"Secret combo" to grant all privileges

[nicolas-raoul]

Context

We are starting to limit some features to only users who have reached a certain level.

Problem

While generally a good thing, there are some side-effects on people who legitimately should be able to use all features:

• Developers with test accounts
• Long-time Wikignomes who specialize on certain tasks (for instance preventing copyvios) but might have some stats lacking.

Solution

I propose the app waives all restrictions to users who tap the About screen 7 times. Only true Wikimedians will know this secret. This is how Google prevents average users from doing irresponsible things: http://www.androidcentral.com/how-enable-developer-settings-android-42

The idea was first discussed at now-closed issue #97

[maskaravivek]

Related: #2269.

Based on a combination of factors, features can be switched off/on for a particular user. On top of mind, I have these parameters:

• has user enabled experimental features or not (Could be enabled using "Secret combo")
• Flavor: Beta/Alpha/Prod (information available locally)
• Android Version (information available locally)
• Username (information available locally. can be fetched from the backend as well)
• Country or location (information available locally)
• User achievement level (information available locally)

[misaochan]

Should this work for prod server also or only for beta? I'm not sure if it's worth the added complexity of coding all the level restrictions, if it can be bypassed so easily. A simple search would bring the "secret" up, even if the person has zero experience with Wikimedia.

I would be in favour of only allowing this shortcut for the beta server for convenience sake. Devs can always temporarily hardcode their level or mock it in the debugger anyway if they really needed to for prod tests.

[nicolas-raoul]

I was thinking for both servers.
I believe only a very small fraction of the users would think of searching for secret cheatcodes.