The following discussion is an archived debate. Please do not modify it. To request review of this BRFA, please start a new section at WT:BRFA. The result of the discussion was Approved.

Operator: Anomie (talk · contribs · SUL · edit count · logs · page moves · block log · rights log · ANI search)

Time filed: 23:14, Saturday November 16, 2013 (UTC)

Automatic, Supervised, or Manual: Automatic

Programming language(s): Perl

Source code available: User:AnomieBOT/source/tasks/TemplateUnsubstifier.pm

Function overview: Apply Module:Unsubst to maintenance templates such as those listed at WP:AWB/DT

Links to relevant discussions (where appropriate): WP:BON#Publicizing e.g. ((subst:dated|clarify))

Edit period(s): Periodic

Estimated number of pages affected: 638 to start with

Exclusion compliant (Y/N): Yes

Already has a bot flag (Y/N): Yes

Function details: The bot will load the list of dated maintenance templates from WP:AWB/DT and apply Module:Unsubst by wrapping the existing template code as documented on the module page. It can also recognize and upgrade the existing uses of ((unsubst)) in these maintenance templates.

Discussion[edit]

I've updated Template:Citation needed manually in this edit, if you want a sample of what the bot might do. I'm requesting to use AnomieBOT II for this task, as many of these templates are protected at the templateeditor level and AnomieBOT II already has that group for its other approved task. The bot is set up to wait 1 day after edits to WP:AWB/DT before tagging any new templates to reduce the risk that someone could convince the bot to unsubstify arbitrary templates. Anomie⚔ 23:14, 16 November 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Operator has extensive experience developing bots for Wikipedia and has shown excellent judgement in the past. Task is well understood by op, including underlying Mediawiki considerations. Task is clearly useful for future uses of the affected templates and will reduce the number of bot edits clearing up after humans.

Please keep editing at a rate that will not overwhelm the Mediawiki software and make editors notice what's happening. Monitor actions of the bot. If anyone notices this, I'll be upset. Do this right and no-one will know/care what happened. Speedily Approved. Josh Parris 02:09, 17 November 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. To request review of this BRFA, please start a new section at WT:BRFA.