Editing patterns
The table below shows the editing patterns of a number of Wikipedia editors[1], illustrating the variety in which editors use the different 'spaces' (article, user, policy) of Wikipedia. The most recent 5,000 edits[2] of each editor were selected, and categorised as follows.
- edits to the type of Wikipedia page broadly associated with adding or building ‘content’, namely the pages and talk pages of articles, templates, categories and portals (‘A’).
- edits to the the type associated with social interaction in Wikipedia, namely the pages and talk pages of Wikipedia editors themselves (‘U’).
- edits to the type of page broadly associated with the policy, politics and governance of Wikipedia, whose pages and talk pages are prefixed by ‘Wikipedia:’ (‘W’).
We calculated the total number of edits in each category, and the maximum number of edits to any single page in each category. In the table, columns 2-4 show the maximum edits per page, by category. For example, the editor ‘Wehwalt’ has a maximum of 630 edits to a single article page, WOSlinker only 3. The editor known as Georgewilliamherbert has 1,156 edits to a single ‘Wikipedia’ page, user edward none to any Wikipedia page.
Columns 5-7 show the total number of edits by category. Column 8 shows the sum of columns 5-7 as a completeness check (this does not always total 5,000, due to edits that could not be categorised). Column 9 shows the ratio of edits in article space to edits in user space
A high maximum number means the editor has focused on a particular page. The number is most meaningful in article space. A high maximum probably signifies a content creator. Content creators typically make many edits to one article, doing many different kinds of edit (re-arranging paragraphs, adding words, deleting words). A low maximum usually means a 'Wiki gnome' of some kind. Gnomes go from article to article fixing a single problem in each (changing single-spaced hyphen to double-spaced, changing 'teh' to 'the' and so on. High maximum numbers in the 'Wikipedia' space often (though not invariably) mean that the editor is a frequent visitor to the Wikipedia administrators noticeboard.
Notes
Table
| User | A | U | W | A total | U total | W total | Total total | A/U ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 172 (T-C-F-R-B) | 678 | 390 | 258 | 17218 | 3974 | 2778 | 23970 | 4.33 |
| Skomorokh (T-C-F-R-B) | 674 | 1616 | 405 | 39770 | 7282 | 9586 | 56638 | 5.46 |
| Wehwalt (T-C-F-R-B) | 630 | 273 | 124 | 3090 | 1101 | 735 | 4926 | 2.81 |
| COGDEN (T-C-F-R-B) | 586 | 123 | 97 | 3959 | 614 | 398 | 4971 | 6.45 |
| Nev1 (T-C-F-R-B) | 451 | 103 | 22 | 4537 | 297 | 157 | 4991 | 15.28 |
| MartinPoulter (T-C-F-R-B) | 418 | 87 | 68 | 4056 | 531 | 407 | 4994 | 7.64 |
| Ceoil (T-C-F-R-B) | 376 | 522 | 34 | 3465 | 1389 | 128 | 4982 | 2.49 |
