Wikipedia editors plot strike and banner sabotage after Wikimedia layoffs

Software Wikipedia editors plot strike and banner sabotage after Wikimedia layoffs Foundation sparks revolt after disbanding team responsible for many community-requested fixes and moderation tools Carly Page Carly Page Published sat 30 May 2026 // 12:15 UTC The Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) has sparked a revolt among Wikipedia editors after disbanding the engineering team responsible for many community-requested fixes and moderation tools. The Register was tipped off this week to growing unrest inside the Wikipedia editing community following the WMF's decision to disband its Community Tech team, the group responsible for triaging and developing editor-requested bug fixes, moderation tools, and workflow improvements through the long-running Community Wishlist process. Wikimedia's internal forums have turned into a running argument over how editors should respond. Some are calling for editing strikes, while others want volunteers to stop handling vandalism cleanup for a period of time. There have also been discussions about replacing fundraising banners with messages criticizing the layoffs. REG AD The foundation confirmed to The Register that the restructuring affected six staff roles connected to the Community Wishlist program, including engineers and a manager.  REG AD It said the decision came after months of internal reviews that started last year. According to the foundation, leadership concluded that relying on a single dedicated team to process editor requests was no longer working well. "We learned from these assessments that it is rarely possible to fulfill community wishes through a single team due to the vast breadth of the software we support and the number of channels through which we receive wishes," a spokesperson for the foundation said. Under the new structure, responsibility for Community Wishlist requests will be spread across the wider Product and Technology department rather than handled by a dedicated team. MORE CONTEXT Google has seriously