The recent changes page lists edits in reverse time order. Each entry records the page, the contributor, the time and a short note about the change. Reviewers watched this list to catch two things: edits that removed useful detail and edits that introduced a claim without a source.
What an entry contains
- Page. The page that changed, linked so that a reviewer can open it.
- Contributor. The member who made the edit.
- Time. When the edit was saved.
- Change note. A short description of what changed and why.
- Size change. The number of characters added or removed.
How the list was used
A large negative size change is worth a look. It may be a cleanup, or it may be a page that lost a paragraph by accident. A large positive change from a new member is also worth a look, because new pages often need a small amount of structure before they are easy to read.
Review habit. Open the page, read the change note, then read the surrounding section. A change that only makes sense in isolation usually needs a second edit.
The list was also the fastest way to find a page that needed a link. If a new page was created and nothing linked to it, the reviewer added a link from the nearest index page on the same day.