How Editing Works: Difference between revisions

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<ul><li style="list-style-type:none">'''Status:''' ''This page is work in progess. It eventually integrate content from [[Information On Editing|InformationOnEditing]] and [[Editing Guideline|EditingGuideline]].''
</ul>

See also the [[Editing FAQ|EditingFAQ]] or the [[Classical Music FAQ|ClassicalMusicFAQ]] on our wiki.

==Editing Philosophy==
==Editing Philosophy==


The [[MusicBrainz]] editing and voting (previously called ''moderation'') system is designed to give MusicBrainz users the power to update and maintain the [[Database]]. Maintaining a comprehensive database for popular music is a large task, and MusicBrainz will depend on its users to spot mistakes in the database and then to take the initiative to correct these errors.
Maintaining a comprehensive database of all types of music is a large task, and MusicBrainz depends on its users to spot mistakes in the database and then to take the initiative to correct these errors. To help with that task the MusicBrainz editing and voting system was designed, it gives MusicBrainz users the ability to update and maintain the database effectively and easily.


The data in [[MusicBrainz]] has been collected from a number of places including the EMusic collection, metadata submitted via [[FreeAmp]], the CD Index database, and freedb.org data. While some of these data sources are better than others, there are still lots of errors left to fix in this automatically imported data.
Although in the past some new data was automatically imported from a number of sources (such as [[FreeDB]], the EMusic collection, the CD Index database, and metadata submitted via FreeAmp) the quality was generally lacking and had to be manually fixed to conform to the MusicBrainz [[Style Guideline|style guidelines]]. Thus the vast majority of new data that is now entered into the database is added by MusicBrainz users, '''''like you!'''''


MusicBrainz is an open community with the goal that the people who use MusicBrainz will take it upon themselves to correct any incorrect information they may come across and/or add information where it may be lacking.
We hope that the people who use MusicBrainz will take it upon themselves to look up a few of their favorite artists and then make sure there are no mistakes in their metadata. They can subscribe to these artists, and the system will send out notification emails when edits are entered against them. Editors should familiarize themselves with the [[Style Guideline|style guidelines]] that define how to organize and capitalize the data in MusicBrainz. When other Editors vote on your suggested changes, they will judge your changes against these guidelines. Please refer to [[How To Vote|HowToVote]].

''Please also read [[How Voting Works|how to vote]] for information on the review process each edit goes through before being accepted into the database.''


==Editing Guide==
==Editing Guide==


In order to maintain a consistent level of quality in the database, editors should familiarize themselves with the MusicBrainz [[Style|style guidelines]]. Your changes will be judged against these guidelines when other users vote on your edits.
To edit (change) the database, follow these steps:

