Wikipedia:WikiProject Editor Retention
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WP:RETENTION: These editors are willing to lend a helping hand. Just ask!
WikiProject Editor Retention aims to retain Wikipedians. Editors are as important as content. Without editors, there are no contributions. Without contributions, the encyclopedia grows stagnant. Editor retention is the concern and proactive effort of retaining contributors. We aim to do the following: discuss patterns of behavior or processes that discourage editors, guide editors to optimal venues for having their questions answered or disputes resolved, and create projects to provide support and recognize editors. Policies are not decided here, but are discussed, hoping to find solutions that are specifically geared toward retaining editors. Since some of the topics are controversial and contentious, we ask that editors strive for civility in their participation in discussions and projects here.
Interested? Add your name to the member list.
Editing Goals
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Overview
Editor retention is a Wikipedia-wide problem. This WikiProject aims to build a stronger Wikipedia for the future, a Wikipedia in which editors want to work and participate, rather than pointing fingers or making accusations at one another. Pointing out the positive actions of administrators and others is encouraged, as we believe the best way to lead is by example. We want to point out what is RIGHT about Wikipedia, encourage others to use those methods, and establish new methods and ideas that make editing Wikipedia enjoyable, fulfilling, and rewarding for everyone.
Spreading awareness
- Editors can display one of these userboxes to promote the project and let editors know your interest.
- Welcome new users from the Special:Log/newusers list with our welcome template: {{subst:WikiProject Editor Retention/Welcome}} or one of the standardised templates found at Wikipedia:Welcoming committee/Welcome templates. Another available option for finding new editors is "Recent changes" in the drop-down menu (under the WikiGlobe to our left) under "Interaction". Scan for red linked talk pages of new editors that have already started their Wikipedia career.
Supporting editors
- Sign up as a Teahouse host, and participate in one or more of the following activities:
- answer questions on the Teahouse Q&A board
- send templated invitations to new editors listed on the Teahouse invitee report (it's refreshed daily!) Don't be shy about emailing people too; email + talk page invite works better than a template alone. And personalizing the invitation with an introduction or a "good job with your edits to the article FOO" is likely to have an even more positive impact. Currently, most of these editors are not being invited to the Teahouse.
- post a welcoming message on the talk pages of editors who have recently introduced themselves on the Teahouse guests page. Currently, most of these are not being welcomed, even after they introduce themselves.
- Sign up as a volunteer at the Wikipedia:Dispute resolution noticeboard, a venue where small content disputes can be resolved as well as a gateway to other more consequential venues. Be involved with the Dispute resolution process. Early mediation of problems prevents blocks and protracted edit wars which disrupt Wikipedia and helps keep things civil.
- Wikipedia:BOLD, revert, discuss cycle is an optional method of reaching consensus. Our edits can and will be changed by others ...even this one. Interact with editors in a manner that encourages editing and improving the encyclopedia while using your experience and knowledge to teach and lead by example.
- Cool down aggressive conversation if it begins in your presence. Be an advocate of collaboration. Of course, the challenge is not to become adversarial yourself. If a situation occurs and you feel administrative intervention is required, editors can create a post on a number of noticeboards such as Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/Incidents. You can discuss issues that affect administrators at Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard (however, most editors are expected to make some attempt to work it out themselves before going there, and without evidence of this attempt, most such postings will be rejected before they are given full administrative consideration).
Recognizing editors
- Spread some Wikilove. Try to acknowledge and thank someone different for their contributions, each and every day: Give a barnstar, "cookies" or bacon as appreciation, or send them Thanks for an edit they made.
Working within the project
- Keep an eye out for Nominees to be the WER Editor of the Week...and then nominate them.
Project Goals
A part of increasing retention of editors at Wikipedia is to encourage new editors to continue editing in a positive and constructive manner. We therefore encourage you to:
- Greet and help new editors: stop and help them when you know they may be stuck, misguided, incorrect or just stumbling, but continue to encourage interaction if/ when you get a less than thankful response
- Advise and encourage new editors to learn how to be a Wikipedia editor before they are discouraged by some early pitfall
- Patrol Special:Log/newusers to identify newer users who already have made contributions and put a Welcome Template on their talk page along with a personal note telling them to feel free to contact you if they have a question
- Scan "Recent changes" searching for either new editors to welcome or situations to which you feel you can contribute from a "retention viewpoint"; soften the blow of speedy deletions, etc.
