How to Go on a wikiBreak

Three Parts:Prior to leavingDuring your wikiBreakUpon returning

If you frequently contribute to a wiki, you may need to take a break to refresh yourself or real life may demand your time away from the Internet. Here are some considerations to keep in mind:

Part 1
Prior to leaving

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    Wrap up any projects or complete your articles.
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    Reply to your messages, then archive or delete them.
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    Prioritize a list of responsibilities that others may need to assume in your absence.
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    Post a message in the Forum.
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    Add an appropriate template to your User or Talk page.
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    Direct editors to send an Email if you do not plan on checking your Talk page.
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    If your User page is frequently vandalized, ask an Admin to protect it.
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    Put {{User Wikibreak|Start Date|End Date}} on your user page with your day you will leave in the first box and day you will come back in the second one.

Part 2
During your wikiBreak

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    Take care of matters that demand your time, in order of most to least importance.
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    Enjoy life.
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    Think of new ideas for articles or projects.
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    Meditate and reflect.
    • How has wikiHow and its editors influenced your life?
    • How many more years do you think you'll participate?

Part 3
Upon returning

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    Update and revert any vandalism on your User or Talk page.
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    Review your messages and reply to them.
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    Check the forums.
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    Ask others what you may have missed.
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    Lightly edit to slowly resume your skills.
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    Expect to see new editors and new features.

Tips

  • Maintain a list of codes, templates and editors for quick referral. It comes in handy if you have been away for a while.
  • If you're a frequent patroller, consider taking turns to go on break, to prevent an overflow of spam or vandalism.
  • If you take a long wikiBreak, you may be overwhelmed by the new editors and features. Try to readjust accordingly.
  • If you're taking a particularly short wikiBreak, posting a thread in the forums for it may serve as a bit of a nuisance. Use your judgement in cases like these.

Article Info

Categories: Wikis