Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumer Reports

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Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumer Reports

Unread post by Moonage Daydream » Wed Mar 21, 2012 7:48 pm

Are you a Wikipedian/Wikimedian in good standing? Are you located close to the comically named Yonkers, New York? Then you may be interested in this:
We are seeking a candidate who:

● Is a registered Wikipedia contributor in good standing.
● Is able to commit to the hours required for the duration of the project.
● Is an excellent verbal and written communicator, and has a proven ability to present information and provide support in a professional environment.
● Is passionate about providing high quality, useful information to a broad mainstream audience.
● Has a background in the sciences, ideally relating to health.

The Wikipedian in Residence position is 35 hours/week, on site in the Consumer Reports offices in Yonkers, New York. This assignment is expected to last 3 months, with a possible extension. The position reports to Director, Health Franchise Product Development. Guidance will also be provided via weekly consultations with the Wiki Strategies consulting agency.

Stipend

$4,000/month

Relocation assitance available
Job Board Responsibilities:
Consumer Reports seeks a Wikipedian in Residence, for a three month period beginning in April 2012 (with a possible three-month extension), for a project centered around medical practices. He or she will educate staff about the policies and culture of Wikipedia, and will plan and execute events (both online and on site) that bring together medical professionals, journalists, and Wikipedia volunteers to present unbiased, science-based, and accessible information on Wikipedia.

The Wikipedian in Residence will work with Consumer Reports staff and partner organizations to enhance the public awareness regarding appropriate use of medical tests and procedures, through the open engagement of physicians, patients, and other health care stakeholders. The main activities will involve bringing together medical experts familiar with relevant peer-reviewed scientific literature with Wikipedia experts knowledgeable about crafting high-quality Wikipedia content. He or she will also consult with other divisions of the Consumer Reports organization to explore opportunities for future collaborations with Wikipedia.

Objectives:

The Wikipedian in Residence will work with Consumer Reports staff and others to achieve three interconnected objectives:
1. Expand and improve Wikipedia content related to medical procedures
2. Build/strengthen community of practice related to health coverage on Wikipedia, including guidance for medical experts without Wikipedia experience
3. Build/improve online resources (WikiProject pages) supporting that community

In addition, through interviews with various Consumer Reports staff, the Wikipedian in Residence will identify opportunities for future collaboration between Consumer Reports and Wikipedia.

Activities:
● Initial report on Wikipedia content, community interest, and collaboration tools (WikiProjects) relevant to medical practices
● Presentations to Consumer Reports staff on Wikipedia
● Design and execute events and activities (both online and on-site) that assist existing Wikipedians, Consumer Reports staff, and other parties in improving Wikipedia content according to Wikipedia's own quality standards.
● Write blog posts/articles directed toward two audiences: Consumer Reports readers and Wikipedians
● Recruit Wikipedia contributors to work on health content
● Guide Wikipedians and Consumer Reports staff in composing and reviewing Wikipedia health content
Apply here. Good luck!

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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumers Repor

Unread post by thekohser » Wed Mar 21, 2012 8:12 pm

What I wonder about most is whether or not the WMF are aware of (and presumably endorsed) this position. If not, this could get fairly comical, especially when later this summer the number of external links from Wikipedia to ConsumerReports.org triples in number.

(Current link count is 431 -- March 21, 2012. I'll set a calendar reminder to check back in on this in 6 months.)
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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumers Repor

Unread post by EricBarbour » Wed Mar 21, 2012 8:15 pm

Later this summer? It will get instantly comical, when they find out that Wikipedia is run by power crazy man-children, some of whom
get their rocks off by deleting articles and banning people.....how sad, they have to pay someone to find this out.

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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumers Repor

Unread post by Kelly Martin » Thu Mar 22, 2012 6:17 pm

This could get interesting, since the Consumers Union (publishers of Consumer Reports) is a nonprofit with a long track record of reliably producing something useful. Most of the content on their website is behind a paywall, available only to members, so it's unlikely that there will be a lot of links from WP to CR added as the links would be unusable to the typical Wikipedian bottom-feeder and would therefore likely be deleted.

Honestly, I don't understand how CU expects to get any value out of this. Their inhouse experts quite probably already know everything Wikipedia does on the pertinent topics, and there's no way Wikipedia is going to accept CU staff coming in to tell them where they're wrong. Although it would be fairly amusing if the result of all this were to be a writeup in CR giving Wikipedia a "NOT RECOMMENDED" rating for medical information.

