User:Clovermoss/Editor reflections

This page is about experienced editors reflecting on their own experiences, with a specific emphasis on what it was like to be a new editor. It was inspired by my experience meeting people at WikiConference North America and wanting to recreate that feeling onwiki. It's been thrilling to see the perspectives of so many Wikipedians. I think the best way to approach all this is to read it for yourself as open-ended answers and authenticity can never truly be summarized the way a simple survey with yes/no answers can.

On a somewhat frequent basis, I issue invitations to participate here. This is not a requirement and people are free to pitch in without a formal invitation as long as they consider themselves to be an experienced editor. Please note that this page has gained widespread interest (there are more than 80 page watchers) and some people from the Wikimedia Foundation have expressed interest in reading these reflections. If you're not comfortable with other people reading what you have to say, you do not have to participate.

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?
• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?
• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?
• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?
• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?
• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?
• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?
• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia? (Question added June 13, 2024)
• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

Incredibly large pages can be difficult to load. To prevent such issues, I will be keeping archives of every 100 interviews. These can be seen here:

• User:Clovermoss/Editor reflections/1–100
• User:Clovermoss/Editor reflections/101–200

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

September 28, 2012 (so, over 11 years ago)

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

I got into Wikipedia shortly after finishing my PhD thesis. I'd written introductory chapter on oxazolines and I knew that it would likely just sit on a shelf and never be read again. The existing page was pretty basic and I figured I could improve it very easily by just copy-and-pasting across some general information.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

There were certainly things I did wrong at the start, mostly to do with getting the tone right. Writing science articles for Wikipedia is very different to writing for scientific journals, and it took me time to learn and appreciate that - but that doesn't mean I had any particular trouble I needed help with. Some things can only be learned by persistance.

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

I can't say that I did. Occasionally I'd take something to WP:Chem

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

Something dramatic would have to happen to make me stop

• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?

Not really. It's a good idea, but I'm not sure how well it works in practise. Some years ago WikiEd was viewed as a bit of a menace. The chemistry editing community of en:wiki is small, I would estimate fewer than 20 frequent editors. WikiEd class sizes could be upwards of 50 and being students their assignment pages would all appear at the same time (presumably the deadline day). This would cause a lot of bother for the community, because the new pages were often of a poor quality and needed heavy editing, merger or deletion. However, the students were being marked on these articles and were of course resistant to any of that. The experience was regrettably negative for all concerned.

The present situation is less severe.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

No, never. I imagine you could make simple edits: a typo, a reference, a short sentence - but writing substantive content via a phone sounds like no fun at all. I don't expect I will ever try.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

• Like many I still dislike the new layout.
• I really wish someone would fix [Graph module]. Wiki is the worlds most popular encyclopaedia - but we can't render statistical information as graphs. Madness.
• The think the notability guidelines for living people need to be severely tightened.

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

In 11 years this is first time I'm been surveyed. Wikipedia still feels like a Web 1.0 kind of a place - I don't think it understand it's content creators anywhere near at well as webpages with a similar ranking. That might be the secret of it's success, with obsessive people just being left alone to do their thing, or is might be a problem - truly, who can say?

• When did you start editing Wikipedia? Although I created my account in June 2020 (during the pandemic), I started on 13 December 2023, the exact day of Clovermoss' RfA. I only made a few edits before December 2023 and have never made edits while logged out (good thing the warning saved me!) or using another account at time of writing.
• Why did you start editing Wikipedia? Since the pandemic, I have thought about editing on Wikipedia, but it never came to tuition until December 2023. I have real life interests in transport related content (roads, railways, public transport, etc) and thought about editing on these topics. I also started to have some interests in video gaming content and help out at did you know (DYK).
• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor? When I created the farm sim Sun Haven, I didn't know that game didn't meet the notability criteria even though it was quite popular (about 15,000 Steam reviews). I just thought that since we have My Time at Sandrock, a game with similar popularity (and which I have significantly contributed to), I thought Sun Haven also deserved an article. However, when that game gets to the Switch, I may consider editing that again. Now I learned that notability does not equal to being popular I and won't consider improving/creating it until it gets on the Switch. However, I did create a successful video game article and got that to DYK: Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly. I intended to create that article on its one year anniversary. I also didn't know about DYK until March 2024 (because of theleekycauldron's 2nd RfA) in which I made my first nomination for cozy game, an article I didn't make. This meant I would have likely nominated Sun Haven for DYK if I didn't make that first.
• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't? I did have some help at the Teahouse but other than that, I did learn some of the stuff by myself including the fact that I didn't know how to reuse citations without copying and pasting for a while and I almost always edit using the source editor. I also had a little help on my first DYK nomination where someone made slight adjustments to the hook and to bold the article title link.
• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future? I am not sure to be honest, but I think I should be here for at least 12 months from now. It's like when I use to have interests in playing Subway Surfers years ago and have never played that for a long while. However, I haven't played that game for more than a couple consecutive months so it may not be comparable.
• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd? No and I never even heard of it.
• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not? I never considered editing on mobile because its quite hard for me to do. I am alright with reading Wikipedia on mobile but editing is on another level. It's hard to type over 1000 characters using a mobile keyboard and to copy and paste to use sources.
• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia? I can't say for sure. One thing I can think of is that maybe the new UI could be improved further or to allow unregistered users to go back to the old one.
• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :) I also did a little bit of my editor reflections at User talk:Clovermoss/Archive 11#JuniperChill's experience at editing and RfA.

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

  February 2010

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

  I saw that there was a missing article, Marie of Savoy, Duchess of Milan. I was interested in late medieval Milanese & Italian biography at the time, specifically anything around the time that I think Shakespeare set The Tempest or that he may have drawn upon for his characters.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

  Learning about citation templates, citer.toolforge.org, & the Manual of Style

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

  I did not receive much help as a new editor. That said, I probably did not require much. I initially edited during my shifts as a part-time university librarian. As a librarian, I understood the importance of citation, & as a full-time IT worker I was comfortable in Wikitext. There was one single bit of advice that I got that helped, at this particular edit.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

  Yes

• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?

• Not really. I know Sage Ross & am acquainted with Frank Schulenburg & LiAnna Davis. I have used the Outreach Dashboard. Several years ago I sat in panels of editors for a couple of classes at the University of Washington in Seattle.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

  I did while I was commuting by mass transit for a couple of years, but I prefer editing with a keyboard. Sometimes when I am doing a major overhaul on an article I will check out how it looks on mobile. It would be nice to simply simulate that on the desktop somehow.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

  • Better recognition of the volunteer editors by the WMF staff
  • Better tools, tutorials, slide decks, learning modules, & et cetera for teaching new users
  • Better tools, tutorials, slide decks, learning modules, & et cetera for GLAM

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

  I am also active with WikiConference North America & Cascadia Wikimedians. I also edit on sister projects (see xtools.wmcloud.org/ec/en.wikipedia.org/Peaceray).

Peaceray (talk) 21:37, 13 July 2024 (UTC)

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

I started editing in March 2021.

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

I found some wrong info and updated some numbers as an IP, and then went in with the intention to write about fiddling and my local history a couple months later. I am not editing about fiddling (lack of RS) or my local history (privacy) lol.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

I jumped into a pretty complex area of Wikipedia (copyright cleanup) at a very early point in my editing. Having a better grasp of social situations and not being so impulsive and impatient would have done me wonders in my first six months. I had a handle of most policies surrounding content, and became pretty experienced in copyright in my first six months, but I didn't have the social aspect down and made a few blunders. They were somewhat due to being less mature and clearly inexperienced, but they were blunders nonetheless and I do not intend to make those same blunders.

