If you missed our recent webinar, “Success Stories: Young Digital Creators Thriving with Open Licensing,” don’t worry we’ve got you covered. Today, we’re excited to bring you the highlights of this insightful and inspiring webinar.
Our focus was on the success of young digital creators in the open movement. We invited speakers who are active editors in the Wikimedia movement, they included; Abdulkareem Taoheedah, Kambai Akau, Cedric Musindi, and Onyeike Izuchi Juliet, who shared their experiences and journeys within the Wikimedia movement, emphasizing their contributions to various projects, including Wikipedia and its sister projects, and the importance of open licensing. The webinar also covered their motivations for participating in contests and initiatives, strategies for improving editing output and quality, and advice for new and existing editors.
Wikimedia Movement Journeys Sharing
Our first success story featured Taoheedah, who out of curiosity joined the open movement, while Kambai started with an interest in editing an article about his ethnic group and expanded his contributions with the drive to preserve his cultural heritage in the Middle Belt of Nigeria. Cedric became involved during Wikimania 2022, and Izuchi faced challenges but persisted in contributing to her community.
Cedric’s Projects and Experiences
Cedric shared his experiences and contributions to various projects and campaigns, including his participation in the Wiki for Human Rights, the Explore Africa Contest, and the Africa Youth 2022. He also mentioned his role in the Ukrainian cultural diploma and his work with the Wiki Loves Africa campaign.
Taoheedah’s Experiences With Wikipedia and Wikimedia Projects
Taoheedah shared her experiences contributing to Wikipedia, starting with an unsuccessful article about a contest she couldn’t remember the name of. She later participated in a contest about Nigerian cuisine, learned how to use Wiki books to create articles, and even had an article deleted due to lack of originality. Despite these challenges, she was motivated to continue contributing to the Wikimedia project. She also mentioned participating in a training session organized by Free Knowledge Africa and creating articles in Yoruba about sports. Taoheedah also highlighted her contribution to the Afro Sports contest and the impact it had on her involvement in other contests.
Additionally, Taoheedah discussed participating in the Explore Africa contest organized by Free Knowledge Africa, where she learned how to create articles on sister projects; Wikivoyage and attended training sessions to better understand the process.
Encouraging New Editors: Experiences and Motivations
Taoheedah shared her experiences as a newbie and encouraged new editors to participate in the training sessions. Kambai shared his motivation for contributing to Wikimedia projects, expressing concerns about the lack of representation for some languages in Nigeria. He also discussed his experience with the Wikipedia translation project and his efforts to promote their language and recruit new editors. Izuchi emphasized her commitment to inclusivity and diversity, highlighting her involvement in training, mentoring, and advocating for content in various languages.
Editing Strategies for Winning Edit-a-thon or Contests
Kambai went ahead to share his strategy for increasing his editing output and improving the quality of his articles. He mentioned setting goals, measuring his performance against top editors, and learning from already existing articles to enhance his own. Taoheedah also shared her motivation for participating in contests, emphasizing the importance of consistency and setting realistic goals for herself. She also mentioned the value of taking breaks to avoid burnout and the joy of contributing to a global audience.
Competitive Writing on Wikipedia: Approaches and Motivations
Taoheedah shared her approach to competitive writing on Wikipedia about notable women, emphasizing the importance of learning and exploring beyond the given list of topics. She also advised editors to view their projects as personal endeavours, highlighting the significance of accuracy and consistency. Lastly, Izuchi shared her motivation for contributing, citing her research interests and curiosity as key drivers.
Advice for New and Existing Editors.
The speakers gave parting words of advice to new and existing editors. Cedric emphasized the importance of thorough work, while Kambai advised new editors to learn from experienced editors and follow rules. Izuchi stressed the significance of patience and support from the committee, and Taoheedah urged patience with oneself and following instructions.
