Wikipedia talk:Education program archive/Cornell University/Online Communities (Fall 2013)/Verizon FiOS

Verizon FiOS COMM 3460
The group that edited the Wikipedia page for Verizon FiOS made a significant number of changes to the article. The group consisted of Andrew Prafder, Doug Tesoriero, and Alex Meyers. First, we evaluated the needs of the article, and then we divided up the work evenly, which allowed each member of the group to work on material that he felt comfortable with. Before editing our Wikipedia page on Verizon FiOS, we conducted a great amount of research in order to find the best articles possible. We made sure to avoid the Verizon website itself because it may have given the reader an inflated impression of the Verizon FiOS service. Many of the articles we used were from credible newspapers, including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal; in addition, we found many articles from third-party sources that commented on the services of Verizon FiOS.

Our group divided the assignments into different sections. Andrew Prafder worked on the history of Verizon FiOS, its availability throughout the United States, and the criticisms it has received. Alex Meyers worked on expanding the sections on the television, phone, and Internet services. Doug Tesoriero worked on the sections on competition and the latest products and services that Verizon FiOS offers. Alex Meyers was the biggest asset in terms of collaborating with the Wikipedia language, as he was able to post the information in the most suitable manner for Wikipedia readers and editors. Our group was also responsible by formatting the article and making sure the text flowed smoothly. We added the history section and worked with other Wikipedia users to combine it with the availability section. This gave a great introduction to Verizon FiOS as a whole. We also added an image to show users the availability of Verizon FiOS in 2008 to give readers a good understanding of how much Verizon FiOS has grown since then. Throughout the article, we made sure to link to other Wikipedia pages of interest. For example, we showed that Verizon FiOS was first available in Keller, Texas, so we put a link to the page of that town.

In our opinion, we feel that we have added enough content to the Verizon FiOS page to make it a B-Class article. Originally, the article was missing some key aspects of Verizon FiOS and had some gaps in the article. There was no history section of the article, and by adding it, it gave the article more flow and depth. There was also no information about the criticism of the services, which many Wikipedia editors felt was needed. Now, the article is much more substantial and has a great amount of additional information. We have added a great amount of additional references, which are properly cited throughout the article. We have revised the article for grammatical errors, and now the article runs smoother. In addition, it has a well-defined structure with strong sections within the article. We now feel that the reader gets more than just an overview of Verizon FiOS; now the reader gets an in-depth look at the services that Verizon FiOS provides and can be used for study purposes.

Overall, the most valuable part of the experience was working with other Wikipedia editors. They helped us evolve our article to what it is now. The support of the skilled Wikipedia editors allowed us to revise our article so it looked professional and had substantial sources. Since our group consisted of relatively new Wikipedia editors, the more experienced Wikipedia editors helped us a great deal on the talk page. One particular interaction was particularly valuable because this editor pointed out that our article could not have bias or content from the Verizon website, or it would be taken down. An editor named “Liz” reminded us to not put any information about the pricing plan of Verizon FiOS, so we were sure not to include that. One Wikipedia editor was also able to help edit and format our image so it fit with the Wikipedia content. We were also able to look at other Wikipedia editor’s posts on the talk page to get a sense of what the article needed. Without the contribution of one Wikipedia editor, we would not have added a detailed criticisms section to the page. We all had a part in communicating on the talk page, and we all felt this was a valuable experience. We are proud of the work we have done and hope to continue to edit this page after the class is over.Andrew.prafder (talk) 16:53, 8 October 2013 (UTC) BertramHarney (talk) 17:21, 8 October 2013 (UTC) Cornellax16 (talk) 17:24, 8 October 2013 (UTC)