Growth/Communities/How to interact with newcomers/it

La seguente guida è stata creata per aiutare gli utenti esperti sulle wiki di Wikimedia ad approcciarsi con i nuovi utenti, soprattutto allo sportello informazioni o nelle pagine Q&A (Question-and-Answer). E' importante anche per le relazioni tra gli utenti, come nel tutoriaggio.

Questo documento suggerisce le migliori pratiche da vari siti (Wiki di Wikimedia, altri siti Q&A,...) e pensieri per gli utenti esperti dei progetti Wikimedia che vogliono interagire con i nuovi utenti. Puoi saperne di più su Phabricator.

Come avere buone interazione

 * Sii sempre amichevole, gentile e paziente, anche se il nuovo utente se ne dimentica.


 * Inizia a rispondere dicendo "Ciao e benvenuto!"


 * Sii certo di comprendere la domanda. Non provare ad indovinare quale sia il problema. Chiedere chiarimenti è legittimo; ti aiuterà a fornire risposte più accurate. "Cosa vuoi provare a fare?" è un'ottima domanda da porre se non comprendi la domanda.


 * Controlla quale editor di testo utilizza il nuovo utente (wikitesto 2010, visuale, mobile, wikitesto 2017, ecc.), e fornisci una risposta per quell'editor. Chiedere agli utenti di usare un editor che non conoscono potrebbe essere un disastro per loro.


 * Conosci i tuoi limiti: a volte non saprai come rispondere, specialmente in ambiti tecnici o fuori dalle tue competenze. Sentiti libero di chiedere aiuto ad altri utenti che sono più esperti in certe aree tematiche. Se il messaggio pubblicato sulla tua pagina utente, necessita tempo per una risposta, aggiungi una breve risposta per avvisare che risponderai più tardi.


 * Sii onesto: se la richiesta non è realistica o fattibile sulla tua wiki, o comunque off-topic, dillo e spiega il perché. Per esempio, potrebbe non essere produttivo per i nuovi utenti lavorare su contenuto che potrebbe venire cancellato nel giro di pochi giorni. Comunque, spiegare il motivo per cui il contenuto potrebbe venire cancellato può aiutare i nuovi utenti nell'evitare problemi futuri. Invita invece i nuovi arrivati a lavorare su qualcos'altro.


 * I nuovi utenti potrebbero essere nervosi o frustrati verso la tua wiki per diverse ragioni. Le loro critiche molto probabilmente non sono rivolte a te. Mantieni la calma e prova a comprendere la loro situazione.


 * Se è chiaro che la discussione non andrà da nessuna parte, chiudila educatamente.


 * Divertiti! Non vedere l'aiutare i nuovi utenti come un fardello. Se non hai tempo per seguire le loro richieste, o non sei dell'umore, lascialo fare pure agli altri utenti.


 * Guarda le pagine di discussione di altri tutor. Avvisa gli altri tutor se programmi di essere offline, così potranno gestire la tua pagina di discussione mentre sarai via.

Come scrivere buone risposte

 * Spiega
 * Don't point to documentation first, explain the process instead. An answer is better than linking to the answer, even if it is only one sentence followed by a link. Quote important information from other pages you link. It avoids forcing people to read many long pages.
 * Example: “To add an image, you’ll need to upload it to a different website called Wikimedia Commons. Then you can place it in your article.  It’s a little confusing, so read this link carefully.”


 * Give the next steps
 * Leave replies that tell the person what to do next. Don't just answer the specific question.


 * Personalize
 * Reply to questions asked because they are specific; avoid general replies. Provide examples.


 * Keep things simple
 * Avoid jargon and acronyms. You can introduce them progressively by linking them. Avoid overloading the newcomer with information not related to their question.


 * Be a guide
 * For instance, if someone asks how to add an image on a new article, but the action that person should take first is to add sources, tell them to add sources first (and how to). Also, promise that you will explain how to add an image later.


 * Create a conversation
 * Ask the newcomer a question to try to engage them in conversation.
 * For instance, if they ask, “Is it possible for me to write a new article on Wikipedia?”, you can say, “Yes, you can create a new article. However, that’s one of the hardest kinds of edits to do on Wikipedia. What do you want to write your article about? Maybe there are some easier tasks you can try related to your interests, and then you’ll learn the skills you need to write the article.”


