Grants:Project/Rapid/Article template libraries - user sandbox space organization

statusfunded

Rapid Grants

Article template libraries - user sandbox space organization

Help newcomers create articles easily, using foolproof procedure.

targetAll Wikipedias

start date1 February 2018

end date21 March 2018 31 March 2018

budget (USD)1,607 EUR /1980$ for software tools

grant typetools and software

grantee• ManosHacker

contact(s)• ManosHacker

created on12:22, 12 November 2017 (UTC)

friendly space expectations

ucc

privacystatement

Project idea

What is the problem you're trying to solve?

What problem are you trying to solve by doing this project? This problem should be small enough that you expect it to be completely or mostly resolved by the end of this project. Remember to review the tutorial for tips on how to answer this question.

Organizers of editathons undergo a lot of challenges when instruct unexperienced volunteers for the first time. Newcomers do not have an easy way to:

• start a new article in the sandbox space.
• find a list of started articles in their sandbox as it is cluttered and not properly organised onwiki.
• feel confident about the article content / structure they choose.
• place the references magnet.
• move sandbox to article space without making mistakes.
• feel safe to publish their final work on an article.

These sometimes make the act of volunteering to organize an editathon a difficult task.

What is your solution?

For the problem you identified in the previous section, briefly describe your how you would like to address this problem. We recognize that there are many ways to solve a problem. We’d like to understand why you chose this particular solution, and why you think it is worth pursuing. Remember to review the tutorial for tips on how to answer this question.

Build of a tool that allows:

1. Global article template library to select from (for all kinds of articles that exist)
2. Starting of articles in user space using foolproof clicks
3. Effortless and straightaway finding of started article sandboxes, to work with (list of articles)
4. Development of articles in protected (personal) space, until ready to move to article space, using foolproof clicks
5. Custom article or other page templates (for advanced users)
6. Click wizards for creation of article templates - either declared in libraries or in user's custom list
7. Support of (additional to global) article template libraries, thematically customised for editahons
8. Modular customizable help tool-toy to remind procedure steps and editing instructions to the trainees

• Current build in English

• Usage (various examples)

Project goals

What are your goals for this project? Your goals should describe the top two or three benefits that will come out of your project. These should be benefits to the Wikimedia projects or Wikimedia communities. They should not be benefits to you individually. Remember to review the tutorial for tips on how to answer this question.

Equity for more editors: Assist new editors, instructors and editathon organizers, in order to significantly increase Wikipedia's article creation and editor retention.

Project impact

How will you know if you have met your goals?

For each of your goals, we’d like you to answer the following questions:

1. During your project, what will you do to achieve this goal? (These are your outputs.)
2. Once your project is over, how will it continue to positively impact the Wikimedia community or projects? (These are your outcomes.)

For each of your answers, think about how you will capture this information. Will you capture it with a survey? With a story? Will you measure it with a number? Remember, if you plan to measure a number, you will need to set a numeric target in your proposal (e.g. 45 people, 10 articles, 100 scanned documents). Remember to review the tutorial for tips on how to answer this question.

The toolkit, in a simpler form, has been used and extensively tested in Greek Wikipedia. 8-10% of the articles there, in 2016 have been created by people instructed to use it, even 8-year-olds. Now it is being extended with article templates library functionality and more help.

There has been great interest in using the toolkit in other Wikipedias than Greek, during its presentation in 2017 Diversity Conference in Stockholm, which has inspired priority adjustments, additions and simplifications. Adoption in more languages and testing it in more countries is a next step that will provide measurable results. If it can really assist it will have its chance to be implemented world-wide, perhaps as a gadget.

Do you have any goals around participation or content?

Are any of your goals related to increasing participation within the Wikimedia movement, or increasing/improving the content on Wikimedia projects? If so, we ask that you look through these three metrics, and include any that are relevant to your project. Please set a numeric target against the metrics, if applicable. Remember to review the tutorial for tips on how to answer this question.

Globally increase (in-project-involved) Wikipedia article production: 20%, article retention: 80%, editor retention: 5%

• Newbie confidence in writing on Wikipedia.
• Reduce time invested in mentorship with this global support tool.
• Increase Wikipedia article production.
• Increase Wikipedia article retention from newbies.
• Increase editor retention as their confidence is built over time.

Project plan

Activities

Tell us how you'll carry out your project. What will you and other organizers spend your time doing? What will you have done at the end of your project? How will you follow-up with people that are involved with your project?

I will finish the project code guided by the needs of the global team, who will be testing the tool in their own languages. Depending on their feedback we will re-design the tool where needed, and ask for more technical support to make it simpler, due to today's technical limitations (i.e. mediawiki bugs left in low priority in phabricator)

Budget

How you will use the funds you are requesting? List bullet points for each expense. (You can create a table later if needed.) Don’t forget to include a total amount, and update this amount in the Probox at the top of your page too!

