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: Rich Farmbrough (talk · contribs)

Automatic or Manually assisted: Auto

Programming language(s): Perl

Source code available: No

Function overview: Periodically inspect regression test pages for other bots, report errors, stop the bot on fatal errors, reset the regression test pages.

Links to relevant discussions (where appropriate):

Edit period(s): 6 hourly [also on demand, e.g. when releasing a new build]

Estimated number of pages affected: 7 (four test pages, two talk pages, and a log)

Exclusion compliant (Y/N): N/A

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

Function details: Four pages will be used per bot supported (initially one bot)

• Cosmetic tests
• Minor tests
• Major tests
• Critical tests

Each page will be examined to see if it has been visited by the bot. If so the result of the visit will be tested. Results will be logged. Failures will be notified to the botop (me). Critical failures will be logged to the bot's talk page, stopping it [in the case of AWB bots]. The page will be restored to pre-test state. If not visited that will be logged too.

1. Clearly this is only currently applicable to SmackBot.
2. As with similar tasks, the functionality can[may] be made available to other users in due course via a slightly larger bot. Rich Farmbrough, 03:17, 2 October 2010 (UTC).[reply]
   

((BAG assistance needed))

• To clarify, this bot task simply examines edits made by other bots, and then notifies the operator? –xeno^talk 14:21, 8 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]
  • It will also restore the page to pre-test state. Rich Farmbrough, 17:07, 9 October 2010 (UTC).[reply]
    
    • Note: two minor clarifications above. Talk page stops only work with AWB - other mechanisms are available for other bots/tasks. And while the regular test (monitoring test) is planned to be quadurnal, of course testing with new releases/builds is good sense too (steam tests/regression tests). Rich Farmbrough, 17:14, 9 October 2010 (UTC).[reply]
      

So the only non-bot-talk namespace editing is reversion of other bot errors? Seems like the rest of the specification (testing, notification) is not directly relevant to what actually needs to be approved (mainspace edits). —  HELLKNOWZ  ▎TALK 22:57, 14 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Any answer or can we move right to testing? MBisanz ^talk 22:39, 19 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

It will be entirely in user space of me and my bots. As H3llkn0wz says, this may not strictly need approving, but I am attempting to get and keep everything crystal clear, since it is far less effort to do it now than four years down the line when some wikidrama blows up. As the man says pay me now or pay me later. Rich Farmbrough, 00:25, 20 October 2010 (UTC).[reply]

Speedily Approved. Only editing userspaces. MBisanz ^talk 18:56, 21 October 2010 (UTC)[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.