Strategy/Wikimedia Foundation/2016/Recommendations

This is excerpted from pages 82-84 of the August 4, 2016 version of File:2016 Strategic Approaches Report.pdf. Please see 2016 Strategy/Draft WMF Strategy for background information.

Based on the responses to the critical questions, the following recommendations are suggested to help improve key challenges and build upon community suggestions:

Build and implement an ongoing, community communications plan

• Increase transparency about the Foundation’s programs and budgets
• Leverage the network effect of the whole community (Foundation, chapters, partners, contributors)

Develop a contributor relationship-management program based on member life cycle

• Encourage more participation, offset known hurdles that prevent deeper engagement
• Offer recognition and feedback loops
• Connect to mentors or mentor community (more experienced Wikimedians and content experts), based on content interest or location
• Introduce inexpensive, geographically-specific opportunities for more in-person interaction
• Automatically offer personalized recommendations for content to contribute, based on selected areas of interest and past contributions
• Offer opt-in email communications to create cohorts for outreach and more support based on life stage

Create different UIs, features, and levels of support for different levels of engagement (EWP) to better overcome the steep learning curve

• Reader: easy ways to encourage sign into editor mode
• Stage 1: First-time editor - limited capabilities (minor edits, contributions directly on requested items) with simple, easy-to-understand how-to tutorials
• Stage 2: Casual editor - more capabilities, more advanced tutorials
• Stage 3: Prominent editor - all capabilities and advanced features, advanced tutorials

Review product enhancements requested in the consultation, mainly

• Simplify editor/contributor interface and tools
• Improve language translation tools
• Improve Wikidata and connections between Wikis
• Develop more relationships with GLAMs (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums)
• Build easier ways to verify and cite sources, More connections to services

Better define the development life stages of a Wiki

• so that “lessons learned” could be shared more easily and typical obstacles could be overcome

Review suggestions for improving community engagement noted in the consultation, mainly

• Incentives, feedback loops, ongoing recognition
• Gamification of edits/contributions
• Simplified tools and tutorials to onboard new editors