Wikipedia is a living web-based encyclopedia that anyone can add their own pages, edit the existing articles and knowledge, and it is similar to most wikis. Topics cover just about anything that you can think of. Wikipedia is currently the world’s largest wiki, with over five million articles in the English language alone and this is not included Wikipedia that using the local language.
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Why do we need to create or to contribute in through Wikipedia? You cannot find any information or topic in Wikipedia or you find the information need to be updated. It means, it will not only benefit you but also others. Nowadays changes happen quickly and having the web-based encyclopedia allow the quick addition been made. In related to the business, nowadays the industry keeps changing the technology in various sectors from chemical to music. As this is something new, then not many people will know about the new technology. Particularly if your business or company has invented something that is worth to note, then it might be a good candidate for Wikipedia materials.
How to make one? Firstly, you need to do research, both on how to be part of Wikipedia community and how it works as well as the content that you want to present. Some questions that worth to ask yourself before creating and/or editing a content in the Wikipedia are as follows (especially if it does not exist yet).
- Is it a worthwhile subject for an encyclopedia article?
- Is it notable (will anyone else ever bother to read this)?
- Is it verifiable (are there other references to it elsewhere on the internet, or in books)?
- If the answer is ‘no’ to any of these, do not create the article. Articles that aren’t notable or verifiable are deleted, and all your hard work along with it.
Secondly, to be able to contribute or to make changes to the existing Wikipedia pages and articles you need to create an account. The process is quite straightforward and it is recommended to use real name and address.
Thirdly, check whether the content that you want to add or to edit is actually existing. It is recommended by starting small through making small edits to existing pages to test your skills before creating new content. By testing the ground, you will be more familiar with Wikipedia’s content management system and at the same time build Wikipedia user profile. Once you create an account, every change you make on Wikipedia is recorded on your user page, which anyone can access — anyone being Wikipedia editors and other users. With enough editing and creating activity under your belt, you can become an “auto-confirmed user.” This gives you permission to perform certain restricted functions, such as uploading images and moving pages to the public space.
The fourth step is gathering your sources with verified materials. It is clear, as it is a web-based encyclopedia, sources are tremendously important in Wikipedia and this means all of your pages needs to be verified. It is highly recommended not using the Wikipedia materials. In addition to that, you will need third-party sources such as printed material (books and magazines) and online material such as websites, articles, or video to support the information you provide. Furthermore, the content must be factual and unbiased. You’ll want your facts to be straight so you’re not accused of any misrepresentation.
If you want it to part of your marketing strategy plan, you need to remember their stance that it is about providing trustworthy information for all, thus Wikipedia is not always necessarily another marketing channel to promote your product. If so, do it accordingly with their terms, always using verified sources. Also, consider including images, but you’re only allowed to use images you own or images not subject to copyright.
The fifth step is you are finally ready to get down to the writing and posting of your Wikipedia content. I wrote my client’s page in Word first, cut and pasted it into the Wikipedia interface and then formatted it from there. Formatting the page using “Wiki code” took a little while. It’s a tedious process even if you’re HTML savvy, which I am, so be sure to allow time for this or hire someone to do it for you. You can learn more about Wiki Code by reading Wikipedia’s Help Pages.
Last but not least, it is time for submitting the page for review. This process can take as little as a few days or as long as a few weeks or more to get a response.
