A Wikipedia entry will frequently be one of the highest ranked pages returned in a Google search on a given topic. Wikipedia relies upon a large network of volunteer editors, thousands of people who create new articles or improve existing ones. Anyone can become an editor on Wikipedia and immediately begin making contributions. The basic requirement is to act in accord with Wikipedia’s core professional principles, e.g., editing articles so they are neutral in point of view, factual, documented with references to respected media sources, etc. Conflicts of interest and advocacy are to be strictly avoided. Disputes about how to edit an article are resolved based on consensus; particular weight is given to editors who have a long history of making positive contributions on a broad variety of topics.
For those able to participate, editing Wikipedia could be a worthwhile contribution to the spread of knowledge, including in topics related to the Catholic faith and the Catholic Church, as well as other subject areas. Thus, it could be useful to sponsor activities on teaching how to contribute to Wikipedia. Someone with specialized knowledge might choose to edit entries related to his or her area of expertise. Or contributing to Wikipedia could be a worthwhile activity for a retired person who has the time and aptitude. Wikipedia has abundant help pages on how to get started.
If you are aware of someone with significant experience with Wikipedia, please pass along the information to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
