Well, this is very discouraging to read. I know the project has to prioritize some projects over others but it's the patronizing attitude and the ignoring legitimate inquiries that are the most annoying. The problem is that there is no obligation for WMF to pay any attention to editors' concerns, I think they mainly respond because they don't want negative optics that would result to complaints that aren't met with some kind of response, even if it is pro forma. As far as the Board goes, I think they are so involved in big picture subjects that improving tools that some editors rely upon to do their work doesn't rank up there in what gets their attention. But, I've found in similar situations that persistence in asking questions until one gets a truthful answer can bring some results, even if one doesn't like the answer one gets. LizRead!Talk!00:52, 1 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Not to dispute the larger point that WMF may have trouble prioritizing high-impact work, but what are some concrete examples for the "Software improvements, both bug reports and feature requests, that would help and encourage reviewers do this job [but] have been languishing unaddressed at Phabricator for months and even years"? "Show, don't tell" might also work better in convincing board members, and enable them to ask more pertinent questions in their conversations with the WMF executives that they oversee. Regards, HaeB (talk) 01:59, 1 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Hi HaeB, this is a newspaper article about the Open Letter campaign. The WMF is fully aware of the bugs and features that need addressing, and have been for a long time. This article addresses the fact that the board stated publicly that they are not involved in worflows of individual projects. You can watch the linked video yourself or read the transcript provided in the article. Kudpung กุดผึ้ง (talk) 04:03, 1 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]
The worst bug is that it doesn't always create AFD pages. phab:T238025 Another bad one before I fixed it recently was prod tagging was broken; the reason was always blank. These bugs are so bad that many patrollers have to use Twinkle. There are also over 100 tickets open on phabricator. –Novem Linguae (talk) 07:21, 1 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]
HaeB, I had to smile at this attempt to complain about the article in an edit summary: ...not all Signpost readers might be steeped in the history of ACTRIAL, they only have to look to the right at the list of articles in the Series table of contents - there are links to twoSignpost articles about ACTRIAL. Kudpung กุดผึ้ง (talk) 08:04, 1 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]
The Series ToC doesn't appear in new Vector until the last section and not at all in mobile. Given we've discovered the hard way that this piece is rather sensitive to layout adjustments, what do you think of a note that this is best experienced in desktop mode and a link to force desktop like so? Rotideypoc41352 (talk·contribs) 02:49, 2 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]
Hi Rotideypoc41352, Thanks for pointing that out. Any post-publication issues are best discussed with the Editors-in-Chief or their colleagues such as Bri or Headbomb on the newsroom talk page. A large number of editors have read the article already and you were the only one to point out the fmt bug on mobile. It's certainly worth considering for future articles that have a lot of sidebar content and quotes. Kudpung กุดผึ้ง (talk) 06:34, 2 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]
I echo the sentiments of frustration, and concern. The direction the WMF has taken is reminiscent of a RGW, political soapbox for social justice, and a voice for developing countries. While it is commendable in the context of humanity, it is not what the hand that feeds the WMF is needing. We need a focused tech team to develop the tools we need to do our job. We needs stats so we can determine what areas need the most work and help us further determine the best remedies. The shovels and wheelbarrows aren't working, we need a backhoe, frontend loader and dump trucks. We need the WMF to provide the tools we need or risk the encyclopedia being buried under mountains of garbage. Atsme💬📧16:09, 2 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]
You mean the sidebar headed "RELATED ARTICLES / NEW PAGES PATROL"? It’s not visible on Timeless at tablet-portrait width, either. I didn’t know it existed until I read @Rotideypoc41352's comment. ⁓ Pelagic ( messages ) 03:37, 5 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]
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