil / talk 16:32, 18 June 2009 (UTC)

FOX Quoted us
FOX News quoted us recently. I just thought I would make a mention of it for a few reasons. I am not complaining they did, but on their part it was crappy journalism working in our favor. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,523238,00.html

I only mention this because of the problem we had with them with the Chris Benoit story. In the recent post above, they mention the statement WP made when they Blocked Scientology. With a click of one link they could have gotten to that page, but chose to quote us :-D Lazy yes....but good for us! DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 10:50, 3 June 2009 (UTC)


 * Nice. Maybe that's where the Scientology hits came from. Well, whatever works. Calebrw (talk) 13:09, 3 June 2009 (UTC)


 * That's probably where we got the high traffic on Scientology pages from. I wish they would spell our name right, though. Smile.png Tempodivalse [talk]  14:43, 3 June 2009 (UTC)

Possible news
- Law enforcement authorities have apparently been contacted. Thoughts? Cirt (talk) 21:31, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * This is more notable fo' sure?  Ω Janner  21:37, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * @Cirt: I'm not sure this would meet our newsworthiness guidelines. By looking at the user's IP address talk page, I'd say it's just a twelve-year-old buffoon who has nothing better to do but vandalise Wikipedia. Plus, I can't imagine this is the first time someone has made an threat to kill someone on Wikipedia .... Tempodivalse <font face="Georgia">[talk]  21:48, 7 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Wikinews is not the Wikimedia witchfinder-general. --Brian McNeil / talk 00:42, 8 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Okay, no worries. I was not sure it would be of interest, that's why I put it up here. Cirt (talk) 01:33, 8 June 2009 (UTC)
 * It was interesting to see, but I think Bored teen trolls Wikipedia with presidential death threats would be a non-article. --Brian McNeil / talk 09:13, 8 June 2009 (UTC)
 * I did laugh at the guy begging to get the FBI uninvolved on his talk page (check the history... there's more than just what's there). I'd say in the unlike event he's arrested or charged then there's a news article, but not otherwise. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 09:50, 8 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Re to above: Noted, thanks. Cirt (talk) 12:59, 8 June 2009 (UTC)

What about the other story that Jolly Janner pointed to, though? It was picked up by the Daily Herald (New Zealand), the Independent (London), and the Daily Mail over the weekend. Uncle G (talk) 18:58, 9 June 2009 (UTC)

Profanity warnings
I was looking through some template lists recently, and stumbled upon language. It appears as though it is supposed to be used to warn readers of expletives in the article (although it seems it has never been used). Since we do not censor, I'm wondering if it would be appropriate to have such warnings? If so, should we start using it? Open to thoughts. <font face="Georgia">Tempodivalse <font face="Georgia">[talk]  23:45, 8 June 2009 (UTC)


 * The template's ugly, mind. I'm more comfortable with the kind of note displayed in Teräsbetoni frontman J. Ahola on representing Finland at Eurovision 2008 & more. We should really try and decide what the standard is, though. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 06:28, 9 June 2009 (UTC)


 * No need to have such warnings on an article by article basis since we already have them in the disclaimers. To add warnings to particular articles would be problematic since what language would be considered to merit a warning won't be straightforward to determine. As a news site, it wouldn't be reasonable of our readers to expect that all of the language in our articles will be universally accepted as appropriate. Adambro (talk) 13:46, 9 June 2009 (UTC)

howdy
Please see Template_talk:Howdy. Please comment there. Calebrw (talk) 02:20, 9 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Also, please take a look at Template_talk:Howdy, a derivative of the same discussion. Calebrw (talk) 05:43, 12 June 2009 (UTC)


 * I have proposed a "write" tab on the template's talk. Anyone have ideas on squeezing a creation form into a tab? --Brian McNeil / talk 16:36, 18 June 2009 (UTC)

Flood flag poll
There is currently a proposal at the proposals water cooler section to enable a flood flag at this wiki. The poll has been open for almost an entire month and support has been unanimous, do we have consensus to close it and file a request at Bugzilla? <font face="Georgia">Tempodivalse <font face="Georgia">[talk]  20:07, 16 June 2009 (UTC)
 * I would say so, given this amount of time. I haven't voiced an opinion, but I will look at again and tell you what I think on that page. Calebrw (talk) 14:23, 17 June 2009 (UTC)

Wikinews Bulletin
Is anyone interested in reviving the Wikinews Bulletin? I noticed it's not been updated for close to a year now. If not, it should probably be tagged as historical. <font face="Georgia">Tempodivalse <font face="Georgia">[talk]  16:01, 18 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Tag it. --Brian McNeil / talk 16:37, 18 June 2009 (UTC)
 * ✅ <font face="Georgia">Tempodivalse <font face="Georgia">[talk]  02:47, 21 June 2009 (UTC)

Talk:Study_says_nearly_every_species_of_animal_engages_in_homosexual_behavior
Looks like there have been some issues raise on this talk page. Thanks. Calebrw (talk) 18:15, 18 June 2009 (UTC)
 * For what it's worth: If DGG raises concerns about scientific publication, they are worth looking in to. Uncle G (talk) 03:28, 23 June 2009 (UTC)

BBC GCSE Literature quiz
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8116627.stm

I scored 5/7. I simply hadn't read some of the works questions were taken from. --Brian McNeil / talk 12:36, 24 June 2009 (UTC)


 * Same score, same reason. Blood Red Sandman  (Talk)   (Contribs) 16:23, 24 June 2009 (UTC)
 * 4/7 and that was through guessing on all. Brits must have it easy. ;) Honestly, I never ready "Jane Eyre," "Romeo and Juliet," "Of Mice and Men" or "The Charge of the Light Brigade"; I have read "To Kill a Mockingbird" and portions of "Macbeth" but still was only able to guess the answers; did see "Much ado about Nothing" as a play 8 years or so ago. Calebrw (talk) 14:11, 30 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Unless exams have changed radically since I took them ( mutters something about this being about 25 years ago ) the question would not be provided with answers to pick from. --Brian McNeil / talk 17:08, 30 June 2009 (UTC)

Massacre in Baharestan, Iran
Listen to this YouTube video YouTube.

Then read about this: Baharestan

Get informed. I think we need more people covering what is going on in Iran. Cirt (talk) 13:24, 25 June 2009 (UTC)