Even experienced editors can get discouraged, and we should always consider ways to retain those who have been here awhile. Many editors become semi-retired or just stop editing without declaring so for various reasons, some of them more obvious than others. With regard to them, our project goals are to:
- Establish methods for use to prevent editor loss, such as promotion of the project and its suggestions
- Encourage departed editors to return. Even many retired editors will watch their user talkpage for passing comments, so consider leaving an encouraging, personally written comment and suggest an edit they might be interested in making
- Promote a more positive environment in which editors will want to participate
- Review Wikipedia:WikiProject_Editor_Retention/FA_editors_list to find Featured Article (WP:FA) contributors who appear to have stopped contributing recently-- perhaps by contacting them you can encourage them to return to editing. WP:Good will lead you to Good Article (GA) contributors.
- Document ways in which all editors can achieve these goals and organize them within the project's subpages
- Sign up and participate with the various Help Projects located through Wikipedia:Help Project. This project is undergoing substantial reorganizing to make it easier for editors to find the appropriate help,[when?] especially in high traffic areas where applicable, such as WikiProject Directory. Feel free to contribute to that project.
Reasons editors leave
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Reasons editors leave[edit]Not all reasons that editors leave can be "fixed", as many simply move onto other interests or have lifestyle changes that limit their participation. This list focuses on the reasons that can be addressed at Wikipedia. These problems, in no particular order, are within the scope of this project. Feel free to modify.
More data on this issue is available from the Former Contributors Survey Results. Some information can be gleaned by looking in the retired editors list at the final edit summaries retired users left |
Damage to the editorial climate
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Things causing damage to the editorial climate[edit]
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Project Tasks
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Here are some tasks awaiting attention:
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Discussions & Links
Initiatives
- Create an easy-to-understand essay for requesting unblocks
- Reward established editors that might not be noticed otherwise via Wikipedia's Editor of the Week
Current working groups
Other areas of the project
- Retired editors list
- Retired editors questionnaire
- The care and handling of New Editors
- Tips for returning administrators
Why do editors leave?
- Wikipedia:Why is Wikipedia losing contributors - Thinking about remedies
- Discovered reasons given for leaving Wikipedia
Identifying editors who have left, or who are at risk of leaving
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Discussion
Current discussions
Peripheral links suggested by editors
- The directory of Wikimedia research projects
- Editor engagement
- Editor Trends Study
- Employee retention – A similar concept
- Findings from the Wikimedia Summer of Research
- Former Contributors Survey Results
- Imagine others complexly
- Modelling Wikipedia's growth
- The MoodBar
- Morbidity and mortality conference
- Nine Reasons Why Women Don't Edit Wikipedia by Sue Gardner, Executive Director, Wikimedia Foundation
- Snuggle, a browser-based newcomer observation and support system.
- The Teahouse
- Reading lounge for editors who want to take a break and read through some interesting links
- Wikimedia Foundation Growth Project
- Wikipedia founder worries about future of editorial community
- WikiStats 2 - English Wikipedia, the WMF engagement metrics.
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General research process ('Incubation')
[edit]- Planning: Defining goals and methods
- Action: Implementing the plan
- Tracking: Quantitatively determining degree of success
Resources
[edit]- Wikipedia Statistics
- en.wikipedia user retention: graph showing histograms of number of edits made in a given month for all editors who started editing in the same month. Retention can be seen as how far from the starting month activity persists.
- meta:Research:Teahouse - WMF funded research on reasons new users depart. The references are particularly valuable.
External links
[edit]- Playing for keeps: Recruiting and retaining volunteer staff in volunteer-run organizations
- Attracting and Retaining Volunteers - Philantrophic Giving Resources
- Recruiting and managing volunteers — Knowhow Nonprofit
![]() | This is a WikiProject, an area for focused collaboration among Wikipedians. New participants are welcome; please feel free to participate!
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