Nice...:) Deepon
On Sun, Dec 18, 2011 at 10:25 PM, Nitika <ntan...@wikimedia.org> wrote: > Hi Srikanth & everyone else, > > This is a really good question and one that I've been thinking about and > working on as we look at outreach in general. > > From my discussions with various editors and my observing and > participating in outreach sessions, I think the biggest challenge when we > do outreach is "why to contribute". Of course, "how to edit" is essential > - but unless someone believes there is a strong enough reason to > participate, it's unlikely they're going to get involved or stay involved > after a couple of exploratory edits. From my conversations and readings, > the motivators of existing editors are any or a combination (or variants) > of "promoting free knowledge" or "sharing knowledge in general" or > "improving education" or "passion for their languages" or "interest in a > particular subject (e.g. astronomy or railways or butterflies.) However, > my opinion is that it is relatively complex to convey these in an initial > outreach session. It's best to motivate and train and support potential > newbies to join the movement and community - and allow them to discover for > themselves what is the inspiration for them (especially because it is > likely to be unique to that individual.) > > Personally, i think there are a number of really compelling answers to the > "What's in it for me?" question - and I do want to share my take on it. > I'm dividing my answer into students and faculty/institutions. (The tone > I'm using is what can be used when actually answering the question.) These > answers are a little clinical and conceptual but I've found they work - and > I believe they will provide an adequate incentive to try and learn a little > bit more about editing and to hopefully become regular editors. > > * Academia - Students* > > > 1. It improves your *writing skills*. Writing skills are essential > when you move ahead in life either to do further studies or to work. Our > education system (unfortunately) doesn't adequately teach writing skills > and we all struggle when we have to write a formal report or research > paper. When you move into the working world, you'll find that you can be > as good as you are at your work but unless you are able to write those > written reports properly, you'll always find it hard to succeed. > 2. It will help your *critical thinking*. Concepts like Neutral Point > of View (which you will sometimes see in Wikipedia being referred to as > NPOV) help you see all sides of a story. In your future careers, you need > to consider the pros and cons of anything - because only that way will you > be a better professional. If you're into software, look at the article on > waterfall development model and how it looks at pros and cons. If you're > in economics, look at the article on the Euro bailout and see how it looks > at all the multiple complex issues involved. Very little in life is purely > good or totally evil; we need to be neutral and consider all sides. You > will find this incredibly useful in both your personal and professional > lives. This thinking will help you decide who to vote for in elections or > which version of Lok Pal you support or which IPL team to follow! This > thinking will help you understand your subjects even better. > 3. It'll strengthen your *research skills.* Editing a wikipedia > article requires you to do a lot of referencing (or what wikipedia > sometimes calls "citations".) This means you need to look beyond just the > wikipedia article and research online references and also go into that > forgotten room called the library and look up books or journal. This is a > skill you cannot live without if you are writing a thesis or working on a > research project. > 4. It teaches you how to *collaborate*! Editing wikipedia is > magical. You add some content and someone from some other part of the > class or school or town or country or somewhere else in the world adds a > little bit more and makes your contribution that much better. The days of > sitting alone under a tree and having an apple fall on your head and > discovering gravity are over. In today's world, we will need to > collaborate to achieve anything. If you're into biotechnology, you might > be based in Hyderabad but the team you are part of might have someone in > Scotland or Brazil- from a different culture and with a different accent - > but you need to work together. Wikipedia helps you learn how to > collaborate! > 5. It gives you a *global audience of - literally, thousands! * If you > submit a class report, the maximum audience is 2; 1 being you and 1 being > your teacher. After your paper is marked, it will normally be thrown > away. If you edit a wikipedia article, it is there *forever* and the > audience can be any number from the 500 million who read wikipedia every > month! You can show your article to you mother and grandfather and > friends! If you upload pictures to Wikimedia Commons, you will have an > audience so much bigger than the 500 friends on Facebook who will see it. > So many more can see your talents and appreciate your work! > 6. It'll boost your chances in admissions or scholarships or * > placements*. Imagine if you are a mechanical engineer and you are one > of 100 students in your batch applying for jobs with the best engineering > companies who come to campus. Everyone is likely to submit a resume saying > they are the greatest engineer ever born - but it's difficult for any one > to stand out and shine. If you were to put a line in your resume that you > have edited 5 articles on heating and cooling systems, there is a very high > probability that this would jump out at the recruitment team of the > companies and the will actually read your article (if they haven't > already.) > 7. It can be *so much fun*! You can make new friends - from all over > the world.. You can write about subjects that you are interested in > (whether it is movies or your hometown or sarees or mythology or cricket > or whatever!) It think it is really important that we drive this message as > passionately as we can because this is something that can resonate so loud > and for so long! > > > * Academia - Faculty & Education Institutions* > > > 1. Students with all the above result in much more motivated classes. > One thing that teachers constantly say is that they one thing they want is > *engaged students.* I've had teachers tell me that if they are in a > class and they see their students involved and trying to learn and active, > it is the best thing that can happen to them - and the rest of their day > goes well! > 2. It improves your individual and college's *academic reputation*. > In the Indian context where there is relatively lower emphasis on academic > research papers by faculty members, supporting your students on Wikipedia > articles helps you (rightfully) claim that you contributed to these > articles. That increases your academic standing and helps attract better > students and faculty and partnerships and recruiting companies. > 3. It supports the advancement of *education* - for students in your > class and colleges and around the world. You have devoted your lives to > education and this is a great way of promoting it. > > > I wanted to share my perspectives because I really believe that the "why" > needs to be addressed. > > Thanks for starting a great message thread, Srikanth. > > Nitika > > On 18-Dec-2011, at 1:37 AM, Srikanth Ramakrishnan wrote: > > Subha, most of those bullies are editors with zero constructive edits > or IP based vandals. Sadly. > Erik, yes, I consider Giving to Wiki as giving back to Society. Thanks > for the links. Time to read during my month long Wiki break. > Ravi, Bala told me that physical outreach programs had very poor > success rates. I concur with him. > Prad, I agree. That's how Manish and I became friends. But still > doesn't explain how to get new guys. > > -- > Regards, > Srikanth Ramakrishnan. > Wikipedia Coimbatore Meetup on December 10th. > http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Meetup/Coimbatore > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimediaindia-l mailing list > Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > To unsubscribe from the list / change mailing preferences visit > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l > > > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimediaindia-l mailing list > Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > To unsubscribe from the list / change mailing preferences visit > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l > >
_______________________________________________ Wikimediaindia-l mailing list Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org To unsubscribe from the list / change mailing preferences visit https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l
