[Epic] Support global preferences on Wikimedia wikis
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	• bzimport
	Jul 27 2008, 11:10 PM

Description

It would be nice if users and developers could designate certain preferences to automatically apply across all wikis. This will require A Lot of Work™.

Extension:GlobalPreferences is a rough draft of the functionality.

RFC: Global user preferences

Challenges to overcome:

UI language:
- polyglot users who want UI & content to match, and
- cross-wiki maintainers who want to force the one UI language globally T16950#2187671
Gadget on/off pref - T16950#2188222 (and possible security issue with assuming global - T16950#2188400 )

Details

Reference: bz14950

Related Objects
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Status	Assigned	Task
Resolved	Niharika	T139145 global disabling of compact language list
Resolved	None	T16950 [Epic] Support global preferences on Wikimedia wikis
Resolved	• werdna	T20410 Merge preferences-work branch with trunk
Duplicate	None	T120385 Support global language settings (global preferences)
Resolved	Johan	T154956 How important is being able to override global preferences?
Resolved	Samwilson	T68869 Update Global preferences UI
Resolved	Samwilson	T173476 Investigation: Figure out what needs to be rewritten in GlobalPreferences
Resolved	Samwilson	T178449 RFC: How to modify all preferences?
Resolved	• TBolliger	T184121 Deploy checklist for GlobalPreferences on production
Resolved	Samwilson	T174753 Create Help:Extension:GlobalPreferences on mw.org
Resolved	MaxSem	T184668 Deploy GlobalPreferences on beta cluster
Resolved	kaldari	T184643 Security review for GlobalPreferences
Resolved	Niharika	T184666 DBA review for GlobalPreferences schema
Resolved	MaxSem	T189806 Deploy GlobalPrefs on production
Resolved	bd808	T190235 Create labs views for GlobalPrefs table
Resolved	Samwilson	T190353 Argument 1 passed to CentralIdLookup::namesFromCentralIds() must be an instance of array, string given
Resolved	Samwilson	T190354 Wikimedia\Rdbms\Database::query: lost connection to {dbserver}; reconnected
Resolved	MaxSem	T190425 GlobalPreferences deploy caused a significant increase in reads on s3
Resolved	Niharika	T190902 Usernames remain disabled when enabling local exception for email-blacklist
Resolved	Samwilson	T190373 JavaScript error in Chrome, preferences don't save
Resolved	MaxSem	T194936 Deploy Global Preferences to all non-Wikipedia wikis
Resolved	MaxSem	T195288 Local exception for notifications does not work
Resolved	Keegan	T187488 Invite people to try out GlobalPreferences on the beta cluster and give feedback
Resolved	Niharika	T187490 QA testing for GlobalPreferences
Resolved	Samwilson	T188358 Design: Make the "Select All" checkbox align with the ones that come below it and fix the labelling
Declined	None	T188359 Make the mute widget align next to the label, like on usual Prefs
Resolved	Samwilson	T188360 In Recent change > Pending changes, wrap text for second set of options (add min and max width)
Resolved	Samwilson	T188361 Fix the alignment for Beta features tab in Special:GlobalPreferences
Resolved	Samwilson	T188423 Remove the "Use global user page" preference from the global user page extension
Resolved	Niharika	T188382 Incorrect indentation of Global Preferences in Timeless skin
Resolved	Samwilson	T188524 Add tip in Special:Preferences explaining GlobalPreferences
Resolved	MaxSem	T188657 global_preferences.gp_user should be unsigned
Resolved	MaxSem	T197259 Create an API module to allow apps to read global preferences
Resolved	MaxSem	T197260 Create an API module to allow apps to set local exceptions
Resolved	MaxSem	T198935 Clean up the mess with one-off transformations for some preferences
Resolved	MaxSem	T62856 Create an API module to allow apps to set global preference

Event Timeline

There are a very large number of changes, so older changes are hidden. Show Older Changes

@TerraCodes Good point. You mean with $wgHiddenPrefs? Those preferences will also be hidden on Special:GlobalPreferences on that wiki, but they'll be visible and globalizable on other wikis. Similar to how it'll handle preferences for extensions that aren't installed everywhere.

