Wikipedia:WikiGnome/Kudos

Thank you fair gnomes, for making Wikipedia a go to place for information. I appreciate your efforts!

Hey WikiGnomes! I have been using Wikipedia for over a decade & as a lover of Knowledge, it is my go-to place for research because of talented gnomes like yourselves! I just took a WikiSurvey & while I fully aknowledge that I often tend to babble on for way too long & over-explain or describe in too much detail & therefore apologize in advance for the length of this, one of the questions was if I wanted to pass on a message to loyal volunteers & it made me think, they can't possibly tell each of you personally what I said so why shouldn't you hear it first hand? Here are my over-involved answers to the essay questions so you can all see the true impact you have on people who value your roles in the ongoing extinction of ignorance! Thank you all so much! I hope this makes you feel even better about the enormous impact you have on regular people every day! You seem more like WikiGods to me!

Q.) How did you feel about the donation message?

A.) It seemed really sincere & genuine. It was well written, like all of the content, which as a writer I appreciate. I use Wikipedia once a week minimum if I just sit home & only watch reruns on tv. A good amount of the time I Google several different things a day, often times, more often than not, Wikipedia has the best & most information plus they break it down into sections so I can ALWAYS find what I need quickly & easily, which so many other resources don't, leaving you to read a multi-page article in its entirety to find the answer you need. The message reminded me of all of these things and the fact that they NEVER ask me to buy anything or look at a product or ANY content I didn't specifically request, all while requiring no monthly fee or fee of any kind, NEVER creating an article from a bias perspective or with an agenda other that spreading knowledge and that they do it all for NOTHING in returm and only on a volunteer basis. I also really thought the part about not wanting to feel embarrassed to ask for help just like I shouldn't feel embarrassed when I ask for help unerstanding something new was super cute and sweet and a wonderful way to remind me of the inherent symbiosis involved and bond we share. It's actually a great and effective psychological tactic that instantly gains empathy and isn't off putting like a lot of sales tactics that bombard us every day. I truly loved it. I also think this is the perfect time of year to catch people in the giving spirit & while they have extra cash they've already saved up & wrote off as a loss bc they are Christmas shopping. I wouldn't even mind if more often when I use Wikipedia I got a gentle reminder that if I was so inclined, I could help a very worthy cause that is close to my heart if it was worded in a similarly friendly & non pressurized manner like this one was. One thing I'd suggest though maybe, I know the "no thanks" button does make people think about it one last time before choosing not to donate, however, if you made it an "I love Wikipedia but can't afford to help" button, or a simmilar phase that shows that you understand that not everyone can do this but that you appreciate them & their support anyway, I think for some, a genuine & sweetly empathetic phrase like this might make them more likely to do it as it both reminds them that some people really can't afford to lose $3 & they are very lucky & should give back, but if there's a no pressure guilt free way to opt out, I think the ones who really can't afford it at the moment would remember your understanding gesture when they do have an extra few dollars, making them more likely to do it in the future. I hate when a company asks for your email for a newsletter & the only opt out option says "no thanks, I'm boring" or "I don't like saving money" or another phrase that makes me feel like less for not doing it. Just a thought. I really hope this helps you guys & thank you for all of the knowledge you've provided me over the years. I couldn't live without you! I would have given more but I'm medically disabled, not receiving benifits, unemployed, financially dependant on family & I only had $7 left on my card, & $4 went to you. When I'm in a better place financially, I'll do my best to repay you for the invaluable resource you provide me! Being in my situation, some days all I have is feeling like even if in no other way have I made any progress in life, I didn't feel useful to anyone, I didn't really contribute & I'm not moving forward in life as much as I'd hoped, at least I learned something new & became a slightly more intelligent & well informed person that day. Sometimes when you don't have the same luxuries as other people, all you have is how you feel about yourself, & I don't always feel great about me but I value & love knowledge & intellect, & you help me to be a better me every day! You have no idea what that's worth! I can't thank you enough. If ever you need any more input or anything else at all, please feel free to email me if I can help in any way!

Q.) How could we make it better?

A.) Some of the science based articles are a bit over my head (although I hate to admit that) maybe every once & while for the more technical & challenging ones you could add a section for the simple lay version to make it more easily relatable? Idk if that's asking too much & it's totally okay if it is! I just felt a bit lost when researching TATP with all of the chemical formulas, technical language & level of involvement. I did understand it but I had to read some parts a few times & look up some of the related terms (love those links btw! Very convenient!) & I know a lot of people who never could have fully grasped it simply bc they aren't used to the language used & they don't make it a practice to use easier synonyms & definitions they had to further research in place of difficult passages to make it simpler & more relatable for them as I do. Personally, I strive for understanding in all things, so I'm more than willing to put in the extra effort it takes to look up a term, break it down into easier to grasp terms & utilize synonyms in order to make it more easily digestible, & for me, this often makes the eventual understanding that much more rewarding & satisfying, but I do know a lot of people, too many, who, when faced with a difficult concept or unknown term, they will give up right away without trying further. I'm not the kind of person who usually believes in appealing to the lowest common denominator, but in this case, when it comes to a communal resource for reference, I understand how they may feel left out & unable to learn. You don't have to make all articles simple enough for anyone to get, however maybe I'd just consider either a link to or section about what this means in lay terms. Just one woman's opinion though. Thanks so much for listening to my input & allowing me to express my ideas & perspective! I really feel more a part of the team now!

Q.) Are there any reasons not listed that you trust us?

A.) Non-profit & unsponsored content & the reliability you are synonymous with along with the personal relashionship I feel I have with the site after over a decade of coming here for the truth. You make my brain feel at home here!

