Week 15 | What I Learned from Editing Wikipedia

Name：CHENYUNLIN

How I Entered the World of Wikipedia Editing

Before starting this project, I had never seriously thought about who writes the knowledge we read. Wikipedia has always been my go-to source for quick facts, but I rarely considered the structure and labor behind it. After participating in the editing process myself, I developed a completely new understanding of how knowledge is created.

At first, I simply mimicked the article format. But as I dug deeper, I realized that editing wasn't just about formatting. Wikipedia’s principle of “neutrality” forced me to carefully examine every sentence for bias, emotional language, or unverified claims. I began to pay close attention to the way information was expressed.

Sources Aren’t Just Something You Find Randomly

Unlike regular school assignments, where copying from a source is often overlooked, this time I had to make sure every piece of information came from a reliable reference. I learned how to judge the authority of journals, news outlets, and official websites, and how to properly cite sources using footnotes. More importantly, I realized that "verifiability" is more important than simply thinking something is true — a crucial lesson in today’s internet landscape full of personal opinions and misinformation.

More Than Homework — A Public Practice

Unlike traditional assignments that are graded privately by a teacher, editing Wikipedia is a form of “public writing.” Strangers may read, comment on, or revise what you contribute. This pushed me to be more thoughtful and responsible in my writing — for the first time, I truly felt accountable to a real audience. The openness of Wikipedia is both a challenge and a motivation.

More Meaningful, and More Challenging

Honestly, this assignment took more time than I expected. But for the first time, I felt like I was contributing to something meaningful. I realized that every citation I added, every sentence I refined, helped provide better information to a global audience. This sense of being part of a “collective knowledge” project was something I had never experienced before in schoolwork.

Conclusion

Through editing Wikipedia, I transformed from a passive reader into an active contributor. This shift in identity has quietly changed how I evaluate information, conduct research, and express ideas. This wasn’t just another school task — it was a deep learning experience about how to participate in knowledge responsibly.

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