Wikipedia:The Core Contest/Preparations

Checklist for running the Core Contest

General considerations

 * When will it be? Typical timeframe: early in the year; before June/July. See The Core Contest for reference.
 * Who will the judges be?
 * Funding (how much?) from where?
 * Needs to be requested/approved well before start time
 * Improvements from last time?

Preliminaries

 * Create The Core Contest/Entries (see template) below. Make sure the see past archives hatnote is updated with the most recent contest(s)

*See archives of past competition for inspiration: 2007, 2012a, 2012b, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.

The contest lasts for six weeks. Editors usually nominate the articles they plan to work on at the start. This helps others know which articles are being worked on and allows editors time to gather sources like books or papers. However, it's also okay to nominate articles after the contest starts. Editors can submit improved articles anytime during the contest. After the six weeks, judges will review the entries and announce the winners within two or three weeks. Other editors can also comment on the entries.

The potential article pool includes vital and other core articles. Editors are welcome to improve and nominate any broad or important article not on the list if they explain why their article should be considered.

When you submit an article you improved for the contest, please list a specific revision that you're happy with, as well as a link to the revision on which you built your improvements. For example, this diff would show improvements made to the article Lebensraum, and this shows the initial state. Only edits made during the contest period may be included in the diff link.

==List of contest entries== List here articles submitted, and the diffs showing the improvement. Multiple segments are allowed to clarify the diffs submitted by a particular editor in a busy article. Co-submissions are allowed. Judges will comment on entries immediately below them, clarify benefits gained and offer feedback on what else needs to be done. Within two weeks of the conclusion, prizewinners will be announced. An example of how to lay out a sample entry as follows.

===A very core example=== * Nominator: * Improvements: (start state + improvement diff) * Comments: ==== Comments by judges ==== ==== Comments by others ====

Withdrawn entries

 * Add (
 * TCC Entry
 * TCC Entry/init
 * Page updates
 * Post about contest on home (example: )
 * Update The Core Contest
 * Mass message
 * Update The Core Contest/MassMessage with dates, times, judges
 * Update/check interest list: The Core Contest/delivery list. Make sure judges are there and participants of the previous year
 * Send out The Core Contest/MassMessage with The Core Contest/delivery list via [[Special:MassMessage
 * Other announcement venues
 * Post on Wikipedia talk:The Core Contest
 * Watchlist notice (exmpl1 exempl2
 * Post on FAC, FLC, GAN, WT:FGTC and WT:VITAL
 * Perhaps active Wiki Projects as well
 * Community bulletin board (never done before)
 * General
 * Archive old talk page conversations on Wikipedia talk:The Core Contest
 * See if The Core Contest page needs any updating

Starting

 * Mass message
 * Update The Core Contest/CompetitionStart with times, dates & judges
 * Send out The Core Contest/CompetitionStart with The Core Contest/participant delivery list via Special:MassMessage
 * Page updates
 * Update the The Core Contest page

During contest
Generally not much to do, just one message half way through. (in the April 15 – May 30, that's May 7)
 * Mass message
 * Update The Core Contest/CompetitionHalfway with times, date & judges
 * Send out The Core Contest/CompetitionHalfway with The Core Contest/participant delivery list via Special:MassMessage

Ending

 * Mass message
 * Update The Core Contest/CompetitionEnd with times, date & judges
 * Send out The Core Contest/CompetitionEnd with The Core Contest/participant delivery list via Special:MassMessage
 * Deliberate winners (generally off-wiki via email or call).
 * Announce winners
 * Post on The Core Contest/Winners
 * Make sure the winners are pinged properly! There has to be a signature in the same edit as the pings for them to work
 * Post on Wikipedia talk:The Core Contest
 * Update The Core Contest/Winners Announced
 * Send out The Core Contest/Winners Announced with The Core Contest/participant delivery list via Special:MassMessage
 * Page updates
 * Update the The Core Contest
 * Move The Core Contest/Entries to The Core Contest/Entries/ContestTimelineYear (example: The Core Contest/Entries/AprilMay2024 archive)
 * Important: Do not move the subpages!
 * Leave a redirect (subpages are deleted otherwise (I think?)
 * Update The Core Contest header
 * Update The Core Contest
 * Including the "The Core Contest proper has run on [number] occasions:"

Helpful links

 * FAQ Page (when made)
 * More than one entry?
 * Improvements before start date?
 * Working together?
 * Messages
 * The Core Contest/MassMessage
 * The Core Contest/CompetitionStart
 * The Core Contest/CompetitionHalfway
 * The Core Contest/CompetitionEnd
 * Subpages