User:Rachbr95/Reflections

Wikipedia has opened a huge door for me into the world of online communities. Not only has it changed how I view Wikipedia, but how I feel about other online communities alike. I remember being taught in high school that Wikipedia was not a reliable source, as anyone could edit any article. I have learned that while that is the case, it does not make the articles any less significant than another encyclopedia. In fact, I learned that what makes Wikipedia reliable and a good source of information is the fact that all submitted articles must have reputable sources to back them up, and are stated directly in the article. Rather than coming from one source, Wikipedia gathers information from all different sources on a single topic into one common article, so the reader can understand that topic as best as possible. The use of Wikipedia has also helped me gain some knowledge on coding; at least a good starting point for a beginner. Wikipedia has created many shortcuts so contributors are more likely to edit articles-as it becomes less complicated to do so-but it still gives an idea of how coding is set up and introduces it. I’ve always been interested in learning about coding but have not taken the initiative to do so yet, and I believe learning how to use Wikipedia has helped push me into learning more about it.

After contributing an article to Wikipedia myself, I felt a lot more satisfaction from it then expected. I therefore plan to continue editing and contributing future articles after this class ends. It’s quite an accomplishment to know that not only is an article you have written on the World Wide Web, but it is also an article in which others can learn from.

My experience with Wikipedia has taught me both how online communities succeed and fail. I think one of the biggest things I learned is that no matter how much you prepare, it is never possible to completely anticipate your audience and their reactions in an online community. You may have one idea of who you want to join your community and how they will react, but quite often people react differently than expected. The only way to counter this is to continuously build your community based on the audience you have attracted. There are many different styles and possibilities to better a community, as each one is different and has different goals. It is important to understand a community will need constant criticism and adjusting based on demands by its audience.

There is no one concept greater than another in building online communities; obtaining significant newcomers is just as significant as keeping them committed to the community. Knowing how to create and constantly govern a community are also just as important. What’s the good in having a well-built community with no members? Or a band of highly committed members with no common goal? We must understand not only the main concepts of building a successful community, as well as how they all work together.

I believe that every theory and concept was equally relevant to understanding how Wikipedia and other online communities succeed or fail. I must also point out the concept of hackers, trolls, and those that aim to disrupt the community. I never fully understood the extent to which these hackers exist. I have therefore learned that in order to build a successful online community you must also understand the dangers of doing so. The effort it takes to restrain a community from being defeated by hackers can take quite a bit of time; creating programs that counter the attempts of hackers is not necessarily easy. It is not uncommon for online communities to fail due to attacks by trolls and hackers. People must therefore understand how important it is to understand the dangers and possible side effects of creating an online community. Again, this concept is no more or less important than the others as described above. Overall, we must understand all sides of building an online community-from attracting members to fighting hackers and constantly restructuring our community. There is never a case where a community will be perfect, but given the correct knowledge and dedication, one can achieve their goal in building a successful community.