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Project is failing

Not too long ago, a backlog of ten was pretty high. Now, there's a backlog of 45 that's constantly rising. Just a couple months ago, I cleared a backlog of (I believe) 20-30, and it's been steadily rising since. Several things are evident. One, our adopters are declining, either reaching their limit of adoptees and closing themselves or simply withdrawing from the program. Two, we're not getting that many new adopters to compensate. A quick look at the adopter's list (the last 50 edits) showed a couple users removing themselves, a few more "closing", and I believe only two adding themselves. Still, this alone shouldn't effect the program too much. A larger problem is probably the lack of involvement of self-proclaimed adopters that don't actually do anything. In a few individual backlog-relief efforts, I've left messages asking active, "open to adoption" users to help. The vast majority of them, if not all of them did nothing at all to help. If you're not going to assist those who need adoption, remove yourself from the list. An obvious problem is the explosiveness in which users are requesting adoption. It's very common for new users to place the template on their talk page, never to return.

So, the question is, can the project be salvaged, and if so, how? Is there support to try and do this? If there is, we essentially need to advertise for more adopters, as we already do for adoptees in welcome templates. Otherwise, the backlog is going to increase to an unmanageable level, and the project page will probably end up being marked as inactive (as many other good projects do). — Preceding unsigned comment added by Swarm (talk • contribs)

Whoa. Well, the last time I tried to change the project into a "adoptee action project", I was brutally murdered. See here. Since most of the adopters are inactive and not really willing to help, I say we remove the ones that have no adopted in a while. Another change is to require adoptees to seek out adopter's first, instead of the other way around. We could direct them to the list of adopters and ask them to choose one. (I believe the explosion was caused by my new button on the main page >.> Click, fill in, save, done) I think we need to change the button to direct to the list of adopters now. But what good does that do when the adopters aren't willing to help? Netalarmtalk 06:17, 4 November 2010 (UTC)
I just checked the actual requests. It appears that the expansion is from Purdue University's project. Students are requesting to be adopted in large numbers, which is straining an already strained system. IMO, very few of them (if any) will be adopted within a month or two. There simply are just not enough resources. I guess the only way to salvage this is to dramatically increase the number of adopters, but that attempt won't work too well, since everyone is already busy and adoption takes up a lot of time. Netalarmtalk 04:45, 5 November 2010 (UTC)
Well, you (and your bot) were doing what needed to be done. I hope you didn't let the complaints get to you. I send similar requests to help manually and at random (from the list, obviously), and it's a huge hassle. I agree that we should simply remove inactive adopters from the list (regardless of whether they're "closed" and "open". I also agree that we should place more emphasis on adoptees seeking out adopters, although many of these new users may not want to or be able to do this, for whatever reason, plus we would already have to have filtered out the inactive ones and the ones who aren't helping. To clear the backlog immediately, I will pick up another 4-6 (or more) adoptees (I already have nine but none have consulted with me in several months) offers many may not respond), but this will still leave a large gap. I'll also remove any old adoption seekers from the category who have been long inactive and haven't contributed anything.
I was completely unaware of the Purdue project, but this definitely explains a lot. I do believe we need to increase the number of adopters, though. I'll go see what I can do with the backlog. Swarm X 06:10, 5 November 2010 (UTC)
  • Ugh. Individually evaluating each request is useful in clearing the backlog, as there are several instances where offers have already been made and the tag just hasn't been changed. There are also instances with adoptees who have made only (for example) two edits, none in over a month. These can probably be removed. However, individually evaluating the requests is tedious, time consuming, and overwhelming with such a large backlog. The messages you're sending are also very helpful. I'll work some more on it later, but it's not going to be an easy task. Swarm X 06:24, 5 November 2010 (UTC)
We need to remove the one's that don't respond to adoption offers... and one's that don't respond to the "wan to find your own?" messages. Inactive, drain on resources. I think the current limit is set at 2 months, but I think it's reasonable to cut it down to 1. Netalarmtalk 06:34, 5 November 2010 (UTC)
I agree, I'd say that's more than fair. Swarm X 19:19, 5 November 2010 (UTC)
I know I'm late to the party, but I just thought I'd throw out that I'm having moderate success with my adoption school. I've set myself a limit at 4 adoptees at a time, just for my own peace of mind, and although I've had one mishap, I've got 2 users who are on course to graduate with flying colours. I have just taken on User:Porchcrop as a mentee, and will be using a similar process there, but I just though I'd say that adoption is still working - we could just do with some more adopters. Hopefully the below bot will help, and I'm now watching this page so I'll be able to help out more WormTT 16:11, 15 March 2011 (UTC)


Other issues

  1. Some users that are requesting adoption ignore messages about adopt-a-user and do not respond to adoption offers, yet continue to edit. This seems a bit odd, since they've indicated an interest in the program, yet do not respond to offers. Should we just remove their adoptme template with a message on their talk page? Netalarmtalk 21:36, 6 November 2010 (UTC)
  2. Should IP editors be allowed to participate? While I agree they should be helped, adopt-a-user wasn't geared toward IP users, so it'll be more difficult for us. Also, if the IP is dynamic, adoption will be too complicated. Most IP users aren't here to stay too, which will be addressed in the next point. Netalarmtalk 21:36, 6 November 2010 (UTC)
  3. Adopt-a-user uses up a lot of time and resources of many users. We expect the users that we adopt to stick around and use what they've learned to improve their editing, not simply leave once they're done with what they want to do. Should we remove adoptme templates from users that don't seem to want to stick around? We'll need to discuss specifics though. Netalarmtalk 21:36, 6 November 2010 (UTC)
  4. Meet Me Halfway concept. (flagship proposal) Adoption depends on two people, the adopter and the adoptee. Both of them should put in effort. Both of them should be actively engaged in the process. Both should do their part. An adoptee shouldn't really just place the adoptme template on his user page and expect users to come and ask to adopt them. Adoptees should also look at the list of adopters and actively seek an adopter. This lessens the load on the adopters and ensures an active project. We need both parties to be actively engaged for this to work; thus, we should encourage active participation in the process from adoptees among other things. What else should be done? Netalarmtalk 21:36, 6 November 2010 (UTC)
  5. Adopters that do not want to adopt or actively take part. There are some adopters that do not want to actively seek out adoptees or adopt them even when they ask. While it is fine to not adopt someone because of personal schedule's and reasons, saying no to multiple adoptees over a long duration of time defeats the purpose of the project. If someone is just going to say no, they need to be removed. No, users that don't adopt for say, two months, don't need to be removed. I'm talking about those that have not adopted in forever. Netalarmtalk 21:36, 6 November 2010 (UTC)
  6. Ideally, adopters would be actively engaged and look for users that need adopting. How can we make that happen? Netalarmtalk 21:36, 6 November 2010 (UTC)
  7. There are currently 805 users that have been offered adoption, but have not responded. The list dates back to 2007. Should we do anything about that to make the project more concise? Netalarmtalk 22:20, 7 November 2010 (UTC)
  1. Remove the adoptme template if they don't respond, it shows an obvious lack (or loss) of interest.
  2. Well it would be unfair to adopt only static IPs so I think just no to IPs altogether.
  3. If they've indicated that they don't intend to stick around for say 6 months - 1 year after adoption they shouldn't be requesting adoption at all, adoption is for giving users a headstart to their learning experience on Wikipedia. It's unfair for the adopter to have spent a lot of time work with their adoptee only to see them leave. I don't think we should refuse anyone, but frankly if they aren't here to stay then Adoption really isn't for them.
  4. Agree wholeheartedly.
  5. If you're not going to adopt ANYONE at all then you may as well NOT bother with adoption...
  6. Well the adoptee-adopter pairing system didn't really work that well, it showed who the keen users were and it showed who the inactive users were. Furthermore, I believe we should pair adopters with users who share the same interests? I know that's a fairly obvious statement but it's really not happening. We've got adopters that can't cater to the interests of their adoptees and as a result of this, they cannot appropriately assist them and subsequently both will, at one point, lose interest. This is not an ideal situation for the adoptee as they are pretty much left in the dark and potentially learning something they don't want to learn.
  7. How would we achieve that?

These are just my $0.02. Regards, —Ғяіᴆaз'§Đøøм • Champagne? • 4:43pm • 05:43, 8 November 2010 (UTC)

I pretty much agree with all of the above completely. I have another issue: How long should inactive 'adoptme's be given to return? For example, should an adopter make an offer to someone with three edits and a month of inactivity? Swarm X 09:06, 9 November 2010 (UTC)
Maybe, since they may not have been editing because no one adopted them? I'd say now that we've cut down on the backlog, we should be able to respond to adoptmes within a few days, primarily asking them to also look for their own. After we ask that, we should see them send a few messages seeking their own adopter. That's the only sure way to know if they're active and interested. Of course, we could also offer to adopt them, but the adoptee really needs to actively participate too. Netalarmtalk 09:11, 9 November 2010 (UTC)
Yeah, it probably won't be a problem with the backlog cut down. A question, though: where are they getting these "Adoptee information" templates? I'm assuming it's your work, but I don't understand where they're getting the template from. Swarm X 09:55, 9 November 2010 (UTC)
Also, down to 10 from 45! This is great! Now we can focus on the greater issues with the project. Swarm X 10:08, 9 November 2010 (UTC)
The adoptee information template is at the bottom of the list of adopters, which is the only way to access the easy request system right now. This is so adoptees will be forced to ask adopters first before asking adopters to find them (meet me halfway). One category also cut down from 807 to around 50 =P. A few categories left to clean up, as these categories should reflect the current state of the project, not the history and such. Netalarmtalk 22:54, 12 November 2010 (UTC)
Excellent. Swarm X 23:31, 14 November 2010 (UTC)

Categories clogged

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section. A summary of the conclusions reached follows.
Categories unclogged, went from 807 to around 50. Netalarmtalk 22:51, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

Multiple categories used by the project are clogged with inactive users. For example, the users that have been offered adoption category is huge and contains offers from 2007. There's no way for us to move forward if such old useless information is mixed with the new. Yes, we could narrow it down by using the dated categories, but a centralized category of all active offers is essential to organizing the project. I propose we remove the template/category from all users that have been offered adoption before July 2010 (arbitrary) and leave them a note about why it was removed. The edit summary should be sufficient. Netalarmtalk 07:29, 9 November 2010 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Standard adoption status

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section. A summary of the conclusions reached follows.
I've reordered the listings of each adopter to be in alphanumerical order based on status. Those that are away are "Unavailable" those that aren't are "Now adopting!" —Ғяіᴆaз'§Đøøм • Champagne? • 12:11pm • 01:11, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

Currently, the adoption status may contain whatever the adopter wants on Wikipedia:Adopt-a-user/Adoptee's Area/Adopters. If we standardized the column so it only includes "Now adopting!" and "Not currently available", the sort function would work and adoptees would easily be able to have all the available adopters listed first. The adopter is still able to add his own comment, but only after the standard message so it sorts properly (I think). Thoughts? Netalarmtalk 04:21, 11 November 2010 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Users adopted category

Category:Wikipedians adopted in Adopt-a-user shows that 1182 users have been adopted and are actively involved in the adoption process. That doesn't seem to be the case though, as a lot of those pairs seem to be inactive. I think we should clean up the category the same way we did the other categories so that we can get a more accurate picture on the status of the pairs and how the program is going. One problem, there's no easy way to determine which pairs to remove, we'd have to check one by one. Netalarmtalk 21:06, 5 December 2010 (UTC)

Yeah, I'm sure many of these adoptees are inactive. It's going to be tedious, but I'm all for starting the practice of going through the category alphabetically. We'd have to have it so someone would be totally responsible for a section, such as 'A-Al', and someone else 'Am-B' etc. That way, no one will review a part of the category that someone else already did. I just reviewed the first several in the category (symbols, 0-9) and six out of eight were inactive! Swarm X 03:36, 8 December 2010 (UTC)
I think the bot would solve this problem by providing us with a list of users that are active, no? Netalarmtalk 03:52, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

Bot to track progress and pairs

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section. A summary of the conclusions reached follows.
Sufficient support for the proposal. I'll submit the proposal if everyone's fine with that. —Ancient Apparition • Champagne? • 9:30am • 22:30, 7 March 2011 (UTC)

A bot, similar to the one used at SPI to keep track of cases, the one used at Wikipedia:List of Wikipedians by number of edits, and the one used at WP:MEDCAB could be useful for this project too. The bot would check the list of editor's edits and update a centralized adoption tracking page so we will know how each pair is moving and how long they've been in the program. For example, it could be set to run every other night on the list of adopters and those in any of the program's categories and create a unified list with information on their last edit date and whether or not the user is blocked. An immediate benefit would be cleaning up Category:Wikipedians adopted in Adopt-a-user so we can actually know how many users are active. I propose we apply for such a bot.

