User:SHB2000/rollback
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This page remains a draft and is not a policy yet. Feel free to copyedit it while it's in my userspace. |
Rollback is a MediaWiki feature that allows a user to revert multiple edits by the last contributor at once. It should only be used to combat vandalism, spam, or in some cases, touting. Typically, a rollback will contain a summary along the lines of "Reverted edits by [name of user] (talk) to last version by [the user who last edited the page]". It does not allow you to add an edit summary, so reverting a good-faith edit can come across pretty badly. Firstly, it's a blatant misuse of the tool, and secondly, as quoted from m:Help:Reverting#Rollback, is often interpreted as "I think your edit was no better than vandalism, and reverting it doesn't need an explanation".
Users with rollback
editOn the English Wikivoyage, administrators and patrollers have access to local rollback. In addition, global rollbackers and stewards can also rollback edits.
If your account does not fall into one of these three categories listed above, you can request the patroller right by asking an active administrator or by asking on the pub. If you have a good track record of fighting vandalism (whether it be on Wikivoyage or on other WMF sites), you will almost always be given the right.
When to use rollback
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Do use rollback:
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Don't use rollback:
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Feel free to use rollback, but you must inform the user:
In such cases, it is not just courteous to let the user know, but not doing so is a misuse of rollback. Remember, rollback should never be used to revert good-faith edits. |
If you are unsure on whether to use rollback, then do not use rollback. An undo or a manual revert doesn't take much longer, but allows you to use an edit summary.
This also does not apply if you are using Twinkle (including TwinkleGlobal), a script that has a similar function as rollback but allows you to use an edit summary. See Wikipedia's documentation page for the relevant documentation.
Fingerslips
editRollback will not give you a confirmation warning, so as soon as you hit the "[rollback]" button, the latest edits will be reverted. On mobile, you can enable the confirmationRollback-mobile by enabling it on Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-gadgets.
If you do happen to accidentally rollback someone's edit at the slip of a finger, don't panic. It happens – fingerslips aren't 100% preventable. If that does happen, self-revert your edit with an edit summary on the lines of "fingerslip, apologies" or something alike. Avoid using rollback to self-revert your edit – it can come off as demonstrating ignorance, but how it may come off depends on the user.
Abuse
editBefore you use rollback, you understand that you take full responsibility for any actions you take. Either you understand Wikivoyage's policies, or you don't use it. To put it simply, if you were asked the reason for a rollback, you should be able to give a valid reason. If you can't think of one, then that means don't use rollback.
If you find a user misusing rollback, start a discussion with them about their use of rollback, or at least give a formal warning. If the user reforms their behaviour and their use of rollback, then you've made progress. However, if repeated discussions fail to make a difference, make it firm that desysop or removal of patroller privileges is always an option. If the user still continues to misuse rollback, as a last resort, you may start a desysop request if that user is a sysop or let an uninvolved admin know for patrollers. Before doing so, make sure that the user has been extensively warned before – don't go straight to a desysop nomination without letting the user know why their use of rollback is problematic.
A "misuse of rollback" as in the context above is defined as the repeated use of rollback to revert edits that fall into the § Don't use rollback category above.