User:Smfredd/reflection

Public school taught me to fear Wikipedia. As a student just beginning analytical research in junior high and high school, using Wikipedia in a research paper or presentation was a sure way to end up with a low grade, if not failing, for not finding "reputable" or "scholarly" research. It was that idea that carried with me up until recently when I still considered myself an "outsider" to the Wikipedia community. However now I can firmly say I consider myself not only a member of the community, but look at my beginnings with Wikipedia fondly. Not only do I think that my introduction to the Wikipedia community was made easy and enjoyable by how the community welcomes newcomers, but also by the classroom-type community I first began with that readied me for real editing.

When I was introduced to the Wikipedia assignment within our Online Communities class, my overall first impression was being overwhelmed. From learning the do’s and don’ts of the community, to choosing a topic and having to learn how to actually edit an encyclopedia page, Wikipedia was daunting. Even the motto of “Be Bold” seemed daunting to me. As an outsider trying to break into this very tight-knit and long-standing community, I did not want to seem like a nuisance. Nor did I want to forgo asking questions to risk violating norms and ethics in the community. However due to the design of the community, including the in-depth pages that explained every in and out of Wikipedia and the classroom setting, I was able to comfortably get into editing, and chose to create a page on Italian Designer Giovanni Pintori.

One thing that really made my introduction into the community smooth was the Wikipedia Training For Student. Not only did this go over certain principles such as the Five Pillars of Wikipedia and Notability, but also a general introduction to editing itself. I found this to be a great way for Wikipedia to ensure that users who were acting out of extrinsic motivation (due to class requirements) had a more in-depth overview of the ethics and norms than someone acting out of intrinsic motivation. With hope that these motives would move from extrinsic to intrinsic, in the meanwhile this introduction was a way of welcoming new members, and also showing appropriate standards.