Wikipedia Exhibition 2024 Report Vol. 2“What’s Going On with Wikipedia? Q&A at an In-Person Consultation”

[Editors note: This post was originally published in Japanese earlier this year.]

Soseki’s Cat founded “edit Tango” in February 2019, participated in Wikipedia Town events across Japan, and has been active as an editor, instructor, and planning advisor. In September 2022, launched the “Wikipedia Exhibition” centered at the Library Comprehensive Exhibition. In December 2023, published a guidebook for Wikipedia Towns, “Revitalizing Communities with Wikipedia: Let’s Create a Local Encyclopedia Together,” through Kinokuniya Bookstore.

From November 5 to 7, 2024, at the 26th Library Comprehensive Exhibition Forum in Pacifico Yokohama, as part of the outreach activities funded by the Wikimedia Foundation General Support Fund, we established the “Wikipedia Consultation Desk” as one of the programs offered at the “Wikipedia Exhibition.” 4 to 6 Wikimedians served as consultants each day, introducing the structure and practical editing of Wikipedia to each visitor according to their individual needs, and fostering a deeper understanding of Wikimedia through dialogue.
The time spent by Wikimedians responding to each visitor’s questions on a one-on-one basis was “until the visitor was satisfied.” Some consultations ended in five minutes, while others lasted over an hour, with most lasting between 10 and 30 minutes. While this activity may seem modest and inefficient at first glance, it is the most important mission of the “Wikipedia Exhibition,” which aims to convey the appeal of Wikimedia and lower the barriers to participation in editing. It is also the reason why we participate in the Library Comprehensive Exhibition, a major event for the general public.

In this article, we will introduce the questions, concerns, and expectations about Wikipedia that were raised during the consultation sessions, as well as the responses from Wikipedians who responded them. These sessions have helped resolve the “problems” faced by editors who find it difficult to communicate through text-based interactions within the Wikipedia community or on social media, as well as beginners who were left behind during large-scale editing events.
Please note that these examples were not recorded on the day of the consultation session, but were summarized based on notes taken by Wikimedians who participated in the consultation session the following day or later. While there were many more questions and answers, the examples shared here are those that left a particularly strong impression.

Library Comprehensive Exhibition Forum in Pacifico Yokohama Wikipedia Exhibition “Wikipedia Consultation Session”

Many of the visitors to the “Wikipedia Exhibition” booth were passersby who did not know that a consultation session about Wikimedia was being held there. Among them were occasional individuals who had previously edited Wikipedia but were no longer active for various reasons (though they actually wanted to resume their activities). The consultation topics and reasons for visiting our booth can be broadly categorized as follows: “Questions and doubts about Wikipedia,” “Editing Wikipedia or Wikimedia content,” “Complaints or confusion about Wikipedia,” and “Wikipedia Towns or educational use.”

Questions and doubts about Wikipedia

There were many questions about the basic structure and management of Wikipedia. For example:

• “I want to know how the Wikipedia website works.”

When explaining the role of the Wikimedia Foundation and the editor community, some visitors commented that Wikipedia is “useful as a gateway to information” and “a wonderful grassroots activity.”

• “Is Wikipedia a company?”

Many basic questions such as ‘Who created Wikipedia?’ were also asked, and we explained that Wikipedia is not a for-profit company but is created by volunteers.

• “Why is Wikipedia exhibiting at the Library Comprehensive Exhibition?”

We provided a detailed explanation of the compatibility between Wikipedia, which requires reference materials for its editing activities, and GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums).

When we explained the basics of Wikipedia, the reactions of those who showed interest varied, but overall, I think they were well received.

For example,

A, a young employee at a bookstore, listened to the explanation, understood the basic concept of Wikipedia, and eagerly watched the editing demonstration.

B, a newspaper reporter with no Wikipedia editing experience, said, “I want to start editing with a small article”

C, a university librarian interested in the merits and demerits of Wikipedia, showed a somewhat skeptical reaction but engaged in enthusiastic discussions with Wikipedians about the significance of editing.

（漱石の猫, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons）

Consultation on Wikipedia editing methods

Questions about editing methods were asked not only by people who had never edited Wikipedia before, but also by those who had some experience, such as having participated in an edit-a-thon like Wikipedia Town once or twice but had forgotten how to do it, or those who were engaged in editing activities on their own but wanted to consult with others about things they didn’t understand.

For example, here are some cases:

Q:“The person who created the article requested that their real name be kept private and changed it to a pen name. I think the article should be renamed to the pen name, but I don’t know how to change the article title.”

A:  We explained the policy and procedure for renaming articles. At the time of the consultation, there was no official source of information about the pen name, but about a month later, a renaming proposal was made based on a post by the author on social media, and we confirmed that the name was changed through the appropriate procedures.

Q:“I don’t know how to upload photos” (many)

A:  We demonstrated the procedure for uploading photos to Wikimedia Commons and explained how to attach photos to actual Wikipedia articles. Some participants said, “I have seen instructors upload photos to Wikimedia Commons during an edit-a-thon, but I didn’t understand how they did it and am curious.” Offline edit-a-thons have time constraints, so the content that instructors can cover is limited, such as using library materials for library-sponsored events or Wikidate for hackathon-style events. If we want to encourage people who are not familiar with online communities, such as those who created an account and started editing for the first time at an edit-a-thon, to become Wikimedia editors, we realize the importance of creating follow-up opportunities like this consultation session.

