Wikipedia:Bots/Requests for approval/Lightbot 2

The following discussion is an archived debate. Please do not modify it. To request review of this BRFA, please start a new section at WT:BRFA. The result of the discussion was

Revoked. In June 2009, ArbCom restricted Lightmouse from performing any automated tasks. They are now considering lifting this restriction, subject to (re)approval of any tasks by BAG. To avoid any confusion, I am marking Lightbot's old approvals as "Revoked". Anomie ⚔ 17:38, 13 July 2010 (UTC)[reply]

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

Approved.

Lightbot 2[edit]

Operator: Lightmouse (talk)

Automatic or Manually Assisted: Automatic

Programming Language(s): AWB or monobook script

Function Summary: Janitorial edits mainly to units and dates.

Edit period(s) (e.g. Continuous, daily, one time run): Continuous

Already has a bot flag (Y/N): Yes

Function Details: The previous approval is at: Wikipedia:Bots/Requests for approval/Lightbot. I would like to build on the existing permission and:

Use automatic running where required - I believe that I have very good quality control for this
Make it explicit that the categories of date fragments to be delinked includes solitary years.
Make it explicit that where I say 'units', I will be making formatting changes and adding unit conversions. This is an important task and a higher rate of false positives is, unfortunately, inherent in additions when compared with removals. I will be making a great deal more effort to reduce the rate.

The bot has done over 140,000 edits. I believe that the success rate is very good and the false positive rate very low. I have made many changes in response to feedback. I have learned more about bot running (this being my first) to supplement my existing knowledge of manual and script assisted edits.

Discussion[edit]

Approved for trial (10 edits). Please provide a link to the relevant contributions and/or diffs when the trial is complete. -- Tawker (talk) 18:41, 14 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

This bot was recently blocked for making changes to text in quotes and other issues (changing direct titles, etc.). Have these issues been addressed? --MZMcBride (talk) 06:30, 15 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I cannot guarantee a zero false positive rate for that issue but there will be a great reduction in the false positive rate. Lightmouse (talk) 08:19, 15 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Trial complete. Lightmouse (talk) 16:38, 16 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Can you do this task (adding non-breaking spaces between numbers and their units) at the same time? It would seem to fit. For instance, in this edit you change...

| dimensions = 70 [[metre|m]]

...to...

| dimensions = 70 m

...but it would be better to change it to...

| dimensions = 70&nbsp;m

All the best, – Quadell ^(talk) 13:42, 18 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Technically, it should be easy. However, I prefer to see fewer instances of nbsp in the raw text, not more. I know that I am in the minority on this. I hope that declining such a task will not count against the approval Lightbot. Lightmouse (talk) 16:39, 18 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Approved. Not a problem. – Quadell ^(talk) 18:43, 19 August 2008 (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.

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. To request review of this BRFA, please start a new section at WT:BRFA.