Help newer contributors understand the status and rationale behind a moderation decision (Community Wishlist/FA2)
Long-term opportunity
(Redirected from Community Wishlist/Focus areas/Newcomers and moderators)
Description
Background
Wikis are most sustainable when newcomers make constructive edits as quickly as possible. Newcomers need the space to explore and learn. Making a first contribution is hard: first, the curiosity to make a new edit, second, the learning curve and drive to make a contribution, and third, the courage to publish an edit. Editors and patrollers are not only responsible for maintaining wiki quality, they are also responsible for encouraging newcomers to make constructive edits.
Objectives
This focus area connects to the following Wikimedia Foundation objectives:
- WE1: Both experienced and new contributors rally together online to build a trustworthy encyclopedia, with more ease and less frustration.
- WE2: Communities are supported to effectively close knowledge gaps through tools and support systems that are easier to access, adapt, and improve, ensuring increased growth in trustworthy encyclopedic content.
Target audience
- Patrollers and advanced editors: responsible for providing support and communication to encourage newcomers to keep contributing.
- New contributors: largely unaware of the complexities of their respective wiki, are confused why their contributions sit in review for a long time, and why their edits may not be well received.
Other details
- Created: 14:20, 6 August 2024
- Last updated: 03:14, 5 October 2025
Wishes in this focus area
Below is a list of wishes that have informed this focus area. More wishes may be added to this table over time. Voting for the focus area is not a guarantee that each wish will be explicitly delivered; rather, the wishes are suggestive of the problem at large. Once a focus area is adopted, the respective team will work alongside communities to prioritize and deliver on the most impactful solutions.
Voting
This focus area currently has 8 supporters. Voting for this focus area is open until it is completed.
Supporters of this area
Support HouseBlaster (talk) 20:55, 26 August 2024
Support 2NumForIce (talk) 02:14, 27 August 2024
Support Cactusisme (talk) 08:21, 28 August 2024
Support Swatjester (talk) 00:54, 26 September 2024
Support Waldyrious (talk) 21:54, 16 October 2024