Re: Announcing the Media Platform team [MediaWiki Engineering]

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Hi Pine! -

It is not - the difference is that the Media platform team is a platform
team, meaning it takes care of the underlying multimedia infrastructure,
while the former multimedia team primarily focused on specific user-facing
features (like the MediaViewer). Still, platform work does directly benefit
users, but is commonly a little less visible.

One example: The first major project is to redesign our thumbnail
infrastructure: We=E2=80=99re doing this work to ensure that the infrastruc=
ture can
scale for a continued growth of images. The changes we're making won't be
super-obvious, except that you'll notice fewer problems. Essentially,
platform teams=E2=80=99 job is to think holistically about the platform, wh=
at it
should enable and can reasonably support, while ensuring sustainability and
scalability =E2=80=93 which in return also makes it easier to build better =
features
(faster).

Hope that helps clarify the scope!

Birgit


On Thu, Jul 9, 2026 at 5:01=E2=80=AFPM Pine W via Wikitech-l <
[email protected]> wrote:

> Hi Birgit, thanks for the news. is the Media Platform Team effectively a
> reconstitution of the former Multimedia Team? See
> https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Multimedia.
>
> Pine=F0=9F=8C=B2
>
> On Wed, Jul 8, 2026 at 12:30=E2=80=AFAM Birgit M=C3=BCller via Wikitech-l=
 <
> [email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Hi All,
>>
>> Some of you might have seen this
>> <https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/project/profile/8845/> already on
>> Phabricator :-) - I'm happy to share that we=E2=80=99ve created a Media =
Platform
>> team under the umbrella of the MediaWiki Engineering group
>> <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Engineering_Group>. This
>> enhances the MediaWiki Engineering group from formerly 3 to now 4 teams =
=E2=80=93
>> Core Platform, API Platform (also known as: MW Interfaces), Content
>> Platform (also known as: the content transformers :), and Media Platform=
.
>> [1]
>>
>> With this change, we=E2=80=99re addressing the need to invest in the
>> sustainability of our media platform, with an initial focus on de-riskin=
g
>> key parts of the media infrastructure, ensuring the platform remains
>> resilient when scaled scraping occurs and can scale for continued growth=
.
>>
>> The Media Platform team will work on how we store, manipulate, stream,
>> and display media and is responsible for the media related work under th=
e Responsible
>> Reuse objective
>> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/2026-2=
027/Product_%26_Technology_OKRs#Protect>
>> in the Foundation=E2=80=99s annual plan (July 2026 - June 2027). The fir=
st major
>> project is to come up with a new architecture for the thumbnail
>> infrastructure (see ticket <https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T431141>).
>>
>> We=E2=80=99ve created a Phabricator project for the team
>> <https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/project/profile/8845/> and updated
>> the developers and maintainers list
>> <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Developers/Maintainers> to reflect the
>> changes.
>>
>> Feel free to come say Hi
>> <https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Media_Platform_Team> when you get the
>> chance :-)
>>
>> Birgit
>>
>> [1] - We're adjusting the names of the other MediaWiki Engineering teams
>> to maintain consistency across platform teams & are working on updating =
the
>> corresponding tags and team pages.
>>
>> --
>> Birgit M=C3=BCller (she/her)
>> Director of Product, MediaWiki and Developer Experiences
>>
>> Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Wikitech-l mailing list -- [email protected]
>> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
>>
>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/postorius/lists/wikitech-l.lists.wikimedia.o=
rg/
>
> _______________________________________________
> Wikitech-l mailing list -- [email protected]
> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
> https://lists.wikimedia.org/postorius/lists/wikitech-l.lists.wikimedia.or=
g/



--=20
Birgit M=C3=BCller (she/her)
Director of Product, MediaWiki and Developer Experiences

