Grants:IdeaLab/Encourage new editors m/f

Inspire campaign

Encourage new editors m/f

Many new editors are discouraged by curt contradiction and reversion; Wikipedia admins need to be encouraging.

idea creator• Afterbrunel

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created on09:14, 12 March 2015 (UTC)

Project idea

What is the problem you're trying to solve?

New editors, especially those who put a high value on feelings as well as cold facts, are discouraged from persisting in Wikipedia by the behaviours of others.

What is your solution?

Many people put a significant value on their perception of others' attitude to them, as well as objective facts. Many editors of long standing are brusque and rude. When someone adds an edit that is not 100% accurate, it is offensive if someone else immediately adds "citation required" or reverts it. Imagine if a physical (paper-based) encyclopaedia encouraged some editors to annotate their colleagues work on public display with a comment that in effect says "This colleague's work is sloppy."

This kind of thing is encouraged by the use of "functions", where those who consider themselves superior can simply add a criticism inside double curly brackets. It is even worse when they use automated or semi-automated scripts without re-reading the result, often upsetting someone else's careful work simply based on a matter of opinion about style.

And finally, wouldn't it be good if Wikipedia admin people tried to be polite and encouraging, rather than treating editors who ask simple (perhaps naive) questions like naughty and unruly schoolchildren ... ?

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