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Bot update

I went an asked Giftpflanze on the German wikipedia how she was doing with this bot, and she hasn't made progress as yet (though he is still willing to do it, she cannot give a timescale)[1]. Do we want to put in a fresh request or sit patiently? WormTT · (talk) 14:25, 10 June 2011 (UTC)

Well … I have made some progress now. I can compile something that is of some use within one day (but right now I will go to a Wikipedia meetup). A new bot request would mean bumping my work (if you find one working on it). And finally, I would prefer to be referred to as she, thx. – Giftpflanze 15:14, 10 June 2011 (UTC)
My apologies! I was stereotyping coders as male, how terribly rude of me. (At my work the ratio of male to female coders is 12:1, so that's my excuse and I will stick to it.) I've rectified my above comment, and will sit tight. Enjoy your Wikipedia meetup. WormTT · (talk) 15:53, 10 June 2011 (UTC)
Thank you! After some further delay (those categories and templates are really messy) for a start I made a table from Category:Wikipedians adopted in Adopt-a-user here: User:GiftBot/Adopt-a-user. – Giftpflanze 19:11, 12 June 2011 (UTC)

How do I start?

Hi, I have been active in WikiPedia for several months now, and I am also active in the Account Creation Interface. I would like to know how I can help. My main contributions are copyediting (over 100,000 words as part of the GoCE's backlog elimination drive), general fixes to articles, and vandalism reversion. I know most WikiPedia policies (I read a number of them before I started actively editing). I have reviewer and rollback privileges on WikiPedia, so I can accept new editors' changes to articles undergoing pending changes protection. How can I join/help? Reaper Eternal (talk) 17:12, 2 December 2010 (UTC)

Hi! To begin, you'll want to add yourself to the list of adopters and take a look at the adopter's area for information on what to do. Basically, you'll be mentoring a new user and teaching them the ropes of editing and interaction with other users. There are currently 8 users that want to be adopted, so you can visit their user talk pages and offer to adopt them. The list is available here. If you have any questions about the program or need any help, feel free to message me or post here. Thank you! Netalarmtalk 05:57, 3 December 2010 (UTC)

Wiki Guides study/project

Hi Everyone!

I wanted to let you know about a study that we are getting together to start next month. As I’m sure many of you are aware we have had a decrease in new editors over the past couple years.

As a community we have a lot of ideas but We’ve been stymied by a lot of options and little data.

We want to conduct a study over the next couple months (with some resources from the Wikimedia Foundation) to help craft strategies to develop new users, to get data on exactly how our new users are finding their first, and later, experiences on Wikipedia and of course to help share the experiences of the experienced users who are here to find out what works, what doesn't and what resources they need to make their work easier.

The plan at the moment is to have several groups of users, 1 group that is just followed (the control) and several other groups with guides who actively reach out and try to help them edit and join the community. I hope that you can help us as we get ready for the study start next month and help the new users once we start! You can find out more information and sign up on the project page and if you can think of anyone who might be interested please please PLEASE point them this way or let me know so I can reach out to them personally!

The project pages were just created and I'm starting the outreach tonight a bit slowly, posting on a couple pages now and then outreaching more over the next couple days to both projects and individuals I know are interested in helping users out. I'm really interested in hearing any thoughts or suggestions! In many ways this is a bit of a mass Adopt-a-user type idea for very new users. Jalexander--WMF 05:36, 3 February 2011 (UTC)

see here strategy proposal made by User:Asinthior. ~~EBE123~~ talkContribs 19:24, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

DarkfireII2 (talk) 22:29, 4 February 2011 (UTC)

--DarkfireII2 (talk) 22:29, 4 February 2011 (UTC) someone adopt me

Automated and Proposal

Sorry for the spam but there is a proposal on strategy that has to do about adoption (link here). Also, there is a little wizard for that that I concocted. Adopters could help. (link here) ~~EBE123~~ talkContribs 19:11, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

Most of those listed to be adopted are already offered adoption

A HUGE problem here is that when I click on the list of users seeking adoption, most of them have already (on their Talk pages) been offered adoption or are adopted! The list of potential adoptees is filled with falsehoods, and it needs serious cleanup ASAP so that the backlog is cut back to reality and adopters can actually find the adoptees who really need them. --NickDupree (talk) 03:45, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

I've cleared the list of anyone who's not edited in over 2 months (with a note), anyone who's currently under adoption and any blocked users. We're down from 49 to 18. If people are active with only one offer, I've left them in. WormTT · (talk) 09:40, 2 June 2011 (UTC)
Wow, thank you! Your work clearing the list is an invaluable step forward for the project. Very impressive, you have my gratitude, sir. NickDupree (talk) 17:14, 2 June 2011 (UTC)
Glad I could help WormTT · (talk) 18:31, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

Can I adopt?

I was blocked a little over a month ago, but my editing has changed drastically since then. The edits in question were clearly out of character. The unblock discussion is here. Ryan Vesey (talk) 22:32, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

Hi Ryan. If you feel that you are an experienced user who could help a new user, you can adopt. Adopt-a-user is not a heavily regulated process. However, I wouldn't recommend it for you, as part of the unblock discussion suggested that you find a mentor, which implies to me that you may not quite be ready to be an adopter. Perhaps if you spend a few more months editing wikipedia, you will be able to gain sufficient experience and be able to put the out-of-character edits behind you. By the way if you need a mentor still, give me a shout - we could do my adoption course as part of it ;) WormTT · (talk) 10:13, 20 June 2011 (UTC)
I have a really great mentor in JamesBWatson but certainly wouldn't mind another. Thanks, I requested adoption on your talk page; although, not in the formal style. Ryan Vesey (talk) 21:28, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Adoptee Userboxes help!

I recently joined the Adopt-a-user program and looked through the list of potential Adoptees. I have had a very successful experience. This was how my adoptee's user page looked when I asked to adopt him. From that page it was already obvious we shared some interests and that has proven to be a common ground for a successful adopter-adoptee relationship. One thing that was also valuable was he had a table listing his interests, it wasn't filled in quite right, so I went looking to find the original template here, but he seems to have found it elsewhere? I'll ask him, but that was helpful too and ought to be required of all adoptees in my opinion. The fact that he had done these things on his user page showed a certain level of commitment and interest. I'm glad Wikipedia has this program, it has been a very positive experience for me and I think it should be more widely advertised throughout Wikipedia, if not perhaps improved upon first if it can be (re: problems mentioned above). --TimL (talk) 15:29, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

Adoption school?

I'm currently running an adoption school for quite a few users at a time, where I give lessons and tests, to help ease people into the basics of the encylcopedia. User:Ctjf83 spotted it and asked if there was a reason it wasn't here. Well, I thought I'd ask for a few thoughts, should I list it as a resource? any thoughts on ways to improve it? It's pinched from User:Hersfold, and seems to have a moderate success rate at the moment... WormTT · (talk) 12:24, 16 May 2011 (UTC)

Soppurt i agree Ethanate1 20:45, 6 August 2011 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by TheBestGuyHi (talk • contribs)

removing inactive users

At what point should a user be considered inactive and be removed? I'm thinking a month is quite enough time to show that a Wikipedian is not all that interested in editing Wikipedia. Perhaps we could have a bot remove the template after one month of inactivity? If a user really is interested, they could always add the template back. This may sound a bit aggressive, but from what I've seen so far would be a big step in the right direction. --TimL (talk) 16:32, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

I agree completely. Swarm u | t 20:58, 8 September 2011 (UTC)

New ad

Hello...? Anyone around? Eh, anyway, just thought I'd note here that there's a new Wikipedia ad for this project. It's clear that we're a bit short on adopters ATM, so I invite anyone to advertise this project by placing {{wikipedia ads|ad=232}} on their user page. Regards, Swarm u | t 21:06, 12 September 2011 (UTC)

Eh up Swarm. You can't get away from me ;) An ad is a great idea - the project needs a bit of a kick start. WormTT · (talk) 10:30, 14 September 2011 (UTC)
Heh, you would be the one other person watching this page. :P Yes, it definitely needs a kick start of some sort. An ad was the best short-term idea I could think of. Every once in awhile a user will come along and push the project forward a bit, but in between those rare occasions, it seems like it just languishes, wallowing its own staleness. Maybe it needs some leadership, or coordination, or some concrete plan to get it on track. Or something. I really don't know. :| Swarm u / t 12:21, 14 September 2011 (UTC)
Indeed. I'm not sure how much time I'd be able to devote to pushing it forward since I'm already trying to push two projects and mentees and other bits and bobs. It really needs someone to take control. WormTT · (talk) 12:56, 14 September 2011 (UTC)

Userbox

{{adopts}}



I have made the above userbox for editors that wish to show that they are adopting without needing to put all of their adoptions on their userpage. I would like to add it to the userboxes in the Adopter's area. To use this userbox, place the text 

 {{Template:Adopts}}

I would put the userbox on that page myself, but I thought this needed consensus. Happy editing! pluma Ø 16:58, 9 October 2011 (UTC).

Nah, something like that doesn't need a discussion. Just go ahead and add it. :) Swarm 21:49, 9 October 2011 (UTC)
I wouldn't think it would need discussion, but you never know what people won't like, especially with userboxes. pluma Ø 23:10, 9 October 2011 (UTC)
I should point out though that {{adopting}} allows a parameter to be passed in to change the text, as it is on my page, so it's not strictly necessary but I have no problem with the template being added. WormTT · (talk) 11:58, 10 October 2011 (UTC)
I feel that {{adopting}} implies that the user is looking for users to adopt, but doesn't currently have any adoptees. I made {{Adopts}} for users that are adopting now. pluma Ø 04:05, 11 October 2011 (UTC)
What Worm means is that a separate userbox isn't necessary. You can simply type, {{adopting|This user occasionally adopts newcomers at adopt-a-user!}} and you'll get:

{{adopting|This user occasionally adopts newcomers at [[WP:AAU|adopt-a-user]]!}}

So it's not necessary— but so what? Doesn't mean it can't be used. :) It's really up to you. Swarm 04:19, 11 October 2011 (UTC)
I agree. It's always nice to have an alternative. Besides {{adopts}} is much simpler to use. pluma Ø 04:36, 11 October 2011 (UTC)

Question

How do I "graduate" from the adoption program? Baseball Watcher 00:57, 15 October 2011 (UTC)

There's no set guidelines, but typically, when your adopter feels that you're at the point where you no longer need them, they can deem you "graduated". If you feel you're no longer in need of an adopter, just let them know and they'll do the same. Based on how things have been done in the past, if your adopter is inactive, any other adopter can deem you graduated as well. Swarm 02:45, 15 October 2011 (UTC)
Would you mind "graduating" me because my adopter Addihockey10 is on an wikibreak. Baseball Watcher 22:55, 19 October 2011 (UTC)
Apologies for the horrible delay in getting to this. I'd be happy to, if it still needs to be taken care of. Swarm X 18:14, 22 November 2011 (UTC)
Sure I would be more than happy to. Baseball Watcher

Reboot

Well, it looks like this project needs a reboot, especially with dwindling numbers of editors. I'm willing to do a bit of pushing here - at least get it to a state where it's workable. I've got a few plans of things to do and I'd appreciate any thoughts.

