Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment--20150814190019/@comment-24473195-20150814192203

DaNASCAT wrote:

With regards to JavaScript, Wikia is looking to move towards a code review system that will hopefully improve collaboration between communities and make the reuse of code a simple task. Admins will be able to write JS and submit it for review. Then a group will review code changes to ensure they are both secure and don’t include any major breaking changes. Changes will not go live until they do. There is also the vision of a code library as part of this change, in which admins can easily import bits of common, pre-approved code so they don’t have to write it out locally. This is something we are definitely aiming to do before the end of the year and currently we are targeting early autumn for the first tests and beta versions.

Great. We basically reached a similar conclusion in c:dev that a code review system similar to the Extension:gadgets is the only possible way forward. Also, I'm wondering about who will review this code?

I disagree with the idea that people who have the admin or bureaucrat rights are automatically competent in using javascript and coding. In c:dev the only requirement seems to basically paste some scripts there and you're automatically "competent".

A more viable alternative is maybe to partner up with either code-academy to create an introduction and advanced course for mediawiki hacking (creating js and such), and allowing only people who have shown their competence there as code-editors/reviewers along with any criteria wikia chooses. Wikimedia has at least created the basic foundations. Since we are on the subject of coding, I think something could also be done for lua modules. It would be possible to create a tutorial using javascript for module development in a wikia. I know they aren't generally security risks, but given enough time some coder is likely to find an exploit.

Thanks for the heads up!