Q.) What do you like most about Wikipedia? Is there any message you want us to pass on to anyone?

A.) I love how universal the knowledge is, the ease of access, attention to detail & pretty much everything else really... I would like to thank the organization & all volunteers & participants for helping me to become a more knowledgeable person & conscientious researcher & for providing the yard sick by which I measure all Information along with providing me with a true and nurturing home here; one from which I am never far or out of reach from & always welcome! You do amazing things for people, truly, & never let anyone tell you that the feeling you provide is ANYTHING less than one of belonging, understanding & growth! I watched a TED talk on YouTube today that asserted that hate comes from fear & fear from ignorance so it's people like all of you who are making this a world of love and acceptance for all people, no matter their differences! (I've also been watching many transgender videos & I'm just falling in love with these wonderful, open, kind-hearted, strong & genuine people so seeing the 3rd option for gender listed as "non-binary" REALLY made my day! Actually, I only saw the donation message & survey bc I tried to look up "cis".) Keep being the difference you want to see in the world! Hopefully, with people like you out there, one day, freedom of the press will mean that no news organizations determine what gets published based on who owns the company, who pays for ads or who knows the editor! Non-biased is a dying concept & one I whole heartedly believe in, so never stop making that kind of difference. I'd love to participate in more surveys in the future! Let me know if there's anything else you want to know or need that I can give! This is the first time in a long time that I've really felt a part of something larger. Thank you for that! Keep being awesome!

That's it guys, so go ahead & give yourselves a nice pat on the gnome!

Hello WikiGnomes! Thank you for your kind and persistent work to make this one of the most useful websites in the history of the Internet! I am filling a thimble with coffee and leaving it by my computer tonight for you x

From
Thanks for suggesting changes to Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research. I was impressed that you got back to me this quickly. I am new here and have done my best to follow your advice both concerning text (no copyright problem, however), and noteability. Let me know if this is now satisfactory. Thanks! --Janoberg (talk) 15:36, 25 February 2008 (UTC)

From
My stub on Rachel Carson's book The Edge of the Sea was improved twice within minutes. Thanks, wikignomes! (And now it looks like the link doesn't work because the title of the article isn't capitalized. Help, wikignomes!)

Fixed :) -- pnosker

From
I think this edit summary says it all. Silly wikignomes. :) —Carolfrog 06:31, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

From How to become a WikiGnome
I'm a WikiGnome myself. The description of a WikiGnome is thorough and true. You could be a WikiGnome too. It's easy. All you have to do is look out for stubs. When you find one, do anything you can to help it. Once you're done, don't post it on your user page or anything. Just know that you contributed to Wikipedia. When the creator of the article sees you've improved it, they might thank you. When you've been doing this for awhile, you can put the WikiGnome userbox on your userpage. Being a WikiGnome for a while and really showing the characteristics of one can help you become a Wikipedia admin if you want. Panicathedisco 15:35, 21 October 2007 (UTC)
 * :-D Hedfones (talk) 17:22, 9 September 2009 (UTC)

From
U rock Wikignomes! 

has smiled at you! Smiles promote WikiLove and hopefully this one has made your day better. Spread the WikiLove by smiling at someone else, whether it be someone you have had disagreements with in the past or a good friend. Happy editing! Smile at others by adding {{subst:Smile}} to their talk page with a friendly message.

From Gp75motorsports
-- Gp 75 motorsports  REV LIMITER  22:41, 15 December 2007 (UTC)

From
The following barnstars are proudly presented by me, to all you wikignomes out there:

Thanks once more,  Blooded Edge ( T • C • A ) 21:21, 3 February 2009 (UTC) THANKS!!!!!--JazzieIce! (talk) 21:46, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

From OlEnglish
Kudos to and his many IPs: User:72.75.72.63, User:72.75.78.69, User:72.75.110.142, User:141.156.217.11, User:151.200.237.53, among others. You've got a new fan :) -- &oelig; &trade; 20:36, 2 August 2009 (UTC)

From Jhalmuri
Thank you all. Jhalmuri (talk) 17:25, 2 March 2018 (UTC)

TY gnomes from ( a dyslexic) 92.41.164.246 (talk)
Good job!

p.s. sorry for bad grammar and spelling I would like to be a wikignome, but I can't spell or write well. Also I am very egotistic.92.41.164.246 (talk) 17:56, 12 August 2012 (UTC)
 * Oh don't you worry, anonymous user: we love tidying things up. We're sure you have lots of useful things to contribute to Wikipedia, even if syntax and modesty aren't among them ~dom Kaos~ (talk) 00:44, 22 May 2013 (UTC)

From User AFisch99
Thank you to all gnomes that make wonderful Wikipedia even more wonderful :) AFisch99 (talk) 19:52, 5 September 2012 (UTC)

From Nosebagbear
I was having a look at some of my earlier edited pages before I took a two year hiatus, especially some of the odder ones. I was amazed to see non-bot gardening activity, so consider this a very belated thank you to all you gnomes.

From treekangaroos
Sincerely, Treekangaroosandlions 2 (talk) 00:40, 4 October 2020 (UTC)

From Tuck Alexandros
I need to talk to you all. I emailed the donations page for Wikimedia. It is time. Who I am is in the email. Ser Amantio di Nicolao I live in Richmond. In person, text, Zoom, anything. It is time. It is time. It is time.

From
I think this edit summary says it all. Silly wikignomes. :) —Carolfrog 06:31, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

From
From one self-proclaimed WikiGnome to a real one; thanks for all, and continue your lineage of great work. 56independent/notacoworcatTalk 15:44, 21 October 2021 (UTC)