User:Buster7/Sandbox-Wiki Guides

Reciprocity

The newbie/n00bie/guidee senses the Wikipedia Community and they want to be a part of it. They reach out to shake hands and that first handshake should be friendly. Its why Wal-Mart has a greeter at the front door. It creates a bond. It makes good business sense.

Using the Wal-Mart greeter as an example, the Wiki Guides are not there to help the newbie decide on a red hat or a blue hat (or which aisle to shop in) but merely to point out where the HAT department is, if asked. That's not to say that the Wiki Guides can't help in the hat decision just thats its not the intended purpose of the Guides to make the decision for the newbie. The Wiki Guides are also not the bodyguard or the Tag-team partner of the newbie. That's not to say that the Guides can't come to the defense of the newbie, the Guides just can't fight their battles. The Wiki Guides are like the "cut-man" at a prize fight. Offer encouragement...and Iodine. There is Discovery and Empowerment and Experience to be had in a tussle with an editor. Don't deprive the 'newbie' of THEIR journey.

Who decides who is worthy

Wiki Guides should greet every newbie they are given. WE Guides should not exclude any of the 10 (or 50) as innapropriate or unworthy. WE Guides may be the catylist for changing the direction of the newbies WikiLife. Lets avoid making too quick a decision on what that life looks like at the moment. How can WE know what's really up at the talkpage we're at. Who's to judge what the potential of the "newbie" is...or...who will see our personal welcome...or...what result a positive and out-reaching hello might create. The Wiki Guide project is about personal contact and communication not about judging who is worthy. Greet them all and let the chips fall where they may.

What they have to learn to do, they learn by doing...Aristotle

Newbie/guidees are novice travelers in (and into) WikiWorld. Beginners, but behind the wheel of an Indy race car and they havent even looked at the Instruction Manual.

Wiki Guides;

• are conduits/helpful/reassuring/friendship
• are partners/friends walking alongside the 'newbie/guidee' into the forest of Wikipedia.(Walking in the World)
• should send a message to the 'newbie/guidee' that they are not alone, that they are not unpartnered,
• should be interactive without being pushy, without taking the HELM, without saying, "Take that path"
• should be well-wishing and watchful for situations that have negative potential. (At the same time aware that a "street fight" can be educational)
• are there to "soften the landing" if the newbie picks up a 'toxic editor'
• helps the 'newbie-guidee' wiggle out of situations that have led to the downfall of other newbies.
• suggest..."You might want to try X'...rather than command. "You will get burned if you stick your hand into that fire."
• are listeners...with the advantage of experience...with the knowledge that certain Wiki-paths are trecherous and dangerous (Drama-laden articles)

Other Wiki Editors

will come forth to offer advice and further assistance. A good example is what is happening for User:Jane Peppler, the only active editor among my first 10, in early March. Wiki Guides should just observe and help the 'newbie/guidee' to get off a "sandbar" or avoid the "reefs", step in to assist if some marauding "pirates' come on-board, make sure as many sails as possible are available and are handy Wikipedia Principles, writing guides etc. But...stay away from the HELM. Do not 'steer the ship'. Discovery of the wonderful world behind the obvious things in WP should be left to the 'newbie/guidee'. The Guides should not assume that they can or should 'steer the ship'. The Guides should always just remain 'oarsman'. The Guides should never become gondaliers. Its not our Journey.

Note from Feb 28....Lightbulb!!! Ms Peppler is the only active noob from My10/Wave-1. Another editor has posted on her talk, in a very friendly manner, to discuss things about an article they have in common (Peppler's first edits). Which caused me to think to maybe contact the other editor, merely as a courtesy to both, and perhaps as a selling tool to advertise the Wiki Guide project. Getting other editors aware and maybe involved seems like a good thing. The contact with the other editor would be informative only...not a sales pitch. A very important part of the project should be to "change the conversation" that WE (Wikipedia Editors) ALL have with newbies'. A part of the Guides responsibilities may be; to run interference for the newbie, like a blocking lineman in American football, to remind other editors to nurture rather than chastize the newbie, to not necessarily hold the hands of the noob while crossing the street but letting them know where it may be better (and safer) to cross.

Welcome

Hello Editor: Welcome to the English version of Wikipedia
Thanks you for your participation in this project. We hope that you will stay to contribute and that you will continue to find the collaboration process enjoyable.
Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that began in 2001 and is free for anyone to use and edit under certain guidelines and principles that all users should understand and adhere to. These principles and guidelines are listed below. Click on the link next to the images for more information.
	The five pillars of Wikipedia. The fundamental principles of the project.		Help. How to get help.
	Tutorial. This tutorial is a basic guide to editing.		Your user pages and your sandbox. How to experiment and edit in your user space.
	Mentoring program. Request help in your first steps of editing.		How to start a page. Help on creating your first article.
	Things to avoid. How to avoid common errors and mistakes.		Style Guide. How to write in an acceptable style.
	Main policies of Wikipedia. Wikipedia's main policies and guidelines.		Frequently asked questions. Some common questions and their answers.
	Help Desk. Here you can ask other editors for assistance		Quick reference. A handy quick reference guide for editing Wiki.
This is your Talk page where you can recieve messages from other Wikipedians and discuss things with them. At the end of your messages you should always enter your signature by signing with four ~~~~ or by pressing the button in the editor shown here in the picture. By the way, it is not necessary to sign edits that you make in the articles themselves as those messages will be deleted. My name is Buster7 and I am a Wiki Guide. If you have any questions or face any initial hurdles, feel free to contact me on my talk page and I will do what I can to assist. Good Luck Editing!

