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RuWiki History (Doronina and Pinchuk)/English/Interview with INSAR

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1. Your handle on Wikipedia?

INSAR

2. What is your educational background and where do you work?

By profession I'm an engineer/telecommunications worker, I have a degree from a telecommunications institute. I work at a cellular phone company.

3. Where do you live (Moscow, St. Petersburg, a city with a million inhabitants, a small town, etc)?

I was born in Novosibirsk, the third most populous city in Russia. Now I live in Norilsk. I got involved with Wikipedia in Norilsk.

4. How old are you?

28

5. When and how did you first hear about the Russian Wikipedia, and why did you start editing?

Often on LiveJournal, in the replies to any kinds of questions I would see a link to Wikipedia. Usually to the English one. When and how I heard about the Russian - I can't say, I don't remember. Recently I was rereading my LJ and noticed that in one of the comments from way back in 2005 was a suggestion to write an article on Wikipedia. I wrote a note there, it seems, about the Red Prospect in Novosibirsk. Somebody suggested in the comments that I write this in Wikipedia. Back then, I didn't even know that word. I thought it sounded inappropriate.

6. How many years have you participated? If you ever took an extended wiki-vacation, please provide the reason (i.e., too much work offwiki, unpleasant atmosphere/events in the project itself, or something else).

I registered three and a half years ago. Before that I made a few edits anonymously. I wrote a few articles, but I started actively editing in the beginning of fall 2009.

7. What do you like most about participating in the project? Why do you think you and other users participate in this work?

I don't know the answer to this question. Maybe for the sake of belonging to something greater?

9. Do your professional interests overlap with the areas in which you edit on ru.wiki? If not, how do you decide which articles to edit?

No. I edited some articles on topics in my specialization, but not many. In general I write about things that I would like to read about, but haven't found elsewhere.

10. Do you participate in "metapedian" work, i.e., patrolling, discussions of nomination for deletion or renaming, templates? Do you follow the discussions that take place on the Forum, discussion pages of the ArbCom, etc.? Why/why not?

I'm involved in patrolling; in general, I patrol recent changes. I don't participate in primary patrolling very much - I don't have time for deep involvement. In discussions on nominating articles for deletion, I participate in the capacity of a closer. I follow the discussions on the forum attentively, but I rarely participate in them.

11. How do you feel about the administration of ru.wiki? (About the system in general, about certain admins, about the ArbCom?)

I'm happy with the current system. It goes without saying that I relate to different administrators differently: some I like, others I don't. But, it seems that this doesn't get in the way of my working with either of these groups, when I need to. As for the Arbitration Committee, as an institution, I feel positively about it.

12. How do you feel about the rules? Which rule (which "pillar") do you consider to be most important? Do you think that the atmosphere of the project is too strict?

I think that the editing system of the Russian Wikipedia, in general, is reasonably well-developed. Out of the five pillars I find that the most important are the first and third. I don't think the atmosphere is too strict. Any newbie who has paid the minimum amount of attention to the rules can feel perfectly comfortable.

13. Do you communicate with other users outside of Wikipedia? If yes, how: at wiki-meetups, by chat, or through other Internet communities (LiveJournal)?

A few of the users are on my contact list on ICQ and Skype.

14. How has working on Wikipedia helped/hindered you in real life?

Probably not. Though in my personal life, it seems, it does get in the way. =)

15. Has participating in the project affected you personally? How so?

I dream of wiki-markup. Sometimes, in conversations, I try to ask for a source.

16. Do you participate actively in other projects of the Wikimedia Foundation? If so, what are the main differences (positive or negative) from ru.wiki?

I participate in the Russian Wikisource; I'm an administrator there. The main difference is lack of activity. Both from the ordinary users, and from the users with extended privileges.

17. What other web projects do you participate in?

I have an account on LiveJournal. Right now I almost never write there and never read my friends page. I have an account in three social media sites. I use vkontakte.ru, and rarely Facebook. As for odnoklassniki.ru, I totally can't stand it.

18. What other hobbies do you have?

Karate, tourism, physics, astronomy, linguistics