How to build a Wikipedia article from zero and not die during the process? A situated experience

Abstract

The Wikiconf, or Wiki Day, has become a very special day for the Wikimedia community in Colombia. It is an opportunity for those of us who, behind a username, support the construction of free knowledge in our country to meet in person. This year was a very special edition, in which I decided to share my experience of writing Wikipedia articles, in response to the constant question: Why write for Wikipedia? What do you gain from it? I decided to take the question seriously and answer it publicly in a talk. It is essential to start with an encyclopedic overview of the topic you want to write about, which means that there are sufficient secondary sources and that the person or event has some recognition; write neutrally and, most importantly, seek help from the Wikimedia community if you need it. In my experience, I have written only 9 articles, but I have written multiple drafts on topics that interest me. Libardomm shared his experience of writing an article about his municipality, Turbana, Bolívar, in which he included his friends and family; in other words, knowledge as a collective construction. Finally, the big conclusion about the question is that we all have a connection or affection for all the articles, which is why we value and enjoy their creation not only as a product, but above all as a process in which we learn and contribute to knowledge. That is part of what drives us forward, as a Wikimedia community.