 | This page containsmaterial that is kept because it is consideredhumorous. Such material is not meant to be taken seriously. |
"All the wiki's a stage,
And all the Wikipedians merely players."
William Shakespeare, as part of his keen observations into the nature ofWikipedianism, identified theSeven Ages of Wikipedians, a general guide to the behaviour and editing of Wikipedians at different stages during their editing careers.
It is important to note that these ages refer to the length ofmembership, not to the Wikipedian's actualage, and should only be used as a rough guide.
WikiInfants are new toWikipedia, treating it as they wouldany other encyclopedia. They may not understand thatWikipedia can be edited, or else believe thatonly a special group of editors can do so. Often, they do not knowhow to edit. They lack any knowledge ofWikipedia guidelines, although they generally make good use ofcommon sense.
Those WikiInfants who exploreunusual parts on Wikipedia are often baffled by what they find, and require extensivehelp to make sense of it all. They may be startled by thecommunity they unearth, having previously believed that articles simplyspring magically into existence. Some WikiInfants return to theircomfort zone immediately, but others arecurious and begin editing as WikiChildren.
Although WikiInfants rarely, if ever,edit, they may still readarticles extensively oruse Wikipedia as a reference. A large number of people who accessWikipedia never progress beyond this age, and live their livesblissfully ignorant of thenasty side of the encyclopedia.
WikiChildren areWikipedians who have recently discovered, or begun to use, the ability toedit. They often make extensive edits to articles that interest them or that they are reading, simply because they can, and mayinadvertently becounter-productive. They also attempt to initiate discussions with fellow Wikipedians onTalk pages, although these may not follow theTalk page guidelines.
At this age, Wikipedians arehighly enthusiastic about editing, but still lack an in-depth knowledge ofpolicy. It is important toremember this when dealing with them. They may begin to learn more about editing from pages likeWP:ABOUT, but are often distracted byhumorous pages instead. Wikipedians at this stage often benefit fromadoption by a more experienced user.
Edit count increases dramatically, as WikiChildren generally edit whenever they seeroom for improvement, and may use several edits to produce the desired effect, especially if they are unfamiliar withWP:PREVIEW. They often join large numbers ofWikiProjects in areas that appeal to them, even if they do not make significant edits to relevant articles – they are easily distracted and may abandon a project after a short period. In this, WikiChildren have some similarities toWikiOgres, who also focus extensively on topics that catch their eye. However, WikiChildren usually remain in a constant state ofactivity, while WikiOgres remain dormant for long periods.
Edits made by WikiChildren may bedisruptive, but this is largely due to alack of knowledge rather than mischievous intent.Remain calm andexplain the situation clearly; it is more productive toeducate the WikiChild than totreat them asvandals.
Most importantly, be welcoming and encouraging to WikiChildren, even when offering criticism or setting limits.
After being a WikiChild, many Wikipedians mature into WikiTeens (referred to by Shakespeare, somewhat ironically, as WikiLovers). They becomecynical as to the value ofediting, often saying things like "Why bother? It'll only getreverted in a couple of minutes." They understandpolicy, but wish torebel against it. They often believe that everything is aconspiracy.
Some WikiTeens becomevandals,trolls or evenWikiBarbarians, usually out of boredom, although many WikiTeens take longWikiBreaks in an attempt to avoidlashing out. Some people blame the WikiTeen'santi-social behaviour on a lack ofWikiLove or overexposure toadvertising, but most believe this is a natural part ofWikiDevelopment, helping the WikiTeen to decide what they want to do.
When WikiTeensact out it is important totreat them fairly; WikiTeens who arepunished too harshly may retaliate byrunning away. Even those who occasionallyvandalize when bored may stillcontribute productively at other times – simplyasking the WikiTeen to stop might put them back on theright track.
Not all WikiTeens arebad – many continue to be productive members of thecommunity and become a more helpful version of a WikiChild in spite of their cynicism. In fact, WikiTeens often make the most creativeeditors, combining the WikiChild'sidealism with a WikiYoungAdult's or WikiAdult'sknowledge.
