Wikipedia:Online Ambassadors/Apply/Matthewrbowker

The following discussion is preserved as an archive of a successful Online Ambassador application.

Welcome to the Online Ambassador Team, Matthewrbowker. The Interior (Talk) 05:07, 23 July 2012 (UTC)

Matthewrbowker

Matthewrbowker (talk · contribs)

1. Why do you want to be a Wikipedia Ambassador?

   I heard about the opportunity on IRC (User:Pharos mentioned it, to be exact). I'm very interested in helping new users navigate Wikipedia, and I believe this would be a good opportunity for me to help said new users to learn content contribution and become constructive contributors.

2. In three sentences or less, summarize your involvement with Wikimedia projects.

   My involvement is mostly wiki-gnome type activities on the English Wikipedia. I work off and on with WP:AfC, I spend time at WP:ACC and I occasionally collect citations for list-class articles. I also spend time on IRC, helping new users.

3. Please indicate a few articles to which you have made significant content contributions. (e.g. DYK, GA, FA, major revisions/expansions/copyedits).

   My pride and joy is List of space stations, which is currently a featured list candidate. I started that article practically from scratch. I also am currently collecting citations for List of space shuttle missions (Evernote link to my thought-pad - I've only just started) and List of U.S. states by date of statehood.

4. How have you been involved with welcoming and helping new users on Wikipedia?

   My involvement with welcoming new users has been three-fold. I spend time on #wikipedia-en-help ^connect working with new users in real-time. I also answer {{helpme}} requests on-wiki and respond to users on my talk page.

5. What do you see as the most important ways we could welcome newcomers or help new users become active contributors?

   The most important way we can help new users to become active contributors is to just talk to them! Often times, users don't know how to navigate the myriad of policies that surround content creation. Explaining to users what they're doing right (and wrong) can help them become active contributes.

6. Have you had major conflicts with other editors? Blocks or bans? Involvement in arbitration? Feel free to offer context, if necessary.

   I've never been involved in major conflicts. However, I have been on the fringe of the Fluoride spammer and a heated "debate" on an IP talk page (the page has since been deleted). Also, I've been caught in the crossfire for SPA accounts (here). I consider myself level headed and able to handle conflict (off-wiki, I work at a Boy Scout summer camp. It's a pain to try to prevent injuries to 11 year old scouts with knives).

7. How often do you edit Wikipedia and check in on ongoing discussions? Will you be available regularly for at least two hours per week, in your role as a mentor?

   Two hours per week is easy for me. I often log in daily for about an hour, checking WP:AN, WP:ANI, WP:BN, and WP:BON.

8. How would you make sure your students were not violating Copyright laws?

   My approach to copyright with my students would be two-fold. First, I would make sure they understand copyright infringement and why it's a problem. Second, I would be reviewing their submissions, looking for any writing that doesn't look like the student's own. I have experience with the second at WP:AfC.

9. If one of your students had an issue with Copyright Violation how would resolve it?

   I'd work with the student to help them understand exactly what that violation was. Then, I'd politely ask them to request that page/image be deleted. If that didn't work, I'd have to have the page/image removed myself per the zero tolerance policy Wikipedia has on copyright violations. They key throughout the process is communicating to the student exactly why we need to remove this information, and how he/she can still include it in another - more legal - form.

10. In your _own_ words describe what Copyright Violation is.

    A copyright violation is taking someone else's work and claiming it as their own. Copyright violations can occur as text (copied out of a book or paper) or images (taken off the internet).

11. What else should we know about you that is relevant to being a Wikipedia Ambassador?

    I'm starting college at UCCS this fall. Off wiki, I'm an eagle scout (I'm bound by the scout oath and scout law), and I'm a vigil honor member of the Order of the Arrow.

Endorsements

(2 Endorsements are needed for online ambassador approval).

• Endorse Seems to already be involved in helping out newbies, which is the whole point. Maximiliankleinoclc (talk) 16:15, 21 June 2012 (UTC)
• Endorse, per participation at AFC and for helping out newbies, civilly.Smallman12q (talk) 01:55, 23 June 2012 (UTC)
• Endorse I don't see any issues; why not? (I too have kept the vigil) --Guerillero | My Talk 04:05, 24 June 2012 (UTC)