  1. Archive old information that is no longer as relevant  Done
  2. Clear down the backlog of users awaiting adoption.  Done
  3. Clear down the list of editors who say they are willing to adopt
  4. Review the project pages, ensure they're all up to date
  5. Write a set of "nutshell guides" for new users. (Been tempted to do this for a while, but need to think about it seriously before attempting)
  6. Perhaps a signpost piece to get people interested again.

Basically the project is in the doldrums and it should be a very useful one. WormTT · (talk) 10:22, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

I wish you would, Worm. You are an absolutely great mentor and handle everything well. I credit you with immense knowledge and want you to write it all up in the Signpost. Please! MathewTownsend (talk) 03:31, 27 February 2012 (UTC)
3) What are your ideas for that? Sometimes the easiest thing is just to MessDelivBot a notice out saying that everyone is being removed from the list, and re-add yourself if you wish. Some standards are probably also needed for that; there are quite a few less-then-active editors, as well as one or two that I really don't think should be adopters just yet...purely competence issues, not disagreements.
5 (and my biggest question) According to the main page, if "you are looking to contribute to Wikipedia but do not intend to remain as an active user well after adoption, then this program is not for you. Adoption is for users who intend to be long-term contributors and members of the community..." How strongly is that held? I'll venture a guess and say that by far, most of the editors who want to be adopted have little interest in being here in six months, or even less then that. For those users the "nutshell guides" could be great. We give them a condensed version, and hope that they actually read it. Obviously, that point is moot if we want adoption to be for everyone.
6) Are you thinking interview? Perhaps you, Swarm (the two more active users respective to this project, as I can see), and an adoptee who the project can consider a real "success story". Nolelover Talk·Contribs 15:57, 22 December 2011 (UTC)
Everything sounds good to me... Nolelover, if I'm not mistaken, you did a "reconfirmation" of sorts at WP Wikify, right? I'm in support of something like that, though it's not the only option. As for number 5, what exactly did you have in mind for that? Swarm X 23:32, 22 December 2011 (UTC)
Yes indeed. Out of curiosity, which project were you referring to? Ours went pretty smoothly as most, if not all, active editors re-added themselves. Simple, but gets the job done. And I assume your second question is directed towards Worm, as I have absolutely no experience in adoptions. Nolelover Talk·Contribs 04:13, 23 December 2011 (UTC)
Long story short, it was in the works for RfA reform's task force, though I had a change of heart and it never happened. This is different though; we could use a realistic way of dropping the ridiculous mass of inactive users who are even now listed as active adopters. Swarm X 11:33, 23 December 2011 (UTC)
One month and it was already showing signs, ehh? Oh well, it happens. Anyway, what other options (regarding trimming the list of adopters) were you thinking of? Nolelover Talk·Contribs 19:03, 23 December 2011 (UTC)
Yes, sorry folks. I appear to have decided to reboot the project, then just walk away for a week :D Where was I...
3) Yes, I was planning to MsgDeliveryBot a message that everyone is being removed, and if you are intent on being part of ADOPT, then please readd. That should also get people back here to look at ways for future improvements.
5) My idea, which is still swimming around my brain at the moment, is a set of pages you can click on - similar to the help pages, but instead they walk you through different roles a new editor can play in wikipedia, be it content creator, vandal fighter or ... The idea is to get more people interested in an area they might actually be able to help in.
6) I'm not 100% sure what to do on the signpost. I was just planning to write an opinion piece on mentoring and adoption and submit it to the signpost, but an interview would likely be more helpful. I think we should see if we can get the project up and running again and then worry about it. WormTT · (talk) 21:35, 30 December 2011 (UTC)

Followed users

Hi all,

Following a village pump proposal discussion I implemented a new tool Followed users which lets you view the most recent edit by a selected list of users that you follow. One important application of this is to allow adopters to follow their adoptees and review their work in a timely manner. I'd like to get more people to try it out and let me know at my talk page if you find it useful or have suggestions/problems. Thanks! Dcoetzee 02:58, 27 February 2012 (UTC)

Criteria for adopters

Hallo, An inexperienced user has recently caused a lot of discussion on their user talk page by offering to adopt other users. She meets the criteria shown at Wikipedia:Adopt-a-user/Adopter's_Area, but:

  • Her 500+ edits are largely to user talk pages, mostly her own, and her own user page: only about 25% are to articles
  • She has only been an editor since 29 December 2011.

So she meets the requirements of "over 500 edits" and "has not been blocked in the last 3 months", but she shows a lack of knowledge and understanding of Wikipedia. The consensus on her talk page is that it would not be a good idea for her to adopt any user, and she has finally, reluctantly, removed the adoption template userbox from her talk user page.

There does not seem to have been any recent discussion of the criteria for adoptership.

Could I suggest that the criteria be amended to:

  • "Adopters should have a minimum of 500 edits in article space"
  • "Adopters should have been an editor for at least 3 months and not have had blocks/caused vandalism in the last 3 months."

(My suggested additions bolded)

Those two changes would have made clear that the level of experience required to be an adopter cannot be gained in a few weeks by editing talk pages. This would have saved a lot of user talk page angst and wasted time of experienced and concerned editors. PamD 10:06, 15 February 2012 (UTC) (mention of user page added: PamD 10:26, 15 February 2012 (UTC) Two corrections: PamD 10:51, 15 February 2012 (UTC))

I wouldn't object to this, certainly in the shorter term. The project still needs a bit of work at the moment though, so it may change in the future. WormTT · (talk) 10:11, 15 February 2012 (UTC)
I'm good with the provision that the edits be in article space, but my concern (largely because of the example you cited), is that there's no mention of the quality of the editing. An adopter should be someone that exhibits an understanding of practices, policies, rules, and guidelines, no? I don't know how that would be made part of the requirements, unless there was a "Request to Adopt" process that was reviewed by an experienced editor (not unlike the request for permissions). Wikipelli Talk 10:48, 15 February 2012 (UTC)
I suppose I'm hoping that the feedback from other editors on 500 article edits, and the period of 3 months editing, would in most cases either provide enough genuine experience and learning for an editor to be a useful adopter, or lead them to have been dealt with appropriately if they won't learn. Not watertight, certainly, but a step in the right direction. PamD 10:56, 15 February 2012 (UTC)
Actually thinking about it, 3 months doesn't feel enough to me. I would expect actual active editing for at least 3 months, but more likely 6 months. If we're saying "not blocked in the last 3 months" it implies that you've been editing for at least that, if not more. WormTT · (talk) 11:56, 15 February 2012 (UTC)
Sure, 6 months would be good. I suppose I was proposing a minimal (with luck non-controversial) tightening up. Although 3 months is implied in the existing criteria it isn't explicit and no-one used this point to dissuade the newby editor involved.PamD 12:38, 15 February 2012 (UTC)

Look, if this is just to stop me from being an adopter then there's no need. I have already removed myself (unwillingly) from being an adopter and am currently not wanting to have anything to do with the adoption process. I did not cause any problems and all disputes were not started by me. I on the whole agree with the whole idea of tightening up the criteria so that no other poor user has to go through the whole troublesome experience that I did.--Androzaniamy (talk) 13:29, 16 February 2012 (UTC)

It's alright Androzaniamy (Amy, right?), it's alright. No need to react to this. By the way, I'm Nolelover, and I don't think we've met. First, I just want to say that no wikipedian was perfect in the beginning. We all made some pretty stupid mistakes when we were new - looking back, I can't believe some the the stuff I said over at WP:Articles for deletion. Anyway, just take this as a learning experience. Later on, I think you'll be able to appreciate all the help you were given. Most of us just floundered around for the first few months, and you've got admins by the bucket loads willing to help you out...I'm completely jealous. :) Just ignore this discussion, and keep on trucking. That shouldn't be too hard for you if you really want to contribute here. Cheers, Nolelover Talk·Contribs 14:14, 16 February 2012 (UTC)
I wouldn't be jealous if I were you, it's actually scary how every single thing I do is read by loads of people who seem to enjoy telling me I'm inexperienced, challenging, strange, defensive and antagonistic :'(. Androzaniamy (talk) 20:41, 16 February 2012 (UTC)
No, Androzaniamy, this is not aimed at stopping you from adopting - I'd already noted above that you had removed the userbox from your user page. This is aimed at letting Wikipedia learn, and profit, from the considerable waste of your and other editors' energy over the last few days, by making it clearer that both a reasonably long period of experience (3 or 6 months, perhaps) and a substantial amount of article-editing experience are needed before someone should offer to be an adopter. If that had been in place before, you would have read it, noted it, and got on with other activities, rather than offering to be an adopter at this stage. My proposal here is to prevent this same sort of discussion having to happen for some other future enthusiastic but too-inexperienced would-be adopter. PamD 14:40, 16 February 2012 (UTC)
Would you be experienced enough? Androzaniamy (talk) 21:58, 16 February 2012 (UTC)
I'm not sure that was a serious question, but at 5 years and 52k edits, yes, I would. But I'm not volunteering to adopt anyone. PamD 17:14, 23 February 2012 (UTC)
It was a serious question. I will wait a couple of years and more edits until I will consider adopting again. Androzaniamy (talk) 16:35, 27 February 2012 (UTC)

OK, I've gone ahead and made the amendments to the adoptors' criteria as proposed above, as no-one objected and two editors supported (or wanted it to go further). PamD 17:14, 23 February 2012 (UTC)

Criteria for adoptees

I think I mentioned this before, but is this project really going to focus on only accepting editors who really plan on long-term activity? If this was emphasized - that adoption is a months-long process for people who really want to learn - then I think this project might lose some of its shiny luster for newbies who go around to three or four editors creating sections with the headers "adoptmeadoptmeadoptmeadoptmeadoptmeadoptme!!!" It might be harsh to just say no, but I think there are better places for the one-article or two-day discussions many come here looking for. Thoughts? Nolelover Talk·Contribs 20:38, 15 February 2012 (UTC)

Apply for adoption?

I have now added the template to my user page, trying to apply for adoption as per this brief discussion. Feel like a total newcomer tonight. Very disillusioned. SergeWoodzing (talk) 23:35, 10 March 2012 (UTC)

I must agree with Serge, here. Category:Wikipedians seeking to be adopted in Adopt-a-user shows 21 users. Either this project is defunct, or you aren't doing it right. Viriditas (talk) 22:12, 30 April 2012 (UTC)

Question about my eligibility as an adopter

Despite having a clean block log, I did admittedly make a couple of April Fools' AfD nominations. I know that some editors consider this to be vandalism, and I want to know if it's still okay for me to become an adopter. If not, I can come back in July. Thanks. Chris the Paleontologist (talk • contribs) 15:31, 5 May 2012 (UTC)

I don't approve of April Fool nominations of mainspace articles, and I particularly strongly disapprove of them if the article in question was a BLP. However, if your nominations were egregious enough to be widely considered vandalism then I would've heard about them, and I haven't, so I would say you would be fine to go ahead and adopt-a-user, especially since you've obviously thought about it carefully and also made yourself aware of the community's views on excess April Foolery. --Demiurge1000 (talk) 15:50, 5 May 2012 (UTC)
Sounds good to me. Why don't you see pick yourself a protege? WormTT · (talk) 17:22, 5 May 2012 (UTC)

Inactivity

On the page where it listed all the editors currently willing to adopt, I think we should do a big scourge and move down to inactive all the people who haven't made an edit in the last six months, because I found quite a few of those. Anybody want to help? Rcsprinter (talkin' to me?) 11:58, 12 May 2012 (UTC)

Suggest a move

Should this be called a sock parade ? why is it so full of socks, If someone wants to help out newbies, this is no place for it. Penyulap ☏ 15:00, 22 Jul 2012 (UTC)

If you have allegations to make, SPI is the place. Not here. Adopt-a-user is an excellent program, I've personal helped many users on it. Comments like that here are unhelpful and problematic. WormTT(talk) 19:03, 22 July 2012 (UTC)

Two questions, one about eligibility

I have two questions.

