I recently opened my first Wikipedia account. I wanted to make my first edit/contribution to a page, but I didn’t know where to start. Because this is an assignment for one of my courses, we were recommended to edit the page of our hometown. I’ve moved a lot during my life, so I don’t necessarily know much about my real birthplace: Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I currently live in a city called Harvest, Alabama.
I’ve only been here for two years, so I don’t know a whole lot about the area. But, I do know a bit about the state of Alabama and its Native American background, as I have some Native American roots myself. When I was reading the Wikipedia site on the city of Harvest, I noticed that there was no mention of any Native American origin. So, I did some research on the small town, as well as the state of Alabama, and learned about the city’s foundation.
The city was part of the Cherokee lands up until the late 1800s. The Cherokees had a big role in the agriculture of the city. An impact that I still notice while I drive by 2-3 farms everyday. These farms either raise animals, grow crops, or both. And, it’s incredibly common to see them in not only Harvest, but surrounding cities as well.
Because this was my first time editing a Wikipedia page, I didn’t want to take on too much and confuse myself, neither did I want to make drastic changes to the existing article. I thought about how I could add a mention of the Cherokee heritage in a simple, yet affective way. I just wanted to make sure that the name “Cherokee” was mentioned at least once.
Because the town is so small, not many people even know it exists. That might explain why the last entry into the “Talk” section of the article was more than ten years ago in 2011, and the last time anyone received a reply was in 2008. So, I’m not surprised that I haven’t received any replies yet. However, I’m optimistic about receiving one sooner or later.
I put the section I wanted to edit in the header, and explained that I’m a resident of Harvest who wanted to put a little bit of emphasis on the city’s origin. I included a link to the source I was going to use as well.
With no comments on my post, I went ahead and initiated an edit to the article. I added my sentence to the beginning of the history section, but after doing more research into editing on Wikipedia, I realized I needed a more reliable source. I found a history book from the Alabama Historical Commission that supported my statement and used that one instead.
You can check the Revision History to see my edit as well.
This experience has definitely changed the way I view Wikipedia. I was always told by teachers growing up that the site was note to be trusted as a reliable source, whatsoever. But, after learning more about the Wikipedia community and how much regulation goes into being an avid Wikipedia editor, I do think the site deserves a bit more credibility. They are very transparent about the fact that anyone can edit a Wikipedia page, and that deserves recognition in itself. Having said that, after my experience, especially with an article that didn’t have many citations to begin with, I still don’t see myself relying on it for academic assignments. I feel the site is more helpful as an education tool for active media users.
As of November 24, 2024, my edit is still up and has not been challenged or taken down.
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