No Mans Sky Wiki:Discussion:Use API for Edits

The subject of this article is from the Echoes update.
The information from this article is up-to-date as of 13 February, 2024.

No Mans Sky Wiki:Discussion:Use API for Edits is a proposal discussion page.

Summary

This proposal was proposed on 18 November 2023 by Jgwinn93 on the Admin noticeboard.

Current status: Accepted with changes.

Original Text

Dear NMS Wiki Admin team,

I am writing to formally request the initiation of a community discussion in alignment with the guidelines outlined in the Community Decision Making page. The focus of this discussion would center around leveraging the mediawiki API to streamline and enhance the wiki editing process.

The primary objective of this proposed initiative is to significantly improve the accessibility and user-friendliness of our wiki platform. Specifically, the project aims to facilitate the addition of discoveries to designated album pages by allowing users to submit images and information through a designated Discord channel. This streamlined process holds particular significance for console players as it significantly reduces the necessity for multiple devices or applications when uploading in-game screenshots to the wiki.

Currently, contributing content to the wiki involves a laborious series of steps where users must transfer console screenshots to their mobile devices, resize the images using specific applications, and then navigate the challenges of the wiki's mobile interface or resort to transferring the images to a PC for content creation.

My proposed project seeks to automate a substantial portion of this process. By doing so, it not only promises considerable time savings for contributors but also significantly diminishes the barriers to participation. This automation is aimed at simplifying the process of adding discoveries to the wiki, thereby encouraging wider and more inclusive participation from members of the Galactic Hub and potentially members of the wiki community at large.

It has been observed that a significant number of players within different NMS communities refrain from engaging in wiki editing due to the perceived complexities of the current process. The core aim of this proposal is to mitigate these obstacles, fostering a more inclusive and inviting environment that would ideally encourage a larger pool of players to actively contribute to our wiki.

I am enthusiastic about the potential positive impact this initiative could have on our wiki community and am eager to engage in a constructive discussion regarding its implementation.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Jgwinn93 (talk) 14:03, 18 November 2023 (UTC)
AKA ApexFatality
Galactic Hub Calypso Director

Discussion

Add your thoughts below. Please don't forget to sign your posts with ~~~~

100% Agree

I 100% Agree! In fact the main reason I don't do as many wiki pages anymore is because of this. It's far too compacted for the average Xbox or Playstation user. I would pay money for a feature like this, the more we have on this wiki the better! But if it does work well we will have a massive more amount of wiki pages to moderate. Cyijj (talk) 02:32, 19 November 2023 (UTC)

Agree

I enjoy wiki and I enjoy learning how to better my content here. However, I am a console user, specifically PS5. When I first started to use Wiki on my arrival to the Galactic Hub, the uphill struggle was untenable. I am one of the lucky ones in that I do have a laptop. The process for me to edit wiki as a console user is as follows: 1. Take in-game screenshot. 2. Make sure PS App is installed on my phone and go to that. Find screenshot and press download. N.B. you can download 4 images per time and clips of around 30seconds take a very long time to process to just render before downloading is an option. 3. Find those images in my gallery and share them either with my Google drive or email (depending on size limits). 4. Open laptop. Find images and re-download. Keeping in mind that mobile wiki editing is almost impossible snd that's from someone who knows more about it. New users it is a serious point of contention. 5. Do a wiki page with those images.

This is unrealistic and extremely time consuming. Wiki editing was not designed with mobile in mind. Console users have to utilise mobile for the most part with a lot of extra steps. My dialogue with other players is they find wiki to be intimidating and an unfriendly place for console users. Ultimately,surely the goals of the Wiki and the community is to make the process as streamlined as possible so "more" discoveries and cataloguing can take place. If there is a solid option to make entry to this amazing tool easier and more accessible to everyone then we will have more data on the wiki. It will be more approachable. I can't see a single negative to this as long as implementation is good. HayleyGeek (talk) 04:08, 19 November 2023 (UTC)

Moderation and Quality Concerns

This is my own personal opinion, I do not speak for the entire admin team. Of course, we do not wish to gatekeep anyone, and I think it's important to remove any technical barriers. That said, lowering the bar for contributions also lowers the bar for trolls. We have effective automated tools to detect and roll back vandalism on text pages, but we do not have such tools for images. So my main concern would be that when such a service is offered through a Discord bot / website / whatever else the future may bring, there should either be a way for the users to authenticate to the wiki as themselves so we can take action if anything should get out of hand, or you have to keep an eye on it yourself and restrict it to certain user groups or find a way to exclude troll users, should the need arise. Although I don't recall any situation where this was an issue in the past few years, it's better to have something in place just in case.