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

I joined the unofficial Discord also pretty early on, so yes! I had lots of help. I think most of the help worked, since I was asking questions in project channels (#wpcci mostly). Furthermore, I edited Fandom for a while, and I also edited a game wiki that used MW software, so I was already fully aware of the editing aspects and just needed assistance with WP-specific policy. What didn't work was WP:The Wikipedia Adventure. I couldn't figure it out.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

Hopefully! I work in some pretty thankless and tedious areas so my motivation can wane and wax, but I enjoy editing. My main limiter is my IRL obligations, but I do end up being mostly active.

• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?

I had the opportunity, but the professor seemed uncommunicative when I reviewed the course, and I was already experienced. You could call my work on WP:CCI/IEP involvement (WikiEd predecessor in its "menace" era as Project Osprey put), and I end up cleaning up and sometimes interfacing with WikiEd instructors/WMF liasons about plagiarism and copyvio due to my work at WP:CPN and occasional Copypatrol.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

Yes, I edit on desktop view with Vector 2022 on my phone using source editor. I do not do this often, I think it's really hard because of the screen size, but I find things like reverts and quick talk page replies to be okay to do while on the go.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

I'd love to be able to time travel and change how we handled copyright enforcement back in 2000s and early 2010s. We have a couple old problems cropping up and the way everything was set up then is causing problems today in the tediousness. Plus, we had things like Billy Hathorn, where we had edits spanning from 2006 to 2021 and multiple expansions because of extensive socking.

Other wishes include:

• Better antispam
• Rediscussion of WP:NFC just to stop all of the pointless arguing at FFD
• Community respect for non-admin closes. We expect prospective RFA candidates to have close experience, but there are barely places where NACs can even happen.
• More help at copyright cleanup, always

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

It feels like with every major drama that happens, the enjoyment I get from my interactions with others decreases here. But I always will come back, because the people I have met because of Wikipedia are truly amazing. I respect the people I interact with a lot and I am honored to call some of them my friends. Sennecaster (Chat) 06:26, 17 July 2024 (UTC)

• When did you start editing Wikipedia? Looks like February of 2021.
• Why did you start editing Wikipedia? I have only vague memories of this time period, unfortunately. The narrative I have in my head is that I was bored, started reading a whole bunch of the backend essays and noticeboards and so on somehow, stumbled on WP:Typo_Team/moss which was a nice straightforward task, and branched out from there. Unfortunately my edit history doesn't bear this one out - I clearly started with a smattering of minor fixes (this is my first edit aside from three in 2019, which look like fixing obvious issues as I was reading), and only got to systematically going through the moss typo list a few weeks and a hundred or so edits in.
• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor? I think my biggest issue was figuring out what to work on - that's why the typo list was so appealing. There are pages that collect maintenance backlogs etc, but I think I had some trouble finding them or didn't feel like they were approachable? Overall though I was self-teaching and happy to be, reading backend pages was fun at the time.
• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't? Not much, but I again don't feel like this was a major lack.
• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future? Seems likely! I tend to be into things in bursts, so I'll be kinda obsessive for a while and then drop it completely, but Wikipedia's stuck for over three years (though definitely with ups and downs). It helps a lot that if I get bored of my current fixation (e.g. I was the second-most prolific AfC reviewer for a few months) I can trivially move on to something else (de-orphaning articles, typos, removing fluff from dog breed articles, redirect patrol....)
• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd? Other than the occasional AfC draft that originated there, no. They tended to be pretty distinctive (essay-like), but then if they hadn't been like that I probably wouldn't have been able to pick them out as WikiEd drafts, and it was an improvement over the average AfC draft.
• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not? I used to do recent change patrol on mobile using a script (good for long commutes), but either Wikipedia or the script changed their UI and made it annoying enough I mostly don't any more. Otherwise I've made the occasional minor edit when reading. It's fine for copyediting and similar, but basically not useable for anything that requires tabbing back and forth between sources, talk pages, etc, which is most work. This isn't really Wikipedia's fault, though they could definitely make the editing experience better, just a basic mobile UI fact.
• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia? If I was assigned dictator of Wikipedia and everyone had to listen to me? Probably. But one of the very good things about Wikipedia is that we don't actually have a dictator, and I don't really think my opinions should be elevated above consensus (even though I'm right :) ).

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

I registered my account in 2018 and made some edits then, but really I started editing in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

I wasn't very knowledgeable about what Wikipedia was and how it functioned and I found myself just wanting the satisfaction of knowing that I was making a difference. Knowing that people would read my work was great, even if I slightly misunderstood how the project worked back then.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

I really missed the baby steps; I never knew about the tutorial nor any of the newcomer pages available, and my knowledge came from slowly accumulating information from my mistakes(!) The newcomer mentoring is great, even if I do sometimes get some interesting questions from my mentees; I definitely wish it was around when I joined. Just having someone to guide you in your Wikipedia journey can be so beneficial to making you a better editor.

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

For my first two years of editing, no. Later, I joined the Wikimedia Discord. I have no doubt that being surrounded by experienced editors, who would take the time to answer my every question, was the only reason I decided to stick around. It quickly became an invaluable resource for me, especially when I began editing in copyright. I was also very fortunate to go through NPP School to improve my knowledge in other areas.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

I hope so :) My editing may fall over time, but I doubt I'll ever leave completely.

• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?

Not yet.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

I edit quite a lot on mobile, but almost exclusively for more minor edits. I basically only use Minerva, which makes any bigger edits difficult. Honestly, I'm a bit scared to edit on mobile at times due to how easy it is to make a mistake.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

In my own editing, copyright cleanup is a constant pain. A lack of editors, the steep learning curve, and an active hostility towards many who have to do the gruelling task of working through copyright violations does not help.

This may sound slightly childish, but sometimes I wish Wikipedia could just be a friendlier place. So many disputes, arguments and blocks over often meaningless issues; sometimes, it really feels like there is so much anger, pent up in this project. I am guilty of not doing so myself, but sometimes I wish that people could follow that one rule of netiquette: "remember the human".

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

One comment has stuck with me from when I had my NPP right (rightly) revoked. Nick ended his note with the following: Wikipedia should be a fun hobby for you to participate in, and my removal of your permission should not be seen as a rebuke, just a gentle reminder that you're being a little too enthusiastic. Well within his rights to scold me, he chose to end in a manner that encouraged me to keep going.

(Also, congratulations on Wikimedian of the year!)

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

2005-6

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

As much as Wikipedia at that time seemed to cover a multitude of topics (compared to paper encyclopedias), there were still many things it didn't have, especially about my country. So, I started to put my contributions there, creating articles, fixing typos and adding sources.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

If some sort of tutorial like TWA existed then, it would be an easier experience.

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

No. I learned as I went through, reading the policies, the Manual of Style, and *countless contradicting* user essays

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

Yes, as long as I can.

• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?

No.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

Yes, but mainly small and quick edits. For larger edits and article creations, desktop is still unbeatable.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

Edit conflict is still a pain.

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

Congratulations for your Wikimedian of the Year award. Your Editor Reflections is an invaluable space for sharing our experiences within Wikipedia and attests the strength of this collaborative project.

