Wikipedia talk:Ten Year Society

What's the point of this?

How is this useful? Surely there are better ways to keep track of users who've been on Wikipedia for over 10 years. Rebroad (talk) 21:36, 16 August 2019 (UTC)

Huge thanks for your stunningly useful contribution Rebroad! We can all pack up here and go home. If only more editors would take the time to throw shade on stuff they don't get. Captainllama (talk) 19:16, 17 August 2019 (UTC)

If you think it is ONLY about tracking users who has been on Wikipedia for over 10 years, then you have failed to understand why it exists. • Sbmeirow • Talk • 19:29, 17 August 2019 (UTC)

Asking questions IS useful - replying without answering them is NOT. Rebroad (talk) 19:31, 17 August 2019 (UTC)

Oh ok, we'll assume good faith, and assume you were asking out of a wide-eyed thirst for enlightenment rather than having a spasmodic grump. In which case, ummm...I got nothing. Well that's me told eh? Cheers! Captainllama (talk) 22:29, 17 August 2019 (UTC)

The Category isn't useful. It just gives long-standing contributors a way to pat themselves on the back. Nothing wrong with that.-gadfium 22:56, 17 August 2019 (UTC)

[The Ten Year Society] exists so that editors can celebrate a decade of contributing to a project they are passionate about, to help form connections between long-term participants in the encyclopedia, and to allow the sharing of perspectives and expertise. It is not intended as a form of one-upmanship, but as a good-natured recognition of enthusiasm and dedication. Cheers, « Gonzo fan2007 (talk) @ 18:37, 6 February 2020 (UTC)

@Gonzo fan2007: How does the society help form connections between long-term participants? Hyacinth (talk) 21:55, 31 July 2020 (UTC)

Hyacinth, for me personally, it's just nice to have a spot where editors from my general Wikipedia era can congregate. I am sure it is helpful in different ways for other editors. « Gonzo fan2007 (talk) @ 04:47, 1 August 2020 (UTC)

In my case, someone I had been in periodic and often near-intractable disputes with since something like 2007 left the TYS on my talk page some time after I hit the mark. It resulted in us having some interesting and civil discussions, and we got along much better after that. She's since passed away, but I now think of her fondly instead of as a long-term thorn in my side (mostly >;-) and that is of value.  — SMcCandlish ☏ ¢ 😼  00:46, 9 January 2024 (UTC)

I don't think it's about the sheer number of years necessarily. It's more like, "I've been here this long, so chances are I'll stick around forever." If you've been dedicated to the project to the point that you've been around this long, chances are you're here to stay well beyond that. It's a way of finding people who didn't just register ten years ago, but who actually stuck around and made those ten years count somehow. If you care enough to join or accept an invitation to join this fun little group, you probably cared enough about the encyclopedia to have been here this long in the first place, and to have made it a very different place than it would have been if you'd never come on board. It's just another way for certain users to identify as being veterans on the project, that's all. All that is why I think things like the Fifteen Year Society and the (gag) possible Twenty Year Society are totally unnecessary, and just serve to trivialize the original. Zeke, the Mad Horrorist ^{(Speak quickly)} _{(Follow my trail)} 03:54, 17 October 2021 (UTC)

Looking around

(looks around the room)

Wow. Such a big place. And look at those pillars, and the vaulted ceilings.

I wonder about joining.

Is this an exclusive club? And for that matter, is it a mutually exclusive club? i.e. if I'm allowed to join, would I immediately be shunted off to the 15 year club? - jc37 12:12, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

Not exclusive at all. Also, no. As I've commented more than once, the creation of a 15 year club demeans the existence of this by turning it into the first step on yet another ladder-climbing and badge-collecting process, and should not have happened. The point of this club (which I created) was just to mark that you've been around a while. Nothing more. Ten years is an arbitrary round number. After that it doesn't matter if you've been here fifteen, twenty, twenty-five.  — Scott • talk 12:25, 29 March 2021 (UTC)

Agreed, service isn't a ladder, only the ten-year tenure is real! InedibleHulk (talk) 11:34, 29 April 2021 (UTC)

Personally, I'm skipping the Fifteen Year Society and holding out for the One Hundred Year Society, which I'll be eligible for in only 80-something years. Philbert2.71828 01:00, 8 November 2022 (UTC)

Goodbye and good luck

People have now insisted on cloning this into twenty-, fifteen-, and even five-year versions, which I should have seen coming because people on this project are obsessed with making up shiny things to give themselves. As that's in complete contradiction to my intention when I created the Ten Year Society in 2012, I now wash my hands of it. Have fun with the inevitable Seven And A Half Year Society, Twelve Year Society, Nineteen Year Society or whatever.  — Scott • talk 16:06, 4 April 2023 (UTC)

Scott, it seems to have now gotten to the "when will it stop" scenario. I know you were be a bit facetious, but Wikipedia:One Year Society now seems like a real possibility. « Gonzo fan2007 (talk) @ 16:33, 4 April 2023 (UTC)

Shush! Someone is bound to think that's a great idea for encouraging the newbies!  — SMcCandlish ☏ ¢ 😼  00:49, 9 January 2024 (UTC)

Don't we already have the service awards for that? Robin S. Taylor (talk) 16:02, 15 February 2024 (UTC)

Still on?

This still on? I wanna join and show off. xP The Herald (Benison) (talk) 05:50, 14 May 2023 (UTC)

@The Herald: Congratulations on being an editor for ten years. Yes, you can join. Chris Troutman (talk) 17:33, 14 May 2023 (UTC)

How do I join? Just by putting up the topicon and/or userbox? Martin of Sheffield (talk) 12:55, 26 August 2023 (UTC)

Also requesting to join if that's OK. :-) Patient Zero^talk 00:22, 8 January 2024 (UTC)

How to accept?

G'day from Australia. I received a kind invitation from Chris troutman, which I would like to accept. The Project page says I am free to accept or not - but it does not give any hint about HOW to accept it. What do I need to do? Do I ad my name to a list somewhere, like with a WikiProject, or click on a hidden link, or something else? Gronk Oz (talk) 23:37, 19 March 2024 (UTC)

@Gronk Oz: As described on the project page, adding the topicon or userbox are your options. Doing either of those adds you to Category:Members of the Ten Year Society of Wikipedia editors. Chris Troutman (talk) 13:29, 20 March 2024 (UTC)

Thanks, @Chris troutman: I have already added the userbox. But I suggest that the instructions could be clearer - it says that the userbox or topicon are available for "those who would like to indicate membership in the Society on their user page", but it does not say that this is how you accept the invitation.--Gronk Oz (talk) 14:42, 20 March 2024 (UTC)