[Foundation-l] User talk templates

[Keegan Peterzell]

Automated welcome message are tricky on the English Wikipedia, because it's
a tricky place to figure out why someone is editing, and how to communicate
with them.  A large number of contributors with new accounts either do not
have a native level of English, are editing just because they can, are
editing for promotional purpose (intentional or not), or simply don't know
what to do.  Reading the account's contribution history helps, as
WereSpielChequers notes, but that doesn't tell when to template or when to
simply write.

Because of this, I think it is important that we foster intuition on what
to write.  If the account seems to be wanting simple information on how to
edit based on lack of skill, I'll leave a sentence or two saying hello and
follow with the welcome template.  If the account's edits need personal
interaction, I'll just write three or four sentences saying hello with a
couple links followed by information on what seems to be the problem with
their edits.  I think this is fairly standard among those used to helping.

It's a flowchart.  If it does exist, please link.  If not, please make :)

-- 
~Keegan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Keegan