You explicitly mention "designated album pages" for this specific project you want to do. I'm not too worried about the increased patrolling work if albums remain the only target of this. But since I also think that our decision here will set a precedent, it's important to also think about other areas where this technology might be used. External wiki page creation tools have been around for a while now, and cause me, at least, a headache from time to time when someone creates 100 pages that all have the same error due to some bug or other restriction in the tool. So please keep an eye on everything your bot creates, and fix any bugs you see.

Since this topic has been brought up elsewhere before, I'm going to make the following assumptions (please correct me if any of these are incorrect):

You want to create a Discord bot that automatically creates album entries and uploads images, compressing them beforehand if necessary.
Since you have experimented with OCR in the past, I assume you will want to use it to automatically extract glyphs from images.

OCR isn't perfect. It may work well on screenshots where the glyphs contrast well with the background. But that is the best case scenario. I imagine it gets worse very quickly when people try to use screenshots with lower resolution, oddly stretched screenshots, or phone pictures (I've seen them all by now). The algorithm should be very sure that it correctly recognised the glyphs before putting them on the wiki.

Speaking of phone pictures, that's another thing I have some concerns about. Making image uploading accessible through Discord also has the potential that people upload more low quality phone pictures. Phone pictures not only have a bad quality, they can also contain a lot of personal information that the photographer does not want publicly on the internet (exact geo-coordinates, etc). Therefore it would be great if phone pics could be recognised and filtered out by the code (based on the metadata for example).

And when talking about low quality, we should also talk about the image compression aspect of the bot. There are several ways to compress an image (reducing resolution, using different formats, increasing the compression level, etc). Which one do you plan to use? I'm asking because I've seen people reduce the resolution of their images, making them worse than my 300KB 1080p jpg pictures, while still being several MB in size. There is already an image compressor web app out there, specifically made to compress image for the NMS wiki. It uses jpg compression with the highest quality setting that keeps the image as close to 10MB as possible, so it outputs compressed images that are almost indistinguishable from the originals (10MB is huge for a jpg image). The source code is available on GitHub. I don't know if this works on the server side, or how to get something similar in different programming languages, but it would be nice not to have a pixel mash when something is compressed.

One small problem I see with having a bot upload images and make edits is that the person who gathered the data and submitted it to the bot doesn't get any credit, i. e. the stats on their wiki profile don't increase (should they care about that). There is also no clear way to track who made an edit, or who uploaded a picture if the bot does all of that with its own account (if there is a way for people to authenticate with their own account that would be better). If the bot does these edits, it would be good to put some sort of identifier (Discord username, etc.) in the edit summary.

It has been said previously that such a feature should be accessible to all communities. You also say yourself "encouraging wider and more inclusive participation from [...] members of the wiki community at large". Do you plan to host the bot publicly so that people can add it to their Discord servers to achieve this?

To be clear, I'm open to technological advances and have experimented with such things myself in the past. As I said at the beginning, we don't want to be gatekeepers either. But we could be opening Pandora's box if it's not done properly. Thanks! Lenni (talk) 14:34, 19 November 2023 (UTC)

Thanks for the reply. I'm not sure what is the best way to make responses on this format yet, so hopefully this works out.

“

...or you have to keep an eye on it yourself and restrict it to certain user groups or find a way to exclude troll users

„

Addressing and mitigating troll behavior is a paramount concern in implementing this project, particularly considering the actions will be executed through a designated wiki account under my ownership. The proposed strategy involves encapsulating wiki API calls within a Discord bot interface. Users will engage with this Discord bot, which will subsequently interact with the wiki API for tasks such as image uploads and editing specified album pages. Discord's inherent functionality includes the detection and prevention of explicit image postings in non-age-restricted channels, thereby acting as an initial barrier to prevent the bot from uploading inappropriate content to our wiki. To bolster these measures, additional safeguards are planned. Access to utilize the Discord bot for wiki-related activities will be restricted to a specific role, exclusively granted to trusted members within the Galactic Hub and its associated communities. Moreover, stringent rate limits will be enforced on each Discord account, serving as an added layer of protection. These measures are designed to mitigate any inadvertent or improper usage scenarios, ensuring that even instances of accidental misuse do not result in substantial cleanup efforts for the admin team.

