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Experiences as a new editor
Established editors recount their experiences
when they were new editors
We are here to welcome, guide and inform
The number of new users with more
than ten edits has declined since 2007.

Ever wanted to know what our new editors are thinking? Why exactly did they start editing? What encourages or discourages them from continuing to edit, and what can we do to improve their editing experience? Since 2007, the monthly count of new editors has steadily declined.

As a community we have many ideas but we’ve been thwarted by too many options and too little data. We want to run a study over the next couple of months to craft strategies, develop new users, and to get data on exactly how our new users are finding their first, and later, experiences on Wikipedia. Of course, it will also help to share the experiences of established users, who are able to find necessary resources for new users. In this study we'll be specifically testing whether targeted interventions at specific times (after the first edit is reverted, article is deleted, etc) are helpful in boosting retention.

Our plan

  • X groups of y new users who have an email attached to their account, have made at least 1 edit and are not currently blocked.
  • 1 group of users is just going to be followed while the other groups of users will be randomly assigned to helpers (Wiki Guides) who sign up to actively reach out, intervene when necessary, and offer advice.

What do I need to do as a guide?

  • Be willing to help!
    • Every new editor is different and has individual reasons for finding the site difficult, confusing or frustrating. The ideal guide has the patience and understanding to work with a new editor to respond to these reasons. Your greatest strength as a guide would be knowing where to look; you don't need to know every answer but you should know enough to point the user to the right place.
  • Be willing to dedicate an average of four to six hours a week.
    • We anticipate that the new-user part of the program will start at the end of February or the beginning of March. Before that we want to set up the pages on Meta-Wiki and flesh out some ideas from everyone involved (especially you!).
  • Be willing to give your email address to the Wikimedia Foundation.
    • To help administer the study and confer with all the guides, we need to contact you via email. Just click here and send an email through Special:EmailUser. If you want to use a different email address from the one attached to your account, feel free to specify that. Any address you provide will be handled under the Wikimedia Foundation’s Privacy policy.
  • Be willing to contact the new users to whom you are assigned by email as well as via talk pages.

What was your experience as a new user like?

All Wikipedians had a "New User experience" - they all had to start somewhere!

Many have kindly given us their stories of those early, tentative days of how it felt to be a new user on Wikipedia. If you are already an editor, please go to the talk page to add your own section and tell us your story.

You can view those stories on the talk page (click here), but here are a few teasers!

  • Wilhelmina Will: "Even after I started editing with my account, I only felt comfortable doing the simplest of edits; I remember thinking it would be a huge time-consuming task to add in an external link ... I've managed to gain a pretty decent understanding of how the different fields of editing in Wikipedia operate. A considerable amount of this comes from interacting with other users"
  • Carcharoth "It may never be too early to ask people what exactly they want from their Wikipedia experience, and tailor things to help them that way."
  • Jsayre64 "I definitely did not enjoy the first several weeks after I created an account here on Wikipedia, in July of last year. I was annoyed and puzzled by image problem notices and I felt as if I were a burden on everyone else. But then I signed up to join the friendly editors at WikiProject Oregon and I began to realize how I could actually help an encyclopedia."
  • Pfly "I was telling her about a possible ancestor-cousin of mine who was a pirate captain, and how a recent book had used his hanging as a kind of milestone, an end to the "Golden Age of Piracy". She said, "let's see if he's on Wikipedia". He wasn't, so she created a page in less than a minute. I was surprised and amazed."
  • The_Interior "My first real interaction with another editor was my requesting some Czech translation, which was replied to almost immediately and in great detail(the reply can still be seen at the top of my talk). I have to say this was my "pivotal" moment which led to further editing adventures."
  • Anna Frodesiak "New editors and prospective editors should know loud and clear, that Wikipedia is composed of others just like themselves -- that there is no government that audits and approves their edits."

What Wiki Guides should expect if they sign up

  • At the start, James Alexander will do the assigning.
  • We want to start off only with people who have given us their email addresses.
  • Guides will be assigned new users who have already edited more than once.
  • Guides will generally receive the names of ten to fifteen new editors, but they can request more.
  • An equal number of users not assigned guides will be monitored as a control. (If those users reach out for help on their own, of course, it will be provided as usual.)
  • If a new editor is not comfortable with being involved, we will respect that.
  • Editors may be involved fewer than four hours during many weeks, depending on how well the project works.
  • At some point, perhaps in two or three months, James Alexander will survey the people involved — that is, the guides, new editors with guides, and new editors without guides — to get their ideas and feedback.
  • It is okay if a guide leaves the program; we can assign other mentors.

