User:Bellerophon/Adoption/Assignments/Working

Final Assignment: Working on Wikipedia

Welcome to your final assignment! Great job for getting this far. This assignment is designed to teach you about the different areas you can work. It's a big wide encyclopedia out there.

Building

The first option is to build new articles. You've got a good insight about how Wikipedia works now, what's notable and what's not, and what are reliable sources and what are not. How about trying to write an article? Something new, something different. You may have already done this. If you can write 1500 characters about a subject, you can submit it for Did you know (DYK). Did you know, is a great way to ensure your new articles are up to scratch (they need to be less than 5 days old in the article mainspace, well sourced and have a catchy "hook"). If accepted, the "hook" will appear on the Wikipedia main page, in the Did you know section! You can also apply for a DYK if you expand the characters in an article by 5x. That can be quite tough, but it is possible.

If writing a new article is not your thing, or seems too daunting, why not try to expand or improve existing articles... If you're English is good, you could try your hand at copy editing articles. You can find a list of articles that have been marked as 'in need of copy editing' at this category page. You can also find a list of requests for copy editing at the Guild of Copy Editors' requests page. If this option appeals to you, have a read of Wikipedia's how to copy edit guide.

Join a WikiProject

Have a look at your favorite articles. On the talk page, you'll often find that they have an associated WikiProject. The project is always looking for new members and will enjoy your help! They often have to-do lists and you could help out. If you're not sure where to start, check out the Directory of WikiProjects.

Deletion discussions

Why not mozy over to WP:XfD? There's always debates going on about articles that might need deleting from the encyclopedia. Throw in a view! You've been reading so much theory, you'll know as much as most people. There's a page on arguments you should avoid in deletion discussions, which might help you.

List of areas

There's a lot to maintain on Wikipedia, and your help would be gratefully received.

New Page Patrol checks every single new page to see if it meets the guidelines, wikifies it, tags it and marks it as patrolled. Have a read and see if you might be interested in helping out there. You may end up using your CSD knowledge, or even propose or nominate them for deletion.
Articles for Creation allows for any experienced, auto-confirmed user to review new articles. Check out WP:WPAFC of you'd like to join!

Help the encyclopedia move forward

There's always discussions going on at requested moves and Requests for comment. Why not see if you can offer a point of view? The most important (supposedly) at any given time are listed at WP:CENT. You can even wander around the village pump (the encyclopedic version of the water cooler) and see if there's any general discussions you're interested in.

Tasks!

To complete this module you must complete all six tasks shown below. As usual, I will be around for advice and support. There is no time limit, work at your own pace. I'm looking for quality editing and for you to put into practice all that you have learnt so far. Once you have completed a task, make a note of the page/article you have edited in the "Workbook" section below; your mentor will be more pleased if you do this in the form of a Wikilink ;-) Good luck!

Create at least one new stub, or start class, article on any subject. Or, expand and improve an existing article by at least 500 characters — remember that additions should be attributable to reliable sources.
Copy edit at least two short articles or one large article.
Find and join a WikiProject.
Participate in at least five article deletion discussions. Remember, your arguments must be policy based and not just "Per editor X". Read: arguments you should avoid in deletion discussions first.
Patrol 15 new pages (remember to read the New Page Patrol page first).
Review 4 new article submissions at Articles for Creation.