Wikipedia:Editor activity indicator

An indicator system for displaying the online status of any given user has been developed. The indicators are

"I'm In" for editors who are online.
"I'm Around" for editors who are around the site, but may be unresponsive. (Useful for editors who are working on other projects, etc. At the same time they monitor the site.)
"I'm Out" for editors who are offline.

The indicator system was originally designed for use by administrators, who are often contacted by other users for emergency actions (i.e. blocking out-of-control vandals). However, the system is useful for other editors as well.

Using the system

To use the indicator system, the editor has two choices: image placement or template placement.

Image placement

To use image placement, the editor simply adds the image tag (i.e [[File:In Icon.JPG|right]]) to the user page, talk page, or both, and changes the image each time. This is the simplest method, but requires multiple edits if the tag is used on more than one page.

Template placement

Template placement is more complex. To use template placement, the user creates a "status" subpage (i.e. User:Example/Status) and changes the image tag on the subpage, rather than the existing pages. This format is most useful for editors who place the tag on multiple pages.

To add the tag to the user's page, the user transcludes the status page: {{User:Example/Status}}.

The pages where the tag is used must be purged, through a purge link. To add a purge link, add this code: [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Example&action=purge], replacing "User:Example" with the name of the page being purged. This will purge the server cache and cause the template to appear.

The indicators

Medium images

[[File:In Icon.JPG]]

Right-aligned templates

I'm Out!!
(Purge Server Cache)

I'm somewhere.
(Purge Server Cache)

I'm Around.
(Purge Server Cache)

I'm in!!!
(Purge Server Cache)

{{User:Titoxd/Sandbox/In}}

The template at right is automatically updated by one of two bots:

User:Chris G Bot 3 updates based on a user's presence in #wikipedia-en on IRC.

{{User:Chris G Bot 3/Template|Example}}

Example is currently:

Lost.

Check my status history for more info.

Update: On • Busy • Work/Class • Off

This template requires some additional installation in your monobook.js file to get the update links to work. See User:Hersfold/StatusTemplate for details.

{{User:Hersfold/StatusTemplate|Example}}

Large images

[[File:Original In Icon.PNG|200px]]

Wide templates

This user is online, or has forgotten to update this message after finishing a wikisession.

_{(If there have been no edits from this user in the last 60 minutes, it is safe to assume that this user either forgot or is lurking.)}

This user is offline, or has forgotten to update this message since starting a wikisession.

_{(If there have been multiple edits from this user in the last 60 minutes and the most recent one wasn't to activate this template, it is safe to assume that this user forgot.)}

{{User:BigNate37/TM/Status-online}}

This user is online, or has forgotten to update this message after finishing a wikisession.

_{(If there have been no edits from this user in the last 60 minutes, it is safe to assume that this user either forgot or is lurking.)}

This user is offline, or has forgotten to update this message since starting a wikisession.

_{(If there have been multiple edits from this user in the last 60 minutes and the most recent one wasn't to activate this template, it is safe to assume that this user forgot.)}

{{User:BigNate37/TM/Status-online2}}

Userbox templates

This user is probably online.

This user is probably offline.

{{User:BigNate37/TM/UBX/Status-online}}

This user is currently online.

This user is currently offline.

{{user in}}