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Personalize

I suggest that right out of the batters box, WE begin to call the n00b an EDITOR...one of us...one of the few...one of the community...one of the welcome...one of the unique. "You have morphed into a WIKIPEDIA EDITOR. Here are your tools, use them wisely. You will meet other editors; treat them kindly and assume good faith (in spite of their demeanor)."

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E-Mails

First contact after posting at Talk

Hello Editor: ,As I just posted on your Wikipedia talk page, a prototype program called Wiki Guides has been inaugarated to assist randomly selected new editors to get over some of the early hurdles at WP (Wikipedia). I'll try to stay in touch as best and as speedily as I can. Right now I'm gonna contact the other 50 new editors.Take care and good luck editing. User:Buster7

Suggested E-mails For Guidees That Are Victims of Deletionism

Dear <<User:Guidee>> Thank you for taking the time to contribute to Wikipedia. My name is <<username, forename or pseudo-forename>>, an established editor on Wikipedia, and I would like to offer my assistance.

Wikipedia is a large resource with hundreds of editors making thousands of edits per day. Some of these edits are considered spam and graffiti and have to be removed quickly to maintain Wikipedia as a reliable resource. There are dedicated good-faith editors who read edits every few minutes to spot and remove the problematic ones. However, sometimes they are too quick removing edits that seem suspicious when, in actuality, the edits are really made in good faith. Perhaps there was a quirk that just didn't look right at first glance.

I have read through the edits you were attempting to make. They seem to be good faith edits that would improve Wikipedia. I hope you will stay and continue working on your article. You might consider wandering thru the various articles designed to give editors, new and old, the assistance they need to do the work of editing. Or should I say the fun of editing. I put a few on your user page as a quick reference. (Wikipedia Principles and Writing Guides)

Feel free to contact me through this email address or on my Wikipedia <<talk page>>. Or if you would like to try again without my assistance, please review the information on <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Contents/Editing_Wikipedia>. Good editing!

Suggested Talk Page Message to Helpful Editors That Turn Up At A Guidees Talk Page But Are Not Official Guides

The WP Foundation has initiated a project to improve the initial contact that a new editor receives. User:"Guidee" is one of the participants. Thanks for your encouraging response to her edits and explaining how to facilitate 'repeated references'. Buster Seven Talk 21:12, 28 February 2011 (UTC)

IRC Communication Channels

Orange are Bouncers

• Wikipedia:IRC#List_of_useful_channels ]

Some stated Wiki Guide Opinions

When we write our rules and how we treat our contributors. When we treat people as vandals and don't appreciate their contributions, we end up with problems. My belief is that very few users come to Wikipedia for their first time with the thought of harming the project. They only feel that way after having been mistreated. This is my personal opinion of course. - Hydroxonium (H3O+) 04:24, 27 February 2011 (UTC)

Notes

Presumptions

Presume that WE Guides are creating long-term editors. Speak to them as though they will be here in 6 months, a year, longer. That, of course, they will eventually have 10,000 edits and be administrators. Trust their good intentions and their ability to learn and to control their own Wiki Destiny.

• Expect/Presume Success.
• Expect/Presume Good Faith.
• Expect/Presume Longevity.

Peacebuilders

Peace is a state of balance and understanding in yourself and between others, where respect is gained by the acceptance of differences, tolerance persists, conflicts are resolved through dialog, peoples rights are respected and their voices are heard, and everyone is at their highest point of serenity without social tension.

Networking/Enlarging the Circle

Send this to a fellow editor that is talking to the newbie in a positive way.

The WP Foundation has initiated a project to improve the initial contact that a new editor recieves. User:"Guidee" is one of the participants. Thanks for your encouraging response to her edits. Buster Seven Talk

Empowerment, sometimes called En-Courage-ment

After a few days, send this (or any other appropriate reward) as a sign of encouragement...to instill courage, to support a "Just do it. Be bold" attitude.

Nice Koekjes

User:Wiki Guide/Your Name has given you a Nice Koekjes which promotes fellowship, goodwill, WikiLove and, most importantly, welcomes you to Wikipedia. You can spread the good flavor of Nice Koekjes around Wiki World by assuming good faith as you discover and learn what it takes to be a Wikipedia Editor. Nice Biscuits are very tasty and have been known to calm even the most savage beast. Hopefully you will not encounter any savage beasts but...they do exist. Good Luck and Enjoy You Journey! User:Wiki Guide/Your Name

Advocacy and Campaigning

Your addition to Article X has been removed, as it appears to have added copyrighted material to Wikipedia without permission from the copyright holder. For legal reasons, we cannot accept copyrighted text or images borrowed from other websites or printed material; such additions will be deleted. You may use external websites or publications as a source of information, but not as a source of article content such as sentences or images. Wikipedia takes copyright violations very seriously and persistent violators will be blocked from editing.

