wikipedia – client k

Fix Something

We’re business builders,
doers,
likely also fixers.

There are so many issues
in the world
right now
to fix.

I’m tempted to try
to fix them all.
That’s not possible,
especially if I want to fix things
permanently
and
in the best way possible.

I have to focus my efforts,
go where I most make a difference.

When Wikipedia, for example,
didn’t accept my expert edits,
I moved elsewhere,
focused on the next project,
on an issue I WAS allowed to fix.

We can’t fix everything
but we CAN fix something
and that something might make a difference.

Editing Wikipedia

I often read the suggestion
that people contribute to the world
by editing a Wikipedia post
in their field of expertise.

Yeah.
Good luck with that.

The Wikipedia posts on Romance Novels
are horrendous.
They were clearly written
by people who hate Romance.

They are so bad,
Romance writers and readers
started their own independent Wikis.

I tried editing one Wikipedia article
in my niche.
It didn’t matter how many sources
I stated or linked to,
every edit was deleted.

I’m a multi-USA Today Bestselling Author.
I’ve been published by huge New York Publishers.
I had expert sources.
I have written for newspapers.
I followed instructions,
linked to noteworthy sources.

Nothing I did was accepted.
Everything edit was overturned
by the Romance-hating gatekeepers.

I hear that about
a lot of Wikipedia articles,
especially those involving
female achievements.

If you try to add your expertise
to a Wikipedia article
and your input is deleted,
don’t take it personally.
It happens to many of us.

And please stop giving
that outdated advice
to people.

Curation Vs Freedom

A couple years ago,
I gave myself the project
of updating the entries for my romance niche
on Wikipedia.

Every input I made
was deleted by the moderator.
Every single one.
Even though I cited sources.
Even though I was clearly an expert
in the niche.

I gave up.
The Wikipedia entries remain horribly wrong.
And, knowing that,
I don’t rely on Wikipedia
for anything
anymore.

On the flipside,
I remember when Amazon
would allow anyone to leave reviews.
Ethically-challenged writers
would spam their perceived competitor’s books
with 1 star reviews.
It was a mess.

As Seth Godin
shares

“Too much curation
stifles creativity,
opposing viewpoints
and useful conversation.
But no curation inevitably turns a platform
over to quacks, denialists,
scammers and trolls.”

Seek a balance
between curation and freedom
on your social media accounts
and sites.