  1. I was adopted by a user when I was new, and the lessons sort of dropped off. I never officially graduated, but he has not commented since January 2008. Am I eligible to adopt? I meet all other requirements.
  2. If I were eligible, would it be possible that I could borrow the code for the Adopt-A-User homepage to create a sort of "lobby" for my adoptees.

Thank you in advance! Brambleberry of RiverClanmeow 23:07, 28 August 2012 (UTC)

Absolutely to both -- I see no problems. :) Swarm X 03:39, 29 August 2012 (UTC)
Just as Swarm said, yes and yes. If you'd like one, I'd be quite happy to double check your adoption and issue you with a graduation certificate. Also, if it's of any help, feel free to look at my adoption HQ. WormTT(talk) 07:46, 29 August 2012 (UTC)
Thanks to both of you! No need for the certificate, I'm just happy knowing I'm eligible. And, WormTT, I think that the Adopt-A-User homepage suits my coding needs better, as I planned for my "lobby" to have three sections, and I really like the Adopt-A-User homepage. Brambleberry of RiverClanmeow 21:40, 29 August 2012 (UTC)

Re-boot

I've been meaning to sort out Adopt-a-user all year, and with thanks to Yunshui, a start has now been made. I'm going through and updating all the pages at the moment, Yunshui has contacted all the adopters who currently listed as active to see if they still consider themselves such. I've also had a run through those editors seeking adoption, removing anyone who has not been active for over 2 months, or who has been adopted.

I'll be moving my adoption course over to WP:ADOPT soon, as an optional resource for adopters. If anyone has any other ideas for ways to improve the improve the project, please do post them below, I'd be happy to chat about any. WormTT(talk) 11:29, 19 September 2012 (UTC)

What are people's thoughts on the Experiences pages (Adopter's, Adoptee's)? They haven't been added to in years, and to my eye, don't seem to have provided any functions that wouldn't have been covered equally well by this talkpage. In the interests of slimming the project down, I'd be inclined to archive the content and remove them; any objections? Yunshui 雲‍水 12:56, 19 September 2012 (UTC)
Sounds sensible to me. WormTT(talk) 13:05, 19 September 2012 (UTC)
I've always felt that there were too many pages here that were subject to change but unlikely to be changed. I think it would be worthwhile to redirect all of the talk pages to this talk page. Ryan Vesey 13:09, 19 September 2012 (UTC)
I believe they do that already - but feel free to correct any that do not. WormTT(talk) 13:13, 19 September 2012 (UTC)
You are correct sir; although, this means somewhere out there on Wikipedia there is a project with multiple talk pages that I have thought for a while needed to be fixed. Ryan Vesey 14:56, 19 September 2012 (UTC)
👍 Like Very nice. Also, amusing pun. I'm definitely in favour of using this rather than the rather inconveniently large table we currently have. Yunshui 雲‍水 13:46, 19 September 2012 (UTC)
  • Colour scheme. I was very surprised to find how much benefit the TEAHOUSE received from having a pleasant colour scheme and graphics. I'm planning on changing the colours of adoption, though keeping the general layout as I think that's positive. Any objections/suggestions? WormTT(talk) 08:11, 20 September 2012 (UTC)
Soothing pastel shades, perhaps? Probably nothing quite as eyeball-mashing as the current cyan bulldozer. There's an interesting article on colour theory here, which might provide some inspiration... Yunshui 雲‍水 09:23, 20 September 2012 (UTC)
Have gone for olive and gold... still working on it though :) WormTT(talk) 11:39, 21 September 2012 (UTC)
I like it - maybe something brighter, like goldenrod, for the text? I've changed a few of the templates over to this colour scheme for you as well. Yunshui 雲‍水 12:44, 21 September 2012 (UTC)
Can do, why not give it a go? I'm currently repopulating the list of adopters at the moment. WormTT(talk) 12:50, 21 September 2012 (UTC)
Stands out a bit more, not sure about it, though... Yunshui 雲‍水 13:01, 21 September 2012 (UTC)
I've switched back to the lighter gold, so which provides sufficient contrast with the olive to be readable AND sufficient contrast with the text on the list of adopters page. I tried to switch the profile templates to use goldenrod, but it looked quite terrible. WormTT(talk) 13:48, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

I'm loving the revamp at Wikipedia:Adopt-a-user/Adoptee's Area/Adopters, expecially the useful "Request an adopter" button at the bottom! Yunshui 雲‍水 13:15, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

That's always been there, just so hard to find before! WormTT(talk) 13:30, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

New adoptee

Is there a tool somewhere that adoptees can use to leave requests on adoptors pages without actually visiting those talk pages? I ask because I received a request for assistance on my talk page which seems rather strange. The person who left the message hasn't responded to my advice, leaving me unsure if he's even read it.

It also seems strange that the user, who professes to not understand how to navigate editing functions here left the message using a "trophy box". I wondered if the message was deposited on my talk page from somewhere else. I don't e-mail other users directly, so it would be unfortunate if this "adoptee" is still wandering around in a dark room because he doesn't know where I responded to him. Thanks. --Airborne84 (talk) 17:50, 5 October 2012 (UTC)

Anyone know a good PR firm?

So: thanks to Worm's efforts, we now have a shinier, updated, revamped and re-booted Adopt-a-user project, and much applause is due. However, to truly make it a success, I think the Adopt-a-user programme needs to have a substantially higher profile within Wikipedia; particularly among new editors. To that end, I suggest liaising with the Welcoming committee and the Teahouse with the intention of promoting adoption as a way for new users to learn the ropes. Many adopters are also active in these projects as well, so doing so shouldn't be an issue.

Some ideas:

  • Add adoption to the standard {{Welcome}} template.
  • Ask the Teahouse to post a prominent link to Adopt-a-user.
  • Set up an adopter invitation (if we don't have one already) to send to experienced users who aren't adopters but might be good at it.
  • Link in somehow with the Moodbar feedback project, perhaps providing a template message for use there?

More ideas (and criticism of those above) welcomed. In my view, this project has gained a bit of momentum as a result of the recent changes; let's see if we can run with that and make more of it. Yunshui 雲‍水 07:58, 24 September 2012 (UTC)

Well, in the short term, I do think we should mention the revamp at the Teahouse host lounge, see if we can get buy-in (ugh, did I just say buy-in?) from them. I wonder if we get them to suggest our program for those editors who ask multiple questions at the teahouse - say after 3 questions? I often see half a dozen of teahouse talkbacks on a page, I think those editors would be excellent candidates for adoption. WormTT(talk) 08:13, 24 September 2012 (UTC)
I'll drop Sarah a line and let he know about the changes here. Yunshui 雲‍水 08:41, 24 September 2012 (UTC)

Two new template messages created to attract new users: User:Yunshui/Overhaul/Adopter invite and User:Yunshui/Overhaul/Adoptee invite. Feedback appreciated... Yunshui 雲‍水 13:31, 27 September 2012 (UTC)

I like them. Go Phightins! 22:09, 27 November 2012 (UTC)

Request

Hey friends. Can I please be an adopter? Thanks - CURTAINTOAD! TALK! 10:45, 2 January 2013 (UTC)

Certainly you can, why not add yourself to the list of available adopters and perhaps ask someone from the category if they'd like to be adopted. WormTT(talk) 10:53, 2 January 2013 (UTC)
Thanks! :) CURTAINTOAD! TALK! 10:55, 2 January 2013 (UTC)
To Worm That Turned: But user Gwickwire reverted my edit. CURTAINTOAD! TALK! 23:12, 2 January 2013 (UTC)
Ah, sorry, I didn't realise you were still under adoption. Perhaps have a chat with your adopter, see if you're ready to graduate. I generally believe that you can learn an awful lot from adopting others, but my opinion's not the be all and end all. WormTT(talk) 08:43, 3 January 2013 (UTC)
I am now an adopter :) CURTAINTOAD! TALK! 10:15, 9 January 2013 (UTC)
Now what do I do? What lessons can I set up? Thanks CURTAINTOAD! TALK! 10:40, 9 January 2013 (UTC)
Adoption is a personal thing, you do it how you want to. Have a look at the category I mentioned and see if there's anyone who you think you'd be a good fit with, and have a chat with them. If you want to set up a lesson book, I'd recommend my adoption course User:Worm That Turned/Adopt which has helped many users over the years and quite a few people have adapted. WormTT(talk) 11:20, 9 January 2013 (UTC)

Someone adopt User:Yield3

Hi guys,

Need help at WP:AFC. Someone please adopt User:Yield3. 80 year old that needs help with Wikipedia talk:Articles for creation/Compliant bonding and other technical matters. See his message left at my talk page: User talk:Ahnoneemoos#Compliant bonding

—Ahnoneemoos (talk) 18:24, 13 January 2013 (UTC)

I've moved the article to article space, and am helping to whip it into shape. There's a construction tag on it now, so it should be fine. I'll hang around to work on the article and assist the creator until the piece has been fully wikified. The Transhumanist 23:22, 20 January 2013 (UTC)

Cleaning out

User:An M G, User:C Coligniero, User:Cavepiggy, User talk:Jgfisher, User:Joeytheii, User:Lopezjaylo98, User:Mcgpopup, User talk:Razorfish721, User:Vhinczefied, User:Vidhyapati, and User:XphnX haven't had a single edit this year. We should probably clean out their requests for adoption so that adopters can get a clearer idea of who is actively trying to get adopted. öBrambleberry of RiverClan 00:34, 31 January 2013 (UTC)

WMF grant proposal

I have submitted a proposal for one of WMF's new Individual Engagement Grants. It is a pilot project to determine whether coaching new editors on their writing for the English Wikipedia improves editor retention, focusing on women and Global Southerners. If you would like to endorse this project, you can do so here. I would also appreciate any other feedback, pro or con, which can be posted here. Thanks! Libcub (talk) 03:00, 7 February 2013 (UTC)

IEngagement grant proposal for editor engagement

Likewise, I have submitted a Meta:Grants:IEG/Studying_content_interest_and_editor_engagement_factors_with_new_editors for the [Meta:Grants:IEG|Individual Engagement Grants]]. I aim to understand how engagement is produced in new editors and see if it is possible to achieve retention with suggestions and courses. In a way, I will be adopting users but at the same time studying them with methods such as interviews and metrics. I have conducted other studies with data processing in Wikipedia and surveys to understand communities. If you would like to endorse this project you can do it here. I would so appreciate any kind of feedback! Thank you very much. --Marcmiquel (talk) 14:14, 13 February 2013 (UTC)

The mysterious case of the vanishing adoptees

I've taken on a few users through this project now. However, I'm finding that my adoptees have a fairly high dropout rate - many vanish after making only a few edits, never to reappear. I remove them from adoption after three months (leaving them a polite note explaining why), which is hardly a major problem, but I have two questions for fellow adopters:
Firstly, do others have the same experience with adoptees packing up and vanishing? I'm guessing many do, since we have a very high rate of editor attrition generally, but it would be nice to know that I'm not alone (and if I am, suggestions as to what I'm doing wrong would be appreciated!)
Secondly, has anyone had any particular success or any good ideas for retaining adoptees once they're on board? If you've found something that works, that motivates poeple to stick around, do share! Yunshui 雲‍水 08:59, 4 February 2013 (UTC)

Since I started adopting about 2 months ago, I have had one person finish the course, four are in progress, and five have gone MIA or been blocked. Go Phightins! 11:14, 4 February 2013 (UTC)
If there are no edits in a month, I label them "inactive" but keep them up as a current adoptee in case they choose to come back. I've only been an adopter a short period of time and have only ever taken on five adoptees, two in the past week. Two of them have gone inactive; one has let me know that (s)he intends to become active, and the other let me know that some circumstances can prevent activity. öBrambleberry of RiverClan 22:19, 5 February 2013 (UTC)
I personally have a massive drop out rate, about 1 in 8 ever finished adoption, so I don't think you're doing anything wrong. I wish I had some magical suggestion to keep people going, but the best I can offer is to give them more carrot than stick. If you praise people's successes, they are more likely to stick around for more. For example, I used to use my Worm That Turned Adoption Course Barnstar, which had 9 mini barnstars. Add them bit by bit, and the adoptee feels the benefit of multiple barnstars, but you aren't devaluing them by giving out too many. The code's at User:Worm That Turned/Adopt/Barnstar if you want it. WormTT(talk) 08:49, 27 February 2013 (UTC)
Mini barnstars, eh? That's a good idea - kind of like mini cupcakes; the first one's nice, but not sufficiently satisfying that you won't carry on and eat the entire boxful. Or is that just me? Anyway, thanks for the idea; I'll knock up something similar. Nice also to know that the dropout issue doesn't just stem from me being a dick to my adoptees (my longest-serving charge gave up on the course yesterday, so the reassurance is timely!). Yunshui 雲‍水 09:06, 27 February 2013 (UTC)
Done; they're all listed here. Free for anyone else to copy and adapt, if you want something similar. Yunshui 雲‍水 14:36, 27 February 2013 (UTC)
I'm in the process of creating my own, which will probably drastically expand with the new adoptees I take on. öBrambleberry of RiverClan 15:08, 27 February 2013 (UTC)

Was that appropriate?

