Wikipedia:Online Ambassadors/Apply/Daffy123

Daffy123

The following discussion is preserved as an archive of a unsuccessful Online Ambassador application.

After running for three weeks, I am closing this application as unsuccessful. (non-admin closure) --Guerillero | My Talk 19:46, 4 September 2011 (UTC)

Daffy123 (talk · contribs)

1. Why do you want to be a Wikipedia Ambassador?

   I want to introduce Wikipedia for new members and guide them to become active Wiki editors, and especially in my home country of South Korea, where participation is rather lower.

2. In three sentences or less, summarize your involvement with Wikimedia projects.

   My contribution in Commons was mainly through uploading images by hand. I traveled through the web, finding images that were not in copyright. I also have contributed to many articles on historical figures, and many of the images that I've uploaded were the first images to render the likeness of the figures. I mainly work in the Commons, the English Wikipedia, the Japanese Wikipedia, and the Korean Wikipedia; also, 90% of my edits are articles.

3. Please indicate a few articles to which you have made significant content contributions. (e.g. DYK, GA, FA, major revisions/expansions/copyedits).

   Most of the images that I have uploaded still continue to render the likeness of many historical figures. I have also made major revisions on lesser-known historical leaders and military people. I have made major edits in articles about German military figure Hans Kundt (his picture was hard to find, but I uploaded it), Korean President Choi Kyu-hah (also uploaded image), Japanese PM Takeo Miki (recently uploaded his high quality picture) and US Ambassador to Japan Joseph Grew.

4. How have you been involved with welcoming and helping new users on Wikipedia?

   I have not been actually involved with welcoming new users, but after participating in Wikimania 2011, I have noticed that recruiting new users not only by face to face, but through the web could also be worth it. I believe that becoming a Wikipedia Ambassador would be a wonderful opportunity to meet this goal. I would definitely have time to work as an ambassador, if I could become one.

5. What do you see as the most important ways we could welcome newcomers or help new users become active contributors?

   I believe that, based on my own experience, guiding the ways on how to edit, and teaching them about the copyright system would be the best and foremost activity to introduce a person to Wikipedia. I believe that rather than simply taking down images and blocking the new usernames, Ambassadors should first serve as mentors to prevent future mistakes and lead them to become active Wikipedians.

6. Have you had major conflicts with other editors? Blocks or bans? Involvement in arbitration? Feel free to offer context, if necessary.

   Most of the images that I have first posted and the edits I have first made were taken down, primarily because I was unaware of the copyright rules that apply in Wikipedia. After steadily learning the rules of copyrights, I began to upload images for carefully, and make edits more reasonably. This Username was made after I once got blocked but after I knew how copyright works, this has become the model username for me. Now I have uploaded 140 different historical images, most of them being the first images in several articles. My valid edits are now over 300.

7. How often do you edit Wikipedia and check in on ongoing discussions? Will you be available regularly for at least two hours per week, in your role as a mentor?

   I used to edit ten times on a daily basis, but now I tend to do it almost five times a day. I will definitely be able to go two hours regularly per week.

8. What else should we know about you that is relevant to being a Wikipedia Ambassador?

   I know about where to get images from the Korean government archives and the Japanese government archives that are currently not in the reach of copyrights. If future participants are informed about the depth in which new images and edits can be made, they will be able to make greater edits and know the merits of making contributions in Wikipedia. Also, I go to a Foreign Language High School in Korea, and many of the students there use Wikipedia on a daily basis, but are not editors. I am sure that I talk with them about the merits of becoming a Wikipedia editor and upload images and include valuable information on numerous articles.

—Daffy123 (talk + contribs) — 5:47, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

Discussion

• I'm a little hesitant. Your activity level is fairly sporadic for an Online Ambassador, and your overall level of experience on Wikipedia is lower than what we're generally looking for. My recommendation would be to keep up the good work, keep learning about Wikipedia, and apply again down the road.--Sage Ross - Online Facilitator, Wikimedia Foundation (talk) 18:01, 19 August 2011 (UTC)
• I am thinking along the same lines. While I do not suffer from Editcountitis, 50 edits ago for you is mid march. That makes me feel uneasy. --Guerillero | My Talk 18:25, 19 August 2011 (UTC)