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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumers Repor

Unread post by EricBarbour » Thu Mar 22, 2012 7:09 pm

Kelly Martin wrote:though it would be fairly amusing if the result of all this were to be a writeup in CR giving Wikipedia a "NOT RECOMMENDED" rating for medical information.
That is a likely scenario. And the instant it appears, the WMF will frantically call CU and beg them to retract it.

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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumers Repor

Unread post by thekohser » Thu Sep 06, 2012 9:11 pm

thekohser wrote:What I wonder about most is whether or not the WMF are aware of (and presumably endorsed) this position. If not, this could get fairly comical, especially when later this summer the number of external links from Wikipedia to ConsumerReports.org triples in number.

(Current link count is 431 -- March 21, 2012. I'll set a calendar reminder to check back in on this in 6 months.)
Current external link count is 473 -- September 6, 2012. That's a 9.7447800000000000000000002% increase over the past five and a half months; not nearly as brazen as I had predicted.

The Consumer Reports Wikipedian In Residence is Bluerasberry (T-C-L), also known as Lane Rasberry. He was installed at his post around May 18, 2012. His interests include HIV vaccination, gay rights, and LBGT issues in North India as they relate to public health biotech research education -- not that there's anything wrong with that!

He is one dapper fellow, shown here manhandling a small rodent:
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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumers Repor

Unread post by thekohser » Tue Jul 29, 2014 3:38 pm

thekohser wrote:(Current link count is 431 -- March 21, 2012. I'll set a calendar reminder to check back in on this in 6 months.)
thekohser wrote:Current external link count is 473 -- September 6, 2012. That's a 9.74...% increase over the past five and a half months; not nearly as brazen as I had predicted.
Nearly two years later now, and Consumer Reports' link count has jumped to 652 (July 2014). That would appear to be a 51% increase from the time before Mr. Rasberry came to be hired by Consumer Reports.

But wait! Rasberry is one crafty fellow. He can get many, many clickable opportunities out of just one external link! For example, from Wikipedia's article about Toaster (T-H-L):
^ 12. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae staff writer (November 2012). "Toaster Buying Guide". consumerreports.org. Consumer Reports. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
Can you imagine, linking 31 times to the same Consumer Reports toaster buying guide? What sort of "sum of human knowledge" are we talking about here? How much does that little girl in Africa need to know about toasters? Well, here's an example of some of the great content that Mr. Rasberry is adding on behalf of his "Wikipedian in Residence" employer:
Toaster features

Features which distinguish various types of toasters include the following:

For all toasters
* Consistency of toasting - The ideal toaster can provide even toasting over the area of the bread.[15]
* Choice in toastiness - The user should be able to chose the darkness of the toasting.[15]
* Toast output - Various toasters can process bread into toast at different capacities.[15]
* Ease of operation - The toaster's controls should be labeled so as to permit easy use and predictable results.[15]
* Removability of crumb tray - Toasters with a permanently attached crumb tray will be more difficult to clean than those with a removable tray.[15]
* Cord placement - There can be variation on the placement of a cord as well as retraction functionality.[15]

For pop-up toasters only
* One-sided toasting - Toasters may optionally toast only one side of the bread, perhaps for toasting one side of a bagel.[15]
* Slot depth - Persons desiring toasted oblong bread should seek a deep slotted toaster.[15]
* Slot width - Persons desiring toasted fat bread should seek a wide slotted toaster, as for bagels.[15]
* Safety features - Most contemporary pop-up toasters have automatic shutoff in case of toast displacement and burning.[15]
* Bread lifter - Beyond the pop-up, some toasters may incorporate a bread lifter to further expel toast products.[15]

For toaster ovens only
* Broil options - If only the upper heating element may be used then toaster ovens can make broiling a option.[15]
* Compact shape - Appropriately sized toaster ovens will serve the user's requirements but not occupy more counterspace than necessary.[15]
* Design for cleaning - A nonstick interior such as that made from porcelain makes oven interiors easier to clean.[15]
* Interior lighting - A light inside the oven permits observation of cooking food.[15]
* Multiple shelf racks - Having options for positioning the oven shelf gives more control over distance between food and the heating element.[15]
No wonder those South Africans are begging MTN Group to give them free Opera-browser access to Wikipedia! They are stuck in a state of poverty, because they have no idea they are entitled as a people to "choice in toastiness" and to "removability of crumb tray". The impoverished Africans could eat more crumbs, if they would only start shopping for toasters with removable crumb trays, no?