“

So please keep an eye on everything your bot creates, and fix any bugs you see.

„

I assure you that meticulous attention will be directed towards this projects activities across all areas. Monitoring and rectifying any discrepancies or bugs arising from this projects operations will be a priority. This proactive approach aims to ensure the integrity and accuracy of content submitted through the wiki API, thereby mitigating any potential challenges or inconsistencies.

“

Since you have experimented with OCR in the past, I assume you will want to use it to automatically extract glyphs from images.

„

While I've been exploring the utility of OCR (Optical Character Recognition) for streamlining wiki documentation processes, I don't intend to incorporate this technology into the current project. In this specific initiative, the responsibility lies with the user to provide a suitable image along with all the necessary information to the Discord bot for an album entry. This approach is designed to uphold the highest standards of accuracy and reliability in the data presented on the wiki. By relying on users to directly supply both the image and accompanying information, the aim is to ensure precise and meticulous documentation without the intermediary use of OCR technology.

“

Speaking of phone pictures, that's another thing I have some concerns about. Making image uploading accessible through Discord also has the potential that people upload more low quality phone pictures.

„

The issue regarding the potential influx of low-quality phone pictures through Discord uploads is indeed a valid concern. To mitigate this, I want to emphasize that access to the Discord bot for wiki-related tasks will be restricted solely to trusted members within the Galactic Hub and its associated communities. This access limitation ensures that only individuals committed to upholding the quality standards of the wiki will have the privilege to upload images. Moreover, as part of the guidelines and best practices, we'll stress the importance of submitting high-quality images when utilizing the Discord bot for wiki uploads. Emphasizing the significance of providing clear, high-resolution images will be a key point of communication. This approach aims to maintain the overall quality and visual standard of the content being added to the wiki. By emphasizing these principles and limiting access to trusted members, the objective is to encourage the submission of high-quality images while ensuring that contributions align with the wiki's quality standards.

“

There are several ways to compress an image (reducing resolution, using different formats, increasing the compression level, etc). Which one do you plan to use?

„

Ensuring high-quality compression techniques is paramount to maintain the integrity of uploaded images. Careful consideration will be given to selecting a pre-existing Python package that prioritizes maintaining image quality during compression with the intention to employ compression methods that won't compromise the visual fidelity of the original image. I will explore available options and aim to adopt techniques that align with these principles. Often times, there are many python packages available from large companies such as google or other tech giants that open source professional level code for topics such as this.

“

There is also no clear way to track who made an edit, or who uploaded a picture if the bot does all of that with its own account

„

It is of course essential to maintain transparency and accountability within the wiki's editing process. To address this concern, the bot's functionality will include a mechanism to incorporate an identifier in the edit summary. This identifier will be linked to the Discord username and/or Discord ID. This addition will serve to provide clear attribution for edits and image uploads facilitated by this project. This will aid in tracing and crediting contributions made through this project. This practice aligns with my commitment to transparency and acknowledgment of contributors' efforts within the wiki. Implementing these identifiers in the edit summaries will facilitate a more traceable and accountable editing process, ensuring due recognition for the individuals behind the contributions made through this project.

“

Do you plan to host the bot publicly so that people can add it to their Discord servers to achieve this?

„

I truly believe in fostering inclusivity and enabling wider participation among all communities within our wiki platform. The idea of making such features accessible to other communities is something I wholeheartedly support. As for hosting the bot publicly for wider Discord server integration, it aligns with the aim of extending these functionalities to other groups. While I'm open to open-sourcing the code to facilitate broader utilization, I also recognize the importance of starting small to refine the system before wider adoption. Starting with a focused implementation allows us to work out any potential issues or kinks, ensuring a smoother experience for everyone involved. It provides an opportunity to refine the technology and processes before opening it up for broader use. I'm more than willing to make the code open-source for others to utilize. However, I also appreciate the prudence in taking a gradual approach. If the admin team feels it's wise to assess and fine-tune the system before broader adoption, I am completely open to that approach.

