RevisionDelete

RevisionDelete

RevisionDelete is a powerful, yet complex, maintenance feature in MediaWiki, designed to remove unwanted revisions of pages from public view, while still preserving them for authorized users (typically administrators and revision deletion reviewers). It’s a critical tool for handling issues like copyright violations, personal attacks, vandalism, and sensitive personal information. This article provides a detailed beginner’s guide to understanding and using RevisionDelete, covering its functionality, usage, limitations, and best practices.

What is RevisionDelete?

At its core, RevisionDelete allows administrators to suppress specific revisions of a page, effectively hiding them from regular users. This differs from simply reverting to an earlier version as the suppressed revisions *still exist* within the database but are not normally accessible. This is crucial for maintaining a history of edits, even problematic ones, for auditing and legal reasons. Think of it as archiving unwanted content, rather than permanently deleting it.

The need for RevisionDelete arises from several scenarios:

Copyright Violations: If a page contains material that infringes on copyright, the infringing revisions can be suppressed while retaining the history for legal reference.
Personal Attacks & Harassment: Revisions containing abusive language, threats, or personal attacks can be hidden to protect individuals and maintain a civil environment.
Privacy Concerns: Revisions that inadvertently reveal private information (e.g., addresses, phone numbers) must be removed quickly.
Vandalism: While often reverted, significant acts of vandalism may warrant suppression alongside reversion.
Legal Issues: In cases involving legal disputes, specific revisions might need to be hidden pending investigation.
Test Edits: Users sometimes make substantial test edits on live pages. These can be suppressed.

Understanding Deletion Levels

RevisionDelete doesn’t operate on a simple “delete/don’t delete” basis. It utilizes a system of *deletion levels*, which determine what information about a suppressed revision remains visible to different user groups. These levels are crucial to understand for effective use. The available levels are:

Level 1: Suppress content: This is the most common level. It hides the content of the revision from all non-deletion reviewers and administrators. The revision still exists in the database, but its text is not displayed.
Level 2: Suppress logging: This hides the fact that the revision was ever made from the page history and the revision deletion log. This is often used in conjunction with Level 1. It's important to note that while it hides the log *entry*, it doesn't erase the fact that a deletion occurred from the database itself.
Level 3: Suppress revision as public: Similar to Level 1, but also hides the revision from the API. This is important for preventing automated tools from accessing the suppressed content.
Level 4: Suppress revision from users: Hides the revision from all users, including administrators. This is rarely used and generally reserved for extremely sensitive information. It requires careful consideration.
Level 5: Suppress revision permanently: This is the most drastic level. It marks the revision for permanent deletion, eventually leading to its removal from the database during maintenance operations. *Use this level with extreme caution* as it’s effectively irreversible without database backups.

These levels can be combined. For example, using Level 1 and Level 2 will hide the content and the fact that it was ever deleted. Often, a combination of Level 1 and Level 2 is the most appropriate starting point. Consider the implications of each level carefully before applying it. Help:RevisionDelete provides further details on these levels.

Accessing RevisionDelete

RevisionDelete is *not* available to all users. Access is typically restricted to:

Administrators: Administrators have full access to all deletion levels.
Revision Deletion Reviewers: This user group, if configured on your wiki, can review and approve or reject deletion requests made by administrators. They also have access to view suppressed revisions.

To access RevisionDelete, you generally navigate to a page's history (using the "View history" tab) and then look for a "Delete revisions" link, which will only be visible if you have the necessary permissions. Alternatively, you can access a dedicated RevisionDelete interface through Special:RevisionDelete (accessible only to authorized users).

Using the RevisionDelete Interface

The RevisionDelete interface allows you to select the revisions you want to suppress and specify the deletion levels. Here's a breakdown of the process:

1. Navigate to the Page History: Go to the page you want to modify and click on the "View history" tab. 2. Locate the Revisions: Identify the revisions you want to suppress. You can select individual revisions or a range of revisions. 3. Access RevisionDelete: Click the "Delete revisions" link (if visible). This will take you to the RevisionDelete interface. 4. Select Deletion Levels: Choose the appropriate deletion levels for the selected revisions. Consider the reasons for deletion and the sensitivity of the content. Remember to justify your choices. 5. Provide a Reason: Always provide a clear and concise reason for the deletion. This is important for auditing and transparency. A good reason will explain *why* the revision was suppressed (e.g., "Copyright violation - copied from example.com"). 6. Submit the Request: Click the "Delete revision(s)" button to submit the request.

If your wiki has Revision Deletion Reviewers, the deletion will be flagged for review. They will evaluate the request and either approve or reject it. If approved, the revisions will be suppressed according to the specified levels.

Viewing Suppressed Revisions

Even after a revision is suppressed, it’s still accessible to authorized users. Administrators and Revision Deletion Reviewers can view suppressed revisions by:

Checking the "Show suppressed revisions" box: In the page history, there's a checkbox labelled "Show suppressed revisions." Checking this box will reveal the suppressed revisions.
Using Special:RevisionDelete: This interface allows you to search for and view specific suppressed revisions.
Using the API: The API can be used to access suppressed revisions, but this requires specific parameters and permissions.

