This is an
essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of
Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been
thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
Who participates in Wikipedia and why? There are plenty of good ostensible reasons, which are at least part of the story for most participants. These include an attraction to spreading knowledge, helping others and participating in a community. To learn what specific opportunities Wikipedia offers in these regards, see Wikipedia:About. But to learn more about the individual psychology of Wikipedia participation, read on.
In their posts to user talk and discussion pages, especially during conflicts, Wikipedians speculate about the motives of fellow Wikipedians. Though the Facial Expression Markup Language can clarify mood or intent in written communication, it's hardly perfect, and no Wikipedian uses it in every phrase they write. Wikipedians' analysis and interpretation of others takes place often in spirited I'm-right-and-you're-wrong exchanges. While some accuse each other of hidden agendas or even of being sleeping partners, others sit back and analyze the accusers.
Essentially there's no limit to how long such analyses and interpretations can go on, or how many people can participate. The way the Wikipedia software works, once a user posts a comment or any other piece of text, it becomes a fixture of the system that will always be associated with that user's name. Another factor that fosters or necessitates speculation is that Wikipedia happens over the Internet. Most users are anonymous, many go by pseudonyms, some probably aren't who they say they are, and almost no one has met anyone else in person (but see WikiMeet).
Psychologizing strangers, of course, is an imperfect art. An almost certain pitfall is the phenomenon Freud called projection -- the ascription of the interpreter's own motives or desires to the person or people being interpreted. Projection can cause aggrieved individuals to perceive others as aggressors ("That person doesn't think their change makes the article read better, they're just subtly trying to neutralize my idea!").
In any event, because projections tend to accurately reflect the true motives of the projector, therefore these theories of behavior are true of at least some Wikipedians. Every Wikipedian can speak with some authority about who participates in Wikipedia and why.
A complication is, we do sometimes criticize other people without having the same faults ourselves. Psychology is involved and sometimes difficult.
A Wikipedian who is dissatisfied with the skill they are able to show or exercise at work or elsewhere in the brick-and-mortar universe nevertheless may stand out in the Wikipedia universe, which others with their expertise may not yet have discovered. For such people, this aspect of Wikipedia participation is probably an emotional reward that contributes to their enthusiasm and motivation to participate. As to why they do, their unconsciousness might explain:
"I get to be a big fish in a small pond"
or
"I get to show how wide my knowledge is"
or
"I get to show what esoteric stuff I know"
Participation may reflect the desire to merely exercise one's skills, but inherently it is also a chance to exhibit them. In an important sense this remains true even when a Wikipedian contributes under a pseudonym, as many do.
For a person who values position or view x to work on the Wikipedia page describing x successfully takes a certain kind of character. Bad faith and bad skepticism, which seek to assert or debunk x with more bravado than fact or self-confidence, need not apply. True faith or true doubt make for better articles. A person with true faith can honestly represent view x and describe their claims as those of a true believer, with neither misrepresentation nor shame. A true skeptic, invested neither in x nor in not-x, can honestly describe the statements that partisans of x and not-x make, and ascribe them correctly as the views of believers.
The stereotypes:
This is an
essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of
Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been
thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
Who participates in Wikipedia and why? There are plenty of good ostensible reasons, which are at least part of the story for most participants. These include an attraction to spreading knowledge, helping others and participating in a community. To learn what specific opportunities Wikipedia offers in these regards, see Wikipedia:About. But to learn more about the individual psychology of Wikipedia participation, read on.
In their posts to user talk and discussion pages, especially during conflicts, Wikipedians speculate about the motives of fellow Wikipedians. Though the Facial Expression Markup Language can clarify mood or intent in written communication, it's hardly perfect, and no Wikipedian uses it in every phrase they write. Wikipedians' analysis and interpretation of others takes place often in spirited I'm-right-and-you're-wrong exchanges. While some accuse each other of hidden agendas or even of being sleeping partners, others sit back and analyze the accusers.
Essentially there's no limit to how long such analyses and interpretations can go on, or how many people can participate. The way the Wikipedia software works, once a user posts a comment or any other piece of text, it becomes a fixture of the system that will always be associated with that user's name. Another factor that fosters or necessitates speculation is that Wikipedia happens over the Internet. Most users are anonymous, many go by pseudonyms, some probably aren't who they say they are, and almost no one has met anyone else in person (but see WikiMeet).
Psychologizing strangers, of course, is an imperfect art. An almost certain pitfall is the phenomenon Freud called projection -- the ascription of the interpreter's own motives or desires to the person or people being interpreted. Projection can cause aggrieved individuals to perceive others as aggressors ("That person doesn't think their change makes the article read better, they're just subtly trying to neutralize my idea!").
In any event, because projections tend to accurately reflect the true motives of the projector, therefore these theories of behavior are true of at least some Wikipedians. Every Wikipedian can speak with some authority about who participates in Wikipedia and why.
A complication is, we do sometimes criticize other people without having the same faults ourselves. Psychology is involved and sometimes difficult.
A Wikipedian who is dissatisfied with the skill they are able to show or exercise at work or elsewhere in the brick-and-mortar universe nevertheless may stand out in the Wikipedia universe, which others with their expertise may not yet have discovered. For such people, this aspect of Wikipedia participation is probably an emotional reward that contributes to their enthusiasm and motivation to participate. As to why they do, their unconsciousness might explain:
"I get to be a big fish in a small pond"
or
"I get to show how wide my knowledge is"
or
"I get to show what esoteric stuff I know"
Participation may reflect the desire to merely exercise one's skills, but inherently it is also a chance to exhibit them. In an important sense this remains true even when a Wikipedian contributes under a pseudonym, as many do.
For a person who values position or view x to work on the Wikipedia page describing x successfully takes a certain kind of character. Bad faith and bad skepticism, which seek to assert or debunk x with more bravado than fact or self-confidence, need not apply. True faith or true doubt make for better articles. A person with true faith can honestly represent view x and describe their claims as those of a true believer, with neither misrepresentation nor shame. A true skeptic, invested neither in x nor in not-x, can honestly describe the statements that partisans of x and not-x make, and ascribe them correctly as the views of believers.
The stereotypes: