Comments on: The kind, gentle approach to retaining new editors

By: Kasper Souren

Kasper Souren — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:12 +0000

It’d also be good to look at the reasons why former editors are not coming back. I’ve stopped actively editing the English Wikipedia years ago (partly because of deletionism). My talk page has since become a long list of pages that people want to delete (sometimes successfully, for the deletionists at least). It’s frustrating to see that the work I’ve put into Wikipedia can be deleted for sometimes very silly reasons and it doesn’t make me want to become an active editor – at least not until I know that the work I put into (the English) Wikipedia is a bit more likely to not be deleted in the next 100 years or so.

By: iLoveShelling

iLoveShelling — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 13:26:59 +0000

We all need to learn a little bit more about the “kind, gentle approach” that Susan uses with everybody she meets. I was fortunate enough to meet her in person after “meeting” her first through WikiProject:Gastropod. I couldn’t get enough of so much information! I was constantly researching gastropods so of course we eventually met since she reached out to help me. She is kind and gentle to everyone… that’s why she is the best “teacher” I have met in this big web school of information and technology.

By: GoEThe

GoEThe — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 20:20:28 +0000

It apparently makes a real difference to go that extra mile to welcome the newcomers. At first, I thought that Daniel Cavallari had been victim of hostility at the Portuguese Wikipedia (which unfortunately can still happen), but looking in his talk page there, I see no sign of that and all the interaction I see there seem positive about his work (I even found a message I sent him a while back that I no longer remembered). What is the difference then? It is precisely the reaching out and meeting newcomers instead of waiting for them to reach out to us. It not enough to build help desks and expect them to find you. Like you say it is a big and confusing place. It really helps if someone comes to you and gives you directions. Congratulations for Susan for her initiative!

By: Adam Fletcher

Adam Fletcher — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:23:05 +0000

I absolutely agree with this approach, and applaud it! Just over these last few months, I have met more cooperation and goodwill on WP than in the previous 7 years I’ve been editing. Many congrats to Susan for her bravery, and thanks to WP for embracing this style! Long live happy editing!