267:
reality, a golem of much thought and yet of much drama, and of just as much bureaucratics as love for the text. When I first joined
Knowledge (XXG), I thought, well, it's simply a collection of bored writers and semi-interested experts biding away their free time. Truly, I could not have been wronger. I was baffled by the immediate extensiveness of the project, the extensive guidelines and categorization, the organization and categorization, the multitude of pages and their subpages. You can't get a true appreciation for what Knowledge (XXG) is simply by browsing; whiling away your time reading articles of interest, or searching for a nitpick of information, you never stay far behind the main namespace. You may stray over to the talk page occasionally, click on that little green + mark or bronze star, or even follow the little box down in the references section to a
127:
295:
project is, and how much work goes into constantly expanding it. The vandal-hunters, stub-writers, dyk'ers, article-writers, copyeditors, image buffs, experts, administrators, bureaucrats, and legal buffs all have a place here, and when they work together the machinery powering this massive projects runs uninterrupted. When this spectrum comes together, the fabric works in harmony and
Wikipedians churns out information at a rate faster then anything else in the world.
147:
593:
465:
107:
255:
137:
36:
157:
349:
324:
at the very beginning? Although I am not the first person to stress the importance of new editors, Wikideath is still too common among green editors. Knowledge (XXG)'s recent history has been a competition between openness and quality, and judging by the recent stagnation we should be leaning more to the left on this issue. In the end, we are a community; so
117:
283:. Our reasons for trying it are as varied as we are. Some have too much spare time. Some want to improve something, and settle on Knowledge (XXG). Some want to apply their knowledge somewhere useful, or learn how to do something through Knowledge (XXG). Regardless that first step, clicking the button, leads to a whirlwind of new things.
167:
287:
drawn into the site, coming across the userpages of the people involved. Very quickly your universe expands once again, with the discovery of the "WikiProject"; and from there you find yourself staring at the seemingly endless pile of processes, standards, ideas, organizations, and guidelines that
Knowledge (XXG) harbors.
278:
All this time, the "Log into/create account" button looms small yet proud in the corner of your screen. It is the gateway to a community; after all, what is our motto? Try typing "The 💕 that anyone can edit" into the search bar. Where does it take you? At
Knowledge (XXG) we let anyone edit. We truly
439:
But the system does have its limitations. If you're writing a DYK, you are tempted to write it only up to the point that it would pass the standards for the process, no further. Nitpicking articles for FL, instead of choosing ones that might be difficult, is a constant there, and the FL director has
197:
This draft, including the opening note about it sitting around unpublished for two years, was from 2011, meaning that as of now it's a whopping fifteen years old. Nonetheless, it sat around for quite some time, and was only found during recent attempts to reorganize the plethora of strange abandoned
323:
One thing I dislike is when new members of the community speak out, but are silenced on the basis of their experience. All that does is push them farther to the rim. New editors are the lifeblood of
Knowledge (XXG). The lifetime of an average Knowledge (XXG) editor is very short, so why uproot them
286:
You choose your username, make a password, and log in for the first time. At first, nothing much changes. You still browse your interests; occasionally, you make a small edit or two. Your edits often get reverted quickly; you still don't know how it all works. As you linger around, you start to get
298:
Many people complain, indeed, leave, over the various increasing pressures here; the standards are getting tighter, the work more frustrating, the bureaucracy piled higher and deeper, the wikidrama picking up pace. As the projects expands to beyond the 3-million-article horizon, one cannot help be
294:
by
Knowledge (XXG)'s new-found depth. Those who press the button wind their way to the center of Knowledge (XXG), and realize that its radius is much larger than they had previously perceived. Our critics consider Knowledge (XXG) inaccurate rubbish, but they know not of how meticulously oiled the
266:
When you have a change of pace and stop to contemplate what
Knowledge (XXG) really is, you realize something. It is not just a collection of articles—it is a living, breathing behemoth, with a sampling of all the people of the real world. In a way Knowledge (XXG) can be seen as a pseudonym for
310:
All this does is place more stress on the importance of the community. While individual accomplishments have, and should, be heralded, it is the community that makes and breaks all of the decisions. Knowledge (XXG) is built not on one man's ambition but, from the very start, on the collective
388:. Greedy greedy. But that's how content writers work. They want to be recognized for doing this and that and for being generally all-around awesome. Obsession drives the majority of the editing community. Knowledge (XXG) was designed well in that it has low-hanging fruit (
237:
just under 2 years ago. A lot of time has passed since its writing, and in adapting it for this publication I have come to the realization that I was terribly naive when I first joined the project. Still, I hope this essay will provide an interesting view to our readers,
189:
303:. Most especially, quality gradients have increased fivefold since Knowledge (XXG)'s inception; what would have been considered FA in 2004, became GA in 2006, and today would only be considered C class or thereabouts. As if to illustrate the shift in quality,
319:
saying is that the community is perfect. Far from it. It included a swarm of vandals, trolls, and people who come to
Knowledge (XXG) for, among other things, a free chat service (Knowledge (XXG) passes through school webpage filters; chat sites do not).
