Patrols are a specialized type of WikiProject used in the English Wikipedia to watch over a class of pages and take any appropriate actions. Most patrol actions are performed by individual Wikipedians, but some are performed by bots—computer programs or preprogrammed scripts that make automated edits without a need for real-time human decision-making.
There is a great need for patrols on Wikipedia. Wikipedia is big. In fact, Wikipedia is huge. To help editors maintain reasonable quality on an encyclopedia this size, that almost anyone can edit, a number of Wikipedia community members have set up long-standing patrols. These patrols focus on various edits and feeds, and their members watch these feeds in the background, or from time to time, or really, whenever they like. Many of the well-known patrols have hundreds of users, and are directly responsible as a first line against vandalism, or other potential problems that may happen.
New pages patrol (members) – Patrols newly created pages to improve them and provide assistance to edits made by new users unfamiliar with Wikipedia's policies and guidelines. Note this is a very involved area. There is much that can be learned about Wikipedia for anyone wishing to accurately engage in this patrol and be willing to master it.
Random page patrol (members) – Patrols article pages randomly accessed through Special:Random. Venture into the unwatched and underappreciated corners of Wikipedia. Can be a serious engagement or just a fun diversion. Serendipitous discoveries abound!
For a listing of current collaborations, tasks, and news, see the Community portal. For a listing of ongoing discussions and current requests, see the Dashboard.