Help:Archiving

Help:Archiving

Introduction

Archiving is a crucial process for maintaining a clean, organized, and navigable wiki, especially as it grows. It's the practice of moving older discussion threads, or sometimes even entire pages, to dedicated archive pages. This prevents talk pages, project pages, and other discussion areas from becoming overwhelmingly long and difficult to use. This guide will cover the fundamental concepts of archiving on MediaWiki, focusing on best practices for beginners. We will cover *why* you should archive, *what* you should archive, *how* to archive (both manually and automatically), and *where* archives should be located. Understanding archiving is essential for contributing to a well-maintained and user-friendly wiki environment. It's a key part of Help:Collaboration, ensuring discussions remain focused and relevant.

Why Archive?

There are several compelling reasons to implement an archiving strategy:

Improved Readability: Long talk pages are notoriously difficult to read. New users can be intimidated by the sheer volume of past discussions. Archiving removes outdated content, making it easier to find current discussions.
Enhanced Performance: Extremely large pages can slow down wiki performance, particularly for users with slower internet connections or older devices. Archiving reduces page size, improving loading times.
Focused Discussion: Keeping only current discussions visible encourages more focused and productive conversations. Users are less likely to derail a thread with references to ancient history when the history itself is readily available in the archives.
Organization and Accessibility: Archives provide a valuable historical record of discussions and decisions. This can be useful for understanding the evolution of a project or resolving disputes. It’s a form of wiki Help:History.
Maintaining a Clean Look and Feel: Visually, a shorter, more concise talk page is simply more appealing and inviting. It contributes to a more professional and polished wiki experience.
Preventing Page Errors: Very large pages can sometimes cause MediaWiki to encounter errors during editing or rendering.

What to Archive?

Not everything needs to be archived. The key is to identify content that is no longer actively discussed and has limited future relevance. Here are some guidelines:

Completed Discussions: Discussions that have reached a clear conclusion and no further action is expected are prime candidates for archiving. For example, if a request for a new template has been approved and the template created, the discussion can be archived.
Outdated Proposals: Proposals that have been rejected or superseded by newer proposals should be archived. However, *keep a record* of why they were rejected.
Resolved Issues: Discussions about bugs that have been fixed, or features that have been implemented, can be archived.
Stale Threads: Threads that have been inactive for a significant period (e.g., 30 days, 60 days – the exact timeframe should be determined by the community) with no recent replies should be considered for archiving. This is where automated archiving (discussed later) is particularly useful.
Announcements (after a reasonable period): Important announcements should remain visible for a reasonable time, but eventually, they can be archived. Consider the announcement's importance and urgency when determining the retention period.
Editor Conflicts (after resolution): Discussions regarding editor conflicts or behavioral issues should be archived *after* they have been resolved and any necessary actions have been taken. These may require more careful consideration regarding privacy and sensitivity.

What Not to Archive?

Certain types of content should generally *not* be archived:

Ongoing Discussions: Active discussions should never be archived.
Important Policy Decisions: Discussions that resulted in significant changes to wiki policies or guidelines should be preserved on the main policy page itself, or linked from it. Archiving such discussions separately can make it difficult to understand the context of the policies.
Open Requests: Requests for assistance, such as requests for page protection or user rights, should remain visible until they are fulfilled.
Discussions with Legal Implications: Exercise extreme caution when archiving discussions that may have legal implications. Consult with experienced administrators before archiving such content.

How to Archive: Manual Archiving

Manual archiving involves manually copying and pasting discussion threads to archive pages. While more time-consuming than automated methods, it offers greater control.

1. Create Archive Pages: The standard convention is to create archive pages with names like "Talk:Page name/Archive 1", "Talk:Page name/Archive 2", and so on. For example, the archive for the talk page of "Help:Archiving" would be "Talk:Help:Archiving/Archive 1". You can create these pages by clicking the red link (if it doesn't exist) or by creating a new page with the appropriate name. 2. Copy and Paste: Carefully copy the discussion thread you want to archive. Be sure to include the original timestamps and user signatures. 3. Paste into Archive Page: Paste the copied content into the appropriate archive page. Add a brief summary at the top of the archived thread indicating the topic and dates of the discussion. 4. Remove from Original Page: Once the thread has been successfully archived, remove it from the original talk page. You can optionally leave a note indicating that the thread has been archived and provide a link to the archive page. For example: `Template:Archived`. This creates a message that says "This discussion has been archived." and links to the archive page. 5. Repeat: Repeat steps 2-4 for each thread you want to archive.

How to Archive: Automated Archiving

Automated archiving uses bots or extensions to automatically archive discussions based on predefined criteria. This is the preferred method for most wikis, as it saves time and ensures consistency.

