Wikipedia:Wikipediology/library/essays/Redwolf24-1/Reviews
Review by: Johann Wolfgang
editVery good essay, I think it represents a fair view for Wikipedians who are teenagers. (I'm not one of them however)
Johann Wolfgang
02:15, 16 October 2005 (UTC)
(P.S. I hope this is the way you wanted me to review your essay's)
Comments from Miborovsky
editIt's been my observation (and personal experience) that many young wikipedians experience discrimination from "older" wikipedians and have to endure immature insults like "Go do your homework!" (Which probably means "Go do your homework and stop reverting/deleting my hopelessly POV article/paragraph/sentence that I want to push on wikipedia to promote Nazism/Fascism/Communism/Conservatism/Liberalism/Abortion/Gun control/Creationism/Historical revisionism!") In this regard, I think many young wikipedians deal with people much better than "older" ones. That is not to say, however, that there are no childish young'uns among us. But generally, I think young wikipedians are on average as (if not more) mature, and/or intelligent than adult ones. (For their age, that is.) Several people come to mind, both young and old. But I'm not going to name them.
I hope this has been helpful, but I'm not a psychologist so I can't psychoanalyse this... :D
-- Миборовский U|T|C|E 03:16, 16 October 2005 (UTC)
I'm very impressed by this essay. It is entirely factual, in my opinion and experience. I do believe that teenagers on wikipedia are, for the most part, very mature and intelligent. Perhaps more so than they are in the real world, as I think that wikipedia can bring out matureness, and intelligence in someone even if they arent in the real world (not saying teenage wikipedians are, but if). This can be displayed by the fact that I thought all of the editors named in the essay were adults, except for Redwolf24, who I used to think was an adult until I investigated his userpage. Banes 05:40, 16 October 2005 (UTC)
Argh! The teenagers are taking over Wikipedia! Oh noes!!!eleven!! Alphax τεχ 09:07, 16 October 2005 (UTC)
That's what I wanted to say. Kind of creepy eh? — Ilγαηερ (Tαlκ) 02:07, 21 October 2005 (UTC)
Hmm. From a 17-year old's perspective, I can say that you are right on most points. And I agree with Miborovski that adults often try to use age as leverage to undermine our voice in discussions. However, most of the time, the younger user is more open-minded, and as a result, more mature. Titoxd(?!?) 04:41, 17 October 2005 (UTC)
Good essay. I wish I could have joined Wikipedia when I was 15, but at that time the entire World Wide Web was still largely unknown in my country. And anyway I would have had to wait another decade for Wikipedia to be invented. — JIP | Talk 13:24, 18 October 2005 (UTC)
Comment by David Gerard
editNice one. I would add: being a Wikipedia administrator doesn't require much different skills or clue than being e.g. a message board moderator, and plenty of teenagers are smart enough for that; conversely, there are plenty of 30-year-olds you wouldn't let near the job in a pink fit. If Wikipedia had been around when I was sixteen I think I'd be Jimbo Wales by now - David Gerard 13:54, 7 November 2005 (UTC)
Comment by Mysekurity
editWhile I agree on many points in this essay (and yes, I realize I am coming into this late), I also feel that there is the perceived notion of immaturity outside of the wiki. While many here on Wikipedia believe in or know of the maturity of Wikipedia's teenage editors, it can undermine the already struggling credibility of Wikipedia; we have enough issues with people believing that Wikipedia is written by cranks and lunatics, and so I feel this is best kept hidden from public view, or away from those not familiar with Wikipedia. I agree fully that teenagers can have maturity beyond their years, as your case studies have provided, yet there is also the part of me that wants to keep people like Purplefeltangel and the numerous teenage vandals (how many vandals do you think are over 20?) from being editors. I feel that teenagers can have a great influence and weigh in, but we should not allow teenagers more leverage in discussions regarding issues that they might not know anything about. I'm sorry to say, but I feel my own maturity might come in question a few times. -Mysekurity 20:56, 27 November 2005 (UTC)
- Hold up, I'm not asking for leverage, I'm asking to be treated equally, and to not have our ages cited at us when we try to do something (like when I asked Wiki brah to stop saying slut everywhere, he quoted my age at me). And I'm not talking about teens in general, I'm saying how most of the teens we have who are recognizable are mature. And for every Purplefeltangel, there's a Lir, a Willy on Wheels, a Wikipedia is Communism, a Skyring, etc. Everyone on the ban list is 20+. Redwolf24 (talk) Attention Washingtonians! 21:14, 27 November 2005 (UTC)
Observation by The ikiroid
editCurious, isn't it? Redwolf is right, but I believe that part of the reason that young people work well on wikipedia is because everything is written, not spoken. In a world where time is static, you needn't stumble over your words with things such as "uhhh," "er...," or "like," and you are less likely to blurt out a regrettable comment in writing. It's also easier to imitate other people in writing, easily hiding differences in age, sex and ethnicity. The written word hides 90% of all dialectual differences.--The ikiroid (talk·desk·Advise me) 00:00, 26 June 2006 (UTC)
Personal experience essay
editYoutube Converter
editHoly shit, this essay is awesome. It mentions me and claims that I'm "well known." That's another advantage we teenagers have: vanity. Unfortunately, due to personal issues, I have decided to retire from being a teenager, effective in exactly one year. Don't try and talk me out of it. What's done is done.
That being said, finding out via essay how ridiculously young some of you bastards are hurled me into a soul-crushing state of disbelief. Your parents must have read you Dickens instead of lullabies, played you classical music from the moment of conception to birth, and put mind-enhancing steroids in your juice.
So to sum things up, on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, I give this essay an A+. Nufy8 05:51, 5 August 2006 (UTC)