• When did you start editing Wikipedia? 10 December 2009
• Why did you start editing Wikipedia? I came across the talk page of the article regarding the murder of Meredith Kercher and noticed that it included the words of an American journalist who portrayed the Italian legal system as a medieval system still influenced by the Inquisition. I wrote a small comment summarising how criminal trials worked in Italy, and I was encouraged to create an article about the topic. So I did, and then stuck around.
• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor? Definitely, greater familiarity with the practical functioning of the dispute resolution system on Wikipedia. It was a very contentious topic, with heated discussions, and I was an ignorant (albeit bright-eyed) newbie, so I really felt out of my depth.
• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't? Some editors were very helpful. There were those who explained things to me, others copyedited the article I created, and some simply encouraged me. These were all positive interactions that motivated me to stay. However, the experience itself was not entirely positive, as stepping into Wikipedia and entering a battleground is not an something I would recommend. Granted, it's partially on me, because I chose to start editing in that area, but still... It's worth mentioning, though, that I never felt bitten; I don't recall being the target of personal attacks or anything particularly unpleasant, but the atmosphere was still not enjoyable, which is why I quickly abandoned that topic area and moved elsewhere. One thing that has since helped, I believe, is the establishment of the WP:Teahouse. At the time, there wasn't a structured place for a newbie to seek support or help and that would have been a welcome (and welcoming) place.
• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future? Of course. Unfortunately, I have little time, but when I can, I always have fun trying to give my small contribution.
• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd? I don't think so.
• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not? I don't remember ever editing on mobile. I have read articles on mobile, but editing has always seemed excessively inconvenient to me. Then again I grew up using computers and not smartphones, so there's that hurdle...
• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia? (Question added June 13, 2024) I would like the Foundation to show more that is values contributors and especially not just through (sometimes empty) words...
• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :) I don't know what else to add except a thank you for starting this project. I don't know if I had anything of interest to add, but I've been reading what the others have written and it's been quite a pleasant exercise. Salvio ^giuliano 18:57, 20 August 2024 (UTC)

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?
  • 2020
• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?
  • I have a fantastic memory of even the smallest things no one notices, including specific text of literature that is the type this website references, and I felt doing something that took advantage of that was the hobby I needed. In addition, it was a great excuse to learn new topics I normally would not learn about, in addition to working on articles of topics I love, those being video games and films
• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?
  • Nothing I can think of.
• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?
  • Just the usual "This-does-not-meet-this-policy" comments if I forget or overlooked a guideline, which helped. I just looked at the formatting of GA and FA articles and figured out formatting and writing from that.
• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?
  • Definitely.
• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?
  • No.
• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?
  • Oh, heck no. Trying to look at references while typing an article on the other side is just impossible to do on a phone, especially when I am reading several articles at the time. In addition, iPhone sensitivity sucks.
• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia? (Question added June 13, 2024)
  • There are so many times when I start a simple Merge and redirect section, and even when I notify the appropriate WikiProjects, almost no one joins in on the discussion. That REALLY has to change, because I know how users react when somebody starts an AFD that would've been more appropriate as something else
• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)
  • Without naming specific examples to protect identities (so they do not get death threats and no one else gets in on the WP:DRAMA), WP:WikiProject Albums and WP:WikiProject Songs are total cesspools right now, filled with users that, to put it as nicely as I can, are impossible. I left the project because I cannot stand calling out when users try to remove articles and information because they don't like it, irrespective of WP:N, only for those same users to try to get me in trouble off of the flimsiest of evidence. I also do not trust the Administrators notice board after they shot the messenger when I brought attention WP:COMPETENCE issues of a user.

Anyways, thank you so much for the opportunity for me to do this! User:HumanxAnthro (BanjoxKazooie) 19:29, 22 August 2024 (UTC)

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?
  • I began as a 16/17 year old bored anonymous vandal, over 18 years ago.
• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?
  • I became a 'proper' (and registered) editor when I quickly saw how useful Wikipedia was.
• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?
  • Lots of patient guidance for eager but inexperienced editors trying to work this place out.
• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?
  • Yes, lots.
• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?
  • Yes, I hope so - although life is increasingly getting in the way...
• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?
• No, never - too much else going on!
• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?
  • Yes, I edited on an iPad for a bit if that counts? I prefer laptop.
• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia? (Question added June 13, 2024)
  • Make me supreme overlord ;)
• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)
  • Nothing I don't think!

GiantSnowman 16:18, 26 August 2024 (UTC)

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

2001 or maybe 2000; that pre-MediaWiki history was lost to the great UseMod in the sky. My user ID on the current system is #221. I drifted away after a couple of years due to IRL busyness and came back with a vengeance around 2020–2021 (maybe the lockdown did it).

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

Cast your mind back, if you can, to the turn of the millennium and what we now call Web 1.0. Web pages were still hand-coded in HTML with plain text editors or the early generation of web-oriented GUI editors. Perl with its CGI module was making the creation of "interactive" elements more accessible to casual programmers. Interactivity until then had meant web forms for things like guestbooks or rudimentary content editing popularised by GeoCities. The original WikiWikiWeb introduced the radical concept of allowing anybody with an internet connection to edit any page on a wiki website. The possibilities felt thrilling and a little dangerous.

Maybe Generation X was the last one to define an encyclopaedia as a (usually) multi-volume series of printed books that attempted to summarise all of human knowledge and experience,^[a] with new editions published regularly but not more frequently than once a year, because printing fancy hardcover books is expensive. Some guy came up with the brilliant idea of applying the wiki idea to an encyclopaedia that anyone could edit, regardless of academic qualifications or job titles.^[b] As a recent graduate considering my career options and feeling constrained by the strict boundaries of academic and professional disciplines, the idea of Wikipedia promised a world of collective learning and sharing, open to everyone, where wannabe polymaths could contribute to whatever subjects interested us without having to present credentials.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

This is a tricky one for me to answer because when I was new, almost everyone was new. I don't remember whether WikiProjects were on my radar back then. According to the WikiProject feature in the Signpost (2013), the first WikiProject was created in 2001, but as it was dedicated to sport I might have just ignored it. Coming back to a much larger Wikipedia, I do appreciate WikiProjects as a means of focusing efforts on a broad topic and helping identify relevant resources.

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

Everyone was learning as we went. It was a much smaller community in 2001, and there really was a sense that most of the regulars got to know each other through interactions on-wiki and the mailing list. Coming back to regular editing after more than a decade away, I see that the movement has a lot more structure and bureaucracy – necessary when the project has grown so huge – but also more systematic efforts to welcome complete newcomers. I sometimes miss that 2001 feeling of a tiny, scrappy collective of nerds, but I appreciate that the Wikimedia community today is a whole lot more diverse and representative of the whole human population.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

I hope so! I went through a few career changes between 2001 and 2021. I went back to library school in 2000 when the problem of misinformation had become so much greater. I'm not currently working in a library so I now consider Wikipedia my volunteer library job. And I do have some plans for introducing Wikipedia edit-a-thons and workshops into my day job.

• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?

No.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

These days I do most of my casual and some non-casual editing on an iPad (in fact, a tablet is my preferred device for most of my non-$dayjob computer time). I use Safari and Vivaldi and always force desktop mode. It's good enough for adding new content (which I usually draft in an external text editor), gnomish editing, and using scripts and gadgets for semi-automated jobs like citation cleanup and undoing vandalism. I use a desktop computer for major rewriting or restructuring of existing articles, and for citation cleanup jobs on articles with large reference lists because Zotero makes this easier.

