Recent changes patrol (RC Patrol) is an essential maintenance task on Bharatpedia. Patrollers monitor the Recent Changes feed to protect articles from vandalism, fix errors, and guide new editors.
What is Recent Changes Patrol?[edit source]
RC Patrol involves checking recent edits made across Bharatpedia to ensure quality, accuracy, and adherence to wiki policies.
Patrollers help:
- Revert vandalism, test edits, and spam.
- Fix formatting errors and broken Wikicode.
- Welcome new constructive users and assist them.
- Report persistent policy violations to administrators.
How to Patrol Edits[edit source]
1. Open the Feed: Go to Special:RecentChanges. 2. Filter Edits: Focus on high-risk edits:
- Edits by IP addresses or newly created accounts.
- Edits with large byte additions or deletions (e.g., -1,000 bytes or +3,000 bytes).
- Edits tagged with warnings (like blanking or external link additions).
3. Check Diffs: Click the diff link next to an edit to compare the previous version with the new one.
What to Look For[edit source]
1. Vandalism and Bad Faith Edits[edit source]
- Page Blanking: Removing large sections of text without an edit summary.
- Spam / Promotion: Adding promotional links, ads, or vanity text.
- Nonsense / Test Edits: Random characters, gibberish, or testing Wikicode on live articles instead of the Sandbox.
- Defamation / Attacks: Offensive language or unsourced negative statements about individuals.
2. Good Faith Errors[edit source]
- New editors often make mistakes accidentally (e.g., breaking formatting, forgetting references, or accidental deletion). Treat these as learning opportunities rather than vandalism.
Actions to Take[edit source]
Reverting Edits[edit source]
- Undo: Click the undo link on the edit diff page to reverse an improper edit. Always leave a polite edit summary explaining why (e.g., "Reverting test edit").
- Rollback: Administrators and authorized users can use the Rollback tool for quick 1-click reversions of obvious vandalism.
Interacting with Editors[edit source]
- Welcome Good Contributors: Leave a welcome template (like
{{subst:Welcome1}}) on their talk page. - Warn Vandals: Leave a polite warning message on the user's talk page explaining why their edit was removed.
- Report Persistent Disruptions: If a user continues vandalizing after warnings, report them at Bharatpedia:Administrators' noticeboard.
Key Rules for Patrollers[edit source]
- Assume Good Faith: Not every mistake is vandalism. Be patient with new users.
- Be Civil: Keep edit summaries and talk page notes respectful and objective.
- Use Edit Summaries: Always explain your reversions clearly.
Helpful Links[edit source]
- Special:RecentChanges – Real-time edit feed
- Special:NewPages – List of newly created articles
- Special:Log – System and administrative logs
- Draft:Sandbox – Testing area for editors