“

But we could be opening Pandora's box if it's not done properly.

„

Your caution is entirely understandable, especially when considering the introduction of new technologies into our wiki environment. I share your commitment to embracing technological advancements while being mindful of potential challenges that might arise. I am equally committed to ensuring that any advancements are approached thoughtfully and systematically to mitigate potential pitfalls. Your willingness to explore technological innovations while remaining vigilant about their implications demonstrates a balanced perspective that aligns with our collective interest in the wiki's well-being. I appreciate your openness to technological progress and your consideration of the potential outcomes. It's through these careful discussions and considerations that we can navigate these advancements effectively. Thank you for sharing your perspective, and I'm eager to collaborate further on a prudent and beneficial approach for integrating these technological enhancements within our wiki ecosystem.

Jgwinn93 (talk) 20:32, 19 November 2023 (UTC)
AKA ApexFatality

Thanks for the answers.

"Access to utilize the Discord bot for wiki-related activities will be restricted to a specific role, exclusively granted to trusted members [...]"

This seems to go against the core of your proposal "to mitigate these obstacles, fostering a more inclusive and inviting environment that would ideally encourage a larger pool of players to actively contribute to our wiki". How does it foster a more inviting environment, if the obstacles are only mitigated for people who have already contributed and shown that they contribute good data? New editors would still have to go through Fandom's bad UX initially, so this sounds like it will just speed up the process for established users.

Assuming that this role structure will stay in place should the bot be hosted publicly, I see the potential problem that other communities who use this bot do not actively check its edits, and therefore don't alert their editors should there be issues, or just grant that bot role to everyone, defeating its purpose. Of course this isn't anything you could influence should it come to that, but it's also part of the reason why I'm sceptical towards this whole thing. And if a bot is only used in one specific community, it doesn't really help "fostering a more inclusive and inviting environment". There is a lot of trust involved. I myself am open to advancing this trust, but it would also mean that one bad actor will ruin the thing for everyone. Lenni (talk) 17:30, 20 November 2023 (UTC)

“

This seems to go against the core of your proposal

„

I respectfully disagree with this assessment. Within the Galactic Hub and its sister civs, there are numerous trusted members who, currently, either contribute minimally or have yet to contribute to the wiki. The objective of this proposal fundamentally centers on lowering barriers to participation, fostering inclusivity, and cultivating a more inviting environment. The intention behind restricting access to a specific role is not to limit contributions solely to established users but rather to ensure that those granted access are committed to maintaining the quality standards of the wiki. This approach aims to strike a balance between encouraging broader participation and upholding the integrity of the content being added. By offering streamlined processes for trusted members, the proposal endeavors to encourage their active involvement while simultaneously welcoming new editors. It's about gradually expanding participation by providing easier pathways for all contributors, new and established alike, ultimately enhancing the overall experience for everyone involved.

“

I see the potential problem that other communities who use this bot do not actively check its edits, and therefore don't alert their editors should there be issues, or just grant that bot role to everyone, defeating its purpose.

„

I can only take responsibility for the measures I implement and oversee. While I aim to ensure a responsible and considerate usage of this technology within our community, I recognize the potential risks if other communities fail to maintain similar vigilance and oversight. It's imperative that communities leveraging this technology understand the importance of actively monitoring and reviewing the wiki contributions from this project. If other communities decide to adopt this technology but neglect to enforce necessary safeguards or oversee their members' usage, it raises valid concerns about their readiness to handle these advancements responsibly. In such instances, considering restrictions on their use of these technologies might be necessary to preserve the integrity and effectiveness of these tools. It's crucial to ensure that all communities utilizing this technology understand and commit to the responsibility it entails. This approach is pivotal to maintain the positive impact and integrity of these advancements within our broader community.

“

And if a bot is only used in one specific community, it doesn't really help "fostering a more inclusive and inviting environment".