 * Ping
 * Make sure the newcomer is aware of the reply, by any method. For instance, on wikitext talk pages, mention the user when you reply.


 * Explain how to reply
 * Many newcomers don’t understand how to use talk pages. Therefore, you can include something like: “To reply to my message, click "Edit the page", then write your message below mine. Then publish the page.”  They don’t need to understand indentation or signatures yet. You can teach them that in your next reply, maybe by using a template.


 * Follow-up
 * If possible, follow up on the request by checking back later: the newcomer may ask about something else or need further clarification. Newcomers may reply unexpected way: they may not understand how to respond, how to add their signature, or how to ping a user.
 * When you explain something, ask the newcomer if your answer has helped them. The newcomer will feel more welcomed, and you will get some information to improve your experience. If the conversation ends, remind to the newcomer that you're still available if needed.


 * Write your reply
 * Say hello!
 * If possible, respond in a reasonable time. Newcomers may not log in often or may not have email notifications enabled. They may not be accustomed to a community like Wikimedia, where discussions can sometimes involve users from many time zones. Check back in the forum occasionally for any questions that have gone unanswered for 24 hours.
 * Pay attention to how you reply; check your spelling.

Explain, or do the change myself?
One of the goals is to help newcomers who struggle with the interface or markup. It may sometimes be easier to make very complicated edits yourself instead of explaining how to do so. That's the case for multi-step processes and complex wiki-syntax. Be honest and tell the newcomer that it is a complicated edit "even for an experienced user". But explain the steps you've been through so they can learn and reproduce them afterward.

Make your choice based on your own experience and your discussions with other helpers. But it is often more rewarding for a newcomer to understand what to do and apply it themselves, rather than having it done for them. Teaching is less efficient in the short term but increases editor-retention in the long term.

Rely on other community members
Operating a dedicated help forum is a collective project. It depends on a wide range of helpers. All have individual strengths and weaknesses, as well as a finite amount of available time and energy.

Coordinate with other helpers to share your experience and best practices. Be open to advise from other helpers when they offer it.

Take care of the other people who reply to you. Thank and guide people who try to help. Thank people who help a lot.

Don't forget to keep the community informed of your efforts; it will help to recruit new helpers.

Examples
Here are some hypothetical examples based on common replies found on several Wikipedias.

How can I add an image I have on my computer to an article?


 * Check on the help page where you will be guided.
 * Check on the help page where you will be guided.


 * Hello! Anyone can reuse Wikipedia. We respect copyright laws, so we can't accept every image on Wikipedia. It depends on the topic, and also on who has created that image. Which article do you want to illustrate? Are you the author of the image you want to use? If not, does someone else have the copyright to that image?
 * Hello! Anyone can reuse Wikipedia. We respect copyright laws, so we can't accept every image on Wikipedia. It depends on the topic, and also on who has created that image. Which article do you want to illustrate? Are you the author of the image you want to use? If not, does someone else have the copyright to that image?

My article has been deleted and that's scandalous!


 * That's your fault: you should have read the help pages first. Now you know that you can't do everything you want on Wikipedia, especially trying to promote the topic you've chosen.
 * That's your fault: you should have read the help pages first. Now you know that you can't do everything you want on Wikipedia, especially trying to promote the topic you've chosen.


 * Hello and sorry for the bad experience you had. Based on the information available, it seems that your article didn't include any sources. Wikipedia articles are based on published sources so that readers can verify the information. That's the most important issue with your article. I've searched for published sources about your topic, but I haven't found any. Do you have sources we can use? If there are no such sources available, then it may be too soon for Wikipedia to have an article on this subject.
 * Hello and sorry for the bad experience you had. Based on the information available, it seems that your article didn't include any sources. Wikipedia articles are based on published sources so that readers can verify the information. That's the most important issue with your article. I've searched for published sources about your topic, but I haven't found any. Do you have sources we can use? If there are no such sources available, then it may be too soon for Wikipedia to have an article on this subject.