| # |
Assumption |
Based on |
Conclusion
|
| 1 |
New users don't know where to start editing and most of them think that everything is already done. |
UNU-Merit Survey |
New users will be more likely to start participating if we (a) tell them that there's a lot that still needs to be done and (b) give them 3–4 options for what they can do immediately, preferably sorted by how much time it takes and what topic the task deals with.
|
| 2 |
Wikipedia feels cold because readers/new users don't know who is actually writing it. |
Anecdotal |
If we show new users photos of Wikipedians as part of the account creation process, they will understand that Wikipedia consists of an active community and they will want to be part of it. Even just listing how many have already created accounts (and started editing) may inspire people to join the winning team [1].
|
| 3 |
New users want to create a userpage as a place where they feel "at home" / where they can show that they are a part of Wikipedia. The more newcomers are directed to creating a user page, the more likely they are to start editing afterwards. |
Polish Wikipedia |
Let new users create a user page as part of the account creation process.
|
| 4 |
Non-contributors think that the existing community consists of nerds. They don't want to be part of that group. |
Judd Antin, My Kind of People? Perceptions About Wikipedia Contributors and Their Motivations |
If we show them early on that the community consists of "nice people" they want to be part of that community. One way of doing that is to link to pages of Wiki-meetups. Another way of doing that is to link to categories of "Wikipedians from Sacramento" or some such Wikipedian-category [2]
|
| 5 |
Non-contributors think that you have to have some kind of "super power" or "super knowledge" to edit Wikipedia and that the existing community consists of people who are much smarter than they are. |
UNU-Merit Survey |
If we explain that everybody can help in some way (and at the same time show them what needs to be done), they are more likely to start editing.
|
| 6 |
People who create a user account want to help Wikipedia to get better, but they have a very different level of time and skills. |
Obvious |
We have to offer them a set of options to help that meets their individual skills and their availability of time. Good example: http://www.sparked.com
|
| 7 |
People who create accounts want to "be part of Wikipedia" |
Account Creation survey |
We should mention that they are part of Wikipedia when they edit, not when they create their account.
|
| 8 |
People usually create accounts for web sites they like, so when they create their accounts, they most likely like Wikipedia |
Account Creation survey |
We should acknowledge that we too like Wikipedia
|
| 9 |
Newcomers do not know how Wikipedia works (what a wiki is, that their edits can be reverted, Wikipedia's policies, the culture of Wikipedia, whom to contact, and how conflicts are resolved). They are likely to quit or never start editing if they run into problems with this. |
Obvious |
We need to educate the newcomer. Perhaps this could be accomplished by rewriting the Main page and explaining some of the things we need them to know.
|
| 10 |
New contributors have a limited patience for learning about a new system. |
Obvious |
We also need to think about not slowing the new users down to the point of stopping them from start editing, so any education need to be short and to the point.
|
| 11 |
New users are not aware of what their account brings before they get it |
Obvious, also the comments below this image |
We should explain the benefits of accounts before they get their account, and show the features clearly, even before they get an account.
|
| 12 |
New users want to know who owns Wikipedia (who is behind it). |
Anecdotal |
The Wikimedia Foundation sounds so impressive (top-ten web site, staff of 50-60, no ads, everything free to reuse forever, run by the charming Sue Gardner, but dependant on tens of thousands of volunteers) that we should give them a glimpse into the world behind the scenes. Also, Wikipedia is always among the 50 most visited pages [3]
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