Commons:Requests for comment/Technical needs survey/Checkbox to mark new files as current on upload

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Checkbox to mark new files as current on upload[edit]

Description of the Problem[edit]

  • Problem description:

As some of us know well, there has been some controversy about file overwrites in Commons. Now, files can't be overwritten by any user as before, but files with "Current" template, can. The problem is that many users don't know about this template, and it can be very difficult to use for new users.

  • Proposal type: bugfix / feature request / process request

feature request

  • Proposed solution:

Checkbox to mark a file as "Current" (or not) on upload. Creating a file redirect to have a versioned file could also be facilitated (for example, a "Versioned file" check: a date is added at the end of file's name, and a file redirect with the original name, redirecting to it; a component in file's page could make easy to upload a new version as a separate file, while updating the redirect so it points to the new file now).

  • Phabricator ticket:
  • Further remarks:

Some users complain that "Current" isn't the most intuitive name for such a template. Perhaps a new, better name, should be agreed.

Discussion[edit]

I totally supported restricting file overwrites, but I think that things should be made easier for users on files that need overwrites indeed. This will play in favor of overwrite restriction, since it will have much less opposition. I fear that too many complains could eventually roll back that good change.MGeog2022 (talk) 11:03, 23 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]

@MGeog2022: It doesn't work the way you think it should. In order to be able to overwrite, either the user has to have autopatol+ or the file description page has to have {{Allow Overwriting}} on it. I spent days making sure that files marked with {{Current}} at the time (12 November 2023) got {{Allow Overwriting}} with the permission in Special:Diff/820992375. The whole sordid mess is documented in Commons talk:Overwriting existing files#Updating maps. I am not planning on doing that again, and doing so would require more complications to avoid double additions.   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 00:58, 29 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]
@Jeff G., sorry, I thought that files marked as "Current" worked "the old way", and could be updated by any user. I see that "Allow Overwriting" template is to be used only by patrollers, so this proposal makes no sense. I retire it (only the "Versioned file" part would make sense, but it's something a bit complex). I hope that the frustration of some users with overwrites will gradually disappear. Only a question: is there any reason to not allowing overwriting to all registered users for a specific file, even if its uploader explicitly wants it? (I understand that in this case he/she assumes all associated risks) MGeog2022 (talk) 12:37, 29 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Well, after reading the response by RZuo, then perhaps this proposal would make sense for files with "Recent" or "Update", but not "Current" (this also answers my previous question). MGeog2022 (talk) 12:40, 29 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]
i copy my comment over here from https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Commons_talk:Overwriting_existing_files&oldid=836174261#Updating_maps .
those with {{Recent}} and {{Update}} are suitable for overwriting, but those with {{Current}} mostly dont actually need overwriting, because:
  1. {{Recent}} means the file is expected to be constantly updated to reflect the recent real world.
  2. {{Update}} means something really needs to be updated.
  3. {{Current}} means the file reflects the current situation; the current situation may change, so it may be updated; but in reality most files with this template dont ever need to be updated because nothing they depict will change (at least in the foreseeable future).
RZuo (talk) 10:36, 29 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]
@RZuo: You never answered my question "Are the recent and update ones also current?" there. Perhaps I need to be more specific. @GPSLeo: Should we "Allow Overwriting" for files bearing the {{Recent}} and {{Update}} tags (that is, files in Category:Most recent version and Category:Images requiring an update)?   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 15:12, 29 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]
I think yes they should also get the overwrite template. But I think we should consider to merge {{Current}} and {{Recent}} as I do not see a real difference between them. For {{Update}} I think it is the best to use it additionally to the other ones and remove it after the update was done but leaving the other template and also the {{Allow Overwriting}}. GPSLeo (talk) 15:36, 29 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]
@GPSLeo Thanks for your input, but I think it would be better presented at COM:VPP.   — 🇺🇦Jeff G. ツ please ping or talk to me🇺🇦 14:04, 22 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Votes[edit]

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