Was the revert I made on the main adopter's list page appropriate? I suppose he could be a clean start, but when your first four edits are all dedicated to adoption, it left me pretty suspicious. Thoughts? Go Phightins! 03:14, 27 February 2013 (UTC)

I'm not generally keen on stopping people from being adopters, for example, this could be a long term IP editor or just someone who feels they have a lot of knowledge. Adoption is about learning for both parties. I'm not going to say you're reversion was inappropriate, but I don't believe I would have done it. WormTT(talk) 08:43, 27 February 2013 (UTC)
I don't think that it was suspicious, but rather that he didn't fully know what he was doing. Did you see his adoption school page? He said he was a Wikipedian since 2013, and he didn't capitalize Wikipedian. His goals were to make you an adopter or admin yourself. I'm not quite sure he knew what he was talking about. öBrambleberry of RiverClan 14:27, 27 February 2013 (UTC)

New template

I think that there should be a new template for the gentle notes left on peoples' talk pages when we remove their want-to-be-adopted userbox because of inactivity. öBrambleberry of RiverClan 17:54, 28 February 2013 (UTC)

Suggestions for improvement

Hello all. I am new here but want to add some suggestions.

Thanks, Anand (talk page) 14:27, 10 May 2013 (UTC)

Requesting an adopter that is...

... experienced with BLP articles (preferably also somewhat aware of Armenia related content) that might be willing to step up and mentor an editor that has had issues with identifying reliable sources for use on the biographies of living persons that have some verifiability that has resulted in a current topic ban from creating or editing such articles. It has been suggested in my request for a partial lifting of this topic ban on AN that if someone could be found that is willing to do this, than the ban could be relaxed a little. If you are interested and or willing to do this, please state so on Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/Archive249#Request for re-visitation of the topic ban of User:TheShadowCrow. Thank you. Technical 13 (talk) 13:36, 29 May 2013 (UTC)

Start Snuggle

Wiki-mentors, I made you a tool. IRC discussion Wed. July 17th @ 1600 UTC

Snuggle users and the Teahouse are co-hosting an IRC office hours session (Wed. July 17th @ 1600 UTC - #wikimedia-office connect) to discuss the state of new editor support in Wikipedia and introduce you to WP:Snuggle, a web-based tool designed to make finding good-faith newcomers who need help fast and easy. Give it a try by pointing your browser to http://snuggle.grouplens.org.

See the agenda for more info. --EpochFail (talk), Technical 13 (talk), TheOriginalSoni (talk) 17:07, 12 July 2013 (UTC)

Individual Engagement Grant proposal around mentorship

Hi there. Myself and Jackson Peebles have written up an IEG proposal, with the idea being to approach adoption/mentorship in a more light-weight way to the way it is often done now. You can view our proposal at meta:Grants:IEG/Reimagining Mentorship on Wikipedia, your feedback and ideas would be appreciated. Regards, Steven Zhang (talk) 17:24, 30 September 2013 (UTC)

The Wikipedia Adventure, alpha-testers needed

Hi folks, I've been working for the past 7 months on an interactive guided tour for new editors called The Wikipedia Adventure, as part of a WMF Individual Engagement Grant. The game is an experiment in teaching our aspiring future editors in an educational but playful way.

  • This week I need some alpha-testers to kick the tires and basically try to break it. I'm interested in general impressions and suggestions of course, but I'm really looking for gnarly, unexpected browser issues, layout problems, workflow bugs, and other sundry errors that would prevent people from playing through and having a positive experience.
  • If you're able to spend 1-3 hours doing some quality assurance work this week, you would have: a) my sincere gratitude b), a sparkly TWA barnstar, c) special thanks in the game credits, and d) left your mark on Wikipedia's outreach puzzle and new editor engagement efforts
  • Please note that the game automatically sends edits to your own userspace and it lets you know when that will happen. If you want, you can register a new testing account just for the game, but it won't work properly unless you're logged-in by step 8 of mission 1 when it lets you register on the fly.

If you're interested, please add your name below and have at it. You can post feedback to WP:TWA/Feedback. Thanks and cheers! Ocaasi t | c 20:51, 16 October 2013 (UTC)

Try out The Wikipedia Adventure

I'm interested and on the bug-hunt. Will report back this week

  1. Add your name here

Generation Wikipedia: Wikimeda Youth Conference Proposal

Hi folks! For the next round of Individual Engagement Grants from the WMF, Keilana and myself have proposed Generation Wikipedia, a pilot, week-long summer conference for young Wikipedians and Wikimedians from around the globe, to develop skills, leadership, and community in a safe environment. Please come and check it out: Generaton Wikipedia Cheers, Ocaasi t | c 02:44, 24 October 2013 (UTC)

Jackson Peebles

I wonder is he should still be listed on Wikipedia:Adopt-a-user/Adoptee's Area/Adopters, or if we should at least attach a note that he has passed away. What do others think?- MrX 14:20, 2 January 2014 (UTC)

My alleged mistake

Okay, I was adopted by MrScorch6200 back in January, and at first things went really smoothly. However, he eventually stopped answering my questions. I think that he did that because I wanted to use the help me program to get answers more quickly. I truly did not know that was either unethical and/or against policy, so I apologize on my part. Or if it was something else I did, I apologize for that too. Can someone please help me out?Wackyike (talk) 00:23, 2 May 2014 (UTC)

Wackyike, have you asked MrScorch6200 why he stopped answering your questions? It's quite possible he's just become busy or he's not feeling that adoption is right for you. Talking to him would be the best option. If all you're after is a fast place to get answers for questions, Adoption isn't really the best option - I'd recommend the teahouse, which is staffed by very friendly volunteers who answer questions really quickly. WormTT(talk) 07:16, 2 May 2014 (UTC)

@Wackyike: I stopped editing around late February due to being constantly busy (I'm developing an RPG game :) among other things) and just to take a break. I'm sorry that you feel I've abandoned you. If you want, you can continue to be in the Adopt-a-User Program (and you'll find a new user in my HQ!) or you can withdrawal and use some other form of a question-answer system like {{help me}}. I hope you've been doing well, MrScorch6200 (talk | ctrb) 10:56, 2 May 2014 (UTC)

P.S. If you need anything just ask me.

List of Adoptees

Hey, is there any way of viewing some kind of list of users seeking adoption or something of the sort? Thanks, --Joseph Yanchar (talk) 00:39, 27 May 2014 (UTC)

@Joseph Yanchar: - this is a late response, but you can view editors seeking to be adopted at Category:Wikipedians seeking to be adopted in Adopt-a-user. ~SuperHamster Talk Contribs 04:59, 21 June 2014 (UTC)

Individual Engagement Grant for Reimagining Mentorship

Hi adopters. A small team of editors, including myself, have completed a proposal for an Individual Engagement Grant aimed at developing a more lightweight approach to mentorship / adoption to complement the program here. The proposal is located at meta:Grants:IEG/Reimagining Wikipedia Mentorship, and we are open to any feedback or ideas you may have. Please check it out if you are able. Take care, I, JethroBT drop me a line 07:19, 26 March 2014 (UTC)

P.S. Some of you might notice Steven Zhang's note above from almost 6 months ago for a similar proposal. That proposal was not approved in large part because of a loss in great leadership through Jackson Peebles' passing. With our current team, the proposal is different in some respects than it was before, but it is still focused on creating another more accessible option for mentorship. I, JethroBT drop me a line 07:19, 26 March 2014 (UTC)
Just as an update, our grant was funded! Our space will be called the Co-op, and we have started a makeshift space here on en.wiki at WP:Co-op. I have also posted an update on our first month's progress. Check it out if you are interested. We are looking for mentors for this space, so if you want to be involved in mentoring later this year as a part of our pilot, please let us know there. Thanks! I, JethroBT drop me a line 20:45, 20 July 2014 (UTC)

Not currently accepting

Would it be possible to program the bot to put the not-currently-accepting users at the end of the list? Oiyarbepsy (talk) 14:40, 21 July 2014 (UTC)

Request an account process needs help

Hello all. I'm DocTree, a member of the English Wikipedia Account Creation Team (ACC). As of April 2015 our project has a persistent backlog in creating accounts for new users. Over 100 people are waiting up to a week for an account on the English Wikipedia. If you can spare some time to do a few requests a day, you can help us clear the current backlog and then keep the wait for an account to a day or less.

ACC helps people who are unable to self-create a user account. Some may be sight impaired, others are collateral damage caused by blocks of shared IPs. We use the Account Creation Interface, usually just called the Tool, to screen out attempts to create inappropriate accounts. If this interests you and you're willing to help, and you match the following description, then please do apply per the procedure at Registering. Ideal candidates:

  • Are Identified to the Wikimedia Foundation
  • Are experienced, knowledgeable and in good standing with no recent blocks
  • Know and are able to apply the username policy
  • Have worked with new contributors
  • Have a good record of civil behavior even while in a dispute

The full list of requirements is here.

We have a very friendly team to help you get started and we have an IRC channel. If you have any questions for us or about the process, feel free to ask at the talkpage. If you can help, we would greatly appreciate it. For the ACC Team, DocTree (ʞlɐʇ·ʇuoɔ) WER 15:22, 21 April 2015 (UTC)

Is there a discussion forum for presenting users for adoption?

Is this a discussion forum for matching mentors to people requesting mentorship?

I looked at the adoption template, and it seems that many users are requesting adoption. When looking at templates there is no obvious forum for discussion of users, so I thought I would post here.

I came to this forum to see if I could find someone interested in mentoring a new user who wishes to develop articles on business theory. BronHiggs made a set of uncommonly insightful and useful suggestions at Talk:Marketing_research#History_of_Marketing_Research:_Much_Older_Heritage_than_Nielsen. This user is not promoting any business, but rather, has a history of posting and proposing excellent content to some Wikipedia articles about business.

