2025:Program/Wikipedia’s Mobile Editing Experience: A Friction Point or a New Frontier?
Session title: Wikipedia’s Mobile Editing Experience: A Friction Point or a New Frontier?
- Session type: Roundtable
- Track: Technology
- Language: en
🎥 Session recording: https://w.wiki/FQrm 🎥
Despite mobile accounting for 60% of Wikipedia traffic, only 12% of successful edits come from mobile devices, creating significant barriers for contributors—especially those without access to desktop computers. The Product & Technology Advisory Council (PTAC) recently released a recommendation emphasizing the urgent need to improve mobile editing experiences to broaden participation and inclusivity within the Wikimedia movement. This interactive roundtable will explore the challenges and opportunities of mobile editing, examining usability barriers, technical limitations, and the unique advantages of mobile contributions. Participants will engage in a collaborative discussion to share experiences, identify key pain points, and brainstorm solutions to make Wikipedia a truly mobile-friendly and accessible platform for all.
Description
This interactive roundtable will explore the challenges and opportunities of mobile editing on Wikipedia, where 60% of traffic comes from mobile devices, yet only 12% of successful edits are made on mobile. As mobile access continues to grow, ensuring an inclusive and accessible editing experience is crucial to expanding participation, particularly for contributors in the Global Majority, where mobile is often the only means of accessing the internet. The session aims to: -Provide data-driven insights into current mobile editing trends and barriers. -Facilitate an open discussion on the usability, technical, and moderation challenges mobile editors face. -Engage participants in live polling and discussion using Mentimeter to collect real-time insights. -Identify practical solutions to improve the mobile editing experience and increase contributor engagement. Through guided discussion questions, shared experiences, and collaborative brainstorming, participants will explore ways to enhance mobile editing tools, reduce barriers, and foster a more inclusive contributor environment.
- How does your session relate to the event theme, Wikimania@20 – Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability?
This session aligns with Wikimania 2025’s themes by addressing the barriers to mobile editing, a key issue for inclusivity, impact, and sustainability in the Wikimedia movement. With 60% of Wikipedia traffic coming from mobile devices—and 70% of people in the Global Majority relying exclusively on mobile—those without desktop access are effectively excluded from contributing. By improving mobile editing, we can broaden participation, increase content creation, and ensure long-term contributor growth as the world moves toward mobile-first internet access. This roundtable will foster a collaborative discussion on the challenges and opportunities of mobile editing, generating insights to make Wikipedia more accessible, impactful, and future-proof.
- What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?
Everyone can participate in this session
Resources
Speakers
- kadeem
- I’m Kadeem, and I'm thrilled to join the Movement Insights team at WMF as a data scientist contractor with a passion for making meaningful impact.
- In my free time, I edit Wikipedia, mainly pages related to the Caribbean, geography and global development.
- Over the past nine years, I’ve built a diverse career in data science, program management, and business intelligence, working with organizations in international development, tech for good, and social impact sectors. My roles at Meta and Mastercard allowed me to lead initiatives that blend data-driven insights with real-world applications, from advancing vaccine and climate change information campaigns to building platforms that identify communities vulnerable to climate risks. I’m always excited by opportunities to leverage data for strategic decision-making.