Week15-What I Learned from Editing Wikipedia----XI JIAXIN

Editing Wikipedia for the first time was a very different experience from any school assignment I’ve done before. At first, I thought it would be simple—just write some content and hit publish. But once I actually started working on it, I realized how much effort goes into making sure everything on Wikipedia is reliable, neutral, and properly sourced.

One of the most important things I learned was how to add citations and references. In most school assignments, especially in earlier years, we don’t always worry too much about citing every fact or sentence. But on Wikipedia, adding information without a source can get it removed quickly. So I had to spend a lot of time looking for trustworthy sources—news articles, books, academic papers—just to back up one or two sentences. It taught me how important it is to base what I write on facts, not just what I assume or remember.

I also learned a lot about the importance of neutral language. On Wikipedia, you can’t just say something is “the best” or “very important” unless you can back it up, and even then, it has to be phrased carefully. At first, I found this a bit frustrating because I’m used to writing essays where I’m supposed to argue a point or express an opinion. But over time, I started to see the value in sticking to the facts and letting readers draw their own conclusions.

Compared to traditional school assignments, this task felt more real. When we write essays for class, we know the only person reading them is the teacher. But with Wikipedia, anyone in the world can read, edit, or respond to what you’ve written. That made me take the work more seriously. I double-checked my spelling, grammar, sources—everything—because I knew it wasn’t just for a grade, but for a real audience.

Was it more fun than a regular assignment? Honestly, yes. It was more challenging, especially at the beginning, but also more rewarding. I wasn’t just writing to finish an assignment—I was contributing to something bigger. Seeing my edits go live and knowing that they might actually help someone learn something felt really good. It also gave me a small glimpse into how online knowledge is created and maintained, which I had never really thought about before.

Overall, editing Wikipedia helped me become more careful and thoughtful in how I write and research. I realized how important it is to check facts, think critically about sources, and write clearly for a public audience. It’s not the kind of work I was used to, but that’s exactly why it was such a valuable learning experience.