There have long been complaints about Wikipedia's business content and from what I have seen, this user has identified interesting gaps and content to fill those gaps. However, this user has had their content challenged. I am not sure of what happened where or with whom, but in the link I shared above, it seems immediately apparent to me that this contributor has a Wikipedia mindset that I wish could be encouraged. Is there anyone here available to give this user some feedback on their editing suggestions? Blue Rasberry (talk) 15:38, 27 October 2016 (UTC)

Update - we lost this one! He asked me to remove this mentorship request. Blue Rasberry (talk) 13:16, 10 November 2016 (UTC)

Find an adopter

Hello! Short time ago I published an article on the German Wikipedia site - also with help from an adopter and that was very helpful and efficient. I know the policies are very different in the different 'Wikipedia-countries'. That's why I contact you: I would like to publish the German article also on your site - translated of course. So now I would like to know if that is possible and how it is possible? I would create a subpage of my userpage and one of your adopters redacts it? Thank you for a short feedback and kind regards --Samothrake (talk) 15:53, 9 April 2015 (UTC)

Hi there! I'd be happy to help you out. There are two possible ways of going about this. You can either build the article in your user space (for example, at User:Samothrake/Article) and hold off on officially "creating" it until it's well developed. Or, you can just go ahead and start by creating a stub article (just a few sentences) in the article space. We have a page on German to English translation advice that might be helpful to you. Check it out. Otherwise, please feel free to ask me any questions on my talk page. Swarm we ♥ our hive 23:19, 10 April 2015 (UTC)

Hello :-) Thanks a lot for your response and sorry for my delate!!! I did not have seen your answer, because I am new in the english Wikipedia... So, I just have translated the article by a professional and would like to create (like you also recommended) a Subpage on my Userspace... If I finished, I would link it here? Thanks a lot and best regards --Samothrake (talk) 16:27, 3 June 2015 (UTC) I just began with creating the page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Samothrake/Monika_Kropshofer. Thanks a lot again and kind regards --Samothrake (talk) 17:06, 3 June 2015 (UTC)


Hello I would like to be adopted. Do you know if that could work? — Preceding unsigned comment added by RandomNerdGuy (talk • contribs) 18:10, 9 October 2015 (UTC)

Hello! My name is Anastacia and I have got a home assignment to post an English article at Wikipedia which is brand new. I've decided to write about Jeremy Meeks. It is not an ordinary home work, but an admission to my university exam. It will be tomorrow and I need my article to exist at least for the whole day tomorrow. I ask you so much not to delete it. I have no idea why it appears in the section about another person (a member of a music band) but I wanted to write about a prisoner. I have never done something like that before but it is of vital impotance for me. Hope for your understanding, Anastasia19msc Anastasia19msc (talk) 08:04, 15 December 2016 (UTC)

Thinking about being a mentor

I dont think of myself as a great user, i dont have much technical knowledge, but i am very well aware of wiki policies; and i have enough experience.
I already have a particular user in my mind.
I think, by adopting a user, both of us will learn a lot. This guy is a native English speaker but i had to tell him about signing. He is good with creating content, but lacks technical knowledge, and wiki policies. What do you think @Swarm:? —usernamekiran (talk) 02:37, 16 March 2017 (UTC)

  • @NeilN: I never thought about getting permissions. On that fateful day, I somehow came across the page of request for permissions. The permission for confirmed users seemed funny to me, so I requested it, as I already knew that there are only ~300 confirmed users. I read about PCR, and though I'm eligible, so I requested for it as well. It was surprising to me that my request was denied. So I stuck to it. My curiosity was piqued. So I kept enquiring. You know the rest :) —usernamekiran (talk) 22:06, 16 March 2017 (UTC)

Adopt-a-user Bot in BRFA

Hi! My name is Jamesjpk (talk) 12:53, 13 April 2017 (UTC). I have requested a bot for maintaining the category Category:Wikipedians seeking to be adopted in Adopt-a-user. The BRFA is linked here. Please leave your input!

Mentor needed for new editor

Good morning. I am in need of an experienced editor (you don't need to be an admin) who is willing to mentor a new editor. The editor in question has gotten into a bit of trouble and is currently blocked. However they have expressed what sounds like sincere regret and a desire to become a constructive member of the community. Alas there are WP:CIR issues here and a condition for unblocking is that they agree to mentoring. Interested editors can contact me on my talk page for details.

This post will be deleted as soon as a mentor has been found. Thank you. -Ad Orientem (talk) 14:25, 3 March 2017 (UTC)

@Ad Orientem: Seems to be an awfully long time to wait for a mentor. I just stumbled across the mentorship program today for the first time and wondered if there was still any activity - so looked at this talk page. So, is it time to take down this notice or are you still looking for a volunteer? — jmcgnh(talk) (contribs) 15:38, 12 October 2017 (UTC)

How do I start a new page for a Poet?

How do I start a new page for a poet? Leaf van Amsterdam (talk) 18:45, 16 June 2017 (UTC)

See WP:YFA. -Ad Orientem (talk) 03:18, 17 June 2017 (UTC)

I want to create a new Wikipedia page. Can u tell me how. Thnx Suleiman031 (talk) 18:03, 20 September 2017 (UTC)

Looking for a mentor

I was wondering if anyone would be willing to mentor me. I'm getting a bit overwhelmed with all the policies and such, and could really use the help of an experienced editor. LampGenie01 (talk) 11:53, 18 October 2017 (UTC)

A response has been left on the editor's talk page, but sadly they appear to have ceased editing shortly after leaving this note. Nick Moyes (talk) 15:30, 29 January 2018 (UTC)

Inactives

I don't know how this project manages Inactive editors, but Carole has been MIA since August (basically after the Henia thing and ONUnicorn also went MIA) and her talk page has several unanswered requests, probably because her name is so early in the alphabet and shows up right away. I have no problem with editors coming and going and spending as much or as little time on the project as they wish, but I do think it is counterproductive to have long-term (4-5 months) inactive editors on a list which might confuse newbies who aren't likely to realise that someone rather than ignoring them is just not present. L3X1 (distænt write) 21:05, 14 December 2017 (UTC) DNAU L3X1 (distænt write) 00:11, 31 December 2017 (UTC)

I completely agree. However, I think the problem is much bigger than inactive Adopters.
I came here to offer help as a new Adopter, but was so confused that I couldn't actually tell if the project was still functioning, or was utterly moribund. We were swamped with 109 adoptees, all with templates seeking adoption, many going right back to 2014. For every potential adopter to have to wade through them all before finding an active one just renders the system non-functional. The project needs to be clearer to ask editors to remove them once they're not needed. Ideally it would be bot-maintained.
Equally, not knowing which Adopters are currently active makes it difficult for a user to find and approach one for help, bearing in mind they're new to our systems.
To that end I have spent the weekend "being bold" and have now stripped out all {{adoptme}} templates from every inactive user, and have informed each of them why. I have also approached a few other more experienced-looking users still with these templates to ask if they'd remove it if they no longer need support. So, that now leaves just 22 potential adoptees genuinely seeking support. If anyone has any concerns over my actions, all are in my edit history between 27-28th January 2018, and I can supply a spreadsheet recording details of each user and the actions taken, if required.
I have also changed the availability flags of all Adopters who have not been editing for the last 2 months, including CaroleHenson. I have moved most unavailable editors lower down the list of Adopters. This leaves 14 available Adopters, and 24 unavailable (of which 11 have made less than 100 edits since Jan 2017).
The Project still seems in a mess. I'm not convinced that Theo's Little Bot has been working correctly in updating user availability. (It should change to 'unavailable' after 30 days editing inactivity by an Adopter, but it hasn't in some cases. (I'm not sure if it's then meant to switch it back on again when they return to editing?). To tidy things up further I propose to contact all existing "Available" adopters and invite them to check and update their entries, if necessary. Done
It would be helpful to gain comments or consensus on the following actions (some of which I've 'been bold' and have now done myself) which I suggest might improve the project's ease of use amongst new editors, and make the task a lot easier of being adopted when you don't have much idea how our systems actually work:
  1. Modify the Adopter template to include a new field to display names of Past adoptees: helped by that user. (Issue addressed: demonstrates involvement of an adopter, and allows newcomers to check and see what those past adoptees are now achieving; shopwindows the activity of the Adopt-a_user project)
  2. Modify the Adopter template to include a new field to display: No. of previous adoptees:’ (Issue addressed: Gives a simple number count should past adoptees not wish to be listed by name; demonstrates whether Adopter has any past experience.)
  3. Modify the Adopter template to include a new field along the lines of: Offered since: Jan 2018 or Offer to adopt reaffirmed: Jan 2018 (Issue addressed: adds confidence that Adopter remains engaged with the project. Possibly requires yearly reaffirmation of offer. Note: I've inserted this at the end of my own entry as a new prospective Adopter)
  4. Check with currently inactive or unavailable Adopters if their entries are correct, or if they wish to have their entries deleted. Is their a Project guideline on this? I propose removing any Adopter who's made less than 100 edits since Jan 2017, or who doesn't respond and say "keep me listed, I'll be back."
  5. Remove any Adopter who might not have signed up in good faith. (Issue addressed: 'Badge collecting'. I suspect one adopter may have created an entry, then flagged themselves as unavailable a few weeks later with little or no evidence of their taking on any adoptee in between times, though I could be wrong, of course.)
  6. Delete or deactivate the {{adopting}} template for those offering to adopt. We have 14 available Adopters listed here, but 269 listed at Category:Wikipedians seeking to adopt in Adopt-a-user, including many such as Goldenglove and User:Ordew who last edited in 2008 and 2009. (Issues addressed: 'Badge collecting'; Newcomers not wasting time trying to finding an adopter by that route. Uncertainty over which lists of Adopters a newcomer should rely on. Why do we need two ways of accessing helpers? Which one is reliable? Delete the other one.) At the very least, we need a bot to strip them out from all the inactive accounts. (Looks like this idea was raised, but has since expired.)
  7.  Done Check all 80 users listed under Category:Wikipedians having been offered adoption - remove {{Adopt offer}} templates from all inactive/non-responding editors. Only 1 user now remaining. Delete empty dated maintenance categories. Done
  8.  Done Get page archive configured properly so users can actually view past discussion archives (Issue addressed: It helps show the project is actually active; allows previous issues and discussions to be found, and for the background of the project to be better understod by new potential Adopters)
  9. Require potential adoptees to help themselves (and Adopters) by adding their interests and even their reasons for wanting to be adopted onto their user page.(Issue addressed: Understanding the topic area and the vision that a new editor has in learning via adoption would allow the Adopter to match themselves to the right person more easily. We ask Adopters to describe themeselves - is it too much to require an adoptee to describe their editing interests and ambitions on their Userpage, too?
  10.  Done In the Project instructions, ask/require potential adoptees to remove the "adoptme" template once they cease activity, or no longer need support. (I've already 'been bold' and have tweaked the instructions to add emphasis.)
  11. Contact all 21 editors currently seeking adoption. Enquire about specific problems/issues/needs. Invite them to be proactive in seeking an Adopter from our list; ask them to remove template when adoption's no longer sought; suggest The Teahouse as good venue for individual questions.

