Do you have a passion for sharing knowledge and a knack for clear, concise writing? Are you looking for a way to contribute to a valuable online resource and earn rewards for your efforts? If so, becoming an Article Booster on wikiHow might be the perfect opportunity for you. wikiHow is a collaborative, wiki-based website dedicated to creating a comprehensive library of how-to guides on a vast range of topics. Article Boosters play a crucial role in ensuring the quality, accuracy, and completeness of these articles, and in return, they receive recognition and potential financial compensation.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of becoming a wikiHow Article Booster, outlining the steps involved, the skills required, and the benefits you can expect. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, this guide will provide you with the information you need to succeed.
What is the wikiHow Article Booster Program?
The wikiHow Article Booster program is a system designed to incentivize users to improve the quality of existing wikiHow articles. Boosters identify articles that need attention, work on them to address those needs (such as adding information, improving formatting, or verifying facts), and then submit their changes for review. Approved changes earn points, which can be redeemed for various rewards, including gift cards or PayPal payments.
The program focuses on collaborative improvement, recognizing that even small contributions can significantly enhance an article’s usefulness. It also helps maintain wikiHow’s reputation as a reliable and trustworthy source of information.
Why Become an Article Booster?
There are several compelling reasons to consider becoming a wikiHow Article Booster:
- Share Your Knowledge: Contribute your expertise to a global audience and help others learn new skills and solve problems.
- Improve Your Writing and Editing Skills: The process of researching, writing, and editing wikiHow articles will sharpen your skills in these areas.
- Earn Rewards: Accumulate points for your contributions and redeem them for gift cards or PayPal payments.
- Gain Recognition: Your contributions will be publicly recognized, showcasing your skills and dedication to quality content.
- Join a Community: Become part of a supportive community of writers and editors who share a passion for knowledge sharing.
- Flexibility: Work at your own pace and on topics that interest you. There are no fixed schedules or deadlines.
Steps to Becoming a wikiHow Article Booster
Becoming a wikiHow Article Booster involves a series of steps, each designed to ensure that you have the necessary skills and understanding to contribute effectively.
1. Create a wikiHow Account
The first step is to create a wikiHow account. This is essential for tracking your contributions, earning points, and receiving rewards.
- Visit the wikiHow Website: Go to www.wikihow.com.
- Click on “Join wikiHow”: Look for the “Join wikiHow” button, usually located at the top right corner of the page.
- Choose a Registration Method: You can register using your email address, Google account, or Facebook account. Select the option that is most convenient for you.
- Fill Out the Registration Form: Provide the required information, such as your email address, username, and password. Make sure to choose a strong and memorable password.
- Verify Your Email Address: After submitting the form, you will receive an email with a verification link. Click on the link to verify your email address and activate your account.
- Set Up Your Profile (Optional): While not mandatory, setting up your profile with a profile picture and a brief bio can help you connect with other users and establish yourself as a knowledgeable contributor.
2. Familiarize Yourself with wikiHow’s Style Guide
wikiHow has a specific style guide that outlines the rules and guidelines for writing and formatting articles. Understanding and adhering to this style guide is crucial for ensuring that your contributions are consistent with the overall quality of the website.
- Locate the Style Guide: The wikiHow Style Guide can be found at https://www.wikihow.com/wikiHow:Style-Guide.
- Read the Style Guide Thoroughly: Take the time to read through the entire style guide, paying close attention to the following key areas:
- Writing Style: wikiHow articles should be written in a clear, concise, and easy-to-understand style. Avoid jargon and technical terms unless they are essential to the topic.
- Formatting: Proper formatting is essential for readability. Use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and numbered lists to organize your content effectively.
- Image Guidelines: wikiHow articles often include images to illustrate the steps involved in a process. Make sure that the images you use are relevant, high-quality, and properly licensed.
- Tone and Voice: wikiHow articles should be written in a neutral and objective tone. Avoid expressing personal opinions or biases.
- Copyright: Respect copyright laws by only using content that you have the right to use. Properly cite your sources and avoid plagiarism.
- Verification: Ensure that the information you provide is accurate and verifiable. Cite reliable sources to support your claims.
- Pay Attention to Examples: The style guide includes numerous examples of good and bad writing practices. Study these examples to get a better understanding of what is expected of you.
- Refer to the Style Guide Regularly: As you contribute to wikiHow, refer to the style guide frequently to ensure that your writing and formatting are consistent with the established standards.
3. Practice Editing Existing Articles
Before you start working on articles for the Article Booster program, it’s a good idea to practice editing existing articles. This will give you a chance to familiarize yourself with the wikiHow editing interface and to get a feel for the types of changes that are typically made.