Once a WikiTeen reconciles themselves toWikipedia's limits, they begin to mature into a WikiYoungAdult – called a WikiSoldier by Shakespeare. They generally edit productively within a few chosenWikiProjects, generally having chosen one particularcareer to follow, although they may still belearning about the most complicated points ofpolicy. For the most part, theywork hard andbehave well towards other editors.
However, after long periods ofhard work, WikiYoungAdults may go on occasionaledit binges, in which they causegeneral disruption to several articles, often without meaning to. During these periods, they may act veryrudely to other editors, pull ludicrouspranks and createunusual articles, which they often findhilarious. In short, they act very WikiChildishly, even thoughthey know better.
This is the WikiYoungAdult's way ofblowing off steam, although it can sometimes leave them with a nastyhangover if they encounterunsympathetic editors. If confronted about their disruptive behaviour, the hot-headed WikiYoungAdult may engage in anedit war out ofpride, and it may takeoutside help to get them tocalm down enough toapologise. When dealing with out-of-control WikiYoungAdults, it's importantnot to give them ideas.
More mature than the WikiYoungAdult, the WikiAdult (Shakespeare's WikiJustice) generally balances a number of tasks. They oftenedit articles extensively within their select area of interest orWikiProject, while also working behind the scenes at places likeWP:RFA,WP:RFC orWP:AfD. They are often strict on matters of policy, having experiencededit wars andvandalism extensively in their WikiYouth. WikiAdults often seek recognition throughAdminship orBarnstars, and mayadopt several WikiChildren to pass on their knowledge. Personally, they usually follow policy on all matters, but may be coaxed into a breach ofWikiquette by the unruly behaviour ofother users.
After a long and fruitful career of editing Wikipedia regularly, a Wikipedian may become a WikiSenior.
One type of WikiSenior is characterised by a general loss of enthusiasm for editing, even on articles they previously enjoyed working on. WikiSeniors of this type return to using Wikipedia mainly as areference and mayno longer edit simply because they seelittle room for improvement. They are often known asWikiRetirees, even though they might occasionally edit an article forspelling orgrammar. They may have trouble remembering all aspects ofpolicy, complaining thatthings were different in their day. This may be the first indications of WikiSenility.
But very few WikiSeniors may become WikiElders, respected by theirWikiColleagues and known for their almost infinite capacity toassume good faith. They may becomeWikiMentors and teach wave upon wave ofWikiAcolytes andcreators offeatured articles. Or they may try to bringpeace and understanding to the world, forour generation and the generations to follow. Whatever they do and wherever they go, WikiElders always remember thatour future rests with our children.
Eventually, every Wikipedian faces the prospect of WikiDeath. Those approaching their WikiDeathlose faith in Wikipedia, and often take extendedWikiBreaks orstop editing for long periods of time, claiming that they need to focus onother projects. WikiDeath occurs upon the official announcement of theirretirement (although they may have been informal WikiRetirees for years), and may evoke despair or dismay among fellow Wikipedians. They may have a formalinterment or they may simply fade into thesunset.
Fortunately, unlikeconventional death, WikiDeath is not always the end. In fact, there is always life after WikiDeath, and the vast majority of those who have WikiDied simply revert to theirWikiInfancy, although others avoid the website completely, fearing arelapse. This return to WikiInfancy can lead toreincarnation at an earlier age – either within the same wiki, once the editor has learned totrust in Wikipedia again, or possibly after migration toanother country,another planet or evena parallel universe.
WikiDeath is not always due to problems with Wikipedia, but we should always do our best to keep Wikipedia strong and growing by contributing to an environment that encourages editors to stick around. Wikipedia's well-being and continued success depends on this.
Wikipedians who want to advertise their WikiAge can do so with the help of {{User:Strdst grl/ubx/sevenages}} – a userbox which can be adapted for each of the ages above.
