All,

There’s been an awful lot of fundraiser emails coming in from donors who are asking about how to edit. The following statements aren’t direct quotes – I’ve reworded them for privacy’s sake, but they’re ‘based on a true story’ and indicative of the sort of emails we’re getting:

Some of the emails are very keen:

                “ I know how to use a computer, and was wondering if I could proof read for you!”

                “I can’t donate each month, but maybe I can help you run the Wikipedia? ”

Some are confused about policies:

                “I’m afraid that if I edit about X, I’ll contravene the second and third pillars, but I’m not sure about the fifth pillar…”

Some are just confused about editing:

                “How do I edit a page? This is all very difficult”

One or two are genuinely thrilled at the idea of being able to edit:

                “I would love to be part of a thing as amazing as this – my generation would never have dreamt of something as wonderful as wiki. I think Wikipedia is great, and I’d really like you to teach me how I can be a part of it”

Rather than point them straight at some tutorial page on Wikipedia (which may not be helpful), or at OTRS (which tends to be a hit hit-and-miss) I am hoping we can run a ‘learn to edit’ session, advertised to those donors who have expressed an interest, at some point in the new year. It’d be aimed at complete beginners, and probably somewhere with a dense population, like Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Glasgow, Birmingham, Cardiff, London etc. Potentially there would be businesswomen, elderly war veterans, foreign students all at the same event: we’d try to target it as much as possible, but that might not be easily possible.

Is there anyone who’d be interested in running this, or helping out at it?

All the best,

Richard Symonds

Office Manager

Wikimedia UK

+44 7885 764 613

--

Wikimedia UK is the operating name of Wiki UK Limited, a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales, Registered No. 6741827. Our Registered Charity No. is 1144513. The Registered Office is 4th Floor, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT.

Wikimedia UK is the local chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation (who operate Wikipedia, amongst other projects). It is an independent non-profit organization with no legal control over Wikipedia nor responsibility for its contents.

Visit http://www.wikimedia.org.uk/ and @wikimediauk