Hello! I know I’ve been known for making useless ideas, but I was recently thinking about an update to the WelcomeBot message that could be feasible.
The proposed edit: Add a link to the Sandbox
in the WelcomeBot template to make it easier for new users to find and start editing. Another idea would be to include a link to the Categories page or Community Dashboard.
Again, if this is another one of my useless ideas, feel free to tell me so, and if you support this idea, leave a message on this thread.
4 Likes
I think this would be a good idea. Unfortuntlly, as i am not an Administrator, I cannot add this, but to any admins out there, it is a good idea.
1 Like
There’s a link to the Sandbox in the Tour, which is included in the WelcomeBot message already - I feel it might be a bit redundant.
However, most users might not see the Tour, so wouldn’t including a link to the Sandbox do more good than harm?
Do we actually have data on how many users access the Tour? I see where you’re coming from, but I also don’t want to say we should change it based on something we don’t have clear information on.
Another thing worth considering is that the WelcomeBot message already directs them to the Topic Greenhouse, so new users do have a way to start editing if they want to. It’s not like the current message isn’t encouraging them to participate in any wiki activities whatsoever
2 Likes
I understand. I just thought that having a link to the Sandbox might help reduce vandalism by giving users a clear link to a space where they can test out editing before going on to editing articles.
1 Like
I appreciate the thought, but most cases of vandalism come from an edit directly to a page rather than through use of a tool. Many are targeting specific pages or just vandalizing anything they can find, and test edits aren’t “true” vandalism - most users who are testing will respond well to a {{test}}. So I don’t think including a link to the Sandbox would make a major difference in that
2 Likes
Okay, thank you.
However, I’ve been seeing a lot of uses of the {{test}} template in RC patrol. Maybe having a link to the sandbox might reduce the amount of users who test on real articles, instead testing on something that can be cleaned up periodically? Often, the Sandbox is only linked when the {{test}} template is used, but having the Sandbox linked to the WelcomeBot message itself might reduce uses of the {{test}} template. Again, this is not meant to be mean.
1 Like
I honestly haven’t seen an increase in use of the template in the last five years (unless you’re talking about use of that template specifically compared to the Coach for Bad messages). There’s always going to be people testing out editing, and editors sending {{test}} in response. I really don’t think there’s anything to worry about here
1 Like
I don’t mean this to be mean or to argue with admins, but the Sandbox is a platform to test editing, and gently directing new editors to the Sandbox to test might reduce the frequency of unintentioned bad edits by anons and new editors.
@anon74718567
I’m sorry for arguing. I don’t mean to be mean…
But there’s many reasons people might not get the WelcomeBot message anyway. Anons, for example, don’t get messaged until they make an edit, and a lot of our test edits come from anons. I don’t really see a need to try and concentrate “bad” edits in the Sandbox - even aside from the lengths we’d need to go to for that to work most of the time, it kind of feels like quarantining or even segregating new editors, which doesn’t mesh with the community we’ve built.
Okay, I’m sorry.
Another idea: include links to the Community Dashboard instead of the Topic Greenhouse? I feel that the Community Dashboard would be more effective seeing as the Community Dashboard has a wider variety of tools and links, including the Topic Greenhouse.
We don’t want to give people so many options that they get overwhelmed, and it’s also worth remembering that several of our tools do require some learning - for instance, RCP. Most people know how to write, even if they don’t write very well. It seems better to start them off on a tool that uses a more universal skill rather than dumping them on the Dashboard, where they have to pick a tool and then potentially learn it
You do have a point, but the Topic Greenhouse could seem a bit intimidating for new users…
If the Topic Greenhouse intimidates them, the Dashboard will intimidate them even more.
Rest assured that staff does monitor how users react to things. They’re not just throwing random tools at them because it’s the first thing they think of. There’s a reason for how messages are set up, especially such widescale ones like the WelcomeBot one
What is sandbox? I am new to this community. Can you please explain it to me ?
1 Like
Hi David,
A sandbox is an article which you or anyone can edit. For example, if you are trying to use a tool from the Community Dashboard
and need a page to practice editing, you can do so on the sandbox. It gets restored once someone edits it for their learning.
