All 2013 projects | Key theme 2: Increasing diversity of knowledge – Goal 2: Diversity – Change 2.1: Support for new contributors

Project description: Entrée

We will support the transition from making one’s first edit in a Wikimedia project to becoming a permanent community member and test different ways of achieving this transition. (P7)

Contact / Project Manager: currently Nicole Lieger (Team Communities)
Total budget: €10,000
Implementation period: January 31, 2013 – December 11, 2013

What is the project about?

When people become interested in collaborating on Wikipedia and its sister projects, various ways are open to them for finding a permanent place in the communities. Diverse types of support should be identified and tested for this purpose.

These new forms of support will complement good existing practices like the tutoring scheme. Experiences gathered in international Wikimedia projects (such as the Teahouse on the English Wikipedia) and in other online communities should be taken into consideration.

Portals outside Wikipedia (such as Wikimedia Deutschland’s website) could also offer better opportunities for getting started. The option provided for making initial contact should additionally encourage further involvement in a fitting manner.

How will this project help us meet our annual goals?

This project focuses on online measures, particularly those for which there is already interest and/or initiatives within the existing communities. However, it also includes offline measures like strengthening decentralized structures and encouraging face-to-face meetings in the project “Drop by sometime!”.

In addition, close coordination will be maintained with the Education & Knowledge department, particularly with the “Shared knowledge initiative” and “Be a part of Wikimedia” projects.

What are the key milestones along the way and by when should we reach them?

No.	When	What
1.	January 31, 2013	The Weimar University working group will present a prototype for an online platform that encourages people to participate in Wikimedia; this is followed by an analysis of the suitability of this prototype and other online measures that the Wikimedia communities find interesting.
2.	May 4/5 and May 25/26, 2013	In addition to online discussion, presentation in the open space sessions of the Zedler Prize award ceremony and the general assembly.
3.	Through December 11, 2013	Implementation of selected online measures aimed at making it easier for new contributors to get involved on a long-term basis.