# [http://www.musicbrainz.org/newlogin.html Create a MusicBrainz account] and log in. Anyone can create an account. We don't ask for any private information, so there is no chance for us to give this information to anyone! One thing we do ask that all users of [[MusicBrainz]] follow the [[Code Of Conduct|CodeOfConduct]].
To edit [[MusicBrainz]], follow these steps:
# [http://www.musicbrainz.org/search.html Search/browse] for your favorite artist and view the releases by that artist.
# [[mb:register|Create a MusicBrainz account]] and log in. Anyone can create an account. We don't ask for any private information, so there is no chance for us to give this information to anyone! One thing we do ask that all users of MusicBrainz follow the [[Code of Conduct]].
# If you spot a mistake, a typo, or a mis-classification click on the Edit/Move/Add link next to the incorrect/missing data item. If you are not logged into [[MusicBrainz]] (see step #1) you will not see these edit links.
# [[mb:search|Search]] for your favorite artist and view the releases by that artist.
# The edit links will take you to pages where you can edit/add the information for that artist. On the edit pages you will find further instructions and links for [[Style Guideline|StyleGuideline]] that will provide a guidance for this particular [[Edit Type|EditType]]. Please read and follow these guides - they are important in order for the entire database to be consistent. If the edit page has more than one field that can be edited, but not all fields need to be changed, just leave the correct fields like they were.
# If you spot a mistake, a typo, or a mis-classification click on the appropriate Edit/Move/Add link (usually next to the data, on the sidebar or on the tabs at the top of the page). If you are not logged into MusicBrainz (see step #1) you will not see these edit links.
# Once you click on submit on the edit/add pages, you will be taken back to the release/artist page that you just came from. An edit will be entered into the database, and if you click on the [http://www.musicbrainz.org/mod/search/pre/artist.html View Edits] button at the top of the page you will be taken to the artist or release edits search page for that release/artist. If you click on the left sidebar [http://www.musicbrainz.org/mod/search/pre/new.html Vote on Edits] you will be you will be able to view/vote on all open edits in the database.
# The edit links will take you to pages where you can edit/add the information for that artist. On the edit pages you will find further instructions and sometimes links to [[Style|style guidelines]] that will provide a guidance for this particular type of edit. Please read and follow these guides - they are important in order for the entire database to be consistent. If the edit page has more than one field that can be edited, but not all fields need to be changed, just leave the correct fields like they were.
# The default edits page lists all the edits that are currently pending. Please vote on other people's edits. This is as important as making changes to the existing incorrect data. Each row in the <code><nowiki>moderation</nowiki></code> table will contain information about the suggested change and what it will be changed to. Once you have made a vote your [http://www.musicbrainz.org/mod/search/pre/voted.html Voting] page will show how many peope have voted yes and no to the suggestion. You may only vote once on a change and you may not vote for your own edits. Once you have voted you can still revise your vote to Yes, No or Abstain.
# Once you click on submit on the edit/add pages, you will be taken back to the release/artist page that you just came from. An edit will be entered into the database: you can usually see it by clicking Open Edits on the sidebar of the page (or, in some cases, you'll need to check All Edits instead).
# For all of the edits that you have not voted on, you may select the Yes, No or Abs radiobutton for Yes, No or Abstain. You can go down the list of edits and vote for each by selecting the appropriate radio button and then clicking on submit at the top or bottom of the page. If you are not sure about an edit or you have no idea if the suggested edit is correct, then simply abstain from the vote.
# The default edits page lists all the edits that are currently pending, showing what will change with each one. Voting is as useful as editing: to know more about it, check [[Introduction to Voting]].
# If 3 people unanimously vote for or against a suggested change, the change is immediately accepted or rejected, respectively. If the votes are not unanimous the system will wait for 1 week and then accept the suggested change into the database if the simple majority of editors voted yes. If the vote fails to achieve a simple majority it is dropped from the <code><nowiki>moderation</nowiki></code> table without being applied to the database. Some edits, such as the add release edits, will add data into the database at the time the edit is entered into the system. If such edits get voted down, the data that was entered for the edit will be removed from the database.
# If 3 people unanimously vote for or against a suggested change, the change is immediately accepted or rejected, respectively. Otherwise, after 7 days:
# The default edits page shows new edits, but you may also view your past votes or your past edits by selecting the Old Edits and My Edits links at the top of the edits table. The expiration times show on the edits page are in GMT.
## If there are no votes, the edit is automatically accepted.
## If there is at least one vote, the edit is accepted if there are more "Yes" votes than "No" votes. If not, it is rejected.
# Some edits, such as release adds, will have the data show in MusicBrainz as soon as they're entered - if they get voted down, that data will be removed.
# If you find yourself in a position where you have made a mistake, you can cancel your own edits by going to your open edits (a link can be found on your profile page). When you find a bad edit, click on its Cancel edit link to mark it as "To be canceled"; it will then be removed from the database within the hour. This is much better and less time-consuming than creating a new edit that corrects the bad edit (in which case both the correction and the original bad edit would have to be voted on, creating extra work for everyone).
# If you find yourself in a position where you have made a mistake, you can cancel your own edits by going to your open edits (a link can be found on your profile page). When you find a bad edit, click on its Cancel edit link to mark it as "To be canceled"; it will then be removed from the database within the hour. This is much better and less time-consuming than creating a new edit that corrects the bad edit (in which case both the correction and the original bad edit would have to be voted on, creating extra work for everyone).


==AutoEditors==
==AutoEditors==


See [[Auto-Editor|AutoEditor]]s.
See [[Auto-Editor]]s.


