User:Manning Bartlett/My sample usenet posting

This is my sample usenet posting for promotion of the Wikipedia.

I keep it here for two reasons.

• I can cut and paste it into usenet postings as needed.
• others are free to copy it and modify it for their own purposes.

suggestions for improvement are welcome.

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This is a general request and invitation for people to become contributors and editors to the WIKIPEDIA project (http://www.wikipedia.com).

The Wikipedia is a unique online encyclopedia created on January 1, 2001, which has been favourably reviewed in the New York Times (http://archive.nytimes.com/2001/09/20/technology/circuits/20ENCY). Although less than a year old, it already has over 11000 distinct article entries. Obviously there are many areas still lacking in depth and coverage, and experts in all fields are being sought. Participation is voluntary, and there is no financial compensation for any participants (excepting the two full-time technical administrators).

What makes the Wikipedia unique is that it permits readers to edit the entries. Of course this becomes a temptation for miscreants to vandalise articles, but surprisingly enough this is rare, and always short-lived.

If you would like to know more about this project, please visit http://www.wikipedia.com.

Regards
Manning Bartlett (a voluntary contributor).

Please note: This posting is solely my idea - Wikipedia did not request or authorise this posting in any way.

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Usenet groups I have posted to:
alt.animals

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Have you posted this anywhere yet? Where were you thinking of posting it - to newsgroups you frequent, or others where you're not a known contributor? Many of the groups that attract the kind of informed, reasonable people we want on Wikipedia also have very strong views on spam.

As a participant on a small number of newsgroups and mailing lists - dealing with a wide variety of topics - I find it more appropriate to include a link to Wikipedia in my standard signature, rather than start a thread specifically about Wikipedia.

Just my 2c -- Claudine

• Both. In the case of accusations of SPAM, I am posting to one NG at a time, and customising it for each NG. This is obviously not the same as being a regular contributor (I have created a signature for those) but hopefully is not quite as offensive as SPAM.

Very good! I'm also very concerned about spam a way to take care of such concerns is not only to customize it for each NG but also to include some information about how the Wikipedia articles about the subjects of that NG need work, or how they're already great, or some controversy that needs resolving, or lacuna that needs filling, etc. --LMS

See also : ManningBartlett