MicroWiki talk:Drafts

Some thoughts

I’ve been thinking a lot about the current state of MicroWiki, and honestly, it’s starting to feel like the draft system is doing more harm than good, especially when it comes to encouraging new editors. It’s frustrating to see how what was supposed to be a stepping stone has turned into a roadblock, and a lot of that seems to be due to some reviewers (some being admins) who are a bit too heavy-handed with their power.

Remember that "Be Bold" is the first rule in the simplified ruleset? That’s what made MicroWiki such a unique and welcoming place for people to contribute. You could dive in, make edits, and feel like you were really adding to something bigger than yourself. But now, it feels like new editors are getting stuck in this endless loop of drafts being stuck in limbo, waiting for approval that might never come.

I’m not saying every draft deserves to go live, but there are so many that are just sitting there for months because an admin hasn’t given them the green light. That’s not how we should be treating new contributors. Instead of encouraging them to keep going, we’re basically telling them their efforts aren’t worth it unless they get the nod from someone higher up.

Or, instead of encouragement, new editors are being met with rejections that aren’t even properly explained. How is anyone supposed to improve their work or learn from their mistakes if they don’t even know what they did wrong? It’s like setting someone up to fail.

Why too short? What did the writer do wrong? They will never know, since the review didn't care to explain. After all, this article is 7 sections large and includes a significant amount of information.

This goes completely against the "Be Bold" principle. MicroWiki was built mostly by teenagers who weren’t afraid to take risks and make changes. None of us are (or were) perfect, yet somehow we expect perfection or rejection from the next generation. Now, we’re putting up barriers and making it harder for new editors to get involved. It’s not just discouraging—it’s downright demoralizing.

If this continues, we’re going to end up pushing away a lot of new editors who could bring fresh perspectives and energy to the site. Instead of fostering growth, we’re making the community feel more closed off and exclusive. This is how a once wonderful site comes to die.

It’s time to really think about what kind of community we want MicroWiki to be. We need to stop letting a few overzealous old hands stifle the ambition of new editors. Let’s bring back the boldness that made MicroWiki great, and actually support the people who want to be a part of it.

That’s all I’ve got. Just something we should all be thinking about. Matt talk ☼