When viewing a suppressed revision, you’ll see the content as it existed at that point, even though it’s hidden from regular users. This is essential for understanding the history of the page and verifying the accuracy of the deletion.

Important Considerations and Best Practices

Justification is Key: Always provide a clear and detailed reason for every deletion. This is crucial for accountability and transparency.
Start with Lower Levels: Begin with less restrictive deletion levels (e.g., Level 1 and Level 2) and only escalate to higher levels if necessary.
Avoid Over-Deletion: Only suppress the *specific* revisions that contain problematic content. Avoid suppressing entire sections or pages unnecessarily.
Be Aware of Cascading Deletions: Deleting a revision that contains templates or transcluded pages can affect those pages as well. Be mindful of these dependencies.
Review Regularly: Periodically review suppressed revisions to ensure they are still appropriately hidden and that no new issues have arisen.
Document Your Actions: Keep a record of your deletion actions, including the reasons, levels used, and any relevant context.
Consider Alternatives: Before resorting to RevisionDelete, consider if other options, such as reverting, editing, or user warnings, might be more appropriate.
Follow Wiki Policies: Adhere to your wiki’s specific policies and guidelines regarding RevisionDelete. Help:Deletion policy is a good starting point.
Understand the Limitations: RevisionDelete is not a perfect solution. It doesn't erase the fact that content existed, and determined users might still be able to find it through other means (e.g., archive.org).

Technical Details & Limitations

RevisionDelete works by manipulating flags within the `revision` table in the MediaWiki database. It doesn't actually remove the data, but rather marks it as suppressed. This allows for efficient retrieval of the suppressed content by authorized users.

However, there are limitations:

Database Size: Suppressing a large number of revisions can increase the size of the database.
Performance Impact: Accessing suppressed revisions can have a slight performance impact, especially on large wikis.
Caching: Changes made through RevisionDelete might not be immediately reflected due to caching. Purging the cache might be necessary.
External Archives: Content that was publicly visible before suppression might still be available in external archives (e.g., Wayback Machine).
API Access: While Level 3 attempts to suppress API access, sophisticated users might still be able to retrieve the content through alternative methods.

Advanced Strategies & Technical Analysis

While RevisionDelete itself isn’t directly related to financial strategies, understanding data integrity and historical context is crucial in any analytical field. Here are some related concepts:

Time Series Analysis: Analyzing data points indexed in time sequence. Revision history can be viewed as a time series of page content. [[1]]
Trend Following: Identifying and capitalizing on existing trends. Monitoring revision patterns can reveal trends in vandalism or content disputes. [[2]]
Moving Averages: Smoothing out data fluctuations to identify underlying trends. Can be applied to analyze edit frequency. [[3]]
Bollinger Bands: Measuring volatility and identifying potential overbought or oversold conditions. Useful for analyzing edit wars. [[4]]
Fibonacci Retracements: Identifying potential support and resistance levels. (Analogous to identifying stable page states). [[5]]
Volume Analysis: Analyzing the amount of activity. Edit frequency can be considered a volume metric. [[6]]
Support and Resistance Levels: Identifying price levels where buying or selling pressure is strong. (Analogous to identifying stable page content). [[7]]
MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence): A trend-following momentum indicator. [[8]]
RSI (Relative Strength Index): An oscillator measuring the magnitude of recent price changes to evaluate overbought or oversold conditions. [[9]]
Stochastic Oscillator: A momentum indicator comparing a security’s closing price to its price range over a given period. [[10]]
Elliott Wave Theory: A form of technical analysis that attempts to forecast market direction by identifying repetitive wave patterns. [[11]]
Ichimoku Cloud: A comprehensive technical indicator that provides insights into support, resistance, trend direction, and momentum. [[12]]
Candlestick Patterns: Visual representations of price movements over time. [[13]]
Correlation Analysis: Examining the relationship between different variables. (e.g., correlating edit frequency with external events). [[14]]
Regression Analysis: Predicting the value of one variable based on the value of another. [[15]]
Monte Carlo Simulation: Using random sampling to model the probability of different outcomes. [[16]]
Value at Risk (VaR): Measuring the potential loss in value of an asset or portfolio. (Analogous to assessing the potential damage from vandalism). [[17]]
Sharpe Ratio: Measuring risk-adjusted return. [[18]]
Treynor Ratio: Another measure of risk-adjusted return. [[19]]
Jensen's Alpha: Measuring the excess return of an investment relative to its expected return. [[20]]
Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM): A model used to determine the expected rate of return for an asset. [[21]]
Arbitrage: Exploiting price differences in different markets. (Analogous to identifying and correcting inconsistencies in wiki content). [[22]]
Hedging: Reducing risk by taking offsetting positions. (Analogous to implementing preventative measures against vandalism). [[23]]
Diversification: Reducing risk by spreading investments across different assets. (Analogous to distributing editing responsibilities among multiple users). [[24]]

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