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🤧😰😦 wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 46 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time.
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🤧😰😦 Are you familiar with the basic (or advanced) ins and outs of wikiHow, and interested in using the Welcome Wagon to welcome new contributors to the community? Users who are trusted to use the Welcome Wagon feature are called "Welcomers". Becoming a welcomer is easy - all you need to do is take and pass a simple test. This article explains the steps required to become one.
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- 1Get some experience before applying. Your account should be at least a month old, with significant editing activity, before you apply. This is because you will need to be able to help users if they come across any problems.
- You don't need to know every policy (like an Admin or Booster does), but you do need to know how to be friendly and encouraging, and point people in the correct direction.
- Try greeting newcomers from the new contributors page, following these guidelines. This will help you to get some experience and pass the test.
- Ask other Welcomers for advice. The best way to improve is to have feedback from a real person. Visit this list for active Welcomers.
- 2Be familiar with your role as a Welcome Wagon user, should you pass the test. Read up on How to Use the Welcome Wagon Tool on wikiHow. It will give you a brief explanation on how the tool looks.Advertisement
- 3Take the Welcome Wagon test. Visit this page and read the ten provided new user scenarios. Write responses to at least five of them. Make sure they are positive and personalized - don't copy from a template!
- You can write your answers in an email (that you'll send when finished) or Google Doc (no need to include the questions with your responses). Number each answer (e.g. "User2" right above that answer), and make sure the numbering matches the numbers on the test.
- Remember to use steps in the "Writing a Welcome Message" section of How to Welcome New wikiHow Users.
- Use wikiText the same way you would when posting a talk page message. Examples are weaving links and formatting text with bold, italic, and/or underline if you wish.
- 4Email your completed test. Send it to [email protected]. You should receive a reply in a week or so, letting you know if you passed the test.
- Be sure to include your wikiHow username in the email so that Jayne (a wikiHow staff member) knows who to add the Welcome Wagon rights to if you pass the test.
- Don't lose heart if you don't pass on your first try. You can try again a month later, and in the meantime you can practice other skills!
- If you pass, you can add yourself to this list of active Welcomers.
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- QuestionAm I allowed to take breaks from welcoming people?JoelCommunity AnswerwikiHow is solely a volunteer effort assuming you aren't on the staff, so yes, you're welcome to take breaks anytime you want.
- QuestionHow many contributions should I have before I can become a welcomer?Community AnswerThere is no set minimum number of contributions to become a welcomer. You should have enough of a contribution history to demonstrate your knowledge of the ins and outs of the site.
- QuestionWhat is the minimum passing mark?AdamCommunity AnswerThere is no set passing mark. When you email your completed test, your submissions will be reviewed to see if they match the guidelines set forth in How to Welcome New wikiHow Users. If your answers meet the guidelines, you will be notified and earn Welcomer rights. If you need additional guidance to fully match the guidelines, you'll be given feedback on your answers, and you'll have to wait another month to retry.
- QuestionWhat if a new contributor is making good edits but has an offensive username, should I still welcome them?Riley NextCommunity AnswerYes! Send them the {{username}} template to notify them, but you should still welcome them! Welcoming is about being friendly and encouraging, not judging them if they have an offensive name.
- QuestionCan I send my answers in without email?LaraCommunity AnswerNo, email is the only way you can submit your answers on wikiHow.
- QuestionDo we need to list certain things as a requirement inside the welcoming messages?LinnieTop AnswererNo, but make sure you're positive and kind. Whether a user made a beneficial edit or otherwise, make sure that you maintain positivity and that you're personal (willing to help them, asking kind questions). Following the steps in How to Welcome New wikiHow Users can help give you an idea of how to write a welcome message.
- QuestionIs the Welcome Wagon just saying “Welcome to wikiHow...”?WikiaWangTop AnswererNo, that is actually the WelcomeBot's job. Welcomers are supposed to find ways to welcome users who made their first contribution.
- QuestionWhat does it mean if I don’t receive a reply within a week?LinnieTop AnswererYour email might not have been seen. Try sending a follow-up email regarding your Welcome Wagon test. Whether you pass or fail, you should receive a reply.
- QuestionHow do I take the test?CoolChrisCommunity AnswerClick on the link that’s in this article. This will get you in the test, so then you will be able to answer the questions in order to become a Welcomer. If you have any questions, leave a message with the Community Manager.
- QuestionI failed the test 10 times. What do I do?Community AnswerMake sure you have already contributed to wikiHow, and have been on for 1 month or more. If you have for both of those, you should work on being positive, enthusiastic and encouraging. Answer questions in the nicest way but still getting your point across. Talk to the Community Manager if you need guidance.
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Tips
- Don't rush the test. You might want to type the test up somewhere and go back every day, changing your answers as needed. That way, you'll have had rest in between each modification and will probably score better.Thanks!
- If you want to make any links in your answers look real, you can change the color of them to match the colors of links on wikiHow. The color code is #6ba96b.Thanks!
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