Forum:Change voting for featured article

Forums: Index → Community discussions → Change voting for featured article | Post

I am, once again, proposing changes to featured articles, specifically in how we select them.

Right now, articles are nominated and voted on together. Once a month, the article with the most votes is chosen, while the runners-up continue to sit on the nominations list until they too have enough votes to win. The issue is, this system essentially guarantees that all articles placed on the list which are at least of adequate quality will eventually be featured. However, this system has a habit of selecting articles that aren't necessarily "good quality" but articles which have just been on the list for a long period of time.

I would like to use a different system, where each article is voted on individually. When an article is nominated for Featured Article, a vote would start which would last a decent length of time, probably 14 - 28 days. People can support or oppose a featured article nomination. At the end of the vote, if there is consensus, the article is added to the Featured Article queue. Several articles can be nominated for Featured Article and be added to the queue, and then be featured one at a time. This is similar to Wikipedia's system, except that they feature daily versus monthly for us.

Thoughts? -- LostInRiverview ^{talk ~ blog} 18:55, August 21, 2014 (UTC)

Discussion

Support This is a much better system, as it's more of a "systematic" approach than our current system. It should ensure that quality articles get featured, not crappy articles that got nominated years ago. --k6ka (talk | contribs) 21:09, August 21, 2014 (UTC)

Oppose - While it does sound like a novel idea, this seems like it would work better in theory than practice. The idea is a bit too complex and I'm fine with using the current system we have now. Ѧüя◎ґ (talk) 22:41, August 21, 2014 (UTC)

Actually, this system already works in practice, not in theory. Wikipedia uses it to elect its articles for featured article status, which represents the best of the wiki, not stuff left over after clearing the backlog, like the old sandwich at the very rear of your locker that you keep forgetting to clean out. --k6ka (talk | contribs) 22:59, August 21, 2014 (UTC)

In addition to Wikipedia, other wikis use this or a similar system as well, including WoWWiki, Memory Alpha, Wookieepedia, and the Assassin's Creed Wiki, to name a few. It's not a "novel idea" at all, it's tried and tested. The point of Featured Article is to show off the best articles we have, and that doesn't happen when less-then-great articles are able to become featured simply as a result of being on the nominating page for a longer period of time. - LostInRiverview ^{talk ~ blog} 23:16, August 21, 2014 (UTC)

That sounds like a good system: for those wikis. The problem with featured article voting here is that no one votes. A complete overhaul in this case seems unnecessary. Ѧüя◎ґ (talk) 05:24, August 23, 2014 (UTC)

I'm sort of feeling neutral towards this. I understand where Auror is coming from, only a few users take part in the voting. But, I also think that perhaps a full revamp can maybe bring more members of the community to vote. Like I said, I'm neutral towards the idea. I would be up for it, but a small part of me is telling me it would be, like Auror said, unnecessary. Beds ^{(talk - blog)} 21:35, August 25, 2014 (UTC)

Allow me to clarify something. Changing the voting system isn't intended to increase voting, and I don't delude myself into thinking that changing the system will somehow increase the number of votes. The lack of involvement in voting for the feature is a totally separate issue. My reason for suggesting this change is to ensure that the articles we do pick are the highest quality that they can be, which is ensured best by weighing each article on its own merits. - LostInRiverview ^{talk ~ blog} 17:07, August 23, 2014 (UTC)

From what we've seen with The Sims 3, the release of The Sims 4 will probably bring more users to the wiki, so it wouldn't hurt to be prepared (even after all our rude jokes on how The Sims 4: Burglars or The Sims 4: Swimming Pools will be possible expansion packs). --k6ka (talk | contribs) 21:00, August 25, 2014 (UTC)

Okay, after a day of thinking, my mind has changed. I understand now that changing the voting system for featured article has nothing to do with the lack of votes. Therefore, I support the change. Beds ^{(talk - blog)} 21:35, August 25, 2014 (UTC)