„

It's important to acknowledge that the specific community involved in this initiative contributes significantly, representing a substantial portion of the overall wiki activity, as noted by the retired admin DdFairchild. Undoubtedly, this communities efforts alone would significantly bolster a more inclusive and inviting environment for contributing to our overall wiki community. However, assuming that this particular community would be the sole responsible entity in utilizing such technology might not be the most prudent approach. While our community demonstrates responsibility, it's unwise to presume that others wouldn't act similarly. In instances where irresponsible actions arise from specific communities, addressing these situations on a case-by-case basis seems more judicious. Each community's adherence to responsible usage should be assessed independently rather than resorting to collective repercussions. Having been involved in various gaming communities for over a decade, I emphasize the need to caution against implementing collective punishment based on hypothetical scenarios of potential misuse. Encouraging responsible usage and addressing issues as they arise, rather than preemptively restricting initiatives, would be a more balanced and fair approach.

Jgwinn93 (talk) 02:41, 21 November 2023 (UTC)
AKA ApexFatality

100% Agree & Suggestions

This is an exciting place to discuss the future of the wiki among all wiki editors and Administrators alike. Thank you Admins, for setting up this page, and being open to this project from ApexFatality/Jgwinn93. It's worth noting that he is the same interloper who suggested this forum, as a means for interested wiki editors to have a say in major Fandom NMS Admin decisions and community proposals such as this one. Here's to hoping it's not the last!

I am also a console user, and struggle to make wiki pages that are up-to-par with wiki and Hub standards, mostly due to my efforts to juggle the images between three devices to get a page made. As stated above by Hayley, I use the XBox Series X and have to:

take image in-game and upload to cloud service
download iPhone app and download image to phone {auto-uploads to new cloud service} (the new bot takes over here - allowing for phone uploads of in-game images)
open up laptop to retrieve the image and resize/rename them
upload images to the wiki (as the third cloud service)

If I miss an image and it takes an inordinate amount of time to re-login to all three services on all three devices to replicate the process. The proposed bot would remove the need for a third device. We call this a tech-loop, and it's hard to break the cycle, because NMS and Fandom are across a massive digital divide.

The proposed bot's use of OCR would auto-recognize the kinds of images is sees (DM scan or AV scan or image with glyphs) and enter data in a form to suit that data. The info on that form is editable and verified by the user. The page itself is also editable, allowing for multiple points of correction to wrong OCR data. Apex is also suggesting the text can be put through a grammar-checker to avieavate that concern.

Making images under 10MB is fairly simple on a mobile device. Sure images should be compressed and clear. The size of images being uploaded is not the main concern or driver for this discussion or this project. Also, if the editor knows that their images will be bot-read; they can take some simple extra steps in game to ensure reduced noise surrounding their data. Pointing your scanner at any wall or a dark cave (or hole in the ground) greatly reduces the noise around data within AV scan and Inventory screen backgrounds.

The suggestions I have are very obvious ones, and already involved in the discussions prior to this post:

allow wiki-album entries and only supplement with data entry and photo handling for full pages
credit user in name only if bot is used - but provide a paper trail
test within all interested communities - but select groups and individuals to start

Obviously any good tool can be misused, and abused. Trolls will find a way to ruin anything folks work hard to achieve. Trolls will need to be kept from abusing this tool as well, that should go without saying. I would caution Admins and all commenters against using the 'slippery slope' fallacy, as a critique of this proposal. We are hoping to discuss the limited ways this tool can be useful to console editors. We hope and intend to curtail any abuse of this tool, and we certainly understand the myriad of ways that bots can cause issues for the Admin team, wiki editors, and wiki users alike. I look forward to reading more thoughts on the matter. ItalicInterloper (talk) 16:01, 19 November 2023 (UTC)

Hi, ItalicInterloper! So, this definitely will not solve the larger problem or question around API and Discord bot usage. But at least with respect to this:

“

As stated above by Hayley, I use the XBox Series X and have to....

„

I'm also on an XSX. At first, I was following similar steps to what you describe and it was quite cumbersome. However, if you have any kind of access to OneDrive—and you probably do via your Xbox account—you can change your Xbox settings so that all screenshots are automatically uploaded to a Pictures > Xbox Screenshots folder in your OneDrive account when you take them.

For me, that setting has streamlined the process and taken the mobile device out of the picture completely because I no longer need the Xbox app at all. i just open my laptop and download directly from OneDrive's web interface. And... if you have or are willing to sync OneDrive to a folder on your laptop/desktop, then you wouldn't even need that step.

