FamilySearch Wiki:Patrolling

When we “patrol” an article, it means that we read it to see if it contains appropriate content. We are not looking to see if subject matter is correct or if it is well written. We expect the contributor to do this. The following steps guide you in the process.


 * Log in with your username and password. (This requires Administrative or Reviewer rights.)
 * In the Toolbox on the right side of the screen, click Special Pages.
 * Scroll down and click New Pages.
 * Click on the title of an unpatrolled article. These articles are highlighted in the color orange, and usually appear at the top of the list.
 * Note: If there are a lot of orange and white items mixed together, you can click Hide patrolled edits at the top to hide everything that has been patrolled.
 * Read through the article. Look for:
 * Inappropriate content, such as offensive language.
 * Derogatory statements about people, things, etc.
 * Inappropriate images.
 * Content only on a person's own genealogy.
 * If everything is ok, scroll to the bottom and click [Mark this article as patrolled]. It appears on the left of the screen above the categories.
 * If the content is about genealogy, but is just not covered by the purposes of this Wiki, click on the History tab to find out who the creator of the page is and communicate with them about their contributions. Eventually you or the contributor may end up adding the appropriate Maintenance Template to the page, but not until after you've communicated with the author.
 * If the content is completely inappropriate for the Wiki, add the appropriate Maintenance Template to the page.
 * You may also find something else that is a problem with the page. Click on the History tab at the top of the screen to see who the creator of the page is and decide if you want to contact him or her.

Note: When the article is patrolled, it is no longer highlighted on the list of New Pages. If you thought it was patrolled, and the title is still highlighted, refresh the screen.