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Core contest to run in June 2021
In June we will once again run the Core Contest over a six week period. This is a short, intensive contest, aimed at improving Wikipedia's most important articles, particularly those in the worst state of disrepair.
Background
editThe Core Contest page was initiated by Moreschi (talk · contribs) in November 2007 and run from November 25, 2007 to December 9, 2007. After a delay, the winners were announced in November 25, 2008 by Danny, with the prizes supplied by Proteins (talk · contribs). There was a hiatus after this.
I have been interested in contests and games as a way of promoting content-building here. In a glib moment, I started drafting the Flaming Joel-wiki (editors who improve one of the subjects of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" get a wiki-award [a]. I came across the Core Contest in late 2011 and begun the process of reviving it. I discovered that wikimedia UK had a microgrants project, which would allow for some modest prizes. I decided to use vouchers to steer away from a direct cash incentive, which would (hopefully) mean that contest winners would by more books and do more researching and editing etc. I chose Amazon as it was global and I suspected any winner could find something of use to purchase. My rationale for prizes was that alot of folks are poor and could think of something really helpful to get for a few quid/bucks, and that the prize values were modest enough not to engender some huge controversy. I think they are a nice concrete gesture for the hours of work that some folks put into the place, and I'd rather use carrots than sticks in steering article quality and focus.
Since then, we've run the competition on six occasions: March 10 to March 31 2012, which saw £250 in Amazon vouchers shared by six editors, in August 2012, which saw £250 in Amazon vouchers shared by seven editors, April 2013, which saw £250 in Amazon vouchers shared by three editors, in 10 February to 9 March 2014, which saw £250 in Amazon vouchers shared by five editors, 1 March – 14 April 2015, which saw £250 in Amazon vouchers shared by three editors, and 15 May - 30 June 2016, which saw £250 in Amazon vouchers shared by five editors. Each time the prizes have come from a WM UK microgrant, and buoyed by this I resurrected the Stub Contest as well. Each time I have been really impressed by the work done, with some really memorable efforts from the top 2-3 entries each year - I really enjoyed reading...actually I hate singling them out as I might omit others I later realised I really like as well. I invite folks to take a look at the before/after diffs in the entries section of each running.
The impetus behind my resurrecting the Core Contest was my impression of the Featured Article process, which, as it has become more rigorous, has favoured more esoteric and narrow-focus articles (as they are much easier to navigate Featured Article Candidacy with). Thus, I explored the core contest as a way of encouraging the expansion of broad articles. I also noticed that among many large/broad articles that a lot were expanded early and have since seen little in the way of substantive editing/building (unless buffed for Good Article Nomination or Featured Article Candidacy). Rather than begin a new contest, I just reactivated the core contest as the principles (if not the impetus behind the principles) were the same. (i.e. buffing our 'core portfolio') Wikipedia is traversing a grey area where the goal is status as an Established and Reliable online Encyclopedia. Hence we need to strive to ensure our core content is being improved along the way.
The latest running will incorporate monetary prizes rather than vouchers, and will be judged by Femkemilene (talk · contribs), Johnbod (talk · contribs) and me. See the project page for more details. Cheers, Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 02:28, 4 May 2021 (UTC)
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