Forum:CT Archive/The Future of the Main Page Queue

As most of us know, production on the status article nomination systems is not what it once was. For a variety of reasons, we are putting out fewer new Featured and Good articles than ever before. We have reached the point that we can no longer sustain either a daily or weekly FA or GA queue on the Main Page. The burden to review and pass articles fast enough to keep the queue going has become too much for reviewers, and it's beginning to sap overall interest in the system.

However, I know from speaking with several users most involved in article reviewing that there is still an interest in seeing status articles on the Main Page. And, of course, article writing is something that we all enjoy doing, so that will always remain, as will the need to maintain a high level of article quality. I am therefore proposing a new format for the Main Page status article queue that will a) allow the nomination review systems to continue as normal, while b) removing the burden of constant production.

The proposal

 * 1) Rather than a daily or weekly queue for both Featured articles and Good articles, FAs and GAs will be combined into a single randomized queue
 * 2) *Once a new FAN or GAN is passed, members of the Inquisitorius/AgriCorps will create a new queue page, in the same format we do currently, and add it to the random queue pool, much like we do now for Featured articles/Random, etc. However, the following status articles will not be included in the random queue:
 * 3) **Articles without a main image
 * 4) **Unidentified articles
 * 5) This randomized queue will replace the Main Page's current "Random articles" box; that box will now be removed completely
 * 6) The Inquisitorius and AgriCorps will need to a) update the FAN and GAN instructions pages to reflect this new queuing procedure; b) Go through and update/clean up all existing queue pages, while making sure to create any relevant queue pages for status articles that do not already have them
 * 7) *The administration will be responsible for any other minor formatting changes necessary on the Main Page to put this into effect

As stated above, this new queue format will allow FAN/GAN writing and reviewing to continue operating exactly as it is now. The reviewers will just now be free of the burden of keeping the queues going. We will be free to review at a more comfortable and enjoyable pace. This will also free up extra room on the Main Page for us to put new things as we continue to explore redesign options.

As for not including imageless and unidentified articles in the queue, this is done because these types of articles simply are not marketable. The Main Page is already far too text-heavy, and we've had many days in the past where there wasn't a single image on the Main Page just because both queues had no pictures. This will ensure that there is always an image there, and I expect this to have the added effect of encouraging our writers to write articles that our readers will be more interested in reading, if they want to see their work advertised on the Main Page. Toprawa and Ralltiir (talk) 17:47, December 15, 2015 (UTC)

Support

 * 1) Toprawa and Ralltiir (talk) 17:47, December 15, 2015 (UTC)