{{adopting}}

In my view, offering to become an Adopter to assist a new user takes commitment. It should not be as simple as sticking {{Adopting}} on one's main page and leaving it there for years. As suggested above, it might need a maintenance bot to strip them out from all inactive accounts, but it looks like this idea has been raised, but has since expired.) I will shortly provide evidence that, of those 269 editors displaying that template, only around 1 editor in 50 is anywhere near active enough to be able to offer worthwhile adoption.)
I recognise that I have rather barged in here with a whole load of new ideas, without appreciating any of the history of the adoption programme. Sorry for that. But I hope at least some of these suggestions might help. And I'd really welcome feedback. (Pinging SoWhy, Blue Rasberry, Swarm, NeilN and I JethroBT who I see have all been involved in recent discussions.) Regards from the UK, Nick Moyes (talk) 22:45, 28 January 2018 (UTC)
  • So, I applaud you coming in with ideas, and I don't want to rain on your parade, but I will just share some of that history as someone who has been involved longterm. If you review the talk page archives, you will see that this project was created at the peak of Wikipedia's growth and was highly active from 2006 through 2010. Near the end of 2010, the project had rapidly begun to stagnate, reforms were discussed and executed, but once those initiatives died down, the project continued to stagnate to the point of near-inactivity. In 2011, I observed that "Every once in awhile a user will come along and push the project forward a bit, but in between those rare occasions, it seems like it just languishes, wallowing its own staleness." That was 2011. A reboot of the project was attempted shortly thereafter, with a handful of editors on board at least making sure the project was "staffed". Despite these efforts, it continued hemorrhaging active adopters. Renewed efforts were made in 2012 as well, and the whole project was redesigned, but it still did not solve the inactivity problem. I hate to say it, but in practice, this project has been borderline-inactive for years; it's always had a handful of editors who've believed in it and tried to make it work, but no workforce of volunteers to sustain it. This is probably because adoption actually requires equal time, effort and activity on the part of both parties, whereas easier methods to help new users have been developed. Welcome templates have become more widespread, there's now WP:Introduction, WP:Tutorial, WP:VisualEditor, Help:Contents, WP:TWA, WP:WIZARD. There's more user-friendly resources for newbies now than I can even keep track of. AAU was once one of the most helpful aspects of this project, but frankly I just think it's been obsolete for years. You can certainly try to implement any reforms here you'd like. The project is near-dead, so honestly, you have free reign to do whatever you want. If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know. But it might be just as helpful to tag the project as inactive or semi-active, and redirect users to the simpler ways to get help. Swarm ♠ 03:09, 31 January 2018 (UTC)
Thank you for those comments and explanation. When I wrote my own comments above I was running blind because there was no archive available, and I couldn't see the trees for the dead wood. I eventually got the archive displaying and waded through past discussions to get an idea of the amazing work you and a number of other stalwarts had achieved in establishing and maintaining it since 2006. I could see how talk activity had waned in the later years. I am now sort of minded to agree that maybe its time has indeed come. Maybe it does need a firm decision to close it down for good, and delete all those 'help-me/I can help' you templates. It's taken me 4 days of hard editing to get to see some of its strengths and many of its weaknesses. Except - and its a potentially very big except - all the other support fora we have are for one-off questions, not longer term guidance/monitoring and mentoring. We should be proud of those of our editors who want to share their knowledge with others, so maybe the {{adopting}} template still has a value in identifying those editors willing to help users in one way or another. I've seen Ritchie333 giving CaroleHenson some mentoring - and I'd welcome that at a similar level myself, so why, in turn, wouldn't others with less experience benefit from any help and support I and others can give them over a longer period? (I've a young man on my talk page right now (Colman2000) who feels he's benefited from a bit of attention and help now and then from me over a few months. Hardly adoption, but if without too much complication we can offer a few people enough support to turn them into keen, productive editors who actually stay here, that's a job well done.
But AAU is overly-complicated. Personally, I would put the onus much more on potential adoptees being firmly encouraged to seek out and approach adopters themselves for assistance. To help them do that, I would need access to some automated assistance to strip out templates from non-active newcomers, and the inactive experienced editors. As a Teahouse host for the last few months, I can see certainly three our four newcomers who would really benefit from a bit more nurturing. - Not the ones wanting to write about their company or Youtube friends - but the genuine ones who care about contributing, but whom we will never quite know whether they're floundering or not, until it's too late and they're gone. Maybe Adopt-a-User needs to have closer link with our various help desk volunteers, encouraging one or two of them to moonlight over here and selectively offer more direct guidance via AAU for individual, promising and keen editors.
As I say, the one thing I do need help on is stripping out {{adopting}} templates from inactive editors. There's 269 of them. I've sampled 52 of them and discoverd that 69% of editors still displaying the {{adopting}} template have NOT been active since 2015; (24%) have made fewer than 50 edits since 1st Jan 2017, but 7% (3 editors) made between 450 and 13,000 edits since Jan 2017 - and one (Charlesdrakew) is listed as an Adopter here. There were relatively few editors (just 6) who had total edits counts below 300, suggesting that relatively few people place the "adopting" template on their pages without enough experience under their belts. Do you have any suggestions how I can achieve that? Moxy suggested this toool, but I couldn't get it to function.
I'm certainly happy to try to play around and slim things down so it works again. But AAU isn't a toy to be messed with lightly - I am conscious of walking on the shoulders of so many other people's efforts, and wouldn't want to cause upset with views of my own that don't accord with others. Oh, and finally, I'm pleased to say we got a new adoptee yesterday! Regards, Nick Moyes (talk) 04:22, 31 January 2018 (UTC)
From an Adopter's perspective: the theory behind AAU is that the newbies will benefit from the personalized mentorship and will become confident, productive members of the community. My long-term experience is that this doesn't happen in practice. Out of the dozen-plus users I've adopted, only one contributed something significant, but they wrote an article that had personal significance to them. Not a single one remained active long-term. And, mind you, during this time, assisting new and inexperienced users was literally my primary area of involvement, so it's not like I wasn't dedicated to the task. I'm not saying personalized mentorship between an experienced and an inexperienced user is a bad idea, but AAU assumes both that every new user will benefit from that system, and that the time investment from the experienced user will be worth it. I genuinely believe that it was worth the effort when Wikipedia was a confusing place for newbies, but it really isn't anymore. Yes, the current resources for newbies don't offer a continuing mentor relationship, this is true. But how many newbies still need a formal mentorship after utilizing the other resources? I would venture to say it's close to 0%. I think it would be more helpful to have a specific list of users who volunteer to be available for new users to contact with questions, as needed. Informal mentorships could still be created, but the rigid, formal, inefficient system we have right now would be gone. Just throwing out ideas. Swarm ♠ 10:18, 31 January 2018 (UTC)

I would like to thank Nick for taking the initiative in this. The Tea House was initially conceived as a friendly quiet space where we would invite editors who were showing promise for mentoring. Since it has turned into a one-stop shop for all spammers and self-promotors it has taken over a lot of the function of adoption, as most new editors are aware of its existence. There is a greater range of expertise there than most editors can provide. I feel there is still a place for one to one adoption though, as it is good to have a particular friend to turn to.

Do be bold in removing templates from the inactive and the inexperienced. That is what happens with Tea House hosts. Must admit I am pretty inactive there myself but with a slow internet connection I nearly always get beaten to the draw by the excellent hosts there.

I am not keen on proposal 1 above to name previous adoptees. For one adoptee who goes on to be a significant contributor there are going to be 10 or 20 who drift off after addressing some narrow interest or just lose interest. That reflects on the adoptees rather than the adopter. Number of past adoptees perhaps, but that may reflect on length of service more than ability. Good luck.Charles (talk) 10:33, 31 January 2018 (UTC)

Adopter

Hello, I've been an adopter in the past and am willing to adopt again. Is there a template I should use, or something I should do to begin adopting again? (Please contact me on my talk page if possible.) The Jade Knight (talk) 04:45, 9 February 2018 (UTC)

Answered on user's talk page. Nick Moyes (talk) 18:09, 23 February 2018 (UTC)

FYI: bot requests for approval

Just a heads up there is at least one open bot request (Wikipedia:Bots/Requests for approval/Gabrielchihonglee-Bot 6, Wikipedia:Bots/Requests for approval/Gabrielchihonglee-Bot 5) related to this project. Your input is appreciated. --slakr\ talk / 18:38, 26 February 2018 (UTC)

Looking for adoption

I would like to ask for someone to adopt me. I'm active on Wikipedia, but I need some help on editing and policies. Would someone be willing to help me? Oshawott 12 ==()== Talk to me! 01:09, 24 September 2018 (UTC)

hello

could I be adopted by a senior user? --[[User:UserAnewkindofeditorUs]]e 02:01, 25 January 2019 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Anewkindofeditor (talk • contribs)

Tony85poon

I'm not familiar with Adopt-a-user, so I apologize if I'm doing something inappropriate here, but Tony85poon is in urgent need of adoption. Relevant discussion can be found at WP:ANI#Tony85poon (permanent link here). R2 (bleep) 23:00, 13 March 2019 (UTC)

(Adopted User) R2, I've never heard of a user being nominated for Adopt-a-user. I am not quite sure this is a thing someone should enter without fully understanding it. I would write on their talk page about it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ –MJL ‐Talk‐☖ 01:41, 14 March 2019 (UTC)
I was thinking that someone might volunteer to adopt him, then go to his user talk and extend the offer. Btw he just got blocked for a week. It might be a good time for a mentor type to visit his user talk. R2 (bleep) 03:52, 14 March 2019 (UTC)
...And he was just indeffed for mass socking and block evasion. Oh well. R2 (bleep) 04:04, 14 March 2019 (UTC)
lol well there goes that plan, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ It was a nice thought! –MJL ‐Talk‐☖ 04:20, 14 March 2019 (UTC)

adoption request.

looking for an experienced user to mentor me. DarknessHorses1989 (talk) 19:06, 12 November 2019 (UTC)

I will attempt to answer this on your talk page and try to give you some support, though I don't think I can offer to adopt a completely new editor right now. Best wishes, Nick Moyes (talk) 20:32, 12 November 2019 (UTC)

I disagree with dropping adoptee for 30 days of inactivity

I an am an experienced editor. I disagree with the following on Wikipedia:Adopt-a-user/Adoptee's Area:

5 Removal of the adoptee status
In case of more than 30 days of inactivity, a user's adoptee status may be removed.

If anything, Wikipedia needs more users who make constructive edits from time to time, but who do not make a career of editing the encyclopedia. Our problem is retaining new and new-ish editors who quickly become disgusted when their good faith edits are reverted without explanation, get criticized for not following the MOS, find sundry threatening templates on their Talk pages (once they discover that they have a Talk page), and generally find this to be a hostile environment. I am pleasantly surprised by the number of good edits that are made by unregistered editors.

In addition, some people take 3- and 4-week vacations. The do not necessarily edit Wikipedia from a ski lodge or the beach (although I have done so).—Finell 05:15, 27 January 2019 (UTC)

+1^^Thanks,L3X1 ◊distænt write◊ 02:38, 29 January 2019 (UTC)
  • That's not a real rule, it was just some random thing made up in 2018 by some random person with 30 article edits.[2] Adoptees can be dropped at an adopter's discretion for any reason. The arrangement is completely voluntary from the beginning. The only reason no one noticed is because this project has been basically dead since 2010, probably due to the fact that virtually no adoptees end up remaining active longterm, and this theory that dedicated editors + time and effort mentoring newbies = more dedicated editors, has long since been refuted.. IMO, the addition is good, because it will discourage people from wasting our time, which is basically what this project has been for the better part of the past decade. I'm honestly not even meaning to sound bitter. I've never had a bad experience with this project. Just being realistic, based on my experience.  ~~Swarm~~  {talk}  03:49, 29 January 2019 (UTC)
@Finell: @Swarm: I don't know if this helps any, but as an adoptee, if I plan on not being around much I let Nick Moyes know. Maybe it could be reworded to include something about how communication can be helpful/is important? Clovermoss (talk) 22:55, 3 May 2019 (UTC)
@Swarm: I'm now a recent graduate of the adoption program! :) Maybe I'm a rarer case, but I'd say that I have remained active long-term since I've been around regularly since September 2018 (if you don't count the one month I didn't edit). Clovermoss (talk) 04:30, 24 December 2019 (UTC)

What happened?

