1. Recruitment
2. Selection
3. Retention
4. Socialization
5. Protection

Basic Newcomer Problems in Online Communities

Without structured guidance about Wikipedia's contribution rules, newcomers may develop their own contribution practices, and those practices may persist over time.

Lack of Structured Guidance Leads Wikipedia Newcomers to Develop Their Own Contribution Practices

Wikipedia relies on individualized socialization: newcomers learn its norms and policies by consulting help and policy pages, asking experienced members for help or feedback, and interpreting warning or advisory messages about practices to avoid.

How Wikipedia Newcomers Learn Community Norms

A user who has recently joined an online community

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

The recognition of user contributions (especially early success) is associated with higher levels of participation

User success and participation

Kraut, Robert E., and Paul Resnick. Building successful online communities: Evidence-based social design. MIT Press, 2012.

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