205:
Resident Mario is an editor of volcanism and occasional writer for the
Signpost. In this piece he shares his reflections on becoming a registered user, on editing, and on Wikimedians' obsession with collecting achievements and
499:
489:
494:
93:
509:
482:
550:
275:
that strike your interest, reading the leads and interesting bits and looking at the pretty pictures. If the article seems interesting, you may even read the whole thing, god forbid.
662:
519:
222:
514:
476:
55:
44:
360:
Here at
Knowledge (XXG), we're obsessed with certain things. A passing reader would be puzzled at how some editors put big shiny bronze stars at the top of their page saying, "
524:
451:
714:
329:
21:
690:
239:
685:
680:
307:
used to outline a 30% Featured article gradient; it became 50%, then indeed 75%; and some users are pushing to have the standard raised to a full 100%.
30:
Reflections on editing and obsession: A lost Signpost submission from fifteen years ago brought into the light, as good and true now as it was then.
675:
719:
110:
198:
pages in the annals of the Signpost. But cobwebs aside: it is true now, as it was true then, and we hope that you may find it enlightening.
670:
464:
49:
35:
17:
299:
lost in the sea of contributors. Individual contributions become less and less prominent, and the community starts to follow a
333:
325:
696:
648:
624:
608:
581:
632:– the repetition of "categorization" is suspicious. Did this mean to say "the extensive guidelines and
401:
381:
213:
The views expressed are those of the author only. Responses and critical commentary are invited in the
592:
180:
268:
644:
604:
577:
429:
385:
120:
546:
140:
377:
620:
393:
389:
373:
290:
I remember my first week of Knowledge (XXG). I lingered here and there, staring endlessly,
254:
150:
433:
421:
417:
413:
409:
405:
397:
369:
365:
304:
170:
300:
444:, and if you're here to get said shiny objects, you're writing for the right reasons.
221:
welcomes proposals for op-eds. If you have one in mind, please leave a message at the
708:
640:
600:
573:
280:
355:
Future generations would be quite baffled about our greed for little bronze stars...
160:
630:
the extensive guidelines and categorization, the organization and categorization
616:
130:
404:), and high-hanging fruits requires building long editing ladders to finish (
424:), and the really commemorable stuff that requires quite a few ladders and
348:
188:
312:
271:
page. But these incidents are rare. For the most part you browse,
311:
thinking process of millions of organic organisms, also known as
54:
588:
opening note about it sitting around unpublished for two years
440:
expressed unhappiness about this fact. But for the most part,
463:
347:
253:
34:
572:
Something from 2011 would be 13–14 years old now, not 15.
562:
555:
535:
291:
272:
234:
590:
is 13 years old, and the rest of it is 15 years old.
560:If your comment has not appeared here, you can try
615:A great read! Thank you for resurfacing this!!
8:
396:), fruit that requires some jumping to get (
261:What does this stand for? Think about that.
639:, the organization and categorization"? —
715:Knowledge (XXG) Signpost archives 2024-07
428:fruits, to use my allegory, to complete (
18:Knowledge (XXG):Knowledge (XXG) Signpost
563:
539:
233:The original version of this essay was
87:
629:
587:
29:
7:
88:Reflections on editing and obsession
56:
28:
720:Knowledge (XXG) Signpost RSS feed
545:These comments are automatically
591:
187:
165:
155:
145:
135:
125:
115:
105:
556:add the page to your watchlist
1:
214:
336:. You'll be happy you did.
