14 DAY TRIAL // Wikipedia is introducing a new way of testing upcoming features and a new way for developers to get feedback, Beta Features. The new program works very much like the beta channel for Firefox or Chrome, with users who opt into it getting to test new features first, before they are rolled out to the wider public.
The hope is that, like with the browser beta channels, enough people will subscribe to Beta Features, so that Wikipedia developers get a lot feedback fast. This way, problems can be identified quickly and before the new features end up on the site used by hundreds of millions of people.
"Beta Features lets developers roll out new software in an environment where lots of users can use these features, then give feedback to help make them better," Wikipedia explained.
"You can think of it as a digital laboratory – where community members can preview upcoming changes and help designers and engineers make improvements based on their suggestions," it added.
Adventurous users can now test four new features. There's a new Media Viewer in testing, which enables you to view images in a nice lightbox without having to leave the page you're visiting to see a larger version.
The VisualEditor is also included in the Beta Features program. The editor has been a source of contention among old school Wikipedia editors, but the tool aims to make it easier to format Wikipedia articles, so that more people get involved, something Wikipedia desperately needs.
The VisualEditor formulae editing feature can be enabled or disabled separately from the VisualEditor since it needs more testing. Finally, users can opt into the Typography Refresh test which improves the fonts in Wikipedia articles.
Any registered user can get involved, all you have to do is log in and visit the Beta Features section of the user preferences. You'll be able to choose any of the features listed above to enable for your profile.