Thread:Talk:Article feedback/Delete/reply (15)

True, the ultimate goal is to get more of our users editing article pages. But we also want to get the right types of users and we want to keep them for as long as we can.

It could be the case that discussions offer the best introduction to editing Wikipedia, and users that first edit a discussion page tend to stay longer (e.g., they have a better understanding of the rules, know how to avoid newbie mistakes, etc.). This would argue for making the invitation to discuss more prominent, simplifying the talk page interface, improving the feedback loop to the newbie once she's entered into a discussion, etc. Or it could be the case that completing a very simple edit like a spelling correction offers the best entry into Wikipedia (e.g., newbies are shy, they often feel like they're not qualified to edit, so accomplishment is a good way to build confidence). This would argue for making this type of editing as simple as possible (e.g., in-line editor). Or maybe the most effective way of drawing new editors in is to have them create an account (e.g., it gives them a sense of belonging and therefore more ownership over their contributions). And we need to measure this against the quality of these editors. The last thing the community needs is a bunch of disruptive editors coming in through one of these entry points.

The reality is probably a mix of these reasons, and many more. Also, an "entry vector" that works for one newbie may not work for another. At present, we don't have quantitative data that enables us to compare the effectiveness of these various "entry vectors". But it's something that we'd like to test. For example, we have indication that AFT is probably a good entry vector, given the 17% click-through rate for the edit call-to-action. But we don't yet know whether these individuals actually make good editors (e.g., how constructive are their edits? How long do they edit for?).