Roll back privileges Wikipedia

 

Conversation with Gemini

Can you explain roll back privileges with Wikipedia for new users. Often times at Wikipedia edit-thons topics like roll back privileges not discussed. Can you talk about this? 

Absolutely, let's break down rollback privileges on Wikipedia, especially for new users:

What is Rollback?

Rollback is a privilege on Wikipedia that allows editors to quickly revert edits made to a page. It's essentially an undo button for vandalism or other disruptive edits. Rollback users see a "rollback X edits" button next to edits on their watchlist, user contributions pages, and page histories.

Who Gets Rollback Privileges?

Rollback is not automatically granted to new users. Users with a history of positive contributions can request rollback privileges at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Requests_for_permissions/Rollback. Typically, to be considered for rollback, a user should have:

At least 200 edits in the main namespace (articles)

Experience patrolling recent changes for vandalism and other issues

A clean editing history with no edit warring

Why Might Edit-a-Thons Not Discuss Rollback?

Edit-a-thons often focus on getting newcomers comfortable with editing Wikipedia. Since rollback involves reverting edits, it might not be directly relevant to the event's goals. However, experienced editors participating in edit-a-thons can still provide guidance on how to identify vandalism and disruptive edits, which is a skill that can lead to future rollback privileges.

How Can New Users Learn More?

New users interested in rollback privileges can explore these resources:

Wikipedia's page on Rollback: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Rollback

The process for requesting rollback: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Requests_for_permissions/Rollback

profile picture

How are roll back privileges granted? 

Rollback privileges on Wikipedia are granted by administrators through a special user rights page. Here's the breakdown:

Requesting Rollback:

New users who meet the criteria (like having 200+ edits and a good contribution history) can request rollback privileges at a dedicated page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Requests_for_permissions/Rollback.

Alternatively, they can approach an administrator directly, although this is less common.

Granting Rollback:

Administrators have access to a special user rights page (Special:Userrights).

Here, they can find the user requesting rollback and add the "rollback" permission to their account.

Following Up:

Once granted rollback, it's a good practice for the administrator to leave a message on the user's talk page explaining proper use of the tool. A template like {{subst:rfr/granted}} can be used for this purpose.

The administrator will also update the request page, indicating whether the request was approved or denied.

Things to Remember:

Any administrator can grant or revoke rollback.

Misusing rollback privileges can lead to them being revoked.