Collaboration

Purpose
The Editor Engagement features development team has the following goals:


 * Acquisition: Encourage more new users to sign up for and contribute to Wikimedia projects
 * Engagement: Encourage new editors to continue participating
 * Retention: Keep contributors motivated to contribute more.

As with any project around participation, we need to make sure we attract and retain the right kind of editors, i.e., editors that contribute in a positive manner to our projects.

Rationale
Since peaking in 2007, the number of active editors on Wikipedia projects. The Editor Trends Study identified one of the main drivers of decline as the of new editors. The is another cause of the decline. As a results of this research, Sue posted the March 2011 Update describing these trends and their implications for the Wikimedia communities. Subsequent to the March 2011 Update, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees passed the Openness Resolution (April 8, 2011). This resolution recognizes that for the Foundation's goals to succeed, a more stable editing community is critical to the long-term sustainability and quality of the movement and its projects. Accordingly, the Executive Director has been charged with reversing the editor decline top priority for the upcoming year.

Current active projects
Planned, active, and inactive projects in New Editor Engagement include:


 * Echo (Notifications), a redesign of the notifications system in Wikipedia.
 * Flow, the design of a new interface for user-to-user communication.

Future/planned projects

 * GlobalProfile, a system designed to ease difficulty for page patrol, reduce "bite", and encourage identity within the projects.
 * Article creation workflow, a redesign of the landing pages and workflow for creating new articles in Wikipedia.

Past projects

 * Article Feedback Tool, a tool designed to encourage readers to provide feedback on articles.
 * MoodBar, a tool designed to encourage feedback from new users, with Feedback Dashboard supporting review by experienced members.
 * New Page Triage, redesigning the New Page Patrol experience.
 * Teahouse, an on-Wiki support center promoting one-to-one cooperation between experienced users & new users.
 * Template A/B testing, a data-driven approach to improving the templates used in communication on User Talk pages.
 * Timestamp Position Modification, a small experiment in encouraging readers to notice that pages are frequently updated and that there is a revision history.
 * WikiLove, a tool designed to encourage community health and reduce "bite".

There is also a list of smaller issues related to the new editor experience that deserve attention. Please amend and comment on the issue list if you want to add your input.

Lifecycle terminology
Please see /Participant Lifecycle for a description of the terms we use to describe the new editor lifecycle.