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Community Wishlist/Focus areas/Connecting Contributors

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Connecting Like-Minded Contributors Submitted

Description

How might we help like-minded contributors find each other, so we can see more high-quality contributions and satisfied contributors?

We would like to make it easier for like-minded contributors to connect with each other. This way, we believe that we can see more high-quality contributions, more satisfied contributors, and more of a sense of belonging on the wikis.

First, regarding contributions: We believe that contributors do some of their best work when they come together, whether it is through edit-a-thons, backlog drives, WikiProjects, or other forms of collaboration. They can collaborate on topics and/or tasks they care about, and they can work together to solve problems that may arise. The end result is that many collaborative activities produce high-quantity and high-quality contributions across the projects.

Second, regarding volunteer growth: This is a volunteer movement, and volunteers need opportunities to grow. One of the best ways to do this is by learning from one another. When like-minded contributors can connect with each other, they can share tools and resources, recognize each other’s work, and mentor one another. And this support comes not just from anyone, but from someone who cares about some of the same things you do, which can be very powerful and instructive.

Third, a sense of belonging: We want to make it easier for people to find purpose and a sense of belonging on the wikis. We know that the wikis can be a lonely place for some people, and some contributors may lose motivation over time. One way to help address these issues is to help foster a greater sense of community on the wikis. If people feel connected and needed, then they’re more likely to stick around and find value in the Wikimedia movement.


Target audience

  • Contributors who want to work with other contributors on certain topics or task
  • Contributors who are interested in opportunities to share skills, tools, and resources with others who do similar work on the wikis
  • Contributors who feel like the wikis are a lonely place, and they would like to find more of a sense of community
  • Organizers of events, WikiProjects, or other collaborative activities who want to find more people to join them
  • Newcomers who want to receive mentorship and the people who want to support them

Supporting data

In 2024, the Campaigns team conducted a survey of people who engage in collaborative activities on the wikis, such as WikiProjects, edit-a-thons, and backlog drives. We received 147 responses, and we published a report: [Survey report]. Findings included:

  • The majority of respondents found working with others on the wikis to be important to them. 87 said it was “very important,” 40 said it was “somewhat important,” 18 said it was “a little important,” and 2 said it was “not important at all.”
  • Overall, the most important desired outcomes from collaborations with other editors were feeling like part of a community and filling knowledge gaps.
  • The three biggest challenges that were identified related to WikiProjects and other forms of collaboration on the wikis were: finding participants, engaging newcomers and keeping participants engaged.
  • WikiProjects are places to engage around a topic, but many are dormant and they are not highly present on all wikis.
    • According to Wikidata query service (see query), there are 10,000+ WikiProjects spread out over 254 wikis. However, there are many wikis that have a minimal number of WikiProjects. Of the 254 wikis with WikiProjects, 169 of them have less than 10 WikiProjects per wiki. 203 of them have less than 20 WikiProjects per wiki. 220 have less than 50 WikiProjects per wiki. Only 25 wikis have at least 100 WikiProjects.
    • Many WikiProjects are not active, however there is no common easy measurement of activity. Perhaps the most effective is '[Category:Active WikiProjects]' on English Wikipedia. There is also [Category:Inactive_WikiProjects], [Category:Semi-active_WikiProjects], [WikiProjects| Category:Defunct_WikiProjects], [Category:Draft_WikiProjects].
    • Even when WikiProjects are active, users report a hard time onboarding newcomers or less experienced editors into the collaborations.


Supporting Evidence

Other details

Last updated: 21:09, 11 December 2024 (UTC)

Created: 18:25, 10 December 2024 (UTC)

Wishes in this focus area

Below is a list of wishes that have informed this focus area. More wishes may be added to this table over time. Voting for the focus area is not a guarantee that each wish will be explicitly delivered; rather, the wishes are suggestive of the problem at large. Once a focus area is adopted, the respective team will work alongside communities to prioritize and deliver on the most impactful solutions.

Wish Phabricator tasks Type Projects Date (UTC) Status
Matrix chats && mentor institute Feature request All projects 2024-12-10T18:28:20.000ZDecember 10, 2024 Open
Standard-User-Page T65988 System change All projects 2024-12-10T18:27:57.000ZDecember 10, 2024 Open
User-Icons Feature request All projects 2024-12-10T18:27:40.000ZDecember 10, 2024 Open
Make it easier for users to find others to help in collaborating on writing articles Feature request Wikimedia Commons, Wikipedia 2024-12-10T18:27:21.000ZDecember 10, 2024 Open

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