Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2014-12-24/From the editor

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From the editor

Looking for the Signpost's new editors-in-chief

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By The ed17

Dear readers,

With increasing demands on my time in the real world, something that has been reflected in my edit history over the last several months, I have decided to step down from my role as the editor-in-chief of the Signpost after finding a successor. I am looking for two people to replace me, both as a safeguard against similar real life changes and to spread the overall workload.

Why should you apply? First, you will have established contributors who are currently producing consistently stellar work, thus making your initial learning curve far smaller. Second, it is an area far different than Wikipedia itself; writers at the Signpost frequently use and develop a different range of skills such as editorial judgment and journalistic tenacity. Third, the personal reporting you want to do is wide open. With "News and notes" having been on an extended hiatus, you are free to take it in the direction you want, but you will not have to fight to get readers—you will have thousands from the very beginning. Do you want to bring valuable content contributions to light? Do you want to examine arcane financial details of the Wikimedia Foundation and its affiliates? Do you want to investigate sockpuppet armies and their effects? Do you want to be the hub for fostering innovative ideas that will keep Wikipedia relevant for decades to come? The limit, quite literally, is your imagination.

If you are even tentatively interested or have any questions about the role, please email me by 7 January 2015. Tell me why you could be an excellent editor-in-chief, and do not be afraid to pitch new ideas!

Finally, I must thank Pine, who has very nearly been the sole publisher of the Signpost in my stead for the last several months, and the rest of the Signpost team for admirably carrying on. In no particular order: Gamaliel has taken over "In the media" and made it into a weekly feature, something we have not seen in quite some time; Rcsprinter123 has produced consistently interesting interviews with WikiProject members; Adam Cuerden, along with a rotating set of contributors, have brought sardonic wit and commentary to "Featured content"; and Serendipodous and Milowent have continued excellent analysis in the "Traffic report".

With all that said, I should emphasize that I will not be leaving Wikipedia nor am I planning to quit writing for the Signpost. As a departing US late-night talk show host recently said, "I'm not retiring. I'm stopping doing this; I'm not stopping doing it."

— The ed17, Signpost editor-in-chief

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  • (as a joke) I think the new editor-in-chief should unstub the Editor-in-chief article. It has been a stub since 2004. --I am k6ka Talk to me! See what I have done 02:38, 25 December 2014 (UTC)[reply]
  • Ed, your steady hand has been a welcome characteristic of The Signpost. I offer my prodigious thanks to you and best wishes as you concentrate on other issues for the time being. kosboot (talk) 02:40, 25 December 2014 (UTC)[reply]
  • I understand this very well Ed. Sorry to see you go, but real life is the priority. Hope your replacement is as successful as you were on this project!--Mark Miller (talk) 16:24, 25 December 2014 (UTC)[reply]
  • Many thanks, Ed, for all the work you have done for the Signpost since stepping up to take this responsibility more than a quarter decade ago!
As a former Signpost eic myself who still remembers hesitating before taking on this role, I'd like to encourage interested Wikipedians to take the leap if they feel this is something they might be able to commit to for a while. It's very worthwhile work and an opportunity to acquire various skills that are less often exercised elsewhere on Wikipedia.
Regards, HaeB (talk) 20:59, 25 December 2014 (UTC)[reply]
  • Ed, thanks for everything you've done keeping the Signpost running for the last two years. I know from personal experience how busy you must be right now, and it's a testament to your commitment that you didn't step down sooner. It's an excellent idea to have two chiefs instead of one because the pattern here seems to be to have one person do too much until they get burned out and step down, to be replaced by another person doing too much. Personally, I think the challenge for the new chiefs is recruitment and retention - and I have no skills in this area so don't even think about making me e-i-c! - so we can get new people in here to reduce the workload on everyone and get new features going. Gamaliel (talk) 23:15, 26 December 2014 (UTC)[reply]
  • I believe User:Mabeenot would be an excellent choice. Ottawahitech (talk) 14:13, 27 December 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    • Unfortunately, Mabeenot has not edited at all in recent months! Ed [talk] [majestic titan] 23:24, 27 December 2014 (UTC)[reply]
      • It's sad to see you go, Ed. It will definitely take more than one person to fill your shoes! While I appreciate Ottawahitech's mention, I don't have the free time needed to regularly contribute to the Signpost anymore. I may pop in occasionally to see how everything's going. –Mabeenot (talk) 17:04, 28 December 2014 (UTC)[reply]
  • This was the best the Signpost has ever been, Ed. Thanks and good luck. - Dank (push to talk) 01:32, 3 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]


The Signpost: doing it for free since 2005.
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