User:Cactusisme/Editor reflections

This page is about experienced editors reflecting on their own experiences, with a specific emphasis on what it was like to be a new editor. You can answer with a simple yes/no or a long and elaborate answer. I usually invite people, but anyone can edit this and answer the questions. This idea was originally from an EN Wikipedia editor, User:Clovermoss. Thanks to everyone who participates.

Copy these questions for your response.

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?
• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?
• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?
• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?
• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?
• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?
• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?
• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

• Not sure what the format is, but here I go. I started editing English Wikipedia with frequency around 2010. I started to edit Simple English when I discovered the website via Ernest Borgnine's article following his death in 2012. TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 09:41, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

• Here at Simple English? July 2012. TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 09:41, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

• Page attributions here at simple wiki and that it was okay to make mistakes. TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 09:41, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

• I did have help as a new editor. Largely through @Auntof6:, @Barras:, @Bluegoblin7:, @Reception123:, @Chenzw:, @Osiris:, @Eptalon:, @Tbennert:, @Creol:, among others (sorry if I forgot to mention you!), with their helpful, respectful and meaningful feedback and advice. There were some veteran editors who were a bit rough with me at first, but as I learned thanks to the other vets, I was able to progress my skills as a simple wiki user. Their patience, constant reminders of what not to do, positive feedback and even some recognition here and then made it possible for me to feel comfortable editing here. TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 09:41, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

• Probably little edits here and then, but I started to slow down on my frequency. Simple English was a daily thing in my life before 2022, but then life got in the way. I try to make some time, but I probably won't be as frequent as I was back then. A while back, I think someone mentioned that I created a decent percentage of articles here. I don't see myself doing that anymore. I think I'm not focusing my time on DYK and promoting articles to GA/VGA statuses. TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 09:41, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

• I have, but there's some glitches at times and I rather just edit on my laptop. TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 09:41, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

• There's one thing I'd like not to change and that's the open and friendly community that this wikipedia has created over the years. Don't get me wrong, there are some trolls and some users with ill-intent, but overall there's a strong sense of community here and I'd like for that to go unchanged and to thrive. TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 09:41, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

• If you're a new user, it's okay to make mistakes and know that there are users here that are happy to help and have the patience to make sure you become a skilled editor in the future! TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 09:41, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

Note: Any dates aside from title will be in DMY.

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

Same day I originally created my account.- FusionSub (Talk page) (Contributions) 10:53, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

Funny story (assuming your talking about simple) but I actually discovered this wiki when trying to bypass an account creation block on my IP at en. I then decided to get involved via tools like the automated link review tool and the rest is much more boring.- FusionSub (Talk page) (Contributions) 10:53, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

Definitely knowing how to Attribute when creating new articles and knowing that you can store drafts in your userspace.- FusionSub (Talk page) (Contributions) 10:53, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

I did get a fair bit of help starting out, with @Angerxiety: teaching me about the QD system which led me to learn about anti-vandalism, with others helping me figure out more things about the wiki and start enjoying my time editing.- FusionSub (Talk page) (Contributions) 10:53, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

Almost certainly, with some slight dips in activity here and there for personal reasons.- FusionSub (Talk page) (Contributions) 10:53, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

Yes, and I hate it. The visual editor has what I can only refer to as a panic attack and the source editor is just riddled with bugs. Granted my mobile edits are done on the website, but it still is not an experience I can truthfully recommend.- FusionSub (Talk page) (Contributions) 10:53, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

Wikipedia as a concept? No. This wiki? There are a few bits which I feel like need more development.- FusionSub (Talk page) (Contributions) 10:53, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

If your a new editor and confused, lost or just want to know something. DON'T FEEL ANXIOUS ABOUT ASKING FOR HELP IN PLACES LIKE Simple talk.- FusionSub (Talk page) (Contributions) 10:53, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

Copy these questions for your response.

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

I started editing the English Wikipedia in early 2018. Activity quickly dropped after that because of school, but picked up again in late 2020 and 2021, also around the time I started editing on the Simple English Wikipedia.— *Fehufangą ♮ ✉ Talk page 12:14, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

Wikipedia as a whole: I was originally interested in counter-vandalism. Simple English Wikipedia: also because of counter-vandalism.— *Fehufangą ♮ ✉ Talk page 12:14, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

I want to say a comprehensive LTA index, but the downsides of that outweigh the benefits. Maybe, a better guide to antivandalism.— *Fehufangą ♮ ✉ Talk page 12:14, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

I started learning counter-vandalism at the English Wikipedia's Counter-vandalism academy. It took too long for me to finish that but in the end I did learn a lot about how to deal with problematic editors. I believe something like that would be useful for the Simple English Wikipedia but I'm not sure how to implement it.— *Fehufangą ♮ ✉ Talk page 12:14, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