Weeks 1 & 2: Development & testing as non default template + building libraries & help in English

Week 3: Implementing as default template in Spanish + training + testing

Week 4,5,…: Implementing as default template in rest of team languages + training

85 hours of coding (designing, writing, testing, debugging, configuring, optical adjusting, redesigning on initial feedback, porting to other landuages, redesigning / adjusting on final feedback etc for core template functionality and special optical help system and material, documenting, coding of libraries) and 25 hours of admin training = 110 hours * 18$ / hour = 1980 $

Total: 1980 $

Community engagement

Community input and participation helps make projects successful. How will you let others in your community know about your project? Why are you targeting a specific audience? How will you engage the community you’re aiming to serve during your project?

We have already had extremely positive results in Greek Wikipedia, where the toolkit has been used and developed over time, since Spring 2015, as the default sandbox. We continue our education program there, using it.

Get involved

Participants

Please use this section to tell us more about who is working on this project. For each member of the team, please describe any project-related skills, experience, or other background you have that might help contribute to making this idea a success.

• Flixtey : Project consultant
• Alangi Derick : MediaWiki support
• ManosHacker : Toolkit idea, developer, debugger, field tester in Greece, translator in English, porter of code to rest of languages, team trainer and mentor
• Jaluj : Translator in Spanish & field tester in Argentina
• SAgbley : Translator & field tester in Ghana
• Mardetanha: Translator & field tester in Iran
• Sami Mlouhi : Translator in French & field tester in Tunisia
• Janak Bhatta : Translator & field tester in Nepal
• Joy Agyepong : Translator & field tester in Ghana
• Camelia.boban : Translator & field tester in Italy
• Reem Al-Kashif : Translator in Arabic & field tester in Egypt

Community notification

Please paste links below to where relevant communities have been notified of your proposal, and to any other relevant community discussions. You are responsible for notifying relevant communities of your proposal, so that they can help you! Depending on your project, notification may be most appropriate on a Village Pump, talk page, mailing list, etc. Need notification tips?

Endorsements

Do you think this project should be selected for a Project Grant? Please add your name and rationale for endorsing this project below! (Other constructive feedback is welcome on the discussion page).

•  Support Anyone who has organized an editathon knows how unfriendly can be our software for new users, how difficult it is to start editing an article and how important is for a newbie to feel safe when publishing an article in the main space .I think that this proposal will help a lot, both the organizers of editathons and the newbies. Jalu (talk) 20:24, 19 January 2018 (UTC)
•  Support I support the creation of this tool as it solves one of the greatest challenges after training new editors, and will go a long way to reduce time dedicated towards mentoring newbies. Flixtey (talk) 11:34, 21 January 2018 (UTC)
•  Support I saw this tool in action on Greek Wikipedia at 2017 Diversity Conference in Stockholm, so I'm interested in any improvement for use it in our editathons or in training new users process. Camelia (talk) 14:53, 21 January 2018 (UTC)
•  Support I see a lot of potential in this tool Mardetanha ^talk 15:11, 21 January 2018 (UTC)
•  Support I strongly support this tool because it seeks to offer appropraite guidelines for newbies when they start to edit. I was present during the presentation at 2017 Diversity Conference in Stockholm, and I am in full support to get this established. Joy Agyepong (talk) 17:44, 21 January 2018 (UTC)
•  Support Ramesh S.Bohara (talk) 13:45, 22 January 2018 (UTC)
•  Support I strongly support this tool. I knew about this tool at Diversity Conference 2017 in Stockholm. It is very useful to new editor and beginner to create a new article. I’m interested to use this tool in our outreach events and editathons. Janak Bhatta (talk) 04:19, 23 January 2018 (UTC)
•  Support Too much beneficial for newbies and editathon participants. I strongly support the creation of this tool. Sami Mlouhi (talk) 19:31, 23 January 2018 (UTC)
•  Support I agree with Jalu it's a great idea! Santamarcanda (talk) 16:10, 31 January 2018 (UTC)
•  Support This is a great idea for the future of our movement, I totally support it! Youssef Ben Haj Yahia (talk) 21:35, 31 January 2018 (UTC)
•  Support Wonderful idea to create a means that offers space for new volunteers to test out articles ideally without tampering with a usable environment. Great! Alangi Derick (talk) 21:26, 1 February 2018 (UTC)
•  Support Even though it's "too late" hehe, as this project has already been funded, I felt the urge to express my support as this tool has been an invaluable asset, both in my personal edits and the work I did last year with approx. 50 students of Secondary School (Grade 8) in Argostoli, Kefalonia, Greece. Congrats Manos, and keep up the great work! :-) Saintfevrier (talk) 22:24, 25 February 2018 (UTC)