I briefly looked at the Wikipedia iOS app and I can see that it could be useful for reading and casual editing but not so much for "power users". Similarly, I'll look things up on the website from my iPhone but wouldn't want to edit from a phone. In general, I am trying to spend less time attached to a smartphone and I find editing lots of text on a small screen frustrating.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

(I might come back to this one later)

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

Thanks for running this survey! It's taken me down memory lane a bit and I've enjoyed reading other editors' thoughts. It also reinforces what I said on my user page, I've been a Wikipedia editor for longer than some Wikipedia editors have been alive, and I'm honestly not sure how I feel about that.

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

I began seriously editing Wikipedia on October 2021, although my first test edits date back to September 2020.

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

I noticed that Wikipedia was missing a lot of articles about Christian monks, ascetics, and saints. I started off with the Desert Fathers and eventually created dozens of new articles about Athonite monks and Greek geographical features. The rest was history.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

I'd say that everything worked out well for me as a new editor.

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

It was pretty much a autodidactic experience. Read up on Wikipedia project pages, follow others' examples, and be bold and edit.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

Yes, absolutely! I'd like to keep editing Wikipedia for at least the next several years.

• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?

No.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

No, even though I often read Wikipedia on mobile. It's too inconvenient to edit on mobile other than fixing minor typos. I prefer to type with a keyboard while using a desktop computer.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia? (Question added June 13, 2024)

Making Wikipedia more egalitarian. Somewhat less stringent policies, and increasing inclusion and diversity.

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

Keep on editing!

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?
  • March 2005 with my account, although I had made some anonymous edits for a few months before that.
• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?
  • I first heard about this crazy sounding project of an encyclopaedia anyone could edit in the b3ta newsletter (also still going strong after 23 years!). My very first anonymous edits were actually vandalism, and I was impressed how quickly they were fixed and I was messaged about it. It seemed remarkable that a collaboration of random amateurs seemed to be working so well, and had achieved a lot even back then (although obviously quality standards were nothing like today). Later I was in a job with a quite a lot of downtime and access to the internet, so started making legitimate edits, and looking around the Wikipedia namespace to find out more about the project.
• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?
  • The "Thanks" feature would have been nice. The only way to thank someone was leaving a message on their talk page which took a bit of effort (no WikiLove tool either, and certainly no DiscussionTools!) And personally I was always a bit shy to do it as well, not knowing what to say and being aware people would get the "orange bar of doom". So for someone like me making a lot of smaller edits, that easy Thanks route for encouragement and learning that I was doing the right thing would have been great.
• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?
  • I don't remember really getting that much help. I got a helpful welcome message on signing up for an account, but had already explored editing a bit myself before that.
• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?
  • Yes, although I'm consciously trying to do a bit less. Since Wikimedia is my day job as well, I don't want to get burned out. For a while I was trying to keep up an editing streak, and it was fun at first but eventually came to feel less enjoyable and more of a chore. Now I'm just editing when I find something interesting to do (which isn't difficult!) I'm also spending more time on Commons and Wikidata than Wikipedia these days.
• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?
  • No.
• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?
  • Rarely. I think a lot of the problems editing on mobile are more fundamental than Wiki(p|m)edia's software: https://jenson.org/text/ is a good read about the challenges of editing any text on a mobile device. Plus for substantial edits, I might want to be referring to multiple sources and it's all just easier on desktop. That said, I think there's a lot of opportunity for more guided "micro-contributions" on mobile: fixing typos, adding links etc, and WMF has been exploring these. The Commons Android app is also a good example of something taking advantage of mobile, and it's a shame there isn't more support for it or an iOS version.
• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia? (Question added June 13, 2024)
  • There's a lot of little things, but honestly I would like us to acknowledge more what's working well. We don't do that enough.
• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)
  • Congratulations, and keep up the great work! the wub "?!" 17:26, 4 September 2024 (UTC)

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

2006. I have an account as of September 2006, but suspect I did just a couple IP edits before then.

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

Because something was not quite right!

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

Here's the trick - if I could travel back in time, I might never have started editing at all. A fair portion of my earliest edits were in matters in which I had a conflict-of-interest, and even though I was not editing in a promotional way, had I had in my the conflicts in mind, I might never have built up editing momentum.

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

No. I mostly learned by looking at the article markup, recreating what seemed appropriate, then slowly learning my way around the procedues and guidelines.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

Well, yes, in that I've tried to basically stop and found myself leaking back into the effort.

• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?

Not directly, although I've certainly dealt with editors on WikiEd programs, correcting their editing and trying to show them the proper path.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

Yes I have, although it is certainly not my preferred choice... which is not the fault of any attempt to make Wikipedia editable on mobile, and more that I'm an old, and a smartphone keyboard doesn't come as nicely to me after my five decades at actual physical keyboards. I tend to use code editor (I'm a former programmer), not visual editor, and getting to the angled brackets or other such markup items is cumbersome.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

There are some cultural things. There tends to be far too long a leash for the useful-but-problematic editors. I came close to leaving entirely after dealing with one such and getting no real support where such support is supposed to exist.

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

I think Wikipedia is three imps: impressive, important, and imperfect. That last is inherent, for this is a human endeavor. I regularly see people suggesting ways to rework Wikipedia at its core to make it better, but they always involve taking away some of the very things that makes this massive volunteer knowledge project thrive.

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

9 June 2006

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

A former colleague, the late User:GuillaumeTell, suggested that I might enjoy it. (There are a lot of librarians, and retired librarians, editing Wikipedia: sharing and organising knowledge goes with the territory).

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

I can't really remember. I've just accumulated knowledge about different useful things as I go along (and I keep a "Sandbox" file with reminders for myself about useful templates etc)

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

No formal mentoring, just constructive interactions over the years with various helpful editors (including two who were later blocked: the sadly-missed User:Eric Corbett and User:BrownHairedGirl, two lively-minded, very knowledgeable, non-US editors who fell out with the wrong people).

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

Yes

• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?

Yes, in making constructive comments to some badly-taught (or non-learning) students, and in mopping up after poor student editing. It's annoying to see teaching staff, sometimes totally inexperienced in Wikipedia, being paid to let students loose on the encyclopedia as if it was a student lab/playground, expecting the rest of us to clean up after them. I doubt that any significant number of the students who are editing for grades ever continue as constructive editors. Encouraging these bright young people to become editors is a great goal (but not necessarily the teacher's goal), but needs to be handled very carefully, with better teaching and supervision than we sometimes see.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

I do, a lot (minor fixes, not article creation and rarely anything involving adding refs), and it's difficult. I seem to drop in and out of several different interfaces randomly, watch list experience is haphazard, I can't edit Wikipedia Talk pages, various aspects of articles are hidden in some views, it seems a muddle and a mess. (Using an Android phone with Chrome)

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

More effort/money put into improving the software for both editors and readers, responding to the community wishlist in weeks or months rather than years. How long have we beeen waiting to VE to start to use meaningful reference names rather than ":02" etc?

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

I'm hooked on editing, and ought to spend less time on it - but there's always another rabbit-hole to fall down. I've described it as an infinite jigsaw puzzle, with always another piece to fit in, or to link up, or to rearrange where someone's got it a bit wrong.

I wish that some Americans would remember that it's an international encyclopedia, not a US one, so everyone needs a nationality stated (can't be assumed to be American by default) and every place needs a country (no, I can't always remember whether a particular state is in US or somewhere else: why should I?)

