User talk:JWSchmidt/Blog/11 May 2007

"Forcing to edit"
I remember seeing this phrasing somewhere when I first found Wikiversity, perhaps on the page you reference. With all due respect for the good intentions of helping "visitors realize that they are invited to edit", for myself, and perhaps to others, just the word "force" creates a negative reaction in my gut. Wikipedia is a nonprofit and all contributions collaborators make are essentially volunteer actions. It seems no one should be "forced" into anything. Ideally, it seems to me that the mission of the Wikimedia foundation is so lofty, and so worthwhile that contributing should be a natural desire for people due to the long term societal effects of having knowledge open and freely available. However, to actually convey the nature of wikis and the Wikimedia foundation to new users so that they can fully appreciate that they are invited to participate in a worthwhile endeavor seems to be of utmost important. After all, having active participants will ensure the success of the foundation and its mission. But is there another way to do it besides "force"? Maybe... Persuade? Inform? Entice? --Remi 06:24, 12 May 2007 (UTC)