As long as I can.— *Fehufangą ♮ ✉ Talk page 12:14, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

When I'm on the train, I do counter-vandalism on mobile using m:SWViewer. It's much better than trying to use the recent changes page. The mobile interface of the wiki itself has gotten better over the years, now there's a rollback button! This wasn't a thing when I started counter-vandalism.— *Fehufangą ♮ ✉ Talk page 12:14, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

This is a broad question that honestly I don't know how to answer. On the technical side, I would really like a better category system that what we have. The current category system doesn't support set arithmetic and other neat features that would make working with them much more pleasant.— *Fehufangą ♮ ✉ Talk page 12:14, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

Copy these questions for your response.

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

  Around 2015-16, I don't clearly remember.

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

  I used to live in a remote village with no internet. I remember I bought the first PC in the village back then and worked for months to buy a modem. Mobile data was expensive then but there was something called Wikipedia Zero which let me use wikipedia for free. Learned a lot contributing and have been here ever since. A lot has changed since then.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

  The community is excellent and everyone helped me a lot. If I could go back, I would take things slowly, learn more about the content and focus more on that side. I realized, I have spent way more time around community building side.

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

  A lot. IRC was one of the tools that really helped me understand things a lot better. I was one of the few very active ones in IRC when I started. Vermont, Operator873 and few other good friends helped me adjust. I am probably still here thanks to them.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

  Yeah, as much as I can, as long as I can.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

  It used to suck, but it has gotten much much better now. I still prefer my laptop though.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

  I don't want to bring a lot of stuff but I think the way donations are handled. Also, would be great if we could get technical staff to help with templates, modules and other necessary scripts for many different language wikis.

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

  Have a nice day guys. Remember editing wikis is meant to be fun, if it's stressing you out, take a break, don't burnout. Happy editing :)

--BRP ^ever 12:43, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

I actually started way back in 2018, on a now dead account. I was editing my old school district, and adding old schools to it. I started this account in February 2021, under the name Dingothegorg. And I've been here ever since.

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

I don't actually know... It's been a bit since then and I don't remember the reason why. I guess because simplewiki was much more vandalized, and more controllable than dealing with enwiki.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

Being naive, if I believe so, I got into a bit of trouble with justifying some of my weird moves when I was younger. (for example, I deleted a page for copying an enwiki, but in reality, the article was just being simplifying)

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

I thank Ferien (Belwine back then) for my help being a new editor way back in 2021-2022. What worked for me was anti-vandalism, but not alot of the technical aspects of wikipedia.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

Of course, I will be here for a good while, I do care to branch out to other wikis (specifically a few incubated wikis, and both english and the spanish wiki).

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

Not much, but from my experience, it's a fine way to edit.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

Not really...

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

Have a nice day! RiggedMint 14:09, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

I always forgot, but I actually kicked off my editing career here by making an embarrassingly poor article on this wiki many years ago now, back when I hadn't even started high school, that is still accessible through article history. I don't know how I found this place, but I made an article that certainly wasn't very NPOV. After that article, I didn't look back until a few years later and am glad to see the POV was removed by other editors and it has massively improved since then. I like to think I gained some maturity since that first article creation! I registered this account on en in 2019, but didn't really use it until late 2020 and I would consider this my homewiki as I edited here actively first. --Ferien (talk) 16:45, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

During covid I developed a bad habit of looking at random things instead of doing my schoolwork that was set for me online. So I'm pretty sure I just found this wiki through being bored and scrolling through the languages section on wikipedia.org. I also took the time to read a lot of old archives and some policy/guideline pages before I started editing here, because again, I was very bored. Eventually I decided to start editing and making a difference instead of just sitting back and reading things from afar. I then continued editing quite a bit very actively because the second lockdown came into place in the UK in January 2021 meaning more online work to skip (although I think it was more productive than the first) and more time to edit. I have since gained a passion in helping this wiki grow, as articles are easier to understand which is useful for non-native speakers, children etc, and seemingly just non-experts on many enwiki articles, which is most people! --Ferien (talk) 16:45, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

Maybe for me to take it slower than I did. As an example: I don't like looking back at my old edits because my edit summaries weren't really summaries, they were like novels. If I had taken it slower and read guidelines for things like that in more detail, instead of pointless archives, then I would know edit summaries don't need to cover everything about the edit I was going to make. --Ferien (talk) 16:45, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

I was welcomed by Tsugaru and I remember getting a lot of help from Auntof6 and IWI in particular when I started editing here. Their assistance was all really helpful and contributed a lot to me learning how editing works here. I really like the way you can drop notes on talk pages here to provide feedback on specific actions so you know exactly what you made an error on and what not to do. --Ferien (talk) 16:45, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