Using the `ArchiveTool` Extension: Many wikis utilize the `ArchiveTool` extension. This extension allows administrators to configure archiving rules based on age, status (e.g., unreplied), and other criteria. The extension handles the copying and pasting of content to archive pages automatically. You'll need administrator privileges to configure `ArchiveTool`. See Help:Extensions for more information on installing and configuring extensions.
Using Bots: Dedicated archiving bots (e.g., ArchivistBot, Lowercase sigmabot) can be programmed to archive discussions based on specific rules. These bots require configuration and approval from the wiki community. Using a bot requires advanced technical knowledge.
Purge Cache: After automated archiving, it is *crucial* to purge the cache of the talk page to ensure the changes are visible. This can be done by editing the page and clicking "Purge" or by adding `?action=purge` to the URL.

Where Should Archives Be Located?

The standard location for archive pages is within the talk namespace, using the naming convention described earlier ("Talk:Page name/Archive 1", "Talk:Page name/Archive 2", etc.).

Subpages: Archives should be created as subpages of the talk page. This keeps them organized and easily accessible.
Indexing: Archive pages are automatically indexed by the wiki search function, making it easy to find past discussions.
Linking: Consider creating an archive index page (e.g., "Talk:Page name/Archive index") that lists all the archive pages with brief summaries of their contents. This can further improve navigation.
Categorization: Archive pages can be categorized to improve organization and searchability. For example, you could create a category for archives related to a specific project or topic.

Best Practices for Archiving

Community Consensus: Before implementing an archiving strategy, discuss it with the wiki community and obtain consensus. This ensures that everyone agrees on the rules and procedures.
Clear Documentation: Document the archiving strategy clearly on the wiki. This will help new users understand the process and contribute effectively.
Regular Maintenance: Regularly review the talk pages and archive outdated content. Don't let the archives become neglected.
Consider the Context: When archiving a discussion, consider the context and potential future relevance of the content. If there's any doubt, it's better to err on the side of caution and leave the discussion visible.
Avoid Partial Archiving: Archive entire discussion threads, rather than selectively removing parts of them. This preserves the complete context of the conversation.
Respect User Preferences: Some users may prefer to be notified when their threads are archived. Consider implementing a mechanism to allow users to opt-in to such notifications.
Use Templates: Utilize templates like `Template:Archived` to clearly indicate archived threads on the original talk page.

Advanced Archiving Considerations

Scripting and Tools: Experienced users may explore scripting languages (e.g., Python) and MediaWiki's API to create custom archiving tools.
Complex Archiving Rules: For wikis with complex archiving needs, it may be necessary to develop more sophisticated archiving rules based on metadata, keywords, or other criteria.
Cross-Namespace Archiving: In some cases, it may be necessary to archive content from different namespaces (e.g., archiving project pages). This requires careful planning and coordination.
Database Optimization: For very large wikis, archiving can be an important part of database optimization. Regular archiving can help to reduce database size and improve performance.
Consider Help:Search for finding archived material.

Troubleshooting Archiving Issues

ArchiveTool Not Working: Check the extension's configuration settings and ensure that the rules are correctly defined. Verify that the bot account has the necessary permissions.
Bot Not Archiving: Check the bot's logs for errors. Ensure that the bot is properly configured and that it has access to the necessary resources.
Cache Issues: Purge the cache of the talk page to ensure that the changes are visible.
Missing Archives: Verify that the archive pages were created correctly and that the content was successfully copied. Check the wiki history to see if any edits were made to the archive pages after the archiving process.
Incorrect Archiving: Review the archiving rules and adjust them as needed to prevent future errors.

Resources for Further Learning

MediaWiki Manual: [1]
ArchiveTool Extension Documentation: [2]
ArchivistBot: [3]
WikiProject Archiving: Search for project-specific archiving guidelines on your wiki.
Tips for effective archiving: [4]
Archiving strategies: [5]
Data Retention Policies: [6]
Information Lifecycle Management: [7]
Digital preservation strategies: [8]
Records Management: [9]
Data governance framework:[10]
Trend Analysis: [11]
Technical Analysis: [12]
Moving Averages: [13]
Relative Strength Index (RSI): [14]
MACD: [15]
Bollinger Bands: [16]
Fibonacci Retracements: [17]
Elliott Wave Theory: [18]
Candlestick Patterns: [19]
Support and Resistance Levels: [20]
Volume Analysis: [21]
Market Sentiment: [22]
Risk Management: [23]
Portfolio Diversification: [24]
Correlation Analysis: [25]
Regression Analysis: [26]
Time Series Analysis: [27]

Help:Contents Help:Talk pages Help:Editing Help:Bots Help:Extensions Help:Collaboration Help:History Help:Search Help:Manual of Style Help:Page

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