Growing up with Wikipedia, I have used the site numerous times, largely out of personal interest and not academic interest. Over that time, I have attempted to edit a Wikipedia page out of curiosity, but I had no idea what I was doing. With the help of this course, I have figured out how to edit a Wikipedia page, adding relevant information while providing citations for references.
The most difficult part of this semester-long assignment was finding the right subject matter to research. It seems that every noteworthy topic has a page on Wikipedia with posted information going into great detail. Eventually, I found a page with a topic I knew a lot about, and felt contributing to the topic might be beneficial for others to read. I decided to edit the page for The Iron Giant, an animated film which released in 1999.
Before making changes, I wrote on the “Talk” page and suggested the edits I wanted to make, including citations for my sources. I did not receive feedback but knew that the information I wanted to include was worth making edits.
Even though it appeared that the page had plenty of information documented, as shown through the revision history, there was still room for edits. Before I added my changes, the most recent edit took place on September 26, 2019.
As shown, a minute after I made my first edit I was told by a user called “Masem” that I had incorrectly formatted my citations. Afterwards, I went back and revised what I wrote to fit the standard for Wikipedia.
Before I made any edits, this is how the “Legacy” section appeared:
After I published two sentences, one to the end of the “Legacy” section and one to the end of the “Signature Edition” section, this is how they appeared:
The first edit was in relation to a topic that had already been referenced on the page. I provided additional information on the consequence of the Iron Giant’s part in the film “Ready Player One.” I wrote, “The inclusion of the Iron Giant in the film sparked controversy as the character was depicted using his arms as guns in a battle sequence, despite the original 1999 film establishing that the character resists violence.” I used a reputable film site called Indie Wire as a source.
Secondly, I added to the “Signature Edition” section and included information about a book that had been published based on the film. I wrote, “Coinciding with the release of the ‘Signature Edition’, in March 2016 it was announced that ‘The Art of The Iron Giant’ would be written by Ramin Zahed and published by Insight Editions, featuring concept art and other materials from the film.” I received my information from an online press release that had been published on a site called Cartoon Brew, which is a reputable online publisher for news related to the animation industry.
After I made my edits, I waited for feedback or objections from the page’s moderators or others who might be following the page for The Iron Giant. I had a feeling my edits wouldn’t be rejected, although I thought it was possible they might be moved to other sections. I was not fully confident they belonged in the sections where I had written them.
This process made me feel more connected to the Wikipedia database, as I now have knowledge as to how to access and engage with material. However, I also felt uncomfortable because the process of editing feels eerily anonymous. Other editors do not feature their full names as I was told I have to for this specific course. The quick response after my initial edit came from an editor only a minute after I published my change. Overall, I liked having something to contribute to a page that I know I would have been interested in having read on my own.