It seems that the program was a great resource for new Wikipedia editors, and I myself are looking for mentorship/guidance. However many of the "Accepting Adoptees" pages in the list, have not responded to others requests for adoptions- or have simply not been very active. Essentially, I am asking what happened to this program Stickymatch (talk) 18:44, 11 April 2020 (UTC)

@Stickymatch: The adoption scheme is still functioning, though needs some serious attention to get it running smoothly. The scheme really comes into its own when catering for existing committed editors, like you, who simply want help to learn more, rather than trying to support completely inexperienced newcomers who are better served at the Teahouse. Well done for your tenacity in seeking a mentor. I see from User:Stickymatch/Adoption that you are now sorted with one. Nick Moyes (talk) 23:57, 19 April 2020 (UTC)
  • @Stickymatch: Glad you found an adopter, but to answer your question, this project is largely inactive and I would say it's not necessarily a reliable resource for new users. It was a great resource in the earlier days of Wikipedia, but it has not been functioning correctly for about 10 years now. Yes, it was 2010 when I first observed that the project was failing, and I was not the first nor the last. The project simply, for whatever reason (I have my own theories), gradually lost the community's support, volunteers dried up, and the backlog of users seeking adoption grew and became permanent, and the failed project stopped being maintained and advertised. There were genuine attempts to save it and reform it, but nothing turned it around, sadly. It is nothing short of a "skeleton crew" that keeps the project limping along these days; without a small handful of dedicated users it would be long marked as inactive, and it's debatable whether that's even a good thing. The primary resource that is advertised to new users nowadays is WP:TEAHOUSE, a more informal noticeboard system that's always available, rather than relying on individual relationships between new and experienced users. I agree with Nick, though. Out of the dozens of users I've adopted over the years, only one user became/remained active in any way, and that was a user who was an existing committed editor. ~Swarm~ {sting} 03:17, 20 April 2020 (UTC)
I see, thank you for your responses Nick Moyes and Swarm, it's a shame because it looks like it would be a great resource for intermediate editors, also- if the project is at this state (and I agree with what you're saying about absolutely inexperienced editors, there really are better options in that case); should it really be recommended in some of the welcome messages? I seem to recall that it is featured on one of the welcome messages, but I could be wrong. Stickymatch 14:07, 20 April 2020 (UTC)
Yep, it appears that the {{welcome-menu}} template does mention adoption. Stickymatch 14:11, 20 April 2020 (UTC)
@Swarm and Stickymatch: I know a couple of years ago I expressed an strong interest in reviving AAU, and I appear to have done nothing about it (except adopt a couple of additional intermediate-level users). However, I have not abandoned the belief that AAU still has a potentially valuable place for training small numbers of committed editors who want to learn more. (A few issues like a family death, probate, house rebuilding and then preparing for adminship all got in the way since 2018). But over that time I have nevertheless seen a small number of my fellow Teahouse hosts also take on adoptees, and I would still like to help to remould this Project towards offering intermediate-level support, whilst withdrawing Adoption from the offer we give to new editors. Yes, there are still a few templates and Help pages which link to WP:AAU, and these do suggest that new editors would benefit from it. I would be happy to see their removal being balanced with a reworking of this projects aims to focus just on supporting those relatively new editors who can easily demonstrate (through their past editing) a genuine long-term commitment to Wikipedia, and not to just seeking a personal guide to help them create one article on their favourite topic before vanishing forever. Hopefully in a few months time (if that virus doesn't get me) I might be in a better position to enlist some support to get that idea going again. We'll see. Nick Moyes (talk) 14:40, 20 April 2020 (UTC)
I think that's a very smart approach, Nick. ~Swarm~ {sting} 20:50, 21 April 2020 (UTC)

Project page adopter's username changed?

From Wikipedia:Adopt-a-user/Adoptee's Area/Adopters, it appears User:Mark Schierbecker changed their username to just Schierbecker. It would be more clear to change the page to reflect this. X1\ (talk) 08:13, 1 May 2020 (UTC)

Yes, X1\, sensible advice. @Schierbecker: if you are still willing and available to offer Adoption, I wonder if you could also update your entry here, as Google Plus is no longer available, and on-wiki contact is probably a better way of encouraging communication. Maybe you could add a few lines about yourself on your userpage, too? At the moment it's an empty redlink, though I can appreciate why your requested deletion of the earlier content. Of course, if you no longer want to be available, please just delete your Adoption entry here entirely. Cheers, Nick Moyes (talk) 09:40, 1 May 2020 (UTC)

Do I need to be adopted?

I have some content on my talk page suggesting that I be adopted by a experienced editor. There are some issues with my editing. I have a dilemma. Do I want to be adopted like a baby (no offense here), or keep editing? I am extended confirmed, see Special:UserRights/3125A. That's the dilemma. (Oh and by the way, I changed my signature again.)  3125A Talk! Edits!  12:58, 16 May 2020 (UTC)

@3125A: My view of our Adoption process is that it is for editors with relatively little experience, but who are able to demonstrate a clear long-term commitment to improving Wikipedia AND who want to learn more from experienced editors so that they can improve their skills. Mentorship is often suggested as a way for an editor who is well-meaning, but in some way misguided in their approach to editing, to avoid being permanently blocked, but instead steered back to constructive editing. Do you feel that description feels how others see your contributions here? Do you feel you need someone to guide you, or are are you capable of listening to what other editors may have been telling you and changing your editing habits accordingly? I have not looked in detail at what other editors have been telling you. Can you summarise them, and do you agree, or not agree with those concerns? Are there specific issues you need explaining? It might help if you could list what you think the issues are that others have been saying to you, and your reaction to them. Sometimes, simply slowing down and not trying to be the saviour of everyone else can be of help. Regards, Nick Moyes (talk) 23:34, 16 May 2020 (UTC)

Can anyone spare some time?

I am familiar with editing Wikipedia, but I would appreciate someone helping me understand the policies of Wikipedia, and the culture of the site. This, I hope, help me become a good, knowledgeable editor. --Wurbl (talk) 10:22, 29 June 2020 (UTC)

Hello, Wurbl, and thanks for posting here. Our adoption process doesn't really give the support and help that a totally new user like yourself needs. It better suits someone who has already shown a commitment to editing over a number of weeks, but now wants to improve their understanding more. So, I'll suggest two things: Firstly, I'll drop by your talk page and leave you a welcome message full of a shed load of links which you might like to check out. Our Five Pillars page explains the basic philosophy of this encyclopaedia, whilst The Wikipedia Adventure is an interactive tour you can take. We have a number of ways of providing you with specific help, and for a new editor like yourself, the best place is The Teahouse - a friendly place where I and others so-called 'Hosts' are happy to answer specific questions about editing - from newcomers and old hands alike. You may well find browsing through some of the past questions there gives you a sense of how we operate. In essence: only add content to an article that comes from an independent, Reliable Source, and always write in a neutral tone, as befits an encyclopaedia. If there are two well-known sides to a topic, we try to represent both of them, using only published, available resources, and ignoring personal blogs, social media and self-published sources. If someone pops by your page a nd happens tyo leave a short, terse message to say something you did wasn't right, don't take it personally, but listen and consider what they're trying to say. The edits you made to your userpage were an excellent way to explain your interests and seriousness in wanting ton contribute. I hope this helps and wish you well on your own, personal 'Wikipedia Adventure'. Regards from the East Midlands.  Nick Moyes (talk) 14:14, 29 June 2020 (UTC)
PS: I suggest you remove all your contact details from your userpage - it's never a great idea to make them public. Everything we do here should be open and free for all to see, though we can directly email another use if really essential. If you'd like me to permanently delete those details from view, just let me know as I'm an administrator with the ability to hide offensive content or personal details from general view. Nick Moyes (talk) 14:19, 29 June 2020 (UTC)
Don't worry about the contact details - they're public ones that are free to access (they're already available on my website) - my Wikipedia account is linked to a separate email that is personal. I would be fine keeping the contact details unless you seriously caution otherwise. Thank you very much for the advice, it will certainly be taken on board. Wurbl (talk) 16:51, 29 June 2020 (UTC)
@Wurbl: OK (you've missed out the www. in your website link, btw).The issue comes when you start to edit in controversial areas and somebody takes a dislike to how you're editing. We can act to prevent disruption and harassment on-wiki, but once your personal details are available for all to find, we can't control any off-wiki harassment that you might unwittingly attract. Obviously, you can see I'm using my own name to edit, and I can handle myself, but that may not be the case for everyone. Nor do I tend to gravitate towards highly controversial topics, but I do still guard my contact details. Just take a look at WP:OUTING for an explanation why we don't allow anyone to reveal information that they, themselves, have not actively chosen to reveal here, as well as this old essay: Wikipedia:Privacy. Contact me on my own talk page if you ever have a rethink - or even use the 'email this user' link on the left side of the screen when viewing another editors page. Cheers, Nick Moyes (talk) 19:00, 29 June 2020 (UTC)

Adopting

I do not know how Wikipedia works I need an mentor please IrishDonovan (talk) 15:00, 18 July 2020 (UTC)

Hello, IrishDonovan. Mentorship is best suited to editors who have already demonstrated a clear commitment to contributing across various areas on Wikipedia, and who already know some of the basics. They are the ones who have already taken some time to read, understand and practice some of our basic policies and editing guidelines, but who then want to move on to address some of the more complex issues and concepts under the long-term guidance of an experienced editor. Please don't take this the wrong way, but it's not really suited to editors whose past history suggests they only really want to create or modify one or two articles that they're interested in, and will (most likely) disappear from the editing scene after they've achieved their goal. You see, 'adoption' involves a huge, long-term investment of time and effort on the part of the adopter, so I would be looking to past editing history for signs of that broad interest before offering to take anyone on as an adoptee. For a new editor such as yourself who encounters difficulties, you are far better off asking clear and specific questions at the Teahouse. The 'Teahouse hosts' there (of which I am one) may give you a simple answer to your question, or point you towards other guidance pages which you'll be expected to invest the time to read and to put into practice. In the meantime, for an interactive tour on editing Wikipedia, do try The Wikipedia Adventure, or work through the links at Help:Introduction. We will point out to new editors that creating a page from scratch is the hardest task anyone can achieve here, so starting slowly and working up to article creation is far better than diving in headfirst and getting lost in all the complexities. I hope you find this response helpful. Nick Moyes (talk) 23:52, 18 July 2020 (UTC)

Technical Wishes: volunteers for “templates” usability testing needed

As part of the project Making working with templates easier, the Technical Wishes team are planning to make improvements to the pop-up window for adding and editing templates in Visual Editor. To ensure these proposed features do make working with templates easier, we would like to get feedback by conducting usability tests.

We want to learn from editors of any experience level who regularly use the Visual Editor to edit articles. You do not need any specific template experience. If this description fits you and you’re interested in contributing to the development of Wikipedia, please fill in this form!
Note: this is a ~45 minutes commitment. -- For the Technical Wishes Team: Max Klemm (WMDE) (talk) 13:53, 13 October 2020 (UTC)

Can I become a adopter?

I have over 500 edits and is using twinkle and Red warn to serve in Operation Enduring Encyclopedia. I also edit animal and dinosaur pages. I am fairly new but I feel like I know already quite a lot about Wikipedia. TigerScientist (talk) 21:23, 16 December 2020 (UTC)

TigerScientist, you can! MarioJump83! 08:02, 9 February 2021 (UTC)

Okay thank you. TigerScientist Chat 17:48, 9 February 2021 (UTC)

Seeking for a mentor

Hello! I am a fairly experienced user of the Russian-language Wikipedia, I have the status of "auto-confirmed participants, loading, rolling back, patrolling" participants. I really want to develop in the English-language Wikipedia, to be useful, to implement interesting and necessary articles from Kazakhstan here. I am at a studio for learning English, so creating articles, and most importantly, challenging the verdicts of administrators is very difficult for me. I would really like to find an English-speaking friend, mentor and mentor who would guide me on even true. I am a very diligent and responsible student. I am ready to help with articles, search for the blind, learn, correct my mistakes. Hope for a quick response from experienced Wikipedia contributors. Thank you! Deviloper (talk) 07:45, 18 June 2021 (UTC)

Input requested for a category discussion within the scope of this project

See Wikipedia:Categories_for_discussion/Log/2021_July_26#Category:Wikipedians_taking_a_break_from_Adopt-a-user. Marcocapelle (talk) 19:59, 26 July 2021 (UTC)

Looking for Adopter with similar interests

Hi! I am an amateur Wikipedian editor who's been editing on and off for about two years now. While I've made many edits (I have extended confirmed rights) and tried my best, I will admit I've made some mistakes here and there. It's been two years, and I still don't know how to properly edit tables! I could use some help from an experienced editor, especially an editor that has edited articles about female musicians. I'm looking for an experienced WP editor that has edited articles about female musicians or female music in general to mentor me on how I can become a better editor in this respect. Thank you! <3 "Pop pills now we Shanghai!"(talk to me!~) 10:06, 9 August 2021 (UTC)

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