User:Stuchainzz/reflection

My experience creating the Bengals–Chiefs rivalry article on Wikipedia reminded me how intrinsic motivation, inspired by nothing but personal curiosity and desire to create something meaningful can drive people to contribute to online communities. Besides having to create the page for class, there were no real extrinsic motivators for me. Despite there being no extrinsic motivation, I still found joy when researching, writing, and editing the article. This is because after sparking my interest, I no longer looked at the drafting of the article as something that I had to do, but rather, it became something I got to do.

In his book, "Punished by Rewards", Alfie Kohn discussed two types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. He stated that "Psychologists sometimes refer to rewards and punishments as 'extrinsic' motivators, because they are inducements outside of the task itself. People who have been led to think in terms of what they will get for doing something can be described as extrinsically motivated. The opposite of this is intrinsic motivation, which basically means enjoying what one does for its own sake" (Kohn, 1993, p. 68). While having to complete the assignment, whether it be looked at as a "reward or punishment", was an extrinsic motivator, that was not the driving force for my work. As Kohn stated, I created this page because I enjoyed doing it, not because it was for a class, but rather, because I wanted to learn more about the subject.

When we were first assigned this project, I had no clue what topic I would cover. It was a daunting task at first, as I had assumed Wikipedia had covered everything that I "geeked out" about as we discussed on our first day of class. Then there was the notability factor, which made me worried that whatever I did end up covering would not be deemed notable by more experienced Wikipedians. I was flooding my head with worries which made finding a topic more difficult, when the entire time, I was overlooking a great resource.

After lots of overthinking, I remembered that Wikipedia has a page full of requested articles from the community. I found the page Requested articles. This helped narrow down my search as I was presented with a wide range of categories, such as music, arts and entertainment, and sports, all with numerous subcategories. As I have always enjoyed watching American football, I ended up going to Requested articles/Sports/American football. This was my first experience with intrinsic motivation for the project, as my interest was piqued, and was curious to find out what some of the topics could be. The list pulled me in more, as the topics ranged from players to coaches, teams and rivalries, and much more. As I scanned the list of topics, one in particular caught my eye: the Bengals—Chiefs rivalry. This subject particularly interested me as it is a rivalry that is currently forming before our eyes, so I felt like it was relevant to recent events in the NFL. This was another intrinsic motivator for me, as I felt like my curiosity had a new sense of purpose and that I could help contribute to a community.

As I researched the topic more and learned about some of the important moments in this rivalry, I became more interested in the subject. Although the rivalry may be fresh, I was able to find an abundance of information on the topic, ranging from the teams' all-time records against each other to the newly forming era of the rivalry centered around Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow. Despite my excitement, I once again found myself doubting my work and questioning myself. Could I really make this notable? Could I do a good enough job with the topic to live up to the standards of the dozens of other articles covering NFL rivalries?

Although I had doubts, they were pushed aside by another wave of intrinsic motivation overcoming me. I was determined to prove that I could make a beneficial contribution that would last for years to come. As I studied more press releases, articles, and other sources, I became more fascinated by the subject. I began to believe that I could do this topic justice, that it would be deemed notable, and that my work would stick around. Overcoming these challenges such as establishing notability and following Wikipedia's guidelines became a welcome challenge rather than a burden.

With my intrinsic motivation fueling my efforts, I found myself wanting to add more and more to my article, even when I felt as if I had done a sufficient job and adhered to the project's guidelines. However, I found myself once again at a roadblock. One of the biggest challenges I ran into was related to the tone of my article. As I had been getting my information from sources like sports journals, I had been adapting their exciting tone that made reading about games almost as interesting as watching them. This, coupled with my passion for storytelling, led to me using grammar that made my article seem biased and informal. Although I felt like this made my article more enjoyable to read, I understood where the issues lay. As I wanted my contribution to be authentic, meaningful, and a true Wikipedia article, I knew changes had to be made. However, rather than being deterred, I found a new sense of intrinsic motivation fueled by enjoyment, because I enjoyed the challenge.

The first wave of edits regarding tone came from Professor Reagle, who highlighted some sentences that could use tweaking to better adhere to the Wikipedia guidelines. While puzzled by some of the edits at first, I was determined to figure out the best solution for the problem. Again, I found myself intrinsically motivated as I enjoyed thinking of different ways to improve my article. My first big changes occurred on February 20, when I edited the tone for my section discussing the hype around the rivalry, specifically Mahomes and Burrow, as well as how I wrote the ending of their first playoff matchup. This process of revising my writing style showed how intrinsic motivation can drive growth. Rather than being demotivated by the need for change, I embraced it as an exciting challenge and was suddenly looking for more things to change.

Something I was intrinsically motivated to do was to add an info box to the top of my article. This was not required, as I had seen other articles without info boxes, but I was motivated to create it because I wanted to. I thought it would make my article look more professional, and I like to think it was a success. Although the process was difficult, I again, found joy in embracing the challenge and working through the process one step at a time. It may have taken significantly longer than other parts of the page, but the joy I felt when the box was complete was unrivaled. I was able to take pride in my creation and my determination to make my article the best it could be.

Another way my intrinsic motivation was displayed was through the simple act of giving Wiki thanks. Although there was just one lone editor on my page, it brought me joy to see someone take the time to read my page and make a contribution, no matter how minor it was. This small gesture was motivated purely by an intrinsic desire to acknowledge their efforts and let them know that I appreciated that they came to my page. There was no extrinsic reward for thanking fellow contributors - no badges, points, or public recognition. Yet I found it intrinsically satisfying to spread goodwill and show the true spirit of an online community. When discussing thanks in class, we talked about how giving thanks can sometimes be a bad thing. Sometimes, people give thanks or favors for the sole purpose of expecting something in return, which can damage how genuine giving thanks really is. Myself, however, wanted nothing in return for giving thanks. I simply wanted to express my gratitude and send the Wikipedian on his way.

In conclusion, my experience creating the Bengals–Chiefs rivalry article on Wikipedia provided a look at how intrinsic motivation can be a powerful driving force within online communities. What began as an externally required class assignment turned into a self-led journey fueled by curiosity and passion for the topic. As I move forward, I will continue to try to intrinsically motivate myself to try new things, overcome challenges, and progress through life. After all, people always say if you love your work, it is not work.