| Karanacs (T-C-F-R-B) | 361 | 305 | 137 | 2324 | 1408 | 1266 | 4998 | 1.65 |
| Bishonen (T-C-F-R-B) | 342 | 911 | 293 | 1535 | 2402 | 1058 | 4995 | 0.64 |
| ErrantX (T-C-F-R-B) | 319 | 291 | 251 | 2822 | 1227 | 946 | 4995 | 2.30 |
| Andonic (T-C-F-R-B) | 315 | 61 | 366 | 2423 | 1690 | 879 | 4992 | 1.43 |
| The Land (T-C-F-R-B) | 307 | 45 | 75 | 3081 | 618 | 1297 | 4996 | 4.99 |
| SlimVirgin (T-C-F-R-B) | 305 | 217 | 258 | 3228 | 583 | 1181 | 4992 | 5.54 |
| Moni3 (T-C-F-R-B) | 299 | 399 | 42 | 3038 | 1663 | 290 | 4991 | 1.83 |
| Mifter (T-C-F-R-B) | 281 | 108 | 115 | 2289 | 2212 | 497 | 4998 | 1.03 |
| Slrubenstein (T-C-F-R-B) | 278 | 52 | 204 | 3199 | 847 | 931 | 4977 | 3.78 |
| Victuallers (T-C-F-R-B) | 268 | 60 | 115 | 3742 | 796 | 460 | 4998 | 4.70 |
| HJ Mitchell (T-C-F-R-B) | 264 | 411 | 268 | 2107 | 1845 | 1045 | 4997 | 1.14 |
| Ealdgyth (T-C-F-R-B) | 261 | 175 | 17 | 3961 | 742 | 244 | 4947 | 5.34 |
| Malleus Fatuorum (T-C-F-R-B) | 256 | 439 | 78 | 3465 | 993 | 524 | 4982 | 3.49 |
| Wadewitz (T-C-F-R-B) | 232 | 410 | 176 | 2455 | 1314 | 1205 | 4974 | 1.87 |
| Jayen466 (T-C-F-R-B) | 209 | 168 | 153 | 2778 | 817 | 1375 | 4970 | 3.40 |
| GiacomoReturned (T-C-F-R-B) | 202 | 727 | 148 | 1397 | 2657 | 732 | 4786 | 0.53 |
| Panyd (T-C-F-R-B) | 187 | 155 | 93 | 2735 | 1644 | 620 | 4999 | 1.66 |
| Tznkai (T-C-F-R-B) | 187 | 297 | 290 | 750 | 1406 | 2843 | 4999 | 0.53 |
| Kirill Lokshin (T-C-F-R-B) | 169 | 131 | 273 | 1070 | 329 | 3587 | 4986 | 3.25 |
| Maunus (T-C-F-R-B) | 150 | 192 | 159 | 3687 | 624 | 668 | 4979 | 5.91 |
| Johnbod (T-C-F-R-B) | 141 | 142 | 51 | 3794 | 460 | 731 | 4985 | 8.25 |
| Marine 69-71 (T-C-F-R-B) | 138 | 750 | 16 | 3132 | 1807 | 47 | 4986 | 1.73 |
| The Cunctator (T-C-F-R-B) | 116 | 74 | 167 | 3865 | 420 | 638 | 4923 | 9.20 |
| AGK (T-C-F-R-B) | 106 | 3312 | 469 | 5193 | 9949 | 11146 | 26288 | 0.52 |
| Worldtraveller (T-C-F-R-B) | 103 | 14 | 115 | 5450 | 262 | 1993 | 7705 | 20.80 |
| NWA.Rep (T-C-F-R-B) | 98 | 451 | 157 | 1953 | 1478 | 645 | 4076 | 1.32 |
| SGGH (T-C-F-R-B) | 92 | 149 | 844 | 2326 | 1241 | 1415 | 4982 | 1.87 |
| FT2 (T-C-F-R-B) | 75 | 280 | 138 | 1669 | 941 | 2372 | 4982 | 1.77 |
| Beeblebrox (T-C-F-R-B) | 70 | 231 | 154 | 1791 | 1443 | 1765 | 4999 | 1.24 |
| Eluchil404 (T-C-F-R-B) | 68 | 20 | 19 | 2461 | 295 | 2240 | 4996 | 8.34 |
| David Gerard (T-C-F-R-B) | 66 | 145 | 35 | 4251 | 326 | 375 | 4952 | 13.04 |
| MuZemike (T-C-F-R-B) | 66 | 213 | 213 | 1701 | 1846 | 1453 | 5000 | 0.92 |
| Ckatz (T-C-F-R-B) | 65 | 67 | 12 | 4389 | 516 | 95 | 5000 | 8.51 |
| Worm That Turned (T-C-F-R-B) | 65 | 586 | 63 | 944 | 3021 | 1034 | 4999 | 0.31 |
| Alansohn (T-C-F-R-B) | 64 | 19 | 4 | 4582 | 344 | 74 | 5000 | 13.32 |
| SilkTork (T-C-F-R-B) | 64 | 209 | 31 | 3586 | 816 | 593 | 4995 | 4.39 |
| Wetman (T-C-F-R-B) | 61 | 68 | 139 | 4470 | 348 | 176 | 4994 | 12.84 |