I worry about the fact that Wikipedia is going steadily out of date. How many dead people are listed as still alive? How many places have population figures for the last census-but-one? How many articles have been subtly vandalised with no-one noticing? How much misinformation are we including because things have changed but no interested editor has updated the article - more recent books by an author, demolition of a building, etc? The editor who created an article may have stopped editing (died, in some cases), and there's no system which could keep track of the currency of every article, as the ratio of articles to active editors is steadily increasing (and would be, even if the number of active editors was steady).

As an example, Elizabeth Gaskell, major English novelist, was edited in good faith but poor English and wiki-savvy (US spellings, "correcting" words within a quote, change "bibliomemoir" to "bibliometric" because their spellchecker didn't know the word, etc) and I happened to spot it two years later (when I was puzzled by "bibliometric"). The same editor had gone on a spree of similar edits, which I found in articles on a range of subjects: some had been corrected, others not. (He hasn't edited since 2022, fortunately). How many other articles have been damaged with no-one noticing? How many readers have been puzzled or misled by rubbish introduced into articles either by good-faith editors or by unnoticed vandals?

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

In October and November 2006, I made some enthusiastic but misguided contributions that were quickly caught by more experienced editors. I appreciate their patience as I learned the ropes. I'm surprised that one of my articles managed to survive deletion.

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

As a curious learner, I'm always eager to learn and help others access reliable information. I'm thankful for my early exposure to Web 1.0 and the wonders of Web 2.0. While many early platforms didn't survive, I've been amazed by Wikipedia's growth and improvements. I hope to contribute, in some small way, to this ongoing digital revolution that connects and informs people worldwide.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

AI search tools could have been helpful when I was new to Wikipedia editing. They might have made it easier to find specific how-to guides and basic template examples, which can be overwhelming for beginners. The wealth of information available is great, but sometimes simpler instructions are more useful for newcomers.

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

Some of the editors who helped me the most weren't the best communicators. When they pointed out my mistakes, I often turned to their edit history to learn from their best practices. It was frustrating to realize they were right, mainly due to their extensive experience.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

Absolutely!

• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?

No.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

I haven't edited on mobile; I prefer using basic source codes to spot errors more easily. I often work with multiple windows open, including relevant Wikipedia articles, reports, tools like Zotero for citation templates, Notepad, and Roam Research for organization, sometimes using Google Drive No, I have not edited on mobile. I prefer to work with basic source codes as it is easier to find errors. I work with many open windows, including relevant Wikipedia articles, relevant reports, articles, tools such as Zotero—a bibliographic database that generates Wikipedia citation templates, Notepad, Roam Research for keeping track of everything, sometimes Google Drive.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

I sometimes feel lost when dealing with sensitive topics or assertive, experienced editors. While the talk page is a great tool for resolving issues, I wonder if there might be a way to help newcomers feel less intimidated. Perhaps providing examples of best practices in talk page engagement and edit summaries could be helpful for new editors.

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

I truly wish more people could experience the satisfaction of volunteering to learn how to contribute to Wikipedia and its sister projects like Wikidata, Wikisource, and Wikimedia. Engaging with these platforms not only enriches personal knowledge but also helps create a vast repository of shared information for everyone. And I believe everyone has the right to learn and gain knowledge.

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

I created my Wikipedia account on October 26, 2018, which just so happens to be two days after my birthday.

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

I had just finished journalism school, did some internships over the spring/summer, and then in the fall started my first job as a reporter at a daily newspaper in rural Nebraska. Throughout that time I noticed a few of the people I profiled had their own Wikipedia pages. I thought that, surely, someone one would see my writings and cite it as a source. When that never happened I took matters into my own hands. From there I began editing the pages of the different newspapers I worked at. Over time that expanded to me editing anything newspaper-related. I got sad whenever a newspaper would close or get sold and their pages were never updated. So now doing that is my hobby.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

Hmm, I dunno. Maybe some training videos or step-by-step how-to-guides with graphics. I learned everything through Googling and trial-and-error, and that worked well enough for me.

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

I was on my own, aside from looking at what work other editors had previously done. I do wish there were other Wikipedians who shared my interest in journalism. It would be nice to collaborate on projects and share ideas.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

As long I as I'm having fun, why would I ever stop? I've even written some news articles related to Wikipedia, links to examples here and here. It's a great resource and I love contributing to it.

• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?

No. I've never heard of it.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

Maybe once or twice, but it was always for something small like a typo I spotted while browsing on my phone. It's easier to write and edit on my laptop. I prefer having a mouse and keyboard.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia? (Question added June 13, 2024)

I'm not familiar enough with the site to give a good answer. Maybe I'd make it harder to add new pages. There are so many current events or articles on living people that aren't noteworthy a year or two after the page is created. So I wish it was harder to make pages and easier to delete them. There's a lot of articles from circa 2008, the wild west days of the site, where poorly written pages were snuck on to Wikipedia and now no one wants to delete them because they're old, or people simply forgot they existed. So I'd like to clean out the clutter, especially any promotional material.

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

Thank you for the invite to contribute to this project. I'd love to grab coffee with you or any Wikipedia editor if they're ever in my neck of the woods. Meeting new folks is part of the reason why I became a journalist in the first place. So if you're ever in town, the first drink is on me.

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

I started editing Wikipedia March 10th 2022.

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

I was preparing some sources for an IRL project and saw that there was an error on the page for Spatial analysis. I fixed it.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

I have made plenty of mistakes out of ignorance, but the answer was always SOMEWHERE on Wikipedia. I don't know how, but a better organization of information related to templates, formatting, and where to seek help. For example, the process of merging pages took me a while to figure out.

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

I had some help from anonymous strangers. What helped the most were editors following up on pages I created and formatting them properly. This let me know what I was supposed to be doing for future pages.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

Yes. I use Wikipedia to help me with general literature review. My job involves a lot of focused literature review, but I need to do a general literature review to ensure I'm not missing something and have sufficient background on topics. Wikipedia editing and creating pages allows me to deep dive into topics I otherwise wouldn't make time for.

• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?

No.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

I tried it once. I didn't like it.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?
  • I would require people to make an account to Edit (sorry IP users).
  • I would require people in a discussion to counter sources with sources and disregard anyone's opinions who did not support their opinion with outside evidence. For example, in one discussion on one topic I happen to consider myself an expert on, I had at my disposal almost a century of literature backing my point (it appears fairly pedantic to most people, however, the fact there is half a century of discussion in peer-reviewed publications indicates to me it is important among experts on the topic). However, several editors didn't agree with this, and without giving any evidence besides their own opinion, dismissed the concerns and voted against the point, keeping (according to the literature) widespread misinformation on Wikipedia. In another case, a method for organizing categories was changed based on a vote and all literature I presented to demonstrate outside methods of organization was disregarded. Organizing the categories the way we currently do is already original research, and dismissing outside sources for organizations only makes that situation worse.
  • During a dispute, involved admin/editors should be prohibited from closing until a set period of time has passed for discussion. I've seen more than one discussion that goes on for less then 24 hours where an involved editor declares consensus with a slight majority and closes the discussion.
  • Several of the rules on talk pages are well-known by several editors and used to Wikipedia:Gaming the system and beat people over the heads to dominate a page. More experienced editors and admin are much more likely to do this, and goad newer editors into breaking rules. For example, the 3-revert rule in Wikipedia:Edit warring. During a dispute, until the dispute is resolved on the talk page, it is advised to keep the Status quo ante bellum. However, based on the three revert rule, variations of the following situation can happen:

1. Editor1 changes the status quo.
2. Editor2 reverts the change and opens the talk page. Editor2 has one revert.
3. Editor1 reverts the revert, and ignores the talk page. Editor1 has one revert
4. Editor2 reverts the revert, and again points Editor1 to the talkpage. Editor2 has two reverts.
5. Editor1 reverts the revert, and again ignores the talk page. Editor1 has two reverts.
6. Editor2 reverts the revert, and again tries to bring the discussion to the talk page. Editor2 has three reverts.
7. Editor1 reverts the revert, and again ignores the talk page. Instead, they send a template to Editor1 on their talk page telling them they appear to be engaged in an edit war. Editor1 has three reverts.
8. Editor2 can not revert the changes made by Editor1 without breaking the three revert rule. The page now has defaulted to the changes introduced by Editor1, who has refused to discuss them on the talk page. No other editor is interested in this page, so Editor1 has "won" and the change sticks. If Editor2 attempts a revert after 24 hours, the cycle repeats itself.