Wikimedia Foundation <https://wikimediafoundation.org/>

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><span id=3D"gmail-docs-internal-guid-1a96cb64-7fff-52e9-09=
40-52e9adfbcbdb"><p dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;ma=
rgin-bottom:0pt"><span style=3D"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant:n=
ormal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Hi Pine! -</span></p><b=
r><p dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt=
"><span style=3D"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant:normal;vertical-=
align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">It is not - the difference is that the=
 Media platform team is a platform team, meaning it takes care of the</span=
><span style=3D"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant:no=
rmal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span><span style=3D"f=
ont-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;whi=
te-space:pre-wrap">underlying multimedia infrastructure, while the former m=
ultimedia team primarily focused on specific user-facing features (like the=
 MediaViewer). Still, platform work does directly benefit users, but is com=
monly a little less visible.</span></p><br><p dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"line-hei=
ght:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style=3D"font-family:Arial=
,sans-serif;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wra=
p">One example: The first major project is to redesign our thumbnail infras=
tructure: We=E2=80=99re doing this work to ensure that the infrastructure c=
an scale for a continued growth of images. The changes we&#39;re making won=
&#39;t be super-obvious, except that you&#39;ll notice fewer problems. Esse=
ntially, platform teams=E2=80=99 job is to think holistically about the pla=
tform, what it should enable and can reasonably support, while ensuring sus=
tainability and scalability =E2=80=93 which in return also makes it easier =
to build better features (faster).</span></p><br><p dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"li=
ne-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style=3D"font-family=
:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:p=
re-wrap">Hope that helps clarify the scope!</span></p><br><p dir=3D"ltr" st=
yle=3D"line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style=3D"fo=
nt-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;whit=
e-space:pre-wrap">Birgit=C2=A0</span></p></span><br class=3D"gmail-Apple-in=
terchange-newline"></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_containe=
r"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Thu, Jul 9, 2026 at 5:01=E2=80=
=AFPM Pine W via Wikitech-l &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]=
a.org">[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote c=
lass=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px soli=
d rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div=
><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_signature"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div>
Hi Birgit, thanks for the news. is the Media Platform Team effectively a re=
constitution of the former Multimedia Team? See <a href=3D"https://www.medi=
awiki.org/wiki/Multimedia" target=3D"_blank">https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki=
/Multimedia</a>.</div><div><br></div><div>Pine=F0=9F=8C=B2</div></div></div=
></div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail=
_attr">On Wed, Jul 8, 2026 at 12:30=E2=80=AFAM Birgit M=C3=BCller via Wikit=
ech-l &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" target=3D"_blan=
k">[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=
=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rg=
b(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=
=3D"ltr"><div><span style=3D"background-color:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0);=
font-family:Arial,sans-serif;white-space:pre-wrap">Hi All,</span></div><div=
><span id=3D"m_4884481589333103716m_6838236499449161124m_556289646785598132=
6m_-4111648602710810491gmail-docs-internal-guid-9d0ea87a-7fff-ec30-707e-da2=
8987029f0"><p dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"line-height:1.8;margin-top:0pt;margin-bo=
ttom:0pt"><span style=3D"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);back=
ground-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-=
space:pre-wrap">Some of you <a href=3D"https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/pr=
oject/profile/8845/" target=3D"_blank">might have seen this</a> already on =
Phabricator :-) - </span><span style=3D"font-variant:normal;background-colo=
r:transparent;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:=
baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I&#39;m happy to share that we=E2=80=99ve cr=
eated a Media Platform team under the umbrella of the </span><a href=3D"htt=
ps://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki_Engineering_Group" style=3D"backgroun=
d-color:transparent;text-decoration:none" target=3D"_blank"><span style=3D"=
font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant:norm=
al;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">=
MediaWiki Engineering group</span></a><span style=3D"font-variant:normal;ba=
ckground-color:transparent;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);ve=
rtical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">. This enhances the MediaWiki E=
ngineering group from formerly 3 to now 4 teams =E2=80=93 Core Platform, AP=
I Platform (also known as: MW Interfaces), Content Platform (also known as:=
 the content transformers :), and Media Platform. [1]</span></p><br><p dir=
=3D"ltr" style=3D"line-height:1.8;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span s=
tyle=3D"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:tran=
sparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">W=
ith this change, we=E2=80=99re addressing the need to invest in the sustain=
ability of our media platform, with an initial focus on de-risking key part=
s of the media infrastructure, ensuring the platform remains resilient when=
 scaled scraping occurs and can scale for continued growth.=C2=A0=C2=A0</sp=