When discovered on a guidees talk page, this type of notification needs to be immediately balanced with the addition of a friendlier contact. While the mention of blocking for persistent copyright violations may be truthful it is hard-edged and impertinent to even mention blocking.

"If you park your car here, it will be towed to the junkyard and turned into scrapmetal. Have a nice day!"

It's the kind of edit that requires a lubricant to make it edible. That's where a Wiki Guide comes into play.

Winning over Grenades (Toxic Editors)

• DIS-covery rather than DIS-cord.
• He who Speaks in Anger Makes His Anger Heard but His Words are Forgotten.
• Fightin' Words...LISTEN to me!...Shut Up!...Name Calling, even just a bit...Cursing, even just a 'dammit' or a 'hell'...Belillting, making light of the editors person or edits. Using these forms of communicating are attempts at controlling the situation and getting the upperhand.

There are some words and phrases and responses that will just, without a doubt, start a fight. Without the RealWorld smile or smirk that can at least flavor Irony or Sarcasm and make it acceptable, it's only realistic interpretation is "I'M BEING ATTACKED. I NEED TO FIGHT BACK"

Sarcasm is a dis-honest form of communication. It rarely works in the RealWorld and it definietly does NOT work at Wikipedia.

Addressing Conflict, "Hello, conflict"

• conflict resolution#Ways of addressing conflict

Do what the successful guides do

• User:Katherine/WikiGuide is a a good example

Demeanor to Avoid

• "If you're incapable of understanding the policies of Wikipedia, you shouldn't be editing it."
• "Listen. If you had completed the article before you published, the article wouldn't have been proposed for deletion."
• "That's a sure way to piss people off around here”.
• "What is this, fucking preschool?"
• "This deletion is outrageous."
• "Your creation(WP)is a great idea, but it is full of assholes who do nothing creative and positive, but to destroy somebody else's work. Those are [[User:______]], [[User:______]], [[User:___________]], and some others".

'dey is us'

• [1] User:TomStar81 recommendations:

1. return the spirit of AGF to the site as a whole...entice potential users to experiment.
2. redefine how we approach new articles written by new users...tagged them to be moved to the creating user's userspace along with a simplified explanation of what is currently wrong with the article and how it can be fixed...work on their material in a safe environment where they can learn as they go along with what the articles will need to stay here.
3. be much more liberal in our application of both AGF and IAR as it relates to the noobs (newbies)...They are going to screw up,so, dispense with the templates which take away a personal level of involvement and leave a customized message explaining why the user in question is being docked.
4. make greater inroads into the community spirit here...we need to have a greater sense of community here, which means more socializing, more friendly posts, more willingness to allow people to use the site as they see fit to use it even if that means forgoing a little of the encyclopedia element...celebrate the users that comprise our community.
5. rethink both the welcome bot idea(s) and the order of operations for talk page message posted by admins...a bot leaving a welcoming message would help promote the 'welcome' side more than the 'we do not need your article, but thanks for the target practice' side...admins on csd patrol should leave a welcome message on an as-yet-to-be-created talk page, then add the csd template, rather than skipping the welcome template and leaving the deletion template.
6. a new user project or task force or group or something...to work with the noobs and the noobs looking for help can have a place to go and know that they can get answers for their questions without being molested by those already in the know.

• a more user friendly environment.
• a reliable way to contact them
• newbies don't have time to fix their mistakes
• previous studies and articles in the media
• we are being anti-people oriented
• we have the solutions to that problem
• shift out of neutral and into first people, and get this train moving.
• get rid of the Twinkle monkeys
• protect new editors by taking away their right to create new pages directly
• move the page creation right to auto-confirmed
• let new users create pages in their userspace/incubator
• tips with links to guidelines
• provide an easy to find index or table of contents of guidelines, policies, etc.
• some bots need time delays

There are several types of pages that can be described as "index or table of contents of guidelines, policies, etc" but those pages themselves are hard to find. A few I can name off-hand would be, Wikipedia:FAQ Index, Wikipedia:Editor's index to Wikipedia, Wikipedia:List of policies and guidelines, Wikipedia:Principles, and many others linked from those pages.

Barnstars

		The Guidance Barnstar
		The Barnstar of Guidance is awarded to User:ABCDEF for making sure that those new editors assigned during the Wiki Guide Project prototype received appropriate guidance when they needed it most. -USERNAME HERE

Reciprocity

The Newbie/Noob/Guidee senses the Wikipedia Community and they want to be a part of it. They reach out to shake hands and that first handshake should be friendly. Its why Wal-Mart has a greeter at the front door. It creates a bond.