When I pictured Wikipedia, I thought it was a quick and convenient way to find information. In the back of my mind, I remember my teachers saying that the information was not accurate and should never be used as a reputable source. Often times I dismissed the site and believed there was not accurate information on the site. I did not consider the time and energy passionate individuals poured into this site to keep it running. My perspective has changed after completing my Wikipedia page editing assignment. I understand now the time and energy that is poured into each collaborative page and that it relies on contributors who are willing to take the time to research, provide accurate information with links and sources to provide this information.
For this assignment I edited the Wikipedia page article about my hometown. My goal was to add some additional photos and information about the historic landmarks. Growing up I had to do research on Auburn’s historic landmarks and loved it. As my children have grown up, taking them to these landmarks and showing them the rich history that this city holds has been a gift. I am unsure of how many people are research my small hometown, but when looking at the Wikipedia page I wanted to contribute and add a few photos of the city that has a special place in my heart.
The Auburn, Ca Wikipedia page I edited has a pretty solid foundation. I just wanted to add a couple of photos that I had taken to share some of the charm and history of the historic city I grew up in. I wanted to add informative and relevant information and images to the page, so I stuck to adding the photos, links and the last paragraph in the landmark page. When doing my research and making my additions I realized the importance of adding accurate and reliable sources in a neutral manner. Since I am new to the editing process in Wikipedia I understand the importance of the Talk page. The page I had made additions to had not managed in a couple of years, so I was not expecting to hear back from editors. I hope to hear feedback soon and be able to discuss more changes. I believe that collaboration is the key to success in keeping a site like Wikipedia up and running. I have been reminded of the importance of accurate and reliable resources and the benefit of having a community. I hope to be able to work with more platforms that have the collaboration and the desire to preserve knowledge and information.
AlyssaHSherwood.com 