Category pages as contributions

Question

Why isn't adding to or editing a category page not considered a contribution to WikiTree? As much time and effort can go into a category page as goes into a profile.

Answer 1

I'd like to have categories on the Contributions list because I sometimes use my Contributions list to find a particular page I worked on recently (and I'm not quite sure of the page name or don't want to type the whole name), but I can't do that for categories.

A while back I did learn that if I've checked the little box to watchlist a category, I can see edit history for that category page (not just my contributions to it, but everyone's) if I enter http://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Special:Watchlist&days=15 in the URL bar on my browser. That link gives me the most recent edit for each watchlisted category, for the time period specified in the "days=" parameter (change the number at the end if you want to see history for a time period different from 15 days).

Finding that URL is not particularly convenient and I don't watchlist every category I edit, so I usually end up using other inefficient methods to find a recently edited category. It would be real nice if I could simply look at my Contributions list. This is the same concern that caused Maureen Rosenfeld to post http://www.wikitree.com/g2g/234090/why-aren-t-categories-listed-in-the-contributions-

Comments

This is exactly what I am saying.  I had created a category.  It would have been in the most recent twenty contributions so I went to my contributions page.  Not there.

I had added the unfinished category to a profile so I clicked on that to get to the category.  It just would be easier to go through contributions.

Answer 2

Hi Robert,

This isn't intentional. It just wasn't set up this way, and we haven't changed it. If it's important to the community we'll put it on the to-do list.

Chris

Comments

Thanks, Chris. With the expansion of categories, and the increased number of pages, it might merit serious thought.

Bob

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Status, please? Thanks.

Answer 3

You do get contribution points for categories. They just do not show up on your contributions list.

Comments

Please explain 

if you don't see them on Special:Contributions&who=J-276

Where do you see your contribution points?

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You see them on your number of contributions. Check the pull down menu My WikiTree. If you are a leader you also see them in the feed.

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You are right.... 

• the number increase but no info about the changed object hm.....odd...

its only visible on the category change ..... 

Video of my small test

Maybe something we could get...... template edits and category changes are also good to find fast......
 

Answer 4

I'm pretty sure categories edits are counted. Unless it's changed since then. I created numerous Czech categories & my contributions went way up & didn't know why. So, I noted my contribution #'s then edited several categories. Those edits counted. They don't show in your contributions list but count toward your contributions. Making contrib. visible likely uses a fair amount of server resources to generate that list. Possible reason for exluding category contrib from our contribution feed?

Comments

>>Making contrib. visible likely uses a fair amount of server resources to generate that list. 

No its just by design....

Compare

1. find everything from user x but not template categories
   
   vs.
    
2. find everything from user x 

it can be no performance bottleneck its just done by design....

 

Most "normal" Wikitree users don't edit categories and don't design templates so it's normally a non issue....

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I was not interested in contribution count.  I was going to edit a category I had created less than an hour before.

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Re Maureen that is also my user story

I would like to go back to something I have done lately ==> I go to the contribution list....BUT lesson learned changes to categpries are under the radar.. ;-(

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I don't know what a normal Wiki treer is.  I don't design templates because it doesn't interest me.  

I don't particularly care for categories because there are too many variables to use them here.  Note: Some recent change to Veterans and War Dead.

A lot of people add cemeteries.  Each cemetery is a category.  So if I create a category on someone's profile.  It shows I edited the profile. It does not show that I added a category.  

My contribution list includes things like I edited a biography because the page says are you sure you want to go.  So I click on save and I had done nothing.  

I don't think category contributions would cause any server problems.

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I didn't say it would cause server problems or bottlenecks. 

Making contrib. visible likely uses a fair amount of server resources to generate that list. Possible reason for exluding category contrib from our contribution feed? 

I commented by ending with a ? hoping Chris would clarify how including category contributions would impact resources used to generate those contributions. 

In 2014, Chris commented "This isn't intentional. It just wasn't set up this way". 

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Maureen I only answered about the contribution count because one of your previous comments "I was surprised that category contributions are not enumerated". That comment is no longer viewable as it was hidden.