In my bachelor's thesis I wrote about cooperation in Wikipedia's WikiProjects. WikiProjects are groups of WikiPedia users with a common interest in a particular subject. Some of these groups are alive and doing just fine where others struggle due to a lack in active contributors.
In my thesis I tried to figure out what exactly motivates people to write articles under these WikiProjects and what is the role of group veterans in activating and motivating new wikipedians to write quality articles. In online groups such as Wikipedia's Wikiprojects there are no fancy tools to support collaboration, so the interpersonal communication in a group plays a huge role. New members have to have the feeling that they are welcome and that their contributions are vital for the group.
As a veteran members, sending a greeting message to a new group member is not enough. You have to reward new editors and if they have done something wrong, correct them in as nice a manner as possible. The new members must feel like being a part of a community straight from the beginning.
Never just try to figure something in academic work! You just figure or not, and if not then raise some minor issues and deal with those.
ReplyDeleteYou have raised two groups: newcomers and veterans plus briefly explained their motivation. I would really like to know more about the real motivations and emotions that drive those peoples to write into Wikipedia etc. You know, the kinda personalities that writers themselves are usually not avare of. Altough, that subject might be suiutable for doctoral thesis rather than badgelor's...
- T
Well, that was my main focus when I started doing the thesis in a first place, however, my focus changed along the way and I covered the initial inner motivations of a Wikipedian only briefly.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I just expressed it wrong and I can see it now. Anyway, I did TRY to figure that question out during the writing process. Better? :D