Template talk:Contact author before editing

Origin and use of this template

This template has originally been created by Goran tek-en for the documentation of their own files. In a featured picture nomination another user, El Grafo, pointed out that “a non-standard template in the main template namespace with a general name but an individual user's name hard-coded into it seems a bit hacky”. Because I had the impression that this template could be useful for other users, too, I have tried to adapt the template for a more general use.

As you can see from the revision history, I have made the template translatable (for now, only English and German translations are present, but other people may add more translations) and added an optional named parameter author=... which is used to specify the name of the Wikimedia Commons user who has created the file. If that parameter is given, i.e. when the template is used as in {{No edit no revision|author=Goran tek-en}}, the name of the author is displayed. If the parameter is omitted, a more general wording is used. And I have added some documentation, see the template itself for that. I have already added the new author=... parameter to all files on which it has originally been used by Goran tek-en; so on all these pages the author’s name is explicitly stated, just as before. The only difference is that now other users are able to use this template for their own files and just need to specify their own user name as the author=... parameter.

I hope this is useful. Further hints, improvements etc. to the template are very welcome. Best, --Aristeas (talk) 17:20, 21 November 2022 (UTC)

@Aristeas Thanks, this is very good.

I have received almost 150 emails regarding changes made to pages/media on my watch list. Do you know of any easy way I can still keep them on my watch list without having to visit each one of them? --please ping me-- Goran tek-en (talk) 17:42, 21 November 2022 (UTC)

@Goran tek-en: Thank you. – Sorry for all these emails! Well, I think you just can keep all of these pages/media on your watch list. I had to do a single edit for each of them, in order to update the use of the template, but no futher edits are necessary, so no more mass emails will receive you and the watch list will again work as expected. Best, --Aristeas (talk) 18:33, 21 November 2022 (UTC)

@Aristeas There is one thing I don't see/understand about your edits regarding different languages.

If you look at Arabic Varieties Map below "Summary" I have two templates and there is a difference in the languages they are translated into. No edit... doesn't show which languages there is but color deficiency... does. To me it's better, more understandable when you can see and click on the translations.

Is this possible for this template also? --please ping me-- Goran tek-en (talk) 10:57, 22 November 2022 (UTC)

@Goran tek-en: Yes, it’s possible, but a bit difficult. {{Color deficiency ok}} uses a totally different approach for localization which is IMHO more difficult to implement. But I will try to apply that approach to {{No edit no revision}}, too; give me some time please ;–). (And if I should forget it, this can happen because there are so many things I have to do, please remind in a few days!) --Aristeas (talk) 11:17, 22 November 2022 (UTC)

@Aristeas No just forget about it, I don't want to put this on you, you have already helped me a lot so thanks and forget about this last thing. --please ping me-- Goran tek-en (talk) 11:59, 22 November 2022 (UTC)

Hello @Goran tek-en: Thank your for your understanding! However I have done it anyway, also because I wanted to understand how the ‘autotranslation’ of templates works :–). So I did some learning by dowing. Now this template is using the same approach as the {{Color deficiency ok}} template and shows, like the latter, a list of the available translations. As far as I can see it works well. Best regards! --Aristeas (talk) 09:14, 23 November 2022 (UTC)

@Aristeas Thank you ever so much, if you ever think I can do anything for you just let me know. --please ping me-- Goran tek-en (talk) 11:36, 23 November 2022 (UTC)

I like the idea of renaming the template to make it more user friendly-- thank you both for being so responsive to my suggestion. Not sure what "dowing" is (anything like "dowsing"? (ha ha!). A loose necktie (talk) 12:19, 26 November 2022 (UTC)

@Aristeas When it's renamed, do we have to change manually everywhere it's used or can a script/bot do this (I don't have the knowledge)? --please ping me-- Goran tek-en (talk) 12:25, 26 November 2022 (UTC)

@Goran tek-en: No problem, I can do that for you; there is a tool which allows me to change all places where the template is used at once. I just have no time right now; but I hope that I can do the changes in the next 3 days. --Aristeas (talk) 18:23, 26 November 2022 (UTC)

