VB/Wiki DB merger

[Mímirswell]

Provided everything goes well, the vBulletin authentication (usernames) will be merged with the wiki authentication in the next 48 hours (no promises though). Besides making it so that no one has to reregister on the wiki site to edit pages, it will provide the following features:

1. Disallows users who are not part of specified usergroups. (IE banned users)
2. Sets users to sysop status in MediaWiki if they are part of a specified admin usergroup (IE wiki editor)
3. Removes users from sysop status in MediaWiki if they no longer are a part of a specified admin usergroup.

Part of this process will involve destroying the current user database. That means that whatever you currently use to log in as well not be valid, instead you will log in under your normal TWC information. I've done some prep work already to install it and CNSW will finish it or I will pending who has time.

[makanyane]

Besides making it so that no one has to reregister on the wiki site to edit pages, it will provide the following features:

1. Disallows users who are not part of specified usergroups. (IE banned users)

currently no-one has to register at all to edit the Wiki - are you intending to imply that they will now have to? I would have some issues with that.

Sets users to sysop status in MediaWiki if they are part of a specified admin usergroup (IE wiki editor)
Removes users from sysop status in MediaWiki if they no longer are a part of a specified admin usergroup.

So exactly who is getting sysop status taken away in this and who apart from Wiki editor is automatically gaining it?

[Mímirswell]

Those were examples, no changes are being made without at least a discussion with you guys. I actually didn't realize you could edit without registering. It's entirely possible I misread something but when I went to edit a page a few nights ago, it referred me to the register process.

[makanyane]

Sorry, I was only having a minor hizzy fit!

I'm pretty sure everything apart from protected pages (main page) lets you edit with out registering, it certainly lets me without being logged in - you just get message over window:

Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be recorded in this page's edit history.

On sysop point I was just getting worried that you might be re-setting it to forum admins / moderators only - there aren't actually that many of them that appear to have been using the Wiki regularly.... so whatever is decided on how you assign sysop status I don't think a straight match to standard TWC forum user groups would be a good idea.

[Mímirswell]

We would likely create a new TWC usergroup for that explicit purpose.

[Mímirswell]

This will be delayed a few weeks. The bridge we had was for an older version of MediaWiki so Sim is going to work on an extension after finals.

[Simetrical]

My thoughts currently on usergroups is that I'd keep them basically separate from TWC usergroups. I'll create a page Special:Promoteme that will promote a user to sysop and/or bureaucrat status if they have sufficient rank on the forums (I'd say moderator and admin respectively), but otherwise ranks will be added or removed independently.