Wikipedia:Bots/Requests for approval/Phoenix-bot

The following discussion is an archived debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section. The result of the discussion was

Withdrawn by operator.

Phoenix-bot

Operator: Phoenix-wiki ^{talk · contribs}

Automatic or Manually Assisted: Automatic, with me watching its progress

Programming Language(s): AWB

Function Summary: Real simple AWB bot for creating stub articles ~~and other things~~

Edit period(s) (e.g. Continuous, daily, one time run): Regular, when I decide I want to run it

Edit rate requested: 6 edits per miniute

Already has a bot flag (Y/N): No

Function Details: Creates large numbers of stub articles, mainly about towns and villages, like the ones I've been recently creating on my main account using auto wiki browser.

Discussion

Creating articles with AWB? Explain how you're setting it up, please. --uǝʌǝs ʎʇɹnoɟ ʇs(st47) 22:54, 15 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Also, your request much explain each task. "and other things" is not acceptable. --uǝʌǝs ʎʇɹnoɟ ʇs(st47) 22:55, 15 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Okay, removed that, won't do anything but what it says there. Set it up by getting a list of towns I'm going to create and put that in a text file, then use that as the list. Put the text, usually something like "{{subst:PAGENAME}} is a small town in the Foo region of Yemen" with a reference and a stub tag in the prepend box. Then I'll set it to autosave every 10 seconds and start the process.--Phoenix-wiki ^{talk · contribs} 23:02, 15 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Now why would you substitute the page name? Red rocket boy 23:08, 15 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Because it would take a lot of effort to change the name each time, and there'd be no point running it at this rate, as it would have to be slow to change the name each time--Phoenix-wiki ^{talk · contribs} 23:56, 15 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Are you going to add an {{orphan}} tag as well? Why don't you add the appropriate infobox? Just saying Microsoft Encarta 2005 is not a reference it needs to be given properly, possibly using a citation template. Also, most regions or areas in the world have templates to link them to nearby towns, it would be good if you created and or supported these also. Where are you getting your list of towns from? Oh and your sentence needs a full stop ;-) -- maelgwn - talk 00:05, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'll add the orphan tag then. I couldn't find an appropriate infobox but I'll look harder then. As for the templates, I'll add them--Phoenix-wiki ^{talk · contribs} 00:08, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Bearing comments in mind above,

Approved for trial (50 edits). Please provide a link to the relevant contributions and/or diffs when the trial is complete.. Please keep edit rate to 2 per minute during trial. Thanks Red rocket boy 00:16, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I don't really see the point of this bot. All it does it create tiny articles with no content or context. Also, what is the point of creating Orphaned articles? No one will see them! -- maelgwn - talk 03:10, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, but they do provide context, it's short but it's tells you quite a bit about the place. People searching for the place where they live will find them. Besides, it's better to have something there than nothing at all, and they will be improved some day.People are constantly doing this manually anyway.--Phoenix-wiki ^{talk · contribs} 11:27, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Of course people will see the articles. Anyone searching the area would rather see a one line stub than a blank page. Red rocket boy 16:01, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Done 48 edits. I think 48 is acceptable and there's no point in me making 2 automated edits--Phoenix-wiki ^{talk · contribs} 14:42, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not sure about using Encarta as a source. Encarta is an encyclopedia, hence is a tertiary source. Use of such sources is discouraged on wikipedia. Perhaps you could work out a way to make the bot add an infobox of sorts, or at least some lat/long co-ordinates? Is the text you're using a basic copy/paste ad verbatim of the encarta text, or is it sufficiently restructured as to avoid a copyvio? Seems to have also been a problem with the addition of a category: fixed by you here. Martinp23 14:50, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

No, I made the text up myself, Encarta doesn't have articles about these places, but it has a model globe with them marked on it and some general info about population and that. I got an infobox but it's huge, and leaving parts blank just makes them say "N/A". I can add coordinates, yeah and the category thing was me leaving out "Category:" by accident.--Phoenix-wiki ^{talk · contribs} 14:54, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Ook. Fair enough on the infobox. I think it would be a nice idea to use the coord template for geotagging, and perhaps try to use one of those images/templates which puts a dot an the relevant map. Might need some research though. Martinp23 15:01, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

PS: I'd like to see another (automated, but rate reduced) trial first, as this side of things doesn't appear to have been tested yet. Also, any new features like the geotagging and maps should be tested for watertightness first (probably worth redoing those articles that were made last time). Martinp23 18:18, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'll look into the dots on maps thing right away--Phoenix-wiki ^{talk · contribs} 15:40, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What does that bot do if it comes across a page which already exists and it wishes to create, or what if a page about the same subject matter already exists under a different title? Martinp23 18:18, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It simply skips the page, but

Withdrawn by operator. because I've been convinced it's a bad idea--Phoenix-wiki ^{talk · contribs} 18:23, 18 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section.