Ah, but what would be the point of hiding a preference then? Since I could just go to another wiki, and enable it globally.

Oh, no, sorry: it would be able to be enabled globally, and that would apply to the wikis that haven't hidden it — on those ones, the local default would be used always.

Wouldn't that confuse users through, since you would think you're enabling it globally, but you're really not?

Yeah, it is a bit confusing. :-(

But I guess it's much the same as enabling a global preference that doesn't exist at all on a wiki. I mean, from the point of view of someone on enwiki there is no "Mark all edits minor by default" preference, so they wouldn't expect such a thing to be set when they set it globally.

Ah, thanks for explaining it~

Off-topic: Why does enwiki even hide this setting? It does no harm afaik, but is really useful if you to some maintenance task for a while.

nshahquinn-wmf unsubscribed.Oct 13 2017, 9:59 PM

T178449: RFC: How to modify all preferences? was today discussed during the TechCom RFC meeting on IRC. The RFC remains "under discussion". See for T178449#3728073 minutes.

Nemo_bis mentioned this in T110353: Audit use of cookies.Nov 14 2017, 10:56 AM

revi awarded a token.Nov 15 2017, 9:49 AM

Nirmos subscribed.Nov 15 2017, 9:18 PM

• AxelPettersson_WMSE awarded a token.Nov 30 2017, 3:51 PM

TerraCodes merged a task: T120385: Support global language settings (global preferences).Dec 11 2017, 11:01 AM

TerraCodes merged a task: T134042: Make gender global.

TerraCodes added subscribers: Nikerabbit, tstarling.

TerraCodes added subscribers: Vriullop, Lluis_tgn, QuimGil.

Dalba unsubscribed.Dec 11 2017, 11:11 AM

• gpaumier unsubscribed.Dec 11 2017, 4:23 PM

• MichaelSchoenitzer_WMDE awarded a token.Dec 12 2017, 1:51 PM

Anoop subscribed.Dec 13 2017, 2:19 PM

Krinkle removed a project: Proposal.Dec 21 2017, 11:39 PM

Logan unsubscribed.Dec 21 2017, 11:54 PM

xSavitar awarded a token.Jan 1 2018, 5:47 PM

xSavitar subscribed.

MaxSem added a subtask: T184121: Deploy checklist for GlobalPreferences on production.Jan 3 2018, 9:08 PM

Samwilson closed subtask T68869: Update Global preferences UI as Resolved.Jan 4 2018, 1:07 AM

• TBolliger mentioned this in T184470: Rollback and clean up code from T178842 .Jan 8 2018, 7:21 PM

This RFC seems very inconcrete, as is makes no specific proposal and asks no specific questions. Also, implementation of a system for global preferences is in progress. It seems this RFC is thus obsolete. If there are no objections, I will close it as invalid.

This isn't an RFC, it's an epic specifying the current work the Community Tech team is doing. I'm just removing the RFC tag.

Scott_WorldUnivAndSch subscribed.Jan 9 2018, 10:22 PM

Harej moved this task from Incoming to Confirmed Extension Requests on the MediaWiki-extension-requests board.Jan 29 2018, 11:27 PM

Restricted Application added a subscriber: alaa. · View Herald TranscriptJan 29 2018, 11:27 PM

• TBolliger moved this task from Older: Tracking Work by Others to Older: Team Work on the Community-Tech board.Feb 14 2018, 6:41 PM

Niharika added a subtask: T187488: Invite people to try out GlobalPreferences on the beta cluster and give feedback.Feb 15 2018, 7:29 PM

Krinkle unsubscribed.Feb 16 2018, 8:52 AM

• TBolliger renamed this task from Support global preferences to [Epic] Support global preferences on Wikimedia wikis.Feb 21 2018, 10:53 PM

• TBolliger added a project: Community-Wishlist-Survey-2016.