- Choose an Article to Edit: Select an article that interests you and that you think could be improved. Look for articles that are incomplete, poorly written, or lacking in information.
- Identify Areas for Improvement: Carefully review the article and identify areas where you can make improvements. This might include adding information, correcting errors, improving formatting, or adding images.
- Make Your Edits: Use the wikiHow editing interface to make your changes. Be sure to write clearly and concisely, and to follow the wikiHow style guide.
- Preview Your Changes: Before you save your changes, preview them to make sure that they look the way you intended.
- Save Your Changes: Once you are satisfied with your edits, save them. Be sure to provide a brief summary of the changes you made in the edit summary box.
- Monitor the Article: After you save your changes, monitor the article to see if your edits are accepted and to learn from the feedback of other editors.
4. Take the wikiHow Quiz
wikiHow requires new Article Boosters to pass a quiz that tests their understanding of the style guide and their ability to write clear and concise instructions. Passing the quiz is a prerequisite for participating in the Article Booster program.
- Locate the Quiz: The wikiHow quiz can usually be found in the “Training” or “Community” sections of the website, or by searching for “wikiHow Quiz”. The exact location may vary, so explore the site or use the search function.
- Review the Style Guide Again: Before you take the quiz, review the wikiHow style guide again to refresh your memory of the key concepts and guidelines.
- Take the Quiz: Answer the quiz questions to the best of your ability. Be sure to read each question carefully and to consider all of the possible answers before selecting the correct one.
- Check Your Score: After you complete the quiz, you will receive a score. You must achieve a passing score to be eligible to participate in the Article Booster program.
- Retake the Quiz if Necessary: If you do not pass the quiz on your first attempt, you can usually retake it after a certain period of time. Use the feedback from your previous attempt to identify areas where you need to improve your understanding of the style guide.
5. Join the Article Booster Program
Once you have passed the wikiHow quiz, you can officially join the Article Booster program.
- Find the Article Booster Program Page: Navigate to the page on wikiHow that describes the Article Booster program and explains how to join. This is typically found within the community or contribution sections of the site.
- Read the Program Guidelines: Carefully review the specific guidelines and rules of the Article Booster program. These guidelines may cover topics such as the types of articles that are eligible for boosting, the criteria for earning points, and the rules for submitting changes.
- Sign Up for the Program: Follow the instructions on the page to sign up for the program. This may involve filling out a form or clicking a button to indicate your agreement to the program guidelines.
- Confirm Your Enrollment: You may receive a confirmation email or notification after signing up for the program. Follow the instructions in the email or notification to confirm your enrollment.
6. Find Articles to Boost
Now that you are a member of the Article Booster program, you can start looking for articles to boost. wikiHow typically provides tools or lists to help you identify articles that need attention.
- Use the “Needs Attention” Category: wikiHow usually has a category or tag for articles that need improvement. Look for articles in this category.
- Check the “Stubs” Category: Stubs are short articles that need to be expanded with more information. These are often good candidates for boosting.
- Look for Articles with “Cleanup” Tags: Articles with cleanup tags may have issues with formatting, grammar, or writing style.
- Use the Article Booster Tool: wikiHow may provide a dedicated tool or interface for finding articles to boost. This tool may allow you to filter articles by topic, difficulty, or other criteria.
- Browse Articles in Your Areas of Expertise: Focus on articles that are related to your areas of expertise. This will allow you to make more informed and valuable contributions.
7. Boost Articles Effectively
The key to success as an Article Booster is to boost articles effectively. This means making meaningful improvements that enhance the quality, accuracy, and completeness of the articles.
- Research the Topic Thoroughly: Before you start making changes to an article, research the topic thoroughly to ensure that you have a solid understanding of the subject matter.
- Add New Information: Look for opportunities to add new information to the article. This might include expanding on existing concepts, providing additional examples, or adding new sections.
- Improve the Writing Style: Rewrite sentences and paragraphs to make them clearer, more concise, and easier to understand. Correct any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes.
- Improve the Formatting: Ensure that the article is properly formatted with headings, subheadings, bullet points, and numbered lists. Add images or videos to illustrate the steps involved in a process.
- Verify the Information: Verify that the information in the article is accurate and up-to-date. Cite reliable sources to support your claims.
- Add Citations: Include citations to reliable sources to support the information in the article. This will help to establish the credibility of the article and to prevent plagiarism.
- Remove Inaccurate or Outdated Information: If you find any inaccurate or outdated information in the article, remove it or update it with more accurate information.
