Extension:Echo

1. Extension:Echo - A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners

Extension:Echo is a powerful MediaWiki extension that provides a centralized activity stream for users, aggregating notifications about various events happening on the wiki. It's designed to improve user engagement and keep contributors informed about relevant changes and interactions. This article provides a detailed overview of Echo, covering its features, installation, configuration, usage, and troubleshooting, geared towards beginners.

What is Echo?

Echo fundamentally shifts how users are alerted to activity on a wiki. Before Echo, users often relied on email notifications (often overwhelming), watchlist updates (limited scope), or manually checking various pages for changes. Echo consolidates these notifications into a single, accessible location within the wiki interface, presenting them through a visually appealing and easily navigable activity stream.

Think of it as a social media feed *within* your wiki. Users see updates about:

• Mentions: When another user uses `@` followed by their username, they receive a notification. This is crucial for directing questions and discussions.
• Page Changes: Notifications about edits to pages a user watches, or pages they have contributed to.
• Rights Changes: Alerts when a user's permissions (e.g., becoming an administrator) are modified.
• New Messages: Notifications about new messages on the user's talk page.
• Link Notifications: Alerts when a page a user has created is linked to from another page (useful for tracking the impact of your contributions).
• Echo API: Enables external applications to integrate with the notification system. This is more advanced, but opens possibilities for custom integrations.

Why Use Echo?

• Increased User Engagement: By making it easier for users to stay informed, Echo encourages them to participate more actively in the wiki.
• Improved Communication: Mentions provide a direct and efficient way to communicate with other users.
• Reduced Email Spam: Echo reduces reliance on email notifications, which can be easily missed or filtered as spam.
• Centralized Notifications: All important activity is consolidated in one place, simplifying information access.
• Customization: Echo offers various configuration options to tailor the notification experience to the specific needs of your wiki.
• Modern User Experience: Echo provides a more modern and intuitive user experience compared to traditional notification methods.

Installation

Installing Echo is relatively straightforward, but requires access to your wiki's server and the ability to manage extensions.

1. Download Echo: Download the latest version of Echo from the https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Echo. You'll download a ZIP file. 2. Upload Files: Unzip the downloaded file. Using FTP or a similar method, upload the contents of the `Echo` directory to your wiki's `extensions/` directory. This will create a folder at `extensions/Echo/`. 3. Configure `LocalSettings.php` : Edit your wiki's `LocalSettings.php` file (located in the root directory of your MediaWiki installation). Add the following line:

```php wfLoadExtension( 'Echo' ); ```

  Ensure this line is placed *after* `wfLoadAllExtensions();` if that function is used.

4. Database Updates: Run the wiki's update script to apply the necessary database changes. This is usually done by visiting `yourwiki.com/w/index.php?title=Special:Upgrade` in your web browser (replace `yourwiki.com` with your wiki's domain). Follow the on-screen instructions.

  If you encounter errors, check your PHP error logs for details. Common issues include file permissions or missing dependencies.  See https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Configuration for more details.

Configuration

Echo provides several configuration options to customize its behavior. These options are set in the `LocalSettings.php` file.

• `$wgEchoEnable` : Set to `true` to enable Echo. This is enabled by default after installation.
• `$wgEchoDefaultNotifications` : This array defines the default notification preferences for new users. You can specify which types of notifications are enabled by default. For example:

```php $wgEchoDefaultNotifications = [

   'mention' => true,
   'page-watchlist' => true,
   'page-link' => false,

]; ```

This would enable mentions and watchlist notifications by default, but disable link notifications.

• `$wgEchoMaxNotificationAge` : Determines how long notifications are stored before being automatically deleted (in days). The default is 30 days.
• `$wgEchoIgnoreNamespaces` : An array of namespaces where Echo notifications should be suppressed. This can be useful for excluding certain types of pages (e.g., system pages) from generating notifications.

• `$wgEchoNotificationTypes` : Defines available notification types. Modifying this requires understanding the extension's code and is generally not recommended for beginners. See https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Echo/Configuration for a comprehensive list of options.

Using Echo

Once installed and configured, Echo is automatically available to users.

