You know, I have a lot of things that I’m thankful for, on and off wikiHow. But I’m going to write about wikiHow, because I feel a lot towards wikiHow, hah. Please excuse the sappiness, and the longness of the post.
I used to banter with Anna and Nadia about whether or not wikiHow was a boat or a plane. I think I missed the point of the whole thing. Because wikiHow isn’t a plane, or a boat, or any other mode of transport. wikiHow is a home.
Almost a year ago, I found wikiHow at a really hard time in my life. I hid out in the background for several days, watching other people do things, before I actually made an edit myself, because I was too shy to do anything, I was scared of what people would do if I made a mistake. A lot of internet communities can be really hostile, have bad administrators, and are just generally not good places. Seeing the friendliness of the wikiHowians (even when I screwed up) convinced me to stick around here, and I’m really thankful that I did, even when it was hard.
I’ve met a lot of really wonderful people (both online and offline) that I’m really grateful I’ve gotten to meet and befriend. I’ve discovered that collaborating and sharing knowledge with others can bring out a feeling that’s better than anything else. And I think the biggest thing is that wikiHow has a way of making people who feel awful, who feel worthless and useless and like they were standing outside in a thunderstorm or blizzard or hail with no protection from the storm - wikiHow and its community has a way of inviting those people inside, offering them protection and warmth and a place to show that they really do matter, and that their voices are valued, even when they feel like they aren’t. wikiHow is a family.
I’m really thankful that I found wikiHow, even if I can’t remember why I joined in the first place. I’m thankful that I’ve gotten to meet, collaborate alongside, and befriend many community members, whether or not they’re still active these days. I’m thankful that I’ve gotten the opportunity to learn and grow and become a much different person than I used to be, and I’m thankful that I’ve gotten the opportunity to change others’ lives in some way, whether or not they’re directly involved in the community, whether or not I’ve ever spoken to them. And most of all, I’m thankful that I was given the chance to join find this community. Like Nadia said, so many people don’t get the chance to do this. I’m really thankful that I - that we
, as a whole community - get to do this and make the world a little better every day.