Again, this won't solve the problem for most people covered by Jgwinn93's proposal. Might not even help HayleyGeek because I don't know what uploading options the PS5 offers. But I saw your comment and thought I'd share.

DKJF 15:04, 21 November 2023 (UTC)

Good Idea but Very on the Fence

I like the idea on the surface level a lot, while I am a PC player it still takes a long time to make pages on this wiki, which is why I take as long as I do to upload anything. I have heard there are tools to help but have not found any nor know where to look for such tools. I manually transcribe all of the information in a notebook that is then typed out in the template needed on the wiki. If there is a way to speed this up I see it as a boon to this community, however as a few others have mentioned QA would be very hard to keep up, look at the various reddits for this community just for examples. But you also have troll issues, and I am someone that cares about their stats, I want to keep contributing to this wiki, but if my work is ignored I would feel that my work is no longer being respected. Pages take time but it takes more time to accurately get all of the information I get for my pages. Alkmayix (talk) 01:06, 20 November 2023 (UTC)

Your dedication to crafting detailed pages for the wiki is truly admirable. I understand the challenges involved in meticulously transcribing information and the effort you invest in ensuring the accuracy of your contributions.

The goal of this project is to alleviate some of the time-consuming aspects of contributing by providing a more streamlined process. Particularly those on console and/or those without reliable access to a desktop or laptop computer.

I completely understand your concerns about quality assurance (QA) and the potential for troll-related issues. Maintaining quality while allowing for increased accessibility is indeed a balancing act. Your concerns are valid, and they underscore the importance of ensuring that any new implementation is thoroughly tested and thoughtfully integrated.

I am meticulously planning mechanisms to address these concerns. The Discord bot's use will be restricted to trusted members within the community, ensuring that contributions originate from dedicated and accountable sources. Additionally, stringent rate limits will be enforced on each Discord account, serving as an added layer of protection.

I understand that as a PC player concerned about your wiki stats, this particular project might not align directly with your contribution style. Various contributors encounter unique obstacles when engaging with the wiki, and this solution might not universally cater to all needs. Its primary objective lies in enhancing accessibility for console users or those editing via mobile devices.

However, other projects might be more suitable for your needs. For instance, check out: https://www.nmswikiboilerplate.com

Jgwinn93 (talk) 05:22, 20 November 2023 (UTC)
AKA ApexFatality

Extremely skeptical, but open to a test run

I am skeptical about this project and have so far voted against it for a variety of reasons. One of the reasons is the anonymity of the uploaders. An important criterion for working as an admin on the wiki is the ability to contact and promote the editors. This makes a significant difference in terms of quality. The more users are familiar with the general functions of a wiki, the more viable a wiki is. Convenient bots from other social media communities undermine these efforts in the long term.

The other reasons have already been addressed here and have been partially refuted in the answers. Therefore I would agree if the following points were accepted:

Limited to albums.
Probationary period of 4 months.
Jgwinn93 is the contact person and responsible for the project.
Lenni is the Wiki's official representative for this matter.
A wiki account is a prerequisite for participation in the project.

Artifexity (talk) 10:18, 20 November 2023 (UTC)

I appreciate your thorough consideration and the conditions you've outlined for the project. Your concerns regarding uploader anonymity and the long-term impact on fostering familiarity with wiki functions are understandable. Upholding quality while ensuring effective communication among contributors is indeed paramount for the wiki's growth and sustainability.

These conditions align well with ensuring a controlled, focused, and accountable implementation of the project. I'm committed to adhering to these terms, ensuring the project's alignment with the wiki's values and standards.

Thank you for your considered input and conditions. I'm eager to proceed responsibly and collaboratively within these parameters to contribute positively to the wiki.

Jgwinn93 (talk) 01:52, 21 November 2023 (UTC)
AKA ApexFatality

I want to add that we will also restrict the specific account on the wiki itself. Specifically, it will be able to:

edit only a specific list of pages
only make constructive edits (only add content, not remove content)
only upload images with a minimum resolution of 500x500px to ensure a minimum quality
only upload new images, not overwrite existing ones
only perform an edit when an edit summary is given (edits without one will be blocked)

If the bot output becomes spammy, there's also an option to set a stricter rate limit, although I would only enable that if needed.