• Wikipedia is not a democracy, but the policy actively discourages minority views even in a 2vs 1 scenario. For example, Wikipedia:Talk page guidelines tell users to "Read before commenting," "Be concise", "Avoid bludgeoning", and "Avoid repeating your posts." In theory, these rules sound good, but in practice, they stifle minority and well-cited opinions in a discussion. While users are told to read before commenting, that is impossible to enforce. Experts and well-cited opinions on a topic can be overwhelmed by people who disagree based on a gut feeling. Attempts for the lone user to change peoples opinions and engage in the discussion process are ultimately seen as disruptive. The guardrails on talk pages favor the majority opinion by limiting how a person who disagrees can respond. The following situation can happen:

1. Editor1 opens talk page discussion to propose change.
2. Editor2 replies with well-cited and thought-out text on why the proposed change not only violates outside literature and conventions, it spreads dangerous misinformation.
3. Editor3 agrees with Editor1 because it sounds good
4. Editor4 agrees with Editor1 because they like the idea.
5. Editor2 replies to both Editor3 and Editor4, explaining the literature and citing sources. They try to reiterate that this exact situation is referenced in the literature as a potential information hazard.
6. Editor3 replies to tell Editor2 that in their opinion it doesn't matter either way. Editor4 agrees with Editor3, and tells Editor2 they aren't reading their "textwalls."
7. Editor2 replies to tell them it is actually a big deal according to the outside sources they previously cited. They explain that evidence shows this has had serious implications in the past.
8. Editor1, Editor3, and Editor4 tell Editor2 to be more concise and stop bludgeoning them. They declare consensus and accuse Editor2 of Wikipedia:Status quo stonewalling. They tell Editor2 they will report them if they don't stop the disruptive editing. Editor2 disengages.
9. A person IRL points to the Wikipedia page to justify ignoring the literature cited by Editor2. People die, but at least Editor2 stopped being disruptive by annoying everyone on the talk page warning about this possibility.

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

About 4 years ago. Before creating this account I occasionally fixed typos, grammar, punctuations etc. and sometimes even reverted vandalism as an IP editor.

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

For a long time I did not even notice the edit option and was unaware that articles could be edited by anyone. When I did notice it, I edited some article and broke a few things. Then I received a message pointing me towards different wiki guidelines. I opened one of those guideline pages and started to get curious about the depth of Wikipedia. That was the catalyst of my editorial journey.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

I think having patience as a new editor is a big challenge. At first, any new editor might get overwhelmed with so many guidelines and policies and back away from Wikipedia. That is one of the reasons why I believe that there is low editor retention. It requires a lot to have patience to comprehend the complexities and understand that you cannot become a perfect editor who is able to follow all editorial rules right away. This was true for me as well; I made mistakes initially, but had the patience to understand where I went wrong and tried to fix those issues. That is why I am here today.

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

Reading Wikipedia policy pages surely gave me insights and prevented many possible mistakes that I would've made along the way. Still, it was always better when an editor explained to me what I did wrong and pointed the appropriate guidelines to me when I did make some mistake. Constructive criticism by other editors worked for me and made me learn quicker and become a good editor. I disliked getting templated when I went wrong somewhere and that's why at some point I added a 'Please do not template me' tag on my talk page. User warning templates are necessary, no arguments there, but I thought that for me to learn quicker, having an editor explain a situation to me worked in a more efficient way than what templates did.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

Yes definitely. Although I am extremely busy in real life, I would continue to take some time out for Wikipedia.

• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?

No I haven't. I have little knowledge about that.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

I think half or even more than half of my edits are done from my mobile device. I find editing on mobile extremely faster than my laptop. But I should mention that I edit from my phone using the desktop layout. I've installed a user script that always loads wikipedia on my phone in desktop layout.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

The wording on donation banners that make it seem like Wikipedia would shut down anytime if we didn't donate.

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

Sometimes, I edit Wikipedia even in my dreams. Responding to talk page messages and checking for vandalism. In this one particular dream, I saw that I received a barnstar from Rosguill. When I woke up, I checked my talk page and realized that it was just a dream. What level of WikiAlcoholism is that? ❯❯❯ Raydann^(Talk) 07:14, 21 September 2024 (UTC)

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

I created this account on 16 November 2021, although I'm fairly sure I had an account before. I started to get into editing Wikipedia in the summer of 2023, though I had created some pages in late 2022 also.

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

I began editing Wikipedia because I liked the idea of expanding something that everyone could use. What might take me 20 or 30 minutes could save 100 people about 5 minutes each. It's mathematically guaranteed to succeed.^{[citation needed]}

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

Probably finding new areas more quickly. As a newbie editor, how do you know that the Wikipedia: namespace exists? To access any resources, find communites, WikiProjects or what have you, you need to type "Wikipedia:" in the search bar to find anything policy related. The only way to find it is if you were to luckily stumble upon an editor who notices you're new and sends a talk page message, or to luckily click one of the links at the top of a talk page onto a WikiProject or whatever

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

I mostly learnt through trial and error. I had some (somewhat) early help from the folks on the Wikipedia Discord Server but after I got banned so after that I had to find a community. I bounced around from GA and various WikiProjects until I found DYK. Which is where I'm at now.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

The future is always unknown so I'll say: Probably.

• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?

Honestly no - this is the first I'm hearing of it. Apparently it doesn't get much broadcasting cross-wiki.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

I have, and I must say I did not enjoy it: the visual editor is very clunky so the only way to get anything done is through the source editor, which can't be very friendly for new editors.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia? (Question added June 13, 2024)

Probably RfA: the process is hostile to both candidates and participants and creates uneccessary contention.

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

Whilst I've created some (probably important) articles like 2024 in politics or Next United Kingdom general election, the articles that stick with me are the ones that I enjoy researching and curating.

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

I started editing Wikipedia 4 years ago (and made 5 edits in a 3-year span), but did not start making constructive edits until February of 2024.

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

I'm actually not really sure. I think it was more out of boredom than anything else (97 out of my first 100 edits were just me playing around with my user page).

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

One of the biggest things that I saw a lack of was people being welcome. This obviously doesn't apply to all of the project areas, but I did see a very high level of hostility from several users when I would have still considered myself "new", and now that I know more about the guidelines it's gotten better, but I still see it on many talk pages.

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

I did not have much help as a new editor (I'd classify that as ~1,000 edits or less for me), I was actually involved in several conflicts as a result of my actions as a new editor who didn't really understand the guidelines. One of the biggest things that "worked" for me was the ability to use talk pages to communicate, as it made me feel like I was part of the community and actually allowed me to express my thoughts with others. :)

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

I think I will. I've been very active here, and don't plan on slowing down until it's actually affecting my day-to-day life, which I hope never happens. I really like it here, and I'm allowed to edit in my area of interest, something you can't really do with things like school, where there are set topics you learn.

• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?

I have not, but have seen editors who are and it definitely seems interesting to me.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

I have, and it's terrible (I must not tell a lie). I am not able to add images on my mobile device, the reply button never works, every time I open the app (or website) it logs me out, among a plethora of other issues which I'm sure have already been heard by the Tech Team.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

If there's one thing I could change, it would have to be the signature limit. I know, it's a subpar complaint, but the limit on signature size in "Preferences" is a tad bit annoying. (I cherish the small things). :D

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

I love how our notability criteria are never too strict or too relaxed, it allows for people to make articles without hundreds of AfDs being filed daily, and most of the inclusion essays are usually very easy-to-read (I'll add that), something that I find nice. And TornadoInformation12, if you see this, I forgive you. Is Wikipedia becoming an addiction for me? :D

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

March 2006

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

I was reading articles about authors and books I'm interested in and saw mistakes and missing information, so I fixed some things and...just kept going.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

Honestly, that was so long ago that I can't really remember what stumped or frustrated me back then. I suppose I would advise myself to keep in mind the long-term goals and not get too worked up about minor, short-term annoyances or setbacks. Everything can be fixed or improved in time. (I still need to remind myself of this, so maybe speaking to my younger self would have done little good.)

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

I got a standard welcome message from BD2412 (talk · contribs), who also kindly answered a couple questions I had, but mostly I was a self-starter, I think. For a while, I used the article List of American novelists as, I guess, a personal vehicle for teaching myself how to edit. Working back and forth between that list article and the articles for the books and authors, I built up a body of knowledge—how to reference, create basic tables, and so on.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

Yes

• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?

No

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

No. I mean, I do all my editing these days on my iPad, but I edit in the desktop view and still use the old MonoBook skin. It's what I'm used to and comfortable with, and I haven't had any impetus to change.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

I do think from time to time that perhaps an account should be required to edit. As much as I like the "anyone can edit" ethos, Wikipedia is so large now that I wonder if it's possible to keep up with the vandalism, crank edits, and plagiarism. Removing IP edits from the equation might make this more manageable.

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?
  • I made my old account in 2006, but it was a few years until I actually did anything productive (10-year-old me was more interested in creating a cool user page than building an encyclopedia).
• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?
  • I think in 2006 I wanted to add more details to my school's article. In general I think I've always been drawn to platforms that let me expand knowledge and fix things and make them how I think they should be.
• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?
  • I'm not sure... I think the process in 2006 worked alright for me. I loved the freedom available to me at the time.
• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?
  • Not really – 2006 was pre-Teahouse and a look at my old talk page history shows that my early days were marred by image copyright mistakes. I think it was good that my often-poor edits weren't undone en masse right away. Some problems were raised and some of my work was undone, but I didn't have a major piece of work swiftly deleted – I think that would have been discouraging.
• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?
  • Yes, I have no plans to stop. I tend to swing from hobby to hobby and thus tend to edit in bursts followed by quieter periods. My contributions may slow at times but I expect I'll keep coming back.
• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?
  • I have not.
• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?
  • Not really; maybe once or twice? I'm a source editor diehard and that just doesn't work well on a mobile keyboard. Editing on mobile is alright for a typo fix or something, but for any in-depth editing I want a lot of tabs and screen space and my phone just doesn't cut it.
• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?
  • I wish we could find some way to fix the disconnect that leads to angry talk page fights. So many disputes seem like they could be amicably resolved if the passionate editors involved could just have a face-to-face chat, but instead dissolve into rage fest.
• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)
  • Great keynote Hannah! Thanks for sharing with us. <3 –IagoQnsi (talk) 14:51, 6 October 2024 (UTC)

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

I started in December 2016, according to my contributions log, but I think I had another account from a few months earlier ... but I lost track of it.

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

I am an academic librarian. A former colleague in my library mentioned the #1lib1ref campaign. I love open knowledge and this seemed like a fun direction to take that was also related to my day job. I didn't edit much, though, until a different, former colleague introduced me to Wikidata. For awhile I edited more Wikidata than Wikipedia. It took me three years to get up the courage to create an entry!

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

My first entry was created during a COVID-times, virtual editathon. I learn by doing, so that was a great introduction. COVID was terrible, but the increase in virtual events helped me develop the skills I needed to become a better contributor to Wikipedia and Commons.

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

My former colleague was an excellent mentor for Wikidata contributions, but I didn't have too many people that were interested meetups in my community. So, it took me awhile to find in-person help with Wikipedia. After the worst days of COVID subsided, I met two experienced Wikipedians in Indianapolis. They have taught me so many things that I probably wouldn't have learned from just attending virtual editathons.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

The future is hard to foresee, but, yes, absolutely. I am in my 50s and I see Wikimedia contributions as an exercise in lifelong learning.

• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?

Yes. As a librarian I worked with a college class that used WikiEd. I also have student employees that work on Wikipedia. I use the WikiEd modules to provide them with basic Wikipedia training.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

Yes, but only when it's a short and quick edit. Sometimes I am away from my laptop and the phone is the thing that I have in my hand. Sadly, it's just so clunky and frustrating that I often wait until I get to a computer. (By the way, I got your invitation on my phone and then waited until I had time to sit down with my laptop to respond to this interview.)

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

I am working to contribute to content that includes the diversity of my communities. So, I'm trying to change the gaps in content. Beyond that, I wish that the people that think in Wikipedia abbreviations would be a little more thoughtful and careful with new editors. I also wish that there were "administrative" roles for users that do not want to do the technical bits. I think consensus is warped because the people that are the quickest at the technical stuff are the first to comment and drive the direction of decisions. Wikipedia needs more diversity in the kind of thinking that is done when the "community" makes difficult choices.

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

It was great to meet you! I am glad that you are here.

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?
  • July 2011, as part of the Public Policy Initative
• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?
  • I was involved in other free-culture movements and was encouraged to try using Wikipedia in the classroom when I was in graduate school by User:SJ
• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?
  • The WYSIWG editor haha (seriously my students hated wikitext). I think there are a lot of tools and the community has changed quite a bit in the last decade, so I think really that has helped enormously. Also, getting involved earlier with wonderful people in person would have been super motivating. That happened, but not for a little while.
• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?
  • Mostly I was teaching, and I went through a training so I think those trainings helped a lot. Later iterations of trainings were even better. Having people who can explain things (especially community quirks) was super helpful.
• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?
  • Sure - mostly I try to find new ways to teach, so I try to recruit more and help - less writing new articles for myself, more helping student work along.
• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?
  • Absolutely, they're some of the best people I know and have kept me sane during my early years of teaching with Wikipedia.
• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?
  • I have and its become so much easier. I'm excited to see this as an option since a lot of my students often don't use laptops most of the time even for their assignments.
• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia? (Question added June 13, 2024)
  • Oh my. I have a lot of papers and even a book that User:MatthewVetter and I wrote that cover a lot of this. I think there's a lot of room for improvement, such as helping to diversify knowledge and encourage folks to participate in lower risk scenarios. Not everyone knows how to "be bold" and we need to be better at encouraging that - the in-person community helps a lot. Online-only communities don't have the same invigorating spirit that can help encourage people, so more meetups is always good.
• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)
  • It was great to meet you! Thanks for sharing your story and I'm so glad you're in this community.