• Accessing the Activity Stream: Users can access their activity stream by clicking the "Notifications" icon (a bell icon) in the top right corner of the wiki interface. This icon appears next to the user's username when logged in.

• Managing Notifications: Within the activity stream, users can:

   *   Mark notifications as read:  Individual notifications can be marked as read.
   *   Mark all notifications as read:  A button is provided to mark all notifications as read at once.
   *   Customize notification preferences:  Users can control which types of notifications they receive by clicking the "Preferences" link (usually accessible from their user page or the "Notifications" dropdown).  They can enable or disable notifications for each type (mentions, page changes, etc.).  This allows for a personalized experience.

• Mentions: To mention another user, type `@` followed by their username. Echo will automatically suggest usernames as you type. The mentioned user will receive a notification. For example: `@JaneDoe Can you review this article?`

• Link Notifications: When a page you've created is linked to from another page, you’ll receive a notification (if enabled in your preferences). This helps you track how your work is being used and referenced.

Advanced Features & Considerations

• API Integration: The Echo API allows developers to integrate the notification system with external applications. This is useful for creating custom notifications or displaying activity information in other contexts. See https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Echo/API for details.

• Performance: On very large wikis with high activity, Echo can potentially impact performance. Monitor your wiki's performance after installing Echo and adjust the configuration (e.g., `$wgEchoMaxNotificationAge`) if necessary. Consider using caching mechanisms to improve performance.

• User Groups: Echo can be configured to send different types of notifications to different user groups. This allows you to tailor the notification experience based on user roles and permissions.

• Filtering: While Echo provides basic filtering options (e.g., marking notifications as read), more advanced filtering capabilities may require custom development or additional extensions.

• Mobile App Integration: Echo is integrated with the official MediaWiki mobile app, allowing users to receive and manage notifications on their mobile devices.

• Accessibility: Ensure your wiki's theme and design are accessible to users with disabilities. Echo's notifications should be readable and navigable using assistive technologies. Test with screen readers.

• Spam Prevention: Monitor for potential abuse of the mention feature (e.g., spam mentions). Consider implementing anti-spam measures if necessary.

Troubleshooting

• Notifications Not Appearing:

   *   Check Configuration: Verify that Echo is enabled (`$wgEchoEnable = true`) in `LocalSettings.php`.
   *   Check User Preferences: Ensure the user has not disabled the desired notification types in their preferences.
   *   Check Database: Verify that the necessary database tables have been created during the upgrade process.
   *   Clear Cache: Clear the MediaWiki cache to ensure that the latest configuration is being used.
   *   Server Logs: Examine your web server's error logs for any relevant errors.

• Error During Upgrade:

   *   Permissions: Ensure that the web server has write access to the MediaWiki files and directories.
   *   Dependencies: Verify that all required PHP extensions are installed and enabled.
   *   Database Credentials: Double-check that the database credentials in `LocalSettings.php` are correct.

• Slow Performance:

   *   Caching: Implement caching mechanisms to reduce database load.
   *   `$wgEchoMaxNotificationAge` : Reduce the value of `$wgEchoMaxNotificationAge` to limit the number of stored notifications.
   *   Database Optimization: Optimize your database tables to improve query performance.

• Mentioning Not Working:

   *   Configuration: Ensure the mention feature is enabled in the Echo configuration.
   *   Syntax: Verify that the `@` symbol is being used correctly before the username.
   *   Autocompletion: Check if the autocompletion feature is working correctly.

Resources

• MediaWiki Extension:Echo Page: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Echo(Official documentation)
• Echo Configuration: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Echo/Configuration
• Echo API: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Echo/API
• MediaWiki Documentation: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Contents
• MediaWiki Forums: https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/mediawiki-l/

This guide provides a solid foundation for understanding and using Extension:Echo. By following these instructions, you can enhance user engagement and improve communication on your MediaWiki wiki. Remember to consult the official documentation for the most up-to-date information and advanced configuration options.

Help:Contents MediaWiki Extensions User:Preferences Special:Watchlist Special:Talk Help:Editing Manual:Configuration Manual:Administration Manual:Upgrading Manual:FAQ

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