==Get Editing!==
==Get Editing!==


If you're ready, go to the [http://www.musicbrainz.org/mod/search/pre/new.html pending edits] to vote on edits. If you'd like to participate in the editing process, but don't know where to start, check out the [http://www.musicbrainz.org/reports/ editing suggestions] page.
One good option is to just check some artists you enjoy, and see what you can add or correct. Or if you'd like to participate in the editing process, but don't know where to start, you can check out the [[mb:reports|reports page]], which lists several things that might be wrong.


[[Category:To Be Reviewed]] [[Category:Editing]] [[Category:WikiDocs Page]]
[[Category:To Be Reviewed]] [[Category:Editing]] [[Category:WikiDocs Page]]

Latest revision as of 22:58, 29 April 2020

Editing Philosophy

Maintaining a comprehensive database of all types of music is a large task, and MusicBrainz depends on its users to spot mistakes in the database and then to take the initiative to correct these errors. To help with that task the MusicBrainz editing and voting system was designed, it gives MusicBrainz users the ability to update and maintain the database effectively and easily.

Although in the past some new data was automatically imported from a number of sources (such as FreeDB, the EMusic collection, the CD Index database, and metadata submitted via FreeAmp) the quality was generally lacking and had to be manually fixed to conform to the MusicBrainz style guidelines. Thus the vast majority of new data that is now entered into the database is added by MusicBrainz users, like you!

MusicBrainz is an open community with the goal that the people who use MusicBrainz will take it upon themselves to correct any incorrect information they may come across and/or add information where it may be lacking.

Please also read how to vote for information on the review process each edit goes through before being accepted into the database.

Editing Guide

In order to maintain a consistent level of quality in the database, editors should familiarize themselves with the MusicBrainz style guidelines. Your changes will be judged against these guidelines when other users vote on your edits.

To edit MusicBrainz, follow these steps:

  1. Create a MusicBrainz account and log in. Anyone can create an account. We don't ask for any private information, so there is no chance for us to give this information to anyone! One thing we do ask that all users of MusicBrainz follow the Code of Conduct.
  2. Search for your favorite artist and view the releases by that artist.
  3. If you spot a mistake, a typo, or a mis-classification click on the appropriate Edit/Move/Add link (usually next to the data, on the sidebar or on the tabs at the top of the page). If you are not logged into MusicBrainz (see step #1) you will not see these edit links.
  4. The edit links will take you to pages where you can edit/add the information for that artist. On the edit pages you will find further instructions and sometimes links to style guidelines that will provide a guidance for this particular type of edit. Please read and follow these guides - they are important in order for the entire database to be consistent. If the edit page has more than one field that can be edited, but not all fields need to be changed, just leave the correct fields like they were.
  5. Once you click on submit on the edit/add pages, you will be taken back to the release/artist page that you just came from. An edit will be entered into the database: you can usually see it by clicking Open Edits on the sidebar of the page (or, in some cases, you'll need to check All Edits instead).
  6. The default edits page lists all the edits that are currently pending, showing what will change with each one. Voting is as useful as editing: to know more about it, check Introduction to Voting.
  7. If 3 people unanimously vote for or against a suggested change, the change is immediately accepted or rejected, respectively. Otherwise, after 7 days:
    1. If there are no votes, the edit is automatically accepted.
    2. If there is at least one vote, the edit is accepted if there are more "Yes" votes than "No" votes. If not, it is rejected.
  8. Some edits, such as release adds, will have the data show in MusicBrainz as soon as they're entered - if they get voted down, that data will be removed.
  9. If you find yourself in a position where you have made a mistake, you can cancel your own edits by going to your open edits (a link can be found on your profile page). When you find a bad edit, click on its Cancel edit link to mark it as "To be canceled"; it will then be removed from the database within the hour. This is much better and less time-consuming than creating a new edit that corrects the bad edit (in which case both the correction and the original bad edit would have to be voted on, creating extra work for everyone).

AutoEditors

See Auto-Editors.

Get Editing!

One good option is to just check some artists you enjoy, and see what you can add or correct. Or if you'd like to participate in the editing process, but don't know where to start, you can check out the reports page, which lists several things that might be wrong.