On 13 June 2012 09:19, Jon Davies jon.davies@wikimedia.org.uk wrote:
Great to have you steering this Charles.
Thanks for your input Jon, as well as support so far.
<snip>
Lesson - we need to support and protect our newbies. On-line support material can do this to some extent.
100% agree. In my reply to Gordon I also suggested that the project has a "new take", and here's a sample:
A: "I learn best by doing. I wanted to learn about notability, and so I added {{CSD A7}} to many articles. If you look at my User talk page ..."
B: "I learn best by what I would call a scientific approach. I wanted to learn about notability, so I hung around at [[Category:Speedy deletions]] for a while. Interesting: there is a triage going on. Some tags, such as that idiot A's, are quickly removed, or contested with {{hang on}}, and those articles are saved. Some articles are obvious rubbish and are zapped pretty much instantly. But there is a third class that hang around for quite a while, and obviously the first few admins who look think they are tricksy decisions. I'd like to know more about this third type."
While B is clearly doing a whole lot better, that's not my point. If the default explanation is that they both should start by reading WP:N - then the default explanation can be criticised. The new project is more about gathering up what we learn by thinking about A and B, and C, another fellow, who did learn by reading WP:N. Etc. And writing the lesson.
Charles