Submissions:2016/Welcoming and Helping New Editors: A Month at the Teahouse

Title

Welcoming and helping new editors: A month at the Teahouse

Theme

Community

Academic Peer Review option

no

Type of submission

Presentation

Author

Jim Heaphy

E-mail address

JimHeaphy52@gmail.com

Username

Cullen328

Affiliation

none

Abstract

According to WMF research staff writing in 2015, "The Teahouse offers personalized support to new editors, providing an opportunity to learn the ropes of Wikipedia in a safe, friendly, and engaging environment".

I am the most active Teahouse host, with 3983 edits to the project as of August 30, 2016. The Teahouse began on February 15, 2012. Initially, the Teahouse was directly supported by WMF staff and fellows, but became volunteer-run in October, 2012.

I will read and review all of the 300+ questions asked at the Teahouse in the month of August, 2016, and their responses. I will sort each question into one or more general categories. Such categories will include writing a first article, image usage, copyright issues, article naming, tables, reference formatting, identifying reliable sources, conflict of interest, denials at Articles for Creation, and so on. Statistics about these categories for that month will be provided and discussed. Examples of specific positive interactions with new editors will be provided, as well as negative interactions, along with discussion of what went right and wrong.

The most active recent Teahouse hosts will be identified, and basic demographic information about them will also be provided. New editors who sought help at the Teahouse and then went on to become productive long term editors will also be discussed.

I will summarize existing research about the Teahouse and its effectiveness in editor retention. Although much of this research was completed back in 2012 during the early days of the Teahouse, a current project regarding "long term new editor retention" is being conducted by Jonathan Morgan and Aaron Halfaker of the Wikimedia Foundation, which has preliminary findings indicating that "that Teahouse invitees were significantly more likely than control to have made 1 or more edits between 3-4 weeks after registration ... and to have made 5 or more edits between 2-6 months after registration".

I will conclude my presentation with my own recommendations about how to improve the functioning and effectiveness of the Teahouse, especially in the all-important area (in my opinion) of personalized responses, friendly personal touches, and avoiding writing responses that can be perceived as bureaucratic, formulaic and cold.

I will also present ideas about how to better publicize the Teahouse to new editors, and also to potential new Teahouse hosts among the corps of experienced and active editors.

Length of presentation

30 min.

Special schedule requests

none

Preferred room size

50, but I will happily defer to the judgment of the conference organizers

Will you attend WikiConference North America if your submission is not accepted?

yes

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