Furthermore, it should be noted in the respective account's "About Me" section that it is a bot account, and that you (Jgwinn93) are responsible for it.

I will monitor the filter for any falsely flagged edits, but please also let me know when you find such a case, so it can be resolved quickly.

Please let me know which account the bot is on, and which pages it should be able to edit. We can always change this allowed page list later if necessary. Thanks! Lenni (talk) 18:31, 24 November 2023 (UTC)

I acknowledge and accept these additional conditions. I'll compile and send you the requested information shortly. Your thorough specifications and considerations are appreciated, and I'm committed to ensuring compliance with these outlined restrictions and responsibilities. The commitment to transparency ensures clarity within the community regarding this project and its responsible oversight under my guidance. Your dedication to monitoring and resolving any issues swiftly further ensures a smooth integration of this project within our wiki environment. I'm committed to providing necessary updates and promptly addressing any concerns that may arise in the course of its usage.

Furthermore, I'd like to emphasize that while the base code for this project was initially written, the project is still in an early developmental phase. There's ongoing work and refinement needed before it's fully prepared for public use. Any admin input and collaboration during this developmental stage will be invaluable in ensuring a robust and effective system once it's ready for wider deployment.

Lastly, I want to express my sincere gratitude to the entire admin team for facilitating this discussion and providing valuable responses, feedback, and considerations throughout this process. Your dedication to ensuring the wiki's integrity while exploring new possibilities is commendable, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to collaborate towards enhancing our wiki community.

Jgwinn93 (talk) 02:09, 25 November 2023 (UTC)
AKA ApexFatality

API Access Could be Beneficial But Needs to be Monitored

Personally I think opening up access to the API could be useful for the community, Apex's tool notwithstanding, I have a few Ideas for tools and scripts that I think could making updates simpler and more automated (and I know people like Celab has tools that could benefit from the API). That said, I think that it should be carefully impended because as pointed out before anything that makes the process easier for editors, can make it easier for trolls. However, the fear of trolls shouldn't prevent up from implementing useful features.

I'm not sure what sort of controls Fandom has to control API access, (such as restricting keys to validated accounts, or approval based on reported "project" details, rate limites) but whatever controls exist should be strongly considered, along with obvious rules such as abuse resulting in loss of API keys and/or bans.

I am also aware that there are quite a few back and front end scripts that are run all over this wiki, that were developed by an Admin that is no longer active, and many pages that are interdepended, so if it is possible to lock out these kinds of pages such as they are with the front end editor, that should be a priority as well.

The long and short of it, is I feel allowing API access would be a good thing, but should be monitored closely, and if possible vetting API app developers as much as is feasible.

Cyberpunk2350 (talk) 20:51, 22 November 2023 (UTC)

The API cannot be disabled or restricted, it's open by default (see Special:ApiHelp and Special:ApiSandbox). It is already used for some data querying for various purposes, but not for editing (at least not editing from an off-wiki source). That being said, as this is a very powerful tool, we admins prefer all edits to the wiki to be made by humans through the wiki interface itself. There have been a few occasions of bots doing vandalism on individual pages here, but they were all instantly reverted by SOAP Bot. But when accounts do productive edits, but they cannot be clearly traced to the human behind that edit, that can be problematic. It's quite similar to account sharing (which I also don't like to see), just that a piece of code can do much more in much less time than a human can. Good and bad. There should be guidelines in place that should be observed if someone wants to do such a project, and discussing this is the purpose of this page. Lenni (talk) 21:32, 22 November 2023 (UTC)

Result

The specific bot proposed here has been allowed, under the following conditions:

Limited to albums.
Probationary period of 4 months (ends on 26 March 2024).
Jgwinn93 is the contact person and responsible for the project.
Lenni009 is the Wiki's official representative for this matter.
A wiki account is a prerequisite for participation in the project.
The bot account's "About Me" lists the editor responsible for the account.

The bot account to use for this project is GalacticHubBot.

The following pages can be edited by that account:

Any similar bot projects should be brought up to the admin team to discuss individual scope and restrictions on bot accounts.

This thread is now closed. If there is a need to further discuss the matter, please use the talk page.