Inside Wikipedia: How It Works and How You Can Be an Editor

by Paul A. Thomas

Wikipedia is one of the most visited websites on the Internet, regularly bringing in millions of readers a day. But how exactly does a huge site like this work? What are its strengths? What are its weaknesses? Who edits the site? And perhaps most importantly how can you, the reader, help make the site better?



In this book, Paul A. Thomas—a seasoned Wikipedia contributor who has accrued almost 60,000 edits since he started editing in 2007—breaks down the history of the free encyclopedia and explains the process of becoming an editor.



Chapters



The History of WikipediaThe What to Know Before You EditGetting Making Your First EditsGrowing as an To Wikitext and BeyondConcrete Ways to Make Wikipedia a Better ResourceBecoming a Critical Countering BiasA Short Glossary of Wiki-Slang

After reading Inside Wikipedia, you will be ready to contribute to the largest, most comprehensive knowledge base the world has ever seen. What will you write about?

179 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 15, 2022

Reviews

[Dale Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is interesting, clear, and came close to persuading me to be a Wikipedia editor. It explained how to set up an account and told me the anatomy of an article. The next time I went on Wikipedia, I clicked on the links that were suggested and saw the way the articles could be edited. The book also critiqued Wikipedia and made many suggestions on how you as an individual could help make it better. If you have an interest in Wikipedia, even if you will never edit it, you will find this book interesting. It will help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of Wikipedia and determine whether you can or should believe what is written there. I loved the section on its history and the philosophy that animates its pages. I understood why there are so many devoted volunteers. Read this book and write a review.