Wikipedia:Wiki Guides



Ever wanted to know what our new editors are thinking? Why exactly did they start editing? What encourages or discourages them from continuing to edit, and what can we do to improve their editing experience? Since early 2007, the monthly count of new editors has steadily declined.

As a community we have many ideas but too many options and too little data. We're trying to craft strategies, develop new editors, and to get data on exactly how our new editors are finding their first, and later, experiences on Wikipedia. Of course, it will also help to share the experiences of established editors, who are able to find necessary resources for new editors. In this study we'll be specifically testing whether targeted interventions at specific times (after the first edit is reverted, article is deleted, etc) are helpful in boosting retention. We are trying out several different tactics in the process!

What do I need to do as a guide?

 * Click here to sign up to help!
 * Be willing to help!
 * Every new editor is different and has individual reasons for finding the site difficult, confusing, or frustrating. Your greatest strength as a guide would be knowing where to look; you don't need to know every answer but you should know enough to point the new editor to the right place.
 * Be willing to dedicate an average of four to six hours a week.
 * Be willing to give your email address to the Wikimedia Foundation.
 * To help administer the study and confer with all the guides, we need to contact you via email. Just click here and send an email through Special:EmailUser. If you want to use a different email address from the one attached to your account, feel free to specify that. Any address you provide will be handled under the Wikimedia Foundation’s Privacy policy.
 * Be willing to contact the new editors to whom you are assigned by email as well as via talk pages.

Userboxes and Barnstars

 * Wiki Guides/Userbox