Wikipedia:WikiProject Video games/Newsletter/20100106/Feature

WikiProject Video Games Newsletter

Volume 2, No. 6 — 4th Quarter, 2009

Changes to Featured and Good content | News items and announcements | Feature | Featured editor

Editorial: Being bold

This issue we are trying a new type of newsletter feature: an editorial. Of course, the views expressed in this feature are the views of the contributing editor. If you enjoyed this new feature and would like to see similar features in future issues, please drop us a note at the VG newsletter talk page.

This is an essay.

It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints.

Being bold is a phrase that never goes out of style on Wikipedia. It is an integral part to collaborating here, which begins with someone taking action. Of course, that's easier said than done, but like most things in life I doesn't have to be.

I stayed out of a lot of project matters when I first started working on video game articles. My main reason was because I thought the veteran editors knew better than me, and I should leave the work to their experienced hands. Eventually it dawned on me that if I didn't help, I would never learn to be helpful. So I started to get my hands dirty by adding my cents to discussions and collaborating with others on a group of articles. On occasion, I messed up, cited policy wrong, and I'm sure looked a bit silly. But it all seemed to work out ok.

Reasons to be bold

Something (instead of nothing) is accomplished.
It encourages others edit and discuss.
It encourages others to be bold (the more carrying the weight the easier to lift).
Maybe nobody thought of doing this before.

Reasons to not be bold

I might mess up something.
I might step on someone's toes.
I might look like an idiot (even if I'm right).
I don't have the time.

Admittedly, it wasn't easy at first because I was (still am actually) afraid of making a mistake and angering my fellow editors. But in the big scheme of things, it's better to at least try. If nobody did anything, we certainly wouldn't have such a large number of Featured and good articles. If that doesn't convince you then how about this one: it's ok to make a mistake here, because everything can be undone.

There's really only one reason that comes to mind why you shouldn't be bold: "I don't have time to do it." Even the most dedicated editors have to sleep, pick up their kid, finish their homework, or do the dishes. We can't fault each other there. So we boldly do what we can. We build video game articles together so they can shine. Because Wikipedia had given us the opportunity to create a repository of real world video game knowledge.

I'm sure those that are still reading this have formed one of three opinions in their head: "he's right", "easy for you to say", or "I don't care because I'd rather be playing games". Whatever opinion you have, I hope you still take the message to heart. Because maybe one day those that boldly worked on articles and helped the project are gone. I know I don't plan to be here forever. And we already have had a number of video game editors retire from Wikipedia. Maybe one day, the only one left to be bold is you.

So the question I pose to you now, will you be bold?