413435 - Drop the update timer

Status: VERIFIED FIXED

(support.mozilla.org :: Knowledge Base Software, task)

Description

[Jason Barnabe (np)]

As far as I know, the update timer is to warn users that they're going to lose their "lock" on an article. The only time it has a use is when two people intend on editing the same article, and the first user spends a long time between previews or saves. I don't think we have enough edits happening that we should be worrying about this happening.

The timer is annoying and "panic inducing".[1]

[1] http://groups.google.com/group/mozilla.support.planning/browse_frm/thread/35b683c62e300003#

Comment 1

[Chris Ilias [:cilias]]

I have no problem with this, so long as contributors still get the 1 minute warning. I don't want anyone losing their work.

Comment 2

[Jason Barnabe (np)]

You don't lose your work at the 1 minute warning, you lose your lock. Here are the possible ways data can be "lost".

---
A) Simple lock timeout

1. User A starts editing a page (gains the lock) and doesn't preview or save for 15 minutes (loses the lock).
2. User B edits the page (gains the lock) and saves (loses the lock).
3. User A saves, wiping out User B's edits.

B) Lock in effect, but no warning

1. User A starts editing a page (gains the lock) and doesn't preview or save for 15 minutes (loses the lock).
2. User B edits the page (gains the lock).
3. User A saves without previewing. (If User A previews, they'll be told that User B has it locked)
4. User B saves the page, wiping out User A's edits.

C) People ignore the lock warning.

---

All these scenarios are possible without the one minute warning. The one minute warning is only useful if the user finishes their work or previews within that minute. Even if some data gets overwritten, it's still available in the history of the article.

Parallel edits are not common. I've only seen the article locked warning once. Edits lasting over 15 minutes between previews will be for new articles, so there's a greatly reduced risk of conflicts. It's incredibly rare for the timer/alert to be useful, and it's very common for it to be annoying.

Comment 3

[Majken Connor [:Kensie]]

I've yet to edit an article in under 15 minutes. I think it would be valuable to ask people, or track this somehow to see if I'm the exception or the rule. Especially as we have updates where we'll be adding sections on how 2 and 3 differ.

I think if in most cases people don't navigate away from an edit and forget about it, we should maybe raise the lock time.  What are the odds that someone will want to edit an article within 30 min of someone else?

So IMO drop the timer and raise the lock time to something like 30 min.

Comment 4

[Chris Ilias [:cilias]]

Alright, let's drop the timer and warning. :-)

Comment 5

[Jason Barnabe (np)]

Attachment: remove the timer

Remove the timer and the alert.

The lock timeout is a configuration thing. I've already upped it to 30 minutes.

Comment 6

[Nelson Ko [:nkoth]]

What about the session timeout? /tiki-admin.php?page=general

Comment 7

[Jason Barnabe (np)]

It's at 60. I don't see any reason to change it as a result of this bug.

Comment 8

[Jason Barnabe (np)]

Gone on the live server.

Comment 9

[Nelson Ko [:nkoth]]

The update timer is shown in a "tip" box on top of the edit screen in the new Tiki. It is not optional. Perhaps it should be made optional through a feature setting.

Comment 10

[Louis-Philippe Huberdeau]

Made optional under wiki_timeout_warning.