I want to help out!

  • Sign up below to express your interest!
  • Send an email to James Alexander and Philippe Beaudette confirming your account. You'll get a confirmation-and-welcome email and a note in 24 hours.
  • Even if you aren't sure about signing up yet, get involved on the talk page and help us get set up.
    • What was your experience when you started? Did any other editors help you out? What do you think would have helped you back then?
    • What are your thoughts for this project? What resources do you think would be helpful for you and other guides?
    • Can you think of others who would be good guides? Reach out to them and get them involved — or let us know so we can!

Sign up!

  1. Jalexander--WMF (email received)
  2. I'll hop aboard. Blurpeace 07:31, 3 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  3. Email sent! Kim Dent-Brown (Talk) 12:18, 4 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  4. Am interested. (ETA but don't know if I have enough experience to be a guide - can you let me know what you think Jalexander?)--Physics is all gnomes (talk) 14:19, 4 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]
    If you're interested and want to I think you're more then welcome. There is definitely something to be said about the knowledge that comes from being 'inexperienced' (and knowing first hand, and more recently, what new users are going for) can be just as important as the experience that comes from being around for a while and knowing where everything is. If you have questions as you try and help someone I know you'll be able to find help from everyone else here (and off the project). Jalexander--WMF 22:05, 7 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]
    Thanks for your kind words Jalexander. Due to real life reasons I'm not sure how much I'll be around for the next few months. I think regretfully I'd better not be a guide: I don't want to start something if I can't commit to finishing it. I'll definitely be watching the project with interest, and hopefully can help out in some other ways.--Physics is all gnomes (talk) 16:03, 24 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]
  5. PeterSymonds (talk) 20:18, 4 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  6. Definitely. --Danger (talk) 05:34, 7 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  7. Have some notions. Abductive (reasoning) 04:20, 10 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  8. I'd love to be a guide.--Danaman5 (talk) 04:43, 10 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  9. I really like this initiative and would like to help. Yoenit (talk) 22:17, 10 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  10. A friendly note from a real person can make all the difference to a new contributor, happy to lend a hand. Fæ (talk) 22:45, 10 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  11. ···日本穣? · 投稿 · Talk to Nihonjoe · Join WikiProject Japan! 00:24, 11 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  12. Tom Morris (email received)
  13. I'd like to be a guide, and I'm interested in this especially as a potential factor in increasing participation by other women. A personal email made the difference in my participation in an open source project. Dreamyshade (talk) 03:17, 11 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  14. Mono (talk) 03:44, 11 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  15. Ariconte (talk) 05:08, 11 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  16. Dynamicyadav (talk) 13:10, 11 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  17. Do we get a badge? Totnesmartin (talk) 15:30, 11 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
    Do you want one? :) I've never been against userboxes/badges whatever. If we want one, someone should make it :) Jalexander--WMF 23:51, 12 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]
  18. Sounds fun. — Parent5446 ☯ (msg email) 22:48, 11 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  19. I won't have any time for life, but it's not like I actually have a life anyway :P /ƒETCHCOMMS/ 03:35, 12 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  20. Might be the blind leading the blind, but would love to help out. The Interior (Talk) 03:42, 12 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  21. Always happy to help. -- Ϫ 12:20, 12 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  22. Will help, since I'm from Germany, I can also help if there is somebody willing to learn English :p mabdul 14:13, 12 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  23. I love this! User:Prashantserai (talk) (email received)
  24. I'd be extremely happy to help new editors. --Essam Sharaf 18:12, 12 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)
  25. Nikarvidsson (talk) 21:38, 12 February 2011 (UTC) i can help, if help is needed?[reply]
  26. Sounds interesting, I'll give it a shot. demize (t · c) 21:59, 12 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  27. Great idea, I'm in. Katherine (talk) 13:08, 13 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  28. Sure, why not! TheMike •Wassup doc? 15:56, 13 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  29. Chaosdruid (talk) 21:52, 15 February 2011 (UTC) It is already something many of us already do, although often only once problems have arisen through new editors not understanding the issues of copyright, refs and WP:UNDUE. Hopefully this will stop some of that and make Wikiworld a more pleasant experience for new editors. (email received)[reply]