- Proofread Your Changes: Before you save your changes, proofread them carefully to ensure that there are no errors.
8. Submit Your Changes for Review
After you have finished boosting an article, submit your changes for review by wikiHow’s editorial team. The editorial team will review your changes to ensure that they meet the required standards of quality and accuracy.
- Save Your Changes: Save your changes to the article.
- Add an Edit Summary: Provide a brief summary of the changes you made in the edit summary box. This will help the editorial team to understand the nature of your contributions.
- Submit the Article for Review: Look for a button or link that allows you to submit the article for review. The exact location of this button or link may vary depending on the wikiHow interface.
- Wait for the Review: The editorial team will review your changes and provide feedback. This process may take some time, so be patient.
9. Earn Points and Redeem Rewards
If your changes are approved by the editorial team, you will earn points. The number of points you earn will depend on the extent and quality of your contributions.
- Track Your Points: Keep track of your points in your wikiHow account.
- Redeem Your Points: Once you have accumulated enough points, you can redeem them for various rewards, such as gift cards or PayPal payments. The specific rewards that are available may vary depending on the wikiHow program.
- Follow the Redemption Instructions: Follow the instructions on the wikiHow website to redeem your points.
Tips for Success as an Article Booster
Here are some tips that will help you succeed as an Article Booster:
- Choose Articles Wisely: Select articles that you are knowledgeable about and that you are confident you can improve.
- Be Thorough: Don’t just make superficial changes. Dig deep and make meaningful improvements to the articles you boost.
- Be Accurate: Ensure that the information you provide is accurate and up-to-date. Cite reliable sources to support your claims.
- Be Clear and Concise: Write in a clear and concise style that is easy for readers to understand.
- Follow the Style Guide: Adhere to the wikiHow style guide to ensure that your contributions are consistent with the overall quality of the website.
- Be Patient: It takes time to become a successful Article Booster. Don’t get discouraged if your changes are not always approved.
- Learn from Feedback: Pay attention to the feedback you receive from the editorial team and use it to improve your future contributions.
- Stay Active: The more active you are as an Article Booster, the more points you will earn and the more rewards you will receive.
Skills Required to Become a wikiHow Article Booster
While anyone with a passion for knowledge sharing can become a wikiHow Article Booster, certain skills can significantly enhance your effectiveness and success in the program. These skills include:
- Excellent Writing Skills: The ability to write clearly, concisely, and accurately is essential for creating high-quality how-to guides.
- Strong Editing Skills: You need to be able to identify and correct errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
- Research Skills: The ability to research topics thoroughly and to find reliable sources of information is crucial for ensuring the accuracy of your contributions.
- Familiarity with the wikiHow Style Guide: A thorough understanding of the wikiHow style guide is essential for ensuring that your contributions are consistent with the established standards.
- Attention to Detail: You need to be able to pay attention to detail and to catch even minor errors.
- Patience and Persistence: It takes time and effort to become a successful Article Booster. You need to be patient and persistent in your efforts.
- Collaboration Skills: While you primarily work individually, understanding collaborative editing principles and being open to feedback from other editors is beneficial.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
To maximize your chances of success as an Article Booster, avoid these common mistakes:
- Plagiarism: Never copy content from other websites or sources without proper attribution. Always cite your sources and write in your own words.
- Inaccurate Information: Ensure that the information you provide is accurate and up-to-date. Verify your facts before adding them to an article.
- Poor Writing Style: Avoid using jargon, slang, or overly complex language. Write in a clear, concise, and easy-to-understand style.
- Ignoring the Style Guide: Adhering to the wikiHow style guide is crucial for ensuring the consistency and quality of the articles.
- Making Superficial Changes: Focus on making meaningful improvements to the articles you boost, rather than just making superficial changes.
- Not Proofreading: Always proofread your changes carefully before submitting them to catch any errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation.
- Getting Discouraged: Don’t get discouraged if your changes are not always approved. Learn from your mistakes and keep trying.
Conclusion
Becoming a wikiHow Article Booster is a rewarding experience that allows you to share your knowledge, improve your writing skills, and earn rewards for your efforts. By following the steps outlined in this guide and by avoiding common mistakes, you can become a valuable contributor to the wikiHow community and help to make wikiHow an even better resource for information.
The Article Booster program offers a fantastic opportunity to contribute to a valuable online resource, hone your writing and editing skills, and potentially earn some extra income. With dedication, attention to detail, and a commitment to quality, you can thrive as a wikiHow Article Booster and make a real difference in the lives of others.