Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2009-05-18/From the editor

The time has come once again for the traditional call for new Signpost writers. We need you to keep the Signpost up-to-date and comprehensive. We have several pressing needs right now.

Earlier this year, we began experimenting with a "Discussion report" to summarize major new discussions about policy and project management. These reports proved useful and interesting, but it was too much work for too few volunteers. New editors willing to tackle the "Discussion report" would be most welcome.

"In the news" and the "Arbitration report" would benefit from more backup writers for when the current regulars have to miss a week on their beats. Extra backups or collaborators on the other beats would also be helpful.

You do not have to be a regular beat writer to contribute. There are many opportunities for one-off stories, so if you have an idea for a story or want to write one, please let us know. And if you leave well-formed news items at the tip line that can be included more-or-less verbatim, you may end up with a byline in "In the news" or "News and notes".

There are many recent and upcoming books about Wikipedia and its broader technical, political, and cultural contexts listed at the review desk, but reviewers are needed. Despite, or perhaps because of, the enormous increase in the availability of free information over the Internet, more books are being published than ever. Many of them have useful insights for our community, or interesting things to say about it. If you want to review one of the listed books, or know of another book you think the community might like to read about from a Wikipedian's perspective, please sign up. For new books, the Signpost can try to obtain free review copies, and multiple reviewers can sign up for the same book.

If you would like to write for the Signpost, drop us a line at the planning room, or contact Sage Ross or Phoebe.