• TBolliger moved this task from Backlog to Wikimedia integration on the MediaWiki-extensions-GlobalPreferences board.

Niharika closed subtask T187490: QA testing for GlobalPreferences as Resolved.Feb 22 2018, 10:44 PM

Folks watching this ticket - GlobalPreferences is deployed on the beta cluster. Any and all feedback is welcome!

Keegan closed subtask T187488: Invite people to try out GlobalPreferences on the beta cluster and give feedback as Resolved.Feb 27 2018, 6:59 PM

Niharika added a subtask: T188382: Incorrect indentation of Global Preferences in Timeless skin.Feb 27 2018, 9:18 PM

Niharika added a subtask: T188424: Improve the UI of Global Preferences (aka "fix two vertical rows of checkboxes").Feb 27 2018, 9:32 PM

Niharika closed subtask T188359: Make the mute widget align next to the label, like on usual Prefs as Declined.Feb 27 2018, 9:37 PM

• TBolliger changed the status of subtask T188424: Improve the UI of Global Preferences (aka "fix two vertical rows of checkboxes") from Open to Stalled.Feb 27 2018, 11:21 PM

Legoktm closed subtask T188423: Remove the "Use global user page" preference from the global user page extension as Resolved.Feb 28 2018, 8:27 AM

Niharika added a subtask: T188524: Add tip in Special:Preferences explaining GlobalPreferences.Feb 28 2018, 8:29 PM

• TBolliger merged a task: T132410: Setting default global preferences for cross-wiki notifications somewhere at meta.Mar 2 2018, 12:22 AM

• TBolliger removed parent tasks: T169924: Option to disable notifications about 1st, 10th, etc. edit ("You made your <milestone> edit!"), T153062: Editor dialog option for all wikis at once, T135767: Have to close Welcome message on every single project separately, T134042: Make gender global, T132410: Setting default global preferences for cross-wiki notifications somewhere at meta, T27029: PrefSwitch: Turning off the new features in all wikis fails, T71319: Allow option to uncheck "Always use a secure connection when logged in" at login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Preferences, T25335: User language settings for autocreated accounts at Commons should carry over from homewiki, T33615: Update call of User::getGroupMember in Special:GlobalUsers, T41073: Notifications DB should be centralized across Wikimedia wikis, T22153: Implement global gadgets (WMF-wide).

• TBolliger added subscribers: Billinghurst, • Mattflaschen-WMF.

• TBolliger removed a parent task: T66475: Make crosswiki bits and pieces truly global (tracking).Mar 2 2018, 12:24 AM

• TBolliger added a subtask: T188657: global_preferences.gp_user should be unsigned.

Niharika closed subtask T188361: Fix the alignment for Beta features tab in Special:GlobalPreferences as Resolved.Mar 2 2018, 6:19 PM

Reedy closed subtask T188657: global_preferences.gp_user should be unsigned as Resolved.Mar 2 2018, 11:25 PM

Niharika closed subtask T188358: Design: Make the "Select All" checkbox align with the ones that come below it and fix the labelling as Resolved.Mar 6 2018, 7:03 PM

Niharika closed subtask T188360: In Recent change > Pending changes, wrap text for second set of options (add min and max width) as Resolved.Mar 6 2018, 8:36 PM

Niharika closed subtask T188524: Add tip in Special:Preferences explaining GlobalPreferences as Resolved.Mar 9 2018, 7:13 PM

Niharika closed subtask T188382: Incorrect indentation of Global Preferences in Timeless skin as Resolved.Mar 21 2018, 9:32 PM

In T16950#2188400, @Krenair wrote:

In T16950#2188222, @He7d3r wrote:

In T16950#2186421, @MGChecker wrote:

Maybe it would be useful for this case to define a list of settings that can't be set globally. (Gadgets, Signature)

Yeah. I wouldn't like if I enabled a "gadget-foo" globally and then when I access xyzwiki I see that local users created a totally different gadget with the same name as the global one, and which does something I do not want.

Worse than some people simply not liking it, that would most likely be considered a security issue.