CZ Talk:Extensions/ConfirmAccount extension

uselang=

I can use the uselang= perimeter to set up separate applications for authors and editors. Special:RequestAccount would then lead to a page giving the two options, "I wish to apply as an author" and "I wish to apply as an editor". The same forms would exist but the text could be customized. I'd want Aaron to comment first, since this is a hack, same one used for the CZ:Upload-Wizard. Stephen Ewen 00:10, 7 January 2008 (CST)

Would it be very, very, very clear that someone who is qualified could apply for *both*? We wouldn't want to exclude qualified people because of a misunderstanding. Hayford Peirce 09:54, 7 January 2008 (CST)

"Editors are authors too". Stephen Ewen 10:00, 7 January 2008 (CST)

This should be part of the software (extension), not a hack. I'm not sure what you mean by "separate applications for authors and editors." Depending on what you mean, that is already the case. (I can see the editor queue; you can't.)

That said, editors can stake a claim as authors, too, but they don't have to. The way it should work is that there isn't a drop-down menu that forces a choice, but a checkbox that allows one to check either one or both, but not none. Then, if the "author" box is checked, Category:CZ Author is added to the editor application. --Larry Sanger 10:11, 7 January 2008 (CST)

I always thought 'editors' were also 'authors'. They get author rights in addition to editor rights, and it is pretty much impossible to approve pages without actually changing any content. Aaron Schulz 11:10, 7 January 2008 (CST)

Well, all editors have author rights. But "editor" and "author" are names for community roles, not for system permissions. So, some editors might not want to be identified as authors, because they aren't really interested in writing articles, they are mostly interested in doing things that only editors can do. --Larry Sanger 12:07, 7 January 2008 (CST)

I suppose anyone who changes content could still wish to be identified as not being an author. Maybe such people can just edit their user pages then? Anyone who does anything will probably be adding/changing content, so I'd say that they are an author unless they explicitly don't to be called one for some reason. I suppose 'authorship' could be defined to only include people who mainly make new article or large edits, but then what about non-editors that just tweak pages here and there or make many small edits to various pages? It becomes kind of an incoherent dividing line. The author => changes and editor => approval line is clearer IMO. Aaron Schulz 13:32, 7 January 2008 (CST)

Areas of expertise only

I noticed that part of the form wants editors to check only their areas of expertise. However, the workgroup categories, like Category:Chemistry Editors just say "editors that joined group X". So why not just let them check their fields of interest like authors? That also lets editors start of being in categories they are interested in but don't have expertise, like authors. Aaron Schulz 13:23, 7 January 2008 (CST)

Maybe then I'm misunderstanding just what the function does. Let me create a dummy account. We just don't want them to become editors in everything they are interested in! Stephen Ewen 14:52, 7 January 2008 (CST)

I'm saying that the category pages don't say that the editors have to be experts in the topic in order to be included. It is literally just any editor that is on the group. Aaron Schulz 15:01, 7 January 2008 (CST)

See User:Tester_Tester_McTestertester. Dr. McTestertester checked 10 boxes and has thereby become an editor in each of those 10 areas. While the good doctor is a bright fellow, his actual area of expertise, the area for which he is qualified as an editor, is Mathematics (he runs tests). Yet when an author goes hunting for a Literature Editor to approve his article on War and Peace, he will run upon Dr. McTestertester's name listed at Category:Literature Editors and send him off this strangely received request to have his article nominated for approval. Yet Dr. McTestertester is only a hobbyist with literature, an author in that area. :-D

But I see the issue. We want editors to know they can author about any of those area they want! For now I added "(you'll still be able to author outside that area, though)" to MediaWiki:Requestaccount-areas-text. Stephen Ewen 17:33, 7 January 2008 (CST)

Another thing maybe ... something like {{Czcategories}} could be added at the bottom of editor userpages (that template has to literally be placed at the bottom). I added it to User:Tester_Tester_McTestertester for demonstration. Stephen Ewen 17:52, 7 January 2008 (CST)

Hmmm. Dr. McTestertester's email stated "We're delighted to welcome you to the Citizendium as an author. That is something that could be hacked with uselang= to state "editor", but that's just how I first think because I can hack but not code. :-) Stephen Ewen 18:15, 7 January 2008 (CST)