| Kww (T-C-F-R-B) | 58 | 67 | 35 | 3573 | 836 | 590 | 4999 | 4.27 |
| Baseball Bugs (T-C-F-R-B) | 55 | 331 | 807 | 860 | 1197 | 2894 | 4951 | 0.72 |
| Geni (T-C-F-R-B) | 54 | 38 | 50 | 3433 | 766 | 790 | 4989 | 4.48 |
| Jclemens (T-C-F-R-B) | 49 | 515 | 132 | 1227 | 1014 | 2758 | 4999 | 1.21 |
| Calmer Waters (T-C-F-R-B) | 45 | 97 | 44 | 3339 | 1443 | 216 | 4998 | 2.31 |
| Tiptoety (T-C-F-R-B) | 38 | 325 | 154 | 874 | 2207 | 1919 | 5000 | 0.40 |
| Smalljim (T-C-F-R-B) | 34 | 45 | 24 | 3147 | 1741 | 111 | 4999 | 1.81 |
| JaGa (T-C-F-R-B) | 32 | 34 | 29 | 4726 | 89 | 185 | 5000 | 53.10 |
| Cognition (T-C-F-R-B) | 32 | 60 | 14 | 487 | 205 | 153 | 845 | 2.38 |
| Hot Stop (T-C-F-R-B) | 28 | 33 | 204 | 378 | 101 | 423 | 902 | 3.74 |
| Risker (T-C-F-R-B) | 28 | 418 | 181 | 1318 | 1487 | 2190 | 4995 | 0.89 |
| Roger Davies (T-C-F-R-B) | 28 | 259 | 221 | 1441 | 864 | 2689 | 4994 | 1.67 |
| Neelix (T-C-F-R-B) | 27 | 29 | 104 | 4509 | 237 | 229 | 4975 | 19.03 |
| Sandstein (T-C-F-R-B) | 27 | 427 | 106 | 1875 | 1046 | 2071 | 4992 | 1.79 |
| AGK (T-C-F-R-B) | 25 | 617 | 221 | 706 | 2043 | 2241 | 4990 | 0.35 |
| Fram (T-C-F-R-B) | 24 | 86 | 46 | 4155 | 451 | 394 | 5000 | 9.21 |
| Georgewilliamherbert (T-C-F-R-B) | 24 | 316 | 1156 | 1073 | 2079 | 1848 | 5000 | 0.52 |
| Tnxman307 (T-C-F-R-B) | 23 | 244 | 244 | 1198 | 2149 | 1650 | 4997 | 0.56 |
| The wub (T-C-F-R-B) | 22 | 44 | 82 | 2569 | 2232 | 196 | 4997 | 1.15 |
| Xezbeth (T-C-F-R-B) | 20 | 2 | 1 | 4969 | 20 | 7 | 4996 | 248.45 |
| Andres (T-C-F-R-B) | 19 | 26 | 5 | 4934 | 41 | 15 | 4990 | 120.34 |
| Fae (T-C-F-R-B) | 19 | 143 | 28 | 2082 | 2734 | 175 | 4991 | 0.76 |
| Orangemike (T-C-F-R-B) | 16 | 177 | 136 | 2216 | 1835 | 946 | 4997 | 1.21 |
| Billinghurst (T-C-F-R-B) | 14 | 65 | 21 | 4416 | 368 | 205 | 4989 | 12.00 |
| Coren (T-C-F-R-B) | 14 | 749 | 198 | 275 | 1732 | 2992 | 4999 | 0.16 |
| WOSlinker (T-C-F-R-B) | 12 | 23 | 7 | 3747 | 1117 | 129 | 4993 | 3.35 |
| Arjun01 (T-C-F-R-B) | 11 | 195 | 194 | 2093 | 2310 | 594 | 4997 | 0.91 |
| Merovingian (T-C-F-R-B) | 11 | 21 | 2 | 4957 | 41 | 2 | 5000 | 120.90 |
| JohnCD (T-C-F-R-B) | 10 | 258 | 244 | 1060 | 3141 | 798 | 4999 | 0.34 |
| Snowolf (T-C-F-R-B) | 9 | 37 | 20 | 3186 | 1693 | 113 | 4992 | 1.88 |
| DeltaQuad (T-C-F-R-B) | 8 | 195 | 252 | 973 | 1691 | 2335 | 4999 | 0.58 |
| Timotheus Canens (T-C-F-R-B) | 8 | 339 | 458 | 973 | 1329 | 2693 | 4995 | 0.73 |
| Hersfold (T-C-F-R-B) | 7 | 510 | 72 | 768 | 2916 | 1306 | 4990 | 0.26 |
| Wknight94 (T-C-F-R-B) | 7 | 16 | 3 | 2577 | 2411 | 10 | 4998 | 1.07 |
| Courcelles (T-C-F-R-B) | 6 | 17 | 11 | 4750 | 46 | 203 | 4999 | 103.26 |
| edward (T-C-F-R-B) | 4 | 18 | 0 | 4975 | 25 | 0 | 5000 | 199.00 |
| J04n (T-C-F-R-B) | 4 | 6 | 3 | 4964 | 16 | 19 | 4999 | 310.25 |
| Gaius Cornelius (T-C-F-R-B) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4990 | 7 | 3 | 5000 | 712.86 |