Q:“I’m worried that I’ll make a mistake if I start editing right away.”

A:  We explained that even if you accidentally delete something, you can restore it from the history, and that you can practice using the sandbox feature, to help them feel comfortable starting to edit.

Q:“I want to create a new article, but is there anything I need to prepare?”

A:  We explained that sources are necessary for creating articles and provided a copy of the Wikipedia editing manual.

Additionally, the Wikipedia exhibition participated in the “Booth Quiz and Stamp Rally” organized by other exhibitors at the Library Comprehensive Exhibition. One of the questions was, “How many types of editing methods are there on Wikipedia?” This led to an opportunity to explain the difference between source editing and visual editing to those who came looking for the answer.

Complaints and confusion about Wikipedia

We also received consultations regarding dissatisfaction with Wikipedia and difficulties in editing. Most of these came from people who had edited Wikipedia before, and the content was mostly of two types: “My edits disappeared without me noticing. I don’t know what happened,” and “A warning tag appeared on the article I created. I didn’t know what to do, so I’ve been afraid to edit since then.”

For example, the following consultations were received:

“I created a new page for a university professor I know, but since it was based on a single source, an alert appeared saying ‘Wikipedia is not a directory.’ I intended to add more information from other sources later, but I didn’t know what to do, so I haven’t edited it since.”

The Wikipedian who responded to this inquiry reportedly comforted the user by saying, “The fact that the page was created provides a foundation for future additions, which is a good thing.” Creating a new entry can be challenging for beginners, but if there are existing articles to build upon, gradually adding content can help one become a skilled editor. However, the outcome for this individual is unknown.

“My article disappeared without notice, and I don’t know why.” (Multiple reports)

This question was raised by at least three different users regarding separate articles. In all cases, when attempting to create a new article, it was confirmed that the article was removed for reasons such as being deemed “promotional content.” However, many people do not believe they can recreate the removed article, so they become discouraged when they cannot find the article they wrote, and remain unaware of the reason for its removal. During consultations, we explain how to confirm the reasons for deletion, as well as Wikipedia’s guidelines such as “Criteria for independent articles” and “What Wikipedia is not,” along with information that can be used as sources.

Some participants expressed dissatisfaction or discomfort with Wikipedia as readers. One woman came to consult us because her blog post had been used as a source in a Wikipedia article reporting the death of an actor, saying, “It feels like I’m rejoicing in this person’s death, which is not what I intended,” and she had been experiencing mental distress for years and wanted the reference removed. A Wikipedia editor responded by removing the reference on her behalf based on Wikipedia’s policy that personal websites are not suitable as sources, and she expressed relief, saying, “Wikipedia was a site I didn’t want to see for years, but finally, the weight on my heart has been lifted.”

Other Q&A

Other questions included, “Can I enjoy participating in a Wikipedia Town event in a city I’ve never been to?” and “How should I handle a plagiarism issue in a university report?” from a university faculty member.

There were also a few people who said, “I edited Wikipedia at an event a few years ago but forgot my account,” and we were able to help them remember by checking the edit history of the articles they had edited.

At the Wikipedia exhibition booth, we had books and magazine articles that mentioned Wikimedia in the past, several computers, and some literature related to “Wikipedia Asia Month,” which was being held online at the time. Some people edited existing articles while receiving lectures from Wikipedians.

The exact number of visitors over the three days was difficult to count due to the busy nature of individual assistance, but based on the number of survey responses and the number of participants from groups that joined the booth tour, we estimate that at least 300–400 people stopped by the Wikipedia Exhibition booth to listen to our explanations, and we believe they were generally satisfied. The Wikipedia Exhibition has been exhibited at the Library Comprehensive Exhibition every year since 2022, but this was the first time we brought in some official merchandise from the Wikipedia Store and sold them at the same price, which seemed to be a factor in attracting many people who stopped by out of interest.

（漱石の猫, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons）

Summary

Wikipedia editing is basically a volunteer activity, so it may not be a high priority in the busy daily lives of many people. However, if people come to understand the many benefits of incorporating Wikipedia editing into their current lives and work, its priority may increase.

Going forward, we hope to continue raising awareness among the general public about the significance of Wikipedia and the importance of editing through such events.

P.S.

On June 21, 2025, the online period for this year’s Library General Exhibition Forum began. This initiative will continue until November, with an on-site event scheduled for late October in Yokohama.

The “Wikipedia Exhibition” held from 2022 to 2024 was run by the volunteer group “edit Tango,” which has been active since 2018, and has been working to expand outreach activities related to the Japanese version of Wikipedia nationwide. As a result of this activity, great results were achieved, such as the organization of Wikipedia Town records on the websites of public libraries nationwide and the establishment of an information provision environment for future generations. However, as a price for growing into Japan’s largest and most influential outreach activity, unfair criticism based on ignorance and preconceptions was sometimes concentrated, which was a heavy burden for the secretariat members.

In 2025, we will abolish the system that imposes excessive effort, responsibility, and sacrifice on some users, and move to an approach based on the personal responsibility of each user.