Well, you've completed all the lessons to this point. So now it's your turn to go out and work on the encyclopedia! This prep is designed to teach you about the different areas in which you can work. It's a big wide encyclopedia out there.
Building
editThe first option is to build new articles. You know an awful lot about how Wikipedia works now, and what's notable and what's not, reliable sources and what not. How about you try and write an article? Something new, something different. You may have already done this. If you can write 1500 characters about a subject, you can submit it for Did you know. Did you know is a great way to ensure your new articles are up to scratch (they need to be less than 5 days old in the mainspace, well sourced and have a catchy "hook") and the hook should appear on the front page in the Did you know section! You can also apply for a DYK if you expand the characters in an article by 5x. That can be quite tough, but it is possible.
Join a Project
editHave a look at your favorite articles. On the talk page, you'll often find that they have an associated WikiProject. The project is always looking for new members and will enjoy your help! They often have to-do lists and you could help out :D
Deleting
editWhy not head over to WP:XfD. There's always debates going on about articles that might need deleting from the encyclopedia. Throw in a view! You've been reading so much theory and you might like to put it to use. There's an interesting essay on WP:Arguments to avoid in deletion discussions which might help you.
Patrolling
editThere's a lot to maintain at Wikipedia, and your help would be gratefully received.
- New Page Patrol checks every single new page to see if it meets the guidelines, wikifies it, tags it and marks it as patrolled. It could be very helpful if you'd pitch in :D Have a read and think about if you might be interested in helping out there. You may end up using your WP:CSD knowledge and nominating some articles for deletion.
- Recent Changes Patrol, vandalism patrol. it's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it! I've done quite a bit during my time here.
Cleanup
edit- WP:CLEANUP is one of the biggest backlogs on Wikipedia. There's lots of things to do there, from wikification to re-writing articles to comply with NPOV. Every little bit does help, so whatever you can do, please do.
Help the encyclopedia move forward
editThere's always discussions going on at requested moves or WP:Requests for comment. Why not see if you can offer a point of view? The most important discussions (supposedly) at any given time are listed at WP:CENT. Hey, you can even wander around the village pump (the encyclopedic version of the water cooler) to see if there's any general discussions you're interested in.
When you feel you're ready
editOnce you've familiarized yourself with all of these areas, let me know and I will give you a link to the final exam. Have fun! It's a big encyclopedia out there! AutomaticStrikeout (T • C)