an></p><br><p dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"line-height:1.8;margin-top:0pt;margin-bo=
ttom:0pt"><span style=3D"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);font=
-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The Media Pla=
tform team will work on how we store, manipulate, stream, and display media=
 and is responsible for the media related work under the </span><a href=3D"=
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/2026-2027/=
Product_%26_Technology_OKRs#Protect" style=3D"text-decoration:none" target=
=3D"_blank"><span style=3D"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant:normal=
;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Re=
sponsible Reuse objective</span></a><span style=3D"font-family:Arial,sans-s=
erif;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-spa=
ce:pre-wrap"> in the Foundation=E2=80=99s annual plan (July 2026 - June 202=
7). The first major project is to come up with a new architecture for the t=
humbnail infrastructure (see </span><a href=3D"https://phabricator.wikimedi=
a.org/T431141" style=3D"text-decoration:none" target=3D"_blank"><span style=
=3D"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underl=
ine;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">ticket</span></a><span st=
yle=3D"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant:normal;ve=
rtical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">).=C2=A0</span></p><br><p dir=
=3D"ltr" style=3D"line-height:1.8;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span s=
tyle=3D"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant:normal;v=
ertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">We=E2=80=99ve created a <a hre=
f=3D"https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/project/profile/8845/" target=3D"_bl=
ank">Phabricator project for the team</a> and </span><span style=3D"font-fa=
mily:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant:normal;vertical-align:b=
aseline;white-space:pre-wrap">updated the </span><a href=3D"https://www.med=
iawiki.org/wiki/Developers/Maintainers" style=3D"text-decoration:none" targ=
et=3D"_blank"><span style=3D"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-variant:norm=
al;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">=
developers and maintainers list</span></a><span style=3D"font-family:Arial,=
sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;whi=
te-space:pre-wrap"> to reflect the changes.=C2=A0</span></p><br><p dir=3D"l=
tr" style=3D"line-height:1.8;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style=
=3D"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant:normal;verti=
cal-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Feel free to </span><span style=3D=
"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant:normal;vertical=
-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href=3D"https://www.mediawiki.org/=
wiki/Media_Platform_Team" target=3D"_blank">come say Hi</a><b> </b></span><=
span style=3D"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-variant:no=
rmal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">when you get the chance<=
/span><span style=3D"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-wei=
ght:700;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> =
</span><span style=3D"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-va=
riant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">:-)=C2=A0</span>=
</p><br><p dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"line-height:1.8;margin-top:0pt;margin-botto=
m:0pt"><span style=3D"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-va=
riant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Birgit</span></p=
><br><p dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"line-height:1.8;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0=
pt"><span style=3D"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-varia=
nt:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">[1] - We&#39;re adj=
usting the names of the other MediaWiki Engineering teams to maintain consi=
stency across platform teams &amp; are working on updating the correspondin=
g tags and team pages. </span></p></span><br></div><span class=3D"gmail_sig=
nature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_signature"><di=
v dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Birgit M=C3=BCller (sh=
e/her)<br></div><div>Director of Product, MediaWiki and Developer Experienc=
es</div><div><br></div><div><a href=3D"https://wikimediafoundation.org/" ta=
rget=3D"_blank">Wikimedia Foundation</a><br></div></div></div></div></div><=
/div>
</div>
</div>
_______________________________________________<br>
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" target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a><br>
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kimedia.org" target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a><br>
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imedia.org/" rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">https://lists.wikimedia.o=
rg/postorius/lists/wikitech-l.lists.wikimedia.org/</a></blockquote></div></=
div>
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" target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a><br>
To unsubscribe send an email to <a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]=
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<a href=3D"https://lists.wikimedia.org/postorius/lists/wikitech-l.lists.wik=
imedia.org/" rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">https://lists.wikimedia.o=
rg/postorius/lists/wikitech-l.lists.wikimedia.org/</a></blockquote></div><d=
iv><br clear=3D"all"></div><div><br></div><span class=3D"gmail_signature_pr=
efix">-- </span><br><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_signature"><div dir=3D"=
ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Birgit M=C3=BCller (she/her)<br=
></div><div>Director of Product, MediaWiki and Developer Experiences</div><=
div><br></div><div><a href=3D"https://wikimediafoundation.org/" target=3D"_=
blank">Wikimedia Foundation</a><br></div></div></div></div></div>

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