2025:Program/Wikipedia is a Social Network, You Just Don't Know It Yet...,

Session title: Wikipedia is a Social Network, You Just Don't Know It Yet...,

Session type: Lecture

Track: Wild Ideas

Language: en

🎥 Session recording: https://www.youtube.com/live/IIJaOtycCf0?feature=shared&t=20009 🎥

Last year I made a really big graph showing all the common interests of Wikipedia Users through their Userboxes, and working on this project taught me about editing and the Wikipedia community. In my talk I'll be showcasing the graph and discussing how Userboxes can go beyond just a silly bit of self-expression on your profile page.

Description

Last year I made a really big graph showing all the common interests of Wikipedia Users through their Userboxes, it gave me a lot of insight on the values of Wikipedians, it taught me about editing and the Wikipedia community as a whole.

In my talk I'll be showcasing this graph and discussing how Userboxes can go beyond just a silly bit of self-expression on your profile page. What happens if we stop thinking of it as individual pieces of self-expression, and zoom out into the bigger picture of these interconnected interests and inside-jokes?

I hope to spark discussion in how we can use Userboxes untapped potential, for both seasoned editors and new users. How they can provide a gentle onboarding experience for new editors, while simultaneously connecting them with more experienced editors that have similar interests as them. And to make Wikipedia a more social place in general.

The infrastructure to make this happen is already in place, so why not make use of it!

How does your session relate to the event theme, Wikimania@20 – Inclusivity. Impact. Sustainability?

I think Userboxes could be a great way to make Wikipedia a less intimidating place for newer editors, making it more inclusive to users who might be hesitant to start editing. And it could also foster natural community building based around interests, and making Wikipedia a more inclusive place, just by showing how interconnected we all are.

What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?

Everyone can participate in this session

Speakers

• Lucas Zuidema

I'm a Dutch Graphic Designer and Creative Coder, mainly focusing on documenting online communities and making and learning new tools. I've made the occasional edit on Wikipedia and I only discovered the big world behind Wikipedia, though my self-initiated project to map out the Userboxes.