User:Gjoe1973/Report

Learning to use Wikipedia was a challenge for me, as prior to this I only ever used the site for quick reference checks. Through the drafting process of the article in partnership with the WikiEdu training modules, the process was smooth. Specifically, in the training on paraphrasing and usage of tone, there was a lot to learn. Overall, I found the process of editing and improving an article rewarding all the while I encountered challenges at the same time. With the knowledge gained from this course, I am able to connect the theories and ways of organizing to the process of participation in an online community such as Wikipedia. While also presenting my thoughts on how Wikipedia can improve based on course concepts and input from the book Building Successful Online Communities : Evidence-Based Social Design.

Generally, those who are participating in the editing of Wikipedia have an intrinsic level of motivation, that is within the individual on a personal level, and partnered with a style of normative commitment. I have noticed this level of motivation and commitment are what helps sites like Wikipedia to succeed, as they are managed by individuals who contribute to benefit the greater good or the improvement of articles.

Editing articles on Wikipedia is not something I would have done if it was not for COM 481 as there were too many unknown factors and rules that I was unaware of. Nervous to make a change to a pre established page, without knowing how others would react to a newcomer. This is one issue I see in Wikipedia, there is no site open to the general public that gives demos and private practice on how to edit articles. Therefore they are having trouble integrating and supporting people who show up. Your sandbox is not private, anyone can access it and make edits to your article drafts. I see this as one way that  newcomers like myself are scared off of editing on Wikipedia. The immediate comment of another no matter the context can make the individual feel unwelcome and therefore loses the motivation to participate. WikiEdu is a program that deals with the socialization, or the teaching on behavior that is appropriate and retention of newcomers. The program used in class is only offered to those who apply and are in higher education. I think having a program similar to this available to the general public could greatly fix the issue behind hesitant newcomers. Having a site similar to WikiEdu can help Wikipedia to increase its retention of newcomers because the implementation of individualized socialization allows for people to get comfortable with the site before fully participating. There are some subreddits that have a ‘trial period’ in which new members have to read guidelines and observe the feed for a bit until moderators see that they can participate. This would be similar to a Wiki training program where newcomers can see the interaction of those on the site but participate in a way that shows them the community guidelines from an observational standpoint.

During the first few times of editing my personal sandbox I encountered a “wikipedian” who deleted a good amount of progress made, as it violated community guidelines. On top of the deleting action they pointed me to the page on Wiki that presented all the rules for what you can and can not post. This type of editing is common “ as a result of [a] lack of history and potential lack of goodwill or relevant skills, groups need to protect themselves against the damage that newcomers can cause.” I know that prior to this interaction without any sort of training or briefing about Wikipedia I would have been discouraged to continue editing and can infer that many others have had similar experiences. Therefore, I believe that if Wikipedia creates a training site for newcomers similar to WikiEdu, the transition from learning to participating would be more successful. On top of this there would be a potential increase in users on the site as a byproduct of provided training.

Overall, Wikipedia is a good program to look at when analyzing an online community, as there are many sections and motives within it. As mentioned before those who participate in the maintenance of Wiki are more than likely are intrinsically motivated and are committed at a normative level. Meaning those who are actively using the site are there because they want to help provide for the betterment of the site and community. So having a program like WikiEdu readily available to newcomers would increase approachability to the tasks online. With my personal experience with working with Wikipedia this quarter I have learned how to navigate as well as participate in a new online community.