Future use of this template

Hi, I wanted to express a concern: this template strongly discourages other editors from changing a file without the author's consent and involvement-- but authors aren't always available to do this, and eventually we all grow old and die and our files remain. Given this, I am not sure what purpose this template serves except to discourage collaboration. I wanted to suggest a rewording that was somewhat less strong and that made clearer the reason the template is being used. Having "the original files" should be irrelevant for an SVG diagram because the diagram IS the "original file", yes? Perhaps something like, "Please consider contacting the original author of this file before uploading new versions of it that significantly alter its content." Just a thought. Cheers! A loose necktie (talk) 05:46, 24 November 2022 (UTC)

Hi A loose necktie, these are good points and your proposal seems very reasonable. I am thinking about it … Please give me some time to considerate the pros and cons of several possible solutions! @Goran tek-en: What do you think? --Aristeas (talk) 09:34, 24 November 2022 (UTC)

@A loose necktie @Aristeas I have in other discussions raised this concern and I agree to most of your thoughts.

What I don't agree on is that for many of the SVG illustrations/maps I create I have at least 10-20 different layers and support layers that are not uploaded to commons. This is where my problem was which made me create this template.

So the uploaded SVG (removed support layers, cleaned up, optimized for valid W3C) is by no means the original file.

I don't say that you can't edit the uploaded file, of course you can but if the uploaded file is changed any number of times and then an edit is requested where it's more or less necessary to use the original files there will be a lot of problems, much extra work, workarounds, not getting valid code, harder to do following edits etc.

It doesn't have to be significant edits, it's just that they are there and it is often very hard to know what someone else has done even if there is some kind of description written with the new versions uploaded.

---My proposed new text

Please consider contacting the original author User:(automated picked user name) of this file before uploading a new version as the original file contains extra vital information, thanks.

Or use the possibility to upload a new version as a new file and tag it as a derivative or extract of this file.

---

I'm also thinking that maybe we should just delete this template and not use it at all as its purpose can so easily be misunderstood... --please ping me-- Goran tek-en (talk) 18:35, 24 November 2022 (UTC)

@Goran tek-en and A loose necktie: First thank you, Goran tek-en, for clarifying the reason to use this template. I can understand that well. IMHO the best solution would be: (1.) to change the text of the template more or less according to Goran tek-en’s proposal, to make clear that the reason why the original author should be contacted; and (2.) renaming the template to a name which makes clear that the template is not about a general ban of editing (as the current name suggests) but that it is just about contacting the original author before editing the file. If we would do both things, the template would appear more friendly, it would make clear why the original author should be contacted and so the template would be more useful for other users, too. Maybe we could rename the template to something like {{Contact author before editing}}? That would be more friendly ;–). Best, --Aristeas (talk) 15:07, 25 November 2022 (UTC)

@A loose necktie @Aristeas That's fine with me, thanks. --please ping me-- Goran tek-en (talk) 15:11, 25 November 2022 (UTC)

@Goran tek-en and A loose necktie: Very good, so we have a consensus. I would like to do the changes (rewording) to the template and also rename the template, I just have no time right now. I hope that I can do the changes in the next 3 days. Best, --Aristeas (talk) 18:25, 26 November 2022 (UTC)

I like all of this. Good work! Please proceed. Though "...Or use the possibility to upload a new version..." is not good English. Perhaps, "Consider uploading a new version..." etc. A loose necktie (talk)

@Goran tek-en and A loose necktie: As a first step, I have renamed the template to a more friendly name and updated all places where it is used to the new name. As the next step, I will update the wording, using your suggestions, but maybe with an additional parameter to allow to specify different reasons; this will make the template more useful for general use. I will do this today or tomorrow. Best regards, --Aristeas (talk) 07:02, 28 November 2022 (UTC)

@Goran tek-en and A loose necktie: Well, I have finally updated the text of the template and, because it is not really a protection template, also changed the icon and the template categories. IMHO the template is now friendlier and also better explains why the author should be contacted. And now the template may also be more useful for other uploaders. Are you OK with this version? Best regards, --Aristeas (talk) 18:46, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

@Aristeas, @A loose necktie It's very good and so much more useful. Thank you both for helping out with this and pointing out the "bad" things.

Together we are stronger and better. --please ping me-- Goran tek-en (talk) 19:29, 30 November 2022 (UTC)