Research:Teahouse/Hosts

Teahouse Hosts are volunteers who serve as the first point of contact for new editors participating in the pilot of the Teahouse on English Wikipedia. Hosts will assist new editors with becoming familiar with Wikipedia policy, procedures, tasks and opportunities for participation by inviting, welcoming, and facilitating discussion in an on-wiki Teahouse space designed specifically for new editors. The Teahouse is seeking to have at least 20 Hosts in its initial phase. The application process for Teahouse hosts is based somewhat on the Online Ambassador process. We hope to have the host application process opened for application if the Teahouse is a success.

What is Wikipedia Teahouse?

Wikipedia Teahouse is a pilot project which is being developed by Wikimedia Foundation Community Fellows with the following goals:

• Improve editor retention by providing new editors with a pro-active outreach environment guided by Teahouse Hosts.
• Model a social approach to new user support; the Teahouse will be a new formula on Wikipedia outside of the standard 1 on 1 support models (i.e. OTRS, mentorship, adoption programs) and self-support options (i.e. help pages, tutorials), providing a social and helpful atmosphere to encourage participation and understanding.
• Give new editors a place they can easily and comfortably ask questions and receive explanations without fear of being bitten, making them more confident editors.
• Provide new editors a place to interact with one another and provide peer support for one another as they learn to do things the Wikipedia way.

Teahouse Host responsibilities

Each week, Teahouse Hosts will be expected to...

• send invitations to a set of new good faith editors (identified by the project team and/or by hosts themselves).
• answer questions, provide basic guidance, facilitate discussion and welcome new users in the Teahouse Q&A board.
• follow up with new users who visit the Teahouse, with email/talk page thank you notes and feedback requests.
• monitor Teahouse discussion pages for help requests, questions, trolls, etc.
• be familiar with existing projects (i.e. Commons, Wikisource), initiatives (i.e. WikiProjects, Task Forces, testing) and on-wiki resources (OTRS, Dispute Resolution, etc) to connect new users with based on interests and needs.
• curate the discussion threads for inactive or resolved threads.

Other opportunities for Hosts

As Wikipedia Teahouse develops, other projects for Hosts may include:

• recruiting and reviewing applications for new Teahouse Hosts
• development of a Teahouse Host meeting space; which will serve as a repository for training materials, a Teahouse Host discussion space, general help resources, and a place to discuss and develop workshops, training and templates.
• hosting and participating in an IRC help room and special IRC and on-Wiki themed sessions.

Qualifications

To be considered for this role you should...

• be available to dedicate at least 5 hours a week to the Teahouse from February through May 2012.
• be in good standing within the community (i.e. not blocked, not involved in arbitration procedures.)
• be familiar with basic Wikipedia policy and ethics (i.e. Five Pillars).
• have good written social skills and the ability to comfortably assist new users in a respectful, friendly, confident and often “non-Wiki-speak” manner.
• have a desire to encourage participation and retention of new users in Wikipedia and related projects.

Apply!

To apply, please fill out our Teahouse Host Application. Applications are due by January 29, 2012.