Forum:SH:Obstacles for new editors

Hey everyone,

I'm thinking of putting together an article for Wookieepedia NewsNet encouraging new users to join and start editing Wookieepedia. The main focus is going to be on some of the obstacles new users face --- difficult coding, confusing policies, dejection stemming from receiving warnings, etc. What I'd love to do is to have quotes/short anecdotes from various members of the community that share some tips and/or share a story of how they overcame an obstacle early in their editing days. If you'd be interested in helping out with this, just leave your two creds here, either sharing a personal story or giving a tip on facing what you think a particularly challenging obstacle is. I think this kind of article will benefit from having encouragement from numerous community members rather than just me. I'll probably just copy and paste what you write, so write something you want to be quoted. Menkooroo (talk) 19:54, July 27, 2012 (UTC)
 * In all honesty, the key to integration anywhere in life, including a wiki, is accepting that you're not important. You're not here to make friends. You're here to do a job. You're not the best. You bring nothing that someone elsewhere in the world cannot also bring. Star Wars is bigger than you. These things are hard for most of us to hear because we live in a world culture that resents individual insignificance in the grand scheme of things. Myself, I may have learned these lessons a little too ardently as after my joining the Wook, I swiftly became and continue to be rather unproductive and unambitious. But what little I do is satisfactory to me and for those who disagree, I don't care. I'm not here to please others, nor for that matter am I here to antagonize them. I'm here for Star Wars. Karohalva (talk) 20:36, July 27, 2012 (UTC)
 * Well, I was banned twice when I was 15 and was the resident contributor with the attitude of a ten-year-old. In the end, neither was exactly because of my bad attitude, but stemmed instead from my horrible communication skills. The first was because of an unqualified statement in a highly charged discussion that I was given the opportunity to change. Silly me, I thought taking the garbage out was more important than what I said of someone online and I was gone by the time I walked back to the computer. I didn't even say I was taking it out. Lesson there? Everything you say matters. Don't take it lightly. On the other side of the screen are people who breathe just like you and are here because they love Star Wars, not because they want their feelings and reputations hurt by some guy/gal on the other side of their country.
 * The second ban came as the result of a complete lack of communication between myself and an administrator. I was trying to bring an article on a Sith who died during the Massacre of Ossus and it was egregiously long, fluffy. This was before we had Comprehensive Articles, so anything under 250 words couldn't be brought to status. This article on a character that died in his first of two panels approached 400-500 words, if memory serves. I initially aimed for 1000. But it wasn't the length that got me banned. When I put it up for status, people were wary of the length and that there were paragraphs that did not even mention the Sith, but I maintained it was necessary context for why he was on Ossus. Eventually, the nomination was removed because of that and I cut it down to renominate it. It was removed again, this time summarily and without archiving, by that administrator, who accused me of fanon because a date was written as concrete when it was supposed to be approximate. This made me mad, I'll not lie. I was furious and, despite the number of suggestions to just leave a message on his talk page, I lurked in the IRC waiting for him so we could talk there. I waited a month like this before just deciding to put it up again without talking to him. Guess who saw it and determined it was disruption? The administrator I didn't talk to. Second lesson? Talking is a Free Action. If you're having troubles with someone, you can always talk it over with them. You can't let anger or pride get in the way of that. Take a breath, suck it up, and talk anyway. NaruHina  Talk Anakinsolo.png 20:43, July 27, 2012 (UTC)
 * So, yeah, what Karo said, but with story. NaruHina  Talk Anakinsolo.png 20:47, July 27, 2012 (UTC)


 * Karo nailed it. That is about precisely how I feel. I've always said that you're here to help Wookieepedia, not the other way around. We try to help new users, but they have to help themselves as well. We're here to get work done. We're not here to be a social group. Community is a fine thing, and I think Wookieepedia has a great community, one of the best on the web. However, that should not be the main focus. If a new user is joining because he wants to make friends with Star Wars people, they've come to the wrong place. They should go to TFN or some other forum. Wookieepedia is an encyclopedia. Nothing more. Nothing less. We should be here to work. Nothing more. Nothing less. While making friends along the way is a fine thing, it is not why Wookieepedia is here. We've gained a reputation as the best source of Star Wars information anywhere. We can't let that fact slip by us. New users need to realize that they need to be ready to obey the policies and do plain hard work. Most of the productive users that are here now I'm sure could attest to having difficulties when they first joined. I know I did. We didn't let that stop us, though. New users need to realize that while we'll try to help them learn, we won't cater to them. They'll have to learn and follow the rules. If a new user truly wants to learn and become a productive editor, they should seek help from an established and trusted editor. However, they need to be ready to adjust to the proper rules on Wookieepedia, not thinking that they can change Wookieepedia to fit their own laziness. New users shouldn't come here expecting soft treatment. Wookieepedia, admittedly, is mostly a hard place. We are that way, though, because rules need to be enforced in order to have a great Wiki. Basically, we'll try to help new users, but they need to be willing to put their nose to the grind and work hard to be a part of this great Star Wars site.&mdash; Cal Jedi Infinite Empire.svg (Personal Comm Channel) 20:49, July 27, 2012 (UTC)