  30. --v/r - TP 02:03, 16 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  31. - Why not? I would like to help newbies joing the WP community. ► Wireless Keyboard ◄ 02:10, 17 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  32. This is looking like a good complement to the Online Ambassador role; I'm hoping the programs can work together to help build more of a newbie-friendly culture on Wikipedia. --ragesoss (talk) 02:54, 17 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]
  33. Sounds interesting, maybe I'll even lean some along the way!Sumsum2010·T·C·Review me! 01:29, 18 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  34. I'm relatively new as a registered editor here, but I've been editing and using Wikia for years and am an experienced editor...COUNT ME IN!WIERDGREENMAN (talk) 03:09, 18 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  35. I'd love to help out any way I can. -- Fyrefly (talk) 22:20, 18 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  36. I would LOVE to help :) Peter.C • talk 16:07, 19 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  37. I would be happy to participate- this seems like a great idea to me.--E♴ (talk) 16:09, 19 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  38. I would like to help out, sign me up -Nem1yan (talk) 15:18, 21 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  39. 4-6 hours might be overoptimistic, but I'll give it a go. Email about to be sent WormTT 16:08, 21 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
    I think my statement of 4-6 hours may actually end up being more then necessary for most weeks but I think there will be a lot of flexibility for people if they have issues. Jalexander--WMF 01:39, 22 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]
  40. I'm hep. Do you want people familiar with specific topics? I've been doing a lot of India and Pakistan stuff, which is swamped with IPs and new regs with no wiki familiarity. If there's any attempt to target by subject, I'd like to help guide South Asia contributors. MatthewVanitas (talk) 16:56, 21 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
    Responded by email but I thought it would be good for others to see too. I think we're going to start off random mostly just because the individual targeting will become more time then it's worth but that it's a very good (and I think important) thing for people to reach out for those involved in a topic if the user(s) they're working with need more help there. A lot of questions can be answered by almost all of us but if someone is getting deep into a topic (especially if excited about it) it's always nice to hook them up with a friendly person also involved in the topic. Jalexander--WMF 01:39, 22 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]
  41. Would love to help wherever I can. --Diego Grez (talk) 01:38, 23 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  42. I'll try my best. Promise.Ankit Maity 16:49, 24 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]
  43. New editors are the life blood of WP. How they are treated early on in their WP career is very importrant. I will commit to welcoming them into the WP Community. Buster Seven Talk 19:18, 24 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  44. Sure, I think people should feel good about being here and happy to belong. --Nconwaymicelli (talk) 11:22, 25 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]
  45. Sounds fun. I'd love to help. Braincricket (talk) 01:24, 26 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  46. Confirming my interest in signing up. Lionratz (talk) 03:52, 26 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  47. Sounds good, I'd love to help. BurtAlert (talk) 02:02, 27 February 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  48. I pledge to take part in this duty. Sierkejd (talk) 2455620.19 (Julian Date), 16:37, 27 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]
  49. What Sage said :) --Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus| talk 23:01, 1 March 2011 (UTC)[reply]
  50. Seems like a lot of fun. jonkerz♠ 23:33, 1 March 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  51. I'm always happy to help new users. J04n(talk page) 16:32, 6 March 2011 (UTC)(email received)[reply]
  52. I'd love to help new users. —Ancient Apparition • Champagne? • 11:29am • 00:29, 8 March 2011 (UTC) (email received)[reply]
  53. Happy to give this a go. --Bermicourt (talk) 21:31, 12 March 2011 (UTC)[reply]
  54. I'd like to give this a shot. MER-C 04:11, 13 March 2011 (UTC) email received[reply]
  55. Can I help as an IP? 70.151.3.1 (talk) 09:27, 16 March 2011 (UTC)[reply]
    Is your IP stable? Or does it change? I don't see much of a reason why not... why don't you email me, and let's talk it through. Wikiguides@wikimedia.org.
  56. Targeting new users to experienced editors by subject field makes good sense and I hope there is a shift in that direction ASAP. Carrite (talk) 07:03, 18 March 2011 (UTC)[reply]
  57. Acather96 (talk) 16:48, 18 March 2011 (UTC)[reply]
  58.  Chzz  ►  15:07, 20 March 2011 (UTC)[reply]
  59. I'll help! — Oli OR Pyfan! 10:17, 23 March 2011 (UTC)[reply]
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