736:
649:21:42, 28 July 2024 (UTC)
625:02:41, 27 July 2024 (UTC)
609:19:04, 22 July 2024 (UTC)
582:19:00, 22 July 2024 (UTC)
663:looking for new talent
553:. To follow comments,
468:
352:
258:
240:who might just be dogs
68:File:Cscr-featured.svg
39:
467:
351:
257:
38:
549:from this article's
442:we want shiny things
384:, but never one of
71:Avsa, ClockworkSoul
540:Discuss this story
469:
364:" We want some of
353:
259:
45:← Back to Contents
40:
564:purging the cache
500:News from the WMF
490:Discussion report
292:vastly bewildered
50:View Latest Issue
727:
699:
595:
567:
565:
559:
538:
487:
479:
472:
455:
215:comments section
191:
183:
169:
168:
159:
158:
149:
148:
139:
138:
129:
128:
119:
118:
109:
108:
62:
60:
58:
735:
734:
730:
729:
728:
726:
725:
724:
705:
704:
703:
702:
701:
700:
695:
693:
688:
683:
678:
673:
666:
655:
654:
638:
635:
569:
561:
554:
543:
542:
536:+ Add a comment
534:
530:
529:
528:
480:
475:
473:
470:
459:
458:
453:
447:
446:
376:, maybe one of
357:
356:
345:
344:
338:
326:don't be a dick
273:following links
263:
262:
251:
250:
192:
185:
184:
178:
177:
176:
175:
166:
156:
146:
136:
126:
116:
106:
100:
97:
86:
82:
81:
78:
75:
72:
69:
65:
63:
53:
52:
47:
41:
31:
26:
25:
24:
12:
11:
5:
733:
731:
723:
722:
717:
707:
706:
694:
689:
684:
679:
674:
669:
668:
667:
657:
656:
653:
652:
651:
636:
634:categorization
633:
627:
613:
612:
611:
544:
541:
533:
532:
531:
527:
522:
517:
512:
507:
502:
497:
495:News and notes
492:
486:
474:
462:
461:
460:
450:
449:
448:
358:
354:
346:
343:
340:
339:
301:herd mentality
264:
260:
252:
249:
246:
245:
244:
229:
228:
227:
209:
208:
201:
194:
193:
186:
181:Resident Mario
174:
173:
163:
153:
143:
133:
123:
113:
102:
101:
98:
92:
91:
90:
89:
84:
83:
79:
76:
73:
70:
67:
66:
64:
61:
48:
43:
42:
33:
32:
27:
15:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
732:
721:
718:
716:
713:
712:
710:
698:
692:
687:
682:
677:
672:
664:
660:
650:
646:
642:
631:
628:
626:
622:
618:
614:
610:
606:
602:
598:
594:
589:
585:
584:
583:
579:
575:
571:
570:
566:
557:
552:
548:
537:
526:
523:
521:
518:
516:
513:
511:
508:
506:
503:
501:
498:
496:
493:
491:
488:
484:
478:
471:In this issue
466:
457:
445:
443:
437:
435:
431:
427:
423:
419:
415:
411:
407:
403:
399:
395:
391:
387:
383:
379:
375:
371:
367:
363:
350:
341:
337:
335:
334:start writing
331:
327:
321:
318:
314:
308:
306:
302:
296:
293:
288:
284:
282:
281:slice of life
276:
274:
270:
256:
247:
243:
241:
236:
231:
230:
226:
224:
218:
216:
211:
210:
207:
203:
202:
200:
199:
190:
182:
172:
164:
162:
154:
152:
144:
142:
134:
132:
124:
122:
114:
112:
104:
103:
95:
59:
51:
46:
37:
23:
19:
659:The Signpost
658:
596:
510:In the media
504:
483:all comments
477:22 July 2024
441:
438:
425:
361:
359:
342:On obsession
322:
316:
315:. What I am
309:
297:
289:
285:
277:
265:
232:
223:opinion desk
220:
219:The Signpost
212:
204:
196:
195:
111:PDF download
57:22 July 2024
697:Suggestions
586:Oops – the
547:transcluded
402:WP:BARNSTAR
362:I did this!
161:X (Twitter)
709:Categories
597:Self-trout
380:, lots of
372:, lots of
368:, some of
248:On editing
206:accolades.
99:Share this
94:Contribute
22:2024-07-22
691:Subscribe
551:talk page
520:Crossword
330:get along
686:Newsroom
681:Archives
641:andrybak
637:policies
601:jlwoodwa
574:jlwoodwa
515:Obituary
454:Previous
430:WP:CROWN
235:finished
151:Facebook
141:LinkedIn
131:Mastodon
20: |
456:"Essay"
617:jengod
525:Humour
426:chutes
394:WP:ITN
390:WP:DYK
332:, and
313:humans
279:are a
269:Portal
171:Reddit
121:E-mail
676:About
505:Essay
434:WP:FT
422:WP:FS
418:WP:FP
414:WP:GT
410:WP:FL
406:WP:FA
398:WP:GA
386:these
382:those
378:those
374:these
370:those
366:these
305:WP:FT
85:Essay
16:<
671:Home
645:talk
621:talk
605:talk
578:talk
74:LGPL
661:is
436:).
317:not
179:By
96:—
80:316
711::
647:)
623:)
607:)
599:.
580:)
452:←
432:,
420:,
416:,
412:,
408:,
400:,
392:,
328:,
217:.
665:.
643:(
619:(
603:(
576:(
568:.
558:.
485:)
481:(
242:.
225:.
77:8
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
-logo-v2.svg.png){kind=logo}