Since Rasberry upgraded the Wikipedia article about toasters, the article has been viewed 37,000 times. Considering a respectable click-through rate might be 1.5%, that's over 500 clicks by readers over to Consumer Reports, thanks to Mr. Rasberry. In the spirit of his dashing wardrobe, I heartily endorse the work of Lane Rasberry and his corporate sponsors at Consumer Reports! (And, of course, a rousing shout-out to Pete Forsyth, who helped engineer this gig with Wikimedia Foundation cash.)
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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumers Repor

Unread post by Kelly Martin » Tue Jul 29, 2014 6:26 pm

We should (as I previously did) note that Consumers Union is a 501(c)(3) charity, and referring to them as "corporate sponsors" is, at best, disingenuous, especially as CU does not accept donations from the businesses whose products it rates (unlike Wikipedia, which gleefully accepts donations from the businesses whose products it has articles about).

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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumers Repor

Unread post by Randy from Boise » Tue Jul 29, 2014 6:52 pm

As a snippet of "Gee, I Didn't Know That" trivia: Did you know that the Consumer's Union — publisher of Consumer Reports — had ties to the Communist Party USA at time of its formation in 1936 and was formally listed as a Communist Front Group by the American government until 1954?

link

Hey, that would make a good Wikipedia "DYK?" wouldn't it?

I say this not to red bait them, to me the connection and the listing stands as much more of a positive than a negative on their account sheet...


RfB

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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumers Repor

Unread post by thekohser » Tue Jul 29, 2014 7:20 pm

Kelly Martin wrote:We should (as I previously did) note that Consumers Union is a 501(c)(3) charity, and referring to them as "corporate sponsors" is, at best, disingenuous, especially as CU does not accept donations from the businesses whose products it rates (unlike Wikipedia, which gleefully accepts donations from the businesses whose products it has articles about).
I hear and recognize your point, Kelly. However, Consumers Union of United States, Inc. is, in fact, a nonprofit corporation. Its president and CEO, James A. Guest, had 2011 reported compensation of $785,000. Executive VP John Sateja was compensated with $772,000. The CFO earned $455,000. There are 11 other executives at Consumer Reports earning more than $300,000 per year. I'll stand by my "disingenuous" description of Lane Rasberry being paid by his "corporate sponsor".
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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumers Repor

Unread post by thekohser » Tue Jul 29, 2014 7:58 pm

If toasters aren't your cup of tea, what about the lovable Blender (T-H-L)?

Did you know (according to Consumer Reports, as sourced on Wikipedia)...?
Features which consumers consider when purchasing a blender include the following:

large visible measurement marks[1]
ease of use[1]
low noise during usage[1]
power usage (typically 300-1000 watts)[1]
ease of cleaning[1]
option for quick "pulse" blending[1]

Countertop blenders

Countertop blenders use a 1-2 liters (4-8 cups) blending container made of glass, plastic, stainless steel.[1] Glass blenders are heavier and more stable.[1] Plastic is prone to scratching and absorbing the smell of blended food.[1] Stainless steel is preferred for its looks, but limits visibility of the food as it is blended.[1]

Countertop blenders typically offer 3-16 speed settings, but having more choices in speed settings is not an indication of increased utility for all users.[1]

...

Applications

Countertop blenders are designed to mix, purée, and chop food.[1] Their strength is such that the ability to crush ice is an expected feature.[1]
Source for all of the above:
^ 1. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Consumer Reports (November 2013). "Top Blender Ratings - Blender Buying Guide". consumerreports.org. Retrieved 7 March 2014.

I agree that we shouldn't expect everything of our blenders, but by gum, they must have the ability to crush ice. We expect that! I love this "how to" kitchen stuff! I know that Wikipedia is not a manual or a guide, though, so I feel guilty at the same time. Oh, Mr. Rasberry, why do you torment me so?
Last edited by thekohser on Tue Jul 29, 2014 9:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumers Repor

Unread post by sparkzilla » Tue Jul 29, 2014 8:56 pm

Kind of makes a mockery of Wikipedia's conflict of interest/bright line rules when "Wikipedia's in Residence" are paid by corporations with the blessing of the WMF to post crap like this.
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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumers Repor

Unread post by thekohser » Mon May 23, 2016 6:33 pm

thekohser wrote:Nearly two years later now, and Consumer Reports' link count has jumped to 652 (July 2014). That would appear to be a 51% increase from the time before Mr. Rasberry came to be hired by Consumer Reports.
We're up to 820 external links, after another 22 months (May 2016).
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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumers Repor

Unread post by Kumioko » Mon May 23, 2016 6:43 pm

thekohser wrote:
thekohser wrote:Nearly two years later now, and Consumer Reports' link count has jumped to 652 (July 2014). That would appear to be a 51% increase from the time before Mr. Rasberry came to be hired by Consumer Reports.
We're up to 820 external links, after another 22 months (May 2016).
Do we know if those were added by him or someone else?