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

I created my account in May 2006, though I had very few edits until 2010.

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

Initially I just wanted to do copy editing. I've always been particular about spelling and grammar, and it was satisfying to be able to fix some of the errors I saw. Over time my interests expanded.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

I might have gotten more involved if I'd found WP:DPL sooner, or another project which attempts to gamify relatively simple fixes. But maybe not; I might have needed to build up confidence by fixing uncontroversial typos before I felt comfortable moving up to disambiguating. It also would have helped to figure out that I could search on WP: and a keyword and usually find relevant guidelines and Manual of Style entries. I don't think that's readily apparent to new editors.

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

No, I mostly blundered through on my own. The occasional encouragement and feedback I received on my talk page was helpful.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

Yes.

• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?

No.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

Only rarely, and for very minor fixes. Regardless of any limitations within the app, I really prefer having a full-size keyboard and monitor.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

From my perspective, things are pretty good. There are a couple of minor peeves I have, but I recognize I'm in the minority and don't care enough to actually try to change them:
I'd go back to making Wikidata labels the default rather than requiring manual {{Short description}} tags, and in general to focus on remediating the concerns some enwiki users have with Wikidata so that its contents can be integrated into more infoboxes, etc. It just makes sense for some types of information to be stored in a central, structured location and pointed to as needed.
I'd also make date format something governed universally by user preference rather than set manually per article. For those not logged in, maybe set the default based on the country of the IP.

• When did you start editing Wikipedia? My first edits were in 2011, but it was really over the following few years that I became a regular editor.
• Why did you start editing Wikipedia? As I began to use the internet more in my spare time growing up, I started to become more aware of the fact that anybody could update Wikipedia pages. At first I was making some small updates to pages related to media that I was interested in, and that developed into me being almost completely focused on the film and television spaces.
• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor? When I first started editing I fell into the same traps that a lot of new editors fall into: making unsourced changes, creating pages that did not meet notability standards, and making bold changes that went against consensus. It took some time to learn how things work at Wikipedia and how to be collaborative with the community, and I think that can still be a big issue for new editors today. I know we sometimes provide links to policies and guidelines when we come across a new editor, but I think it would have been beneficial to get a more personal introduction to how Wikipedia works that emphasizes key things in a more relatable way. As experienced editors I think it is easy to forget that there are a lot of rules and terms that are not common knowledge.
• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't? There were other editors working in the spaces that I was interested in who I remember clashing with a bit in the beginning, but I have come to be good friends with some of them and working through those growing pains was the closest I got to having direct help learning the ropes.
• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future? Last year I marked myself as semi-retired. I had come to feel that I was spending too much time on Wikipedia and it was starting to detract from my real life, particular at a time when my job was getting quite busy. However, I spent much of this year unemployed and ended up using my free time to get back into editing more frequently. I have now removed the semi-retired tag from my user page since it isn't accurate anymore. I suspect that I will continue to go back-and-forth on this depending on what is going on in my real life and how I think Wikipedia is impacting that. But I doubt I will ever stop for good, I still get so much out of working on this site.
• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd? No. I think I have come across editors who are and it seems like a good idea to me.
• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not? I have, though I find it can be kind of finicky and my preference is to use my computer. Unless I am making a small, quick change I will often just make a note of what I was planning to do and do it once I have access to my laptop.
• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia? I saw a previous editor on the page mention the fact that graphs still don't work on Wikipedia. I agree that it is a bit bewildering that this still does not work, so I would love to see some movement on that. For the most part I don't have any big feedback here, over the years I have watched Wikipedia evolve a lot and that often comes from editors working together as part of the community to make things better. I'm sure that sort of progress will continue for the forseeable future.
• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :) Thanks for the invite, I appreciate what you are doing here!

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

Took up Wikipedia editing maybe when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, as an IP that did edits on random topics, I only really locked in and did serious editing with an account 6 or so months ago (if that makes any difference).

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

Having an influence on what the anglosphere sees is an intoxicating concept. I created an account because Pedro Pascal is daddy. And I didn't really want to wait on AfC processes to create articles. Pedro Pascal on screen and stage was my first work as a serious editor, even though the AfC submission was accepted before my account became autoconfirmed.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

Jeez, created an account sooner? (For probably fine reasons) people don't like seeing IP edits or redlinked names because that can be (and often happens to coincide) a sign of "random vandal" or someone who has no clue just what in the heck they are doing. As an IP that's dynamic, you essentially f**k over anybody who wants to communicate on a serious basis about the project, as your talk page is inconsistent. WP:THEYCANTHEARYOU was maybe a problem for me, and most of it would have been solved by pressing the blue "create account" button on a laptop.

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

As an IP, you get the basic talk templates when you're new and then enough of those pop up and you don't get any new ones. I mean, it helped that I knew CSS from the gate so I was good with adapting to this system's markup. But really as a noob, the thing that didn't work was understanding WikiProject consensus when you decide to be bold and do stuff your own way, now that was a subject of a few talk templates, lol. But people helped when I was doing stuff like that for enough times.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

Hell yeah! gotta work on the new DC Universe articles.

• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?

Nope.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

Used to make all my edits as an IP on mobile. One day I opened Facebook's built-in browser and found Wikipedia. It was not fun because simply that is not the way to edit things, and Facebook's browser is faulty. I know THEYCANTHEARYOU is bad, but Facebook browser editing would have been worse.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

"{{citation needed}}" is the lazy way out of dealing with WP:OR and other problematic content. Screw that template, clear out the crud.

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

If you treat other wiki editors just like how Keanu Reeves treats random strangers, you would be contributing to a beautiful atmosphere. Please do that. BarntToust 00:13, 26 October 2024 (UTC)

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

I made an account on jawiki around year ago. Started being active around Spring 2024.

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

To update my hometown's page. My scope ended up covering Wikiproject Japan, and then Wikiproject Trains in Japan.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

User:Sungodtemple did help me quite a lot in my mentorship program run. Nothing else Wikipedia provided me with worked, so it was a lot of trials and errors. Tbh that's the issue with editor retentions.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

I'll probably go inactive in 2025... IRL issues.

• Have you ever been involved with WikiEd?

No, although I was forced to request salting on someone's assignments after persistent G11 draft creations, which forced the student's assignments to be changed. If you have any advice on what to do when a student assignment is promotional but doesn't quite stand for G11 please give me one.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

I always edit on mobile, but I sometimes edit in my laptop. I constantly switch between desktop and mobile as TW is unusable in mobile view, so that sucks.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia? (Question added June 13, 2024)

I'd expand the definition of personal attacks on Wikipedia by including excessive outing in RfA candidates and off-wiki harassments where the user off-wiki is clearly connected to the existing Wikipedia account. The standard for this would be similar to administrators confirming sock puppets without a CheckUser, so if their standing and stuff ambiguously matches they can be assumed the same individual, which prevents shitty issues in ANI where everyone is throwing in the oil into the fire by sparking off-wiki attacks without any punishment. I got my hands burnt because of a recent one, don't wanna EVER do that again.

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

I do stuff around AIV (around 200 users sent, most of it got indeffed), UAA, and also patrol abuse logs. I also expand Japanese articles, do DYK reviews, and review pending changes, mentorship, you know... but I just wanna point out that edit counts do no shit beyond 500, and the terrible habits of assuming someone isn't set for something because of edit counts, despite their understanding of policies should be warnable as biting newer editors.