For now. My workload has increased substantially in the past year or so and will be increasing even more over the next few months. Unless it's not clear, I am still in full-time education. I am currently planning to take a 5-6 month break from editing from January 2025 in order to focus on upcoming exams, but I do intend to come back from that and hopefully return to an activity level slightly above where I am right now. This is also why I was inactive in May 2023, although these exams are substantially more important and, I guess, high-stakes for what I want to do next in my life so a longer break is definitely necessary. --Ferien (talk) 16:45, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

I am currently answering this survey on mobile. I think it is pretty good. I can revert vandalism and comment on discussions on mobile. I think making significant edits to articles would prove more difficult, and I don't think I've even attempted that before because it's just much quicker to do on desktop. --Ferien (talk) 16:45, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

A reasonable amount. I personally think we should make more use of images and infoboxes as these can show information quicker than through prose. I wish the Log out button on Vector 2010 wasn't so easy to accidentally click. But I've come to realise that the policies and guidelines we have usually exist for very good reasons. I'm currently debating the idea of redlinks in categories in my head and whether we should allow them due to our three-entry rule. I'm still thinking about it but it comes with a host of drawbacks navigation-wise and would encourage copying categories from enwiki, so I will probably leave it. --Ferien (talk) 16:45, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

For any new editors reviewing this page, we were all new editors once. I'm more than happy to help if anyone has any questions. Happy editing! --Ferien (talk) 16:45, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

I joined English Wikipedia and its related projects on 11 December 2020, however I started editing on the Simple English Wikipedia three years later, on 5 January 2024.

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

Because the YouTube views of some music videos and the discographies of my favourite musicians were outdated. Also because some pages were messy (I am talking about punctuation and grammar) and I can't stand that. I am a real perfectionist, I had to fix all of that! Then I discovered this Wikipedia while scrolling through various language editions. I noticed how outdated the Adele article was, so I updated it (my first edit here ♡) and I never left :D

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

I would tell myself to be less anxious and more bold, I could have learned so much faster! That it's OK to ask questions, nobody's gonna bite me. Also I would let myself know that each Wikipedia has a different set of rules, because I used to think that each one followed the same exact ones.

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

Not so much, but I didn't need a lot of help either. Why? Because I am very anxious! So I read the guidelines religiously after my very first edits and learned a lot from that. I was never a bold editor. I am also pretty smart ;P So I taught myself how to code a little by looking at the sources of pages, starting with the complex userboxes on the Italian Wikipedia. But, most importantly, I am very curious! "What's this Authority control thing? Let's look it up!" or "Parser? What? Oh, interesting!" and that's how I learnt. I notice everything and I want to learn everything! I also have many private wikis with my in-real-life friends and I follow the English Wikipedia's Manual of Style (I am a real perfectionist, remember?), so I have practiced a lot in private. When I discovered Simple English Wikipedia, I was already somewhat experienced. Before discovering this wonderful place, I never dared asking any questions and I never participated in the "community's life". But everything changed, because here everybody is so helpful!

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

Yes, of course! But I just go with the flow, I won't force myself to be active if I don't feel like it, or else I might get overwhelmed and never come back. The less I force myself to come back, the more I want to, and viceversa.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

I sometimes use the iOS app and I love the special function that lets me search and replace specific words, I use it to fix hyphens/ndashes super fast (whereas on my laptop I have to do it manually one by one). However sometimes the app crashes and I do not like how difficult it is to view/edit categories (my absolute favourite part of editing) and to search stuff on Meta-Wiki. So that't why I prefer laptop editing. Also, horses and cats love chewing phones, so editing from my destroyed smartphone isn't the best experience ever, but that's on them cute animals, it isn't the devs' fault. (P.S. thanks D. for breaking my screen and my mic, I still love you my princess)

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

About Simple English Wikipedia? Maybe, but I am very happy about this Wikipedia. About other Wikipedias? Yes, a lot, especially on the Italian Wikipedia. But it's unfair to talk about it here, so I won't say anything else.

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

I had fun answering these questions :) Just wanted to say, I love you all, we make a fantastic community! It feels cozy, it feels like home. We are like a small village, everyone knows each other. Sometimes we get a new villager, sometimes we lose one and we miss them. Some editors are like the old friendly neighbors that have been living here for decades, some are like tourists that stay a few months then they go. Everybody makes a difference on any Wikipedia, but here you make a lot of difference. I love this so much. I used to feel like a lone wolf wandering around articles and templates, but now it feels like I have finally found my pack :D

✩ Dream Indigo ✩ 22:52, 16 September 2024 (UTC)

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

I started editing regularly in May 2023 on English Wikipedia, and I don't remember when did I start editing this wiki.