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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumers Repor

Unread post by Ming » Tue May 24, 2016 9:37 pm

Kumioko wrote:
thekohser wrote:
thekohser wrote:Nearly two years later now, and Consumer Reports' link count has jumped to 652 (July 2014). That would appear to be a 51% increase from the time before Mr. Rasberry came to be hired by Consumer Reports.
We're up to 820 external links, after another 22 months (May 2016).
Do we know if those were added by him or someone else?
The second link Ming checked was added by him. That said, it did not seem to Ming to be a terribly controversial addition. It's also clear from his contributions that comparatively little of his copious editing is done in relation to CR's purpose.

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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumers Repor

Unread post by thekohser » Wed May 25, 2016 1:31 am

Remember, though... on the Toaster (T-H-L) article, Lane added just one link, but used the same link to support 22 different footnotes in the article. It's not necessarily about quantity, but saturation.

Meanwhile, take a look at this nifty way of dodging a policy that might conflict with your employer's hopes for Wikipedia -- just redirect the links to the policy to a brand new "essay" that doesn't hold policy status!
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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumers Repor

Unread post by thekohser » Sun Sep 17, 2017 1:33 pm

thekohser wrote:
thekohser wrote:(Current link count is 431 -- March 21, 2012. I'll set a calendar reminder to check back in on this in 6 months.)
thekohser wrote:Current external link count is 473 -- September 6, 2012. That's a 9.74...% increase over the past five and a half months; not nearly as brazen as I had predicted.
Nearly two years later now, and Consumer Reports' link count has jumped to 652 (July 2014). That would appear to be a 51% increase from the time before Mr. Rasberry came to be hired by Consumer Reports.
And in September 2017, links to Consumer Reports have further expanded to 959.

Do we have any data visualization experts here who might be able to show us how Consumer Reports link growth from March 2012 to September 2017 compares with Wikipedia article growth (overall) across the same time-span? Perhaps they are about proportional to each other.
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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumers Repor

Unread post by Bezdomni » Sun Sep 17, 2017 7:42 pm

Yes, it does seem like learning R is something I need to do. Get back with me in 6 weeks if you have a project in mind (and data) and I'll try to help you. Meanwhile I'll bet there are already some experts hanging around...
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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumers Repor

Unread post by Poetlister » Sun Sep 17, 2017 8:23 pm

thekohser wrote:Do we have any data visualization experts here who might be able to show us how Consumer Reports link growth from March 2012 to September 2017 compares with Wikipedia article growth (overall) across the same time-span? Perhaps they are about proportional to each other.
If someone has the relevant data, I could knock up some graphs in Excel.
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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumer Report

Unread post by thekohser » Mon Sep 18, 2017 12:57 am

Poetlister wrote:
thekohser wrote:Do we have any data visualization experts here who might be able to show us how Consumer Reports link growth from March 2012 to September 2017 compares with Wikipedia article growth (overall) across the same time-span? Perhaps they are about proportional to each other.
If someone has the relevant data, I could knock up some graphs in Excel.
Never mind... I think I got this...

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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumer Report

Unread post by Kingsindian » Mon Sep 18, 2017 6:24 am

It might be a good idea to look at the trend pre-2012 as well, to get a comparison.

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Re: Job posting: Wikipedian in residence for Consumer Report

Unread post by thekohser » Mon Sep 18, 2017 10:14 am

Kingsindian wrote:It might be a good idea to look at the trend pre-2012 as well, to get a comparison.
I completely agree. However, we don't (as far as I know) have the "External links" count prior to this organization being brought to our attention by Lane Rasberry's position as an "approved" paid editor. It would likely take the work of a WMF developer (or an extremely enthusiastic volunteer) to back into that data from historical dumps of the English Wikipedia corpus.
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