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

To improve articles, in addition to vandalism/spam cleanup.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

Creating and improving articles to Good Article status.

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

I haven't had any help, I learned as I edit.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

I will, but I may take frequent wikibreaks due to IRL matters.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

Yes I do. It is better than editing on web.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

Nothing.

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

• I started editing here on the Simple English Wiki sometime back in 2010.

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

• I had originally seen some of my IRL friends vandalizing a page here and I thought it was kind of lame so I ended up reverting it. I then saw a lot of articles needed to be created so I decided to create an article and have stuck with it ever since.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

• I think for me it was more of a mental thing. As silly as it may seem, I used to overthink a lot of things before I would create and edit (Still do sometimes). I'd probably tell younger me to just chill out and uh... to stop being so cringey lol

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

• Not really or at least not that I can remember. Its been a while and I may have forgot. I moreso learned by ear.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

• Sure. I'm still having a lot of fun. It's a good hobby and time killer. There is also a lot more articles that need to be created which I enjoy doing.

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

• Unfortunately that's what I do at the moment lol

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

• I'm sure there are some things but I can't think of any off the top of my head. I do like that the project feels like a more chill environment than the other wiki.

— MourningRainfall 🌧️ 05:35, 18 September 2024 (UTC)

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

I joined on August 19, 2024.

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

I started editing shortly after because I quickly saw how much there was to do here.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

I think that if I knew how to add categories using HotCat, it would be slightly easier. Mostly because I thought it would be somewhere else other than the categories bar.

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

I had many people that helped me, like Dream Indigo, Cactus, and TDKR Chicago 101 (on the DYK).

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

Yes, I will. I'm already Wikipediholic, so there's no turning back :)

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

I've never edited on mobile.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

Wouldn't change a thing :)

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

This beautiful place is filled with editors who are volunteering to make a change. Very relaxing to edit too!

Astera🪻 ^{talk edits} 15:09, 18 September 2024 (UTC)

• When did you start editing Wikipedia?

Listen well, students, because this story is starting from the very beginning.

I remember around two or three years ago I got my first enwiki account. Note the usage of first here. I did some good and some bad edits (It was all good faith) and I got couple warnings. Around the third warning I got scared and made a sockpuppet. Poor me. The original account was banned and I got on to the first in my sockpuppet. Bans followed, and I hopped accounts. Until finally, I made one and learned from my mistakes. I made better edits this time, learning from the ban. Sadly I didn't know that the ban would only last 31 hours on the original one. I almost got away, but then I gamed the system for extended-confirmed. That was around December 2022 if I remember right. My extended-confirmed got revoked and I don't remember clearly what followed. Some guy posted on my talkpage a question about previous accounts (he was likely a checkuser) and I replied truthfully. A sockpuppet investigation followed, and got all my accounts indeffed and locked. It was then when I looked toward simplewiki. Here I edited as an IP and got familiar with the rules. But then: my IP ban/block (I get confused) ended on enwiki! I rushed to make a new account (naïve me), Apollogetticax. This was in June or July. I got in a very good standing, until the same checkuser found me out. I left Wikipedia for a month. But one day, I decided to edit Simplewiki. (That important date was August 12) My first edit was me asking how I could help this wiki out. I couldn't believe it! I could edit here! I made hundreds of edits, in my first four days I hit five hundred! But maybe the most important thing to me during this long journey to my home, my pack, would be the people. Wherever I was, there were nice people to teach me to edit.

Never try this at home, kids. Always ask an admin before making armies of sockpuppets ;P

• Why did you start editing Wikipedia?

Well, I noticed several errors in a page and fixed those errors! And then I started editing more, and I discovered the awesome people here who coached me and taught me everything.

• If you could go back in time, what do you think would've helped you as a new editor?

I think it would be that I could relax and take a break. I eventually did that, but it was way too late, and there was a lot of stress too.

• Did you have help as a new editor? What worked and what didn't?

I would like to thank Ferien, Asteradeae, Cactusisme, Auntof6, and others for helping me learn editing in this awesome place.

• Do you think you'll keep editing for the foreseeable future?

I will keep editing forever and nothing can stop me not even death mwaahahahahah!

• Have you ever edited on mobile? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, why not?

I don't have a mobile device, and I've heard mobile editing is kinda slow, so I guess I'll stick to desktop.

• Is there anything you would change about Wikipedia?

It's close to perfect at this point. I'd like quicker DYK updates. The queues appear infinite at times and they update once in 15 days!?!

• Feel free to also share anything else you wish to :)

Dear students, I hope you enjoyed my story. Don't forget to ask questions when you need to and as always, BE BOLD! 🪐●Haumeon●🪐 15:41, 18 September 2024 (UTC)