Robert Colom
Robert’s journey into the world of Wikipedia editing was marked by a mixture of nostalgia, excitement, and a little bit of nervousness. A documentary filmmaker with a deep love for unearthing forgotten stories, he approached the workshop with some hesitation. "I’m nervous about the amount of research I’ll be doing," he admitted. "I haven’t sifted through books and academic journals for research since college!" The prospect of returning to such academic rigor after years of making films felt daunting. But what began as apprehension quickly transformed into a rediscovery of his passion for research and storytelling.
From the start, Robert knew that as a filmmaker, especially one dedicated to amplifying films from Latin America and the Caribbean, he had to be mindful of his role on Wikipedia. "You can," he noted about writing on topics connected to his own work, "but should disclose your conflict of interest and move ethically." This ethical line between his personal interests and Wikipedia’s neutral standards was one he was eager to navigate carefully.
“It’s so fun learning something new! It feels empowering, but also feels sensitive. I’m trepidatious, cautious.”
Despite his initial nerves, Robert’s enthusiasm quickly took over. "It’s so fun learning something new!" he wrote, his excitement palpable. "It feels empowering, but also feels sensitive. I’m trepidatious, cautious." His approach was measured, as he felt the weight of contributing to something as influential as Wikipedia. But by the midpoint of the workshop, Robert had fully embraced the process. "I love this. I forgot how much I love discovering new things and falling into rabbit holes of history," he said. The process of research felt like "doing a puzzle," something he had always loved.
His first major contribution was an article for the 1994 film El elefante y la bicicleta. "There wasn’t a page for it before, and I wanted to add to the visibility of the film," Robert explained. This choice was deeply personal and reflected his ongoing mission as a filmmaker: to preserve and elevate films from underrepresented regions. By creating this page, Robert felt like he was filling a gap in the vast encyclopedia. "I learned that there are such vast gaps in the encyclopedia," he reflected, realizing how much important cultural history remains undocumented.
One of the biggest surprises for Robert was the way Wikipedia’s community functioned. "I thought that all edits stuck!" he wrote, surprised by the platform’s self-regulating nature. "I was surprised to learn about the hive, and know that there’s a whole host of folks that will descend on new edits to verify their integrity." He found comfort in knowing that his contributions would be reviewed, checked, and built upon by others in the Wikipedia community. It felt like a collaborative, shared mission, rather than a solitary task.
For Robert, Wikipedia editing became a natural extension of his art practice. "Part of my art practice seeks to unearth and preserve films from Latin America and the Caribbean," he explained. Adding new pages to Wikipedia, in his eyes, was another way to preserve and share stories that would otherwise go unnoticed. "I also have a deep commitment to access and accessibility," he added, confident that his work on Wikipedia aligned with those values.
As he reflected on the broader implications of Wikipedia, Robert likened it to "a global community of archivists working together to tell the story of the universe." It wasn’t just about documenting facts—it was about contributing to the collective history of the world. For someone like Robert, who saw so much of Miami’s cultural history "paved over, cast aside, redeveloped, forgotten," Wikipedia represented a kind of archive that could help keep his city’s stories alive.
“It’ll lead you to unexpected places, and add to your sense of wonder about the world.”
His advice to future Wikipedia editors was heartfelt and rooted in his own experience: "Pick topics to write about that really move you, and that propel your curiosity." For Robert, it was this sense of wonder that fueled his contributions. "It’ll lead you to unexpected places, and add to your sense of wonder about the world," he wrote. He never anticipated that editing Wikipedia would reconnect him with his own passions, but that’s exactly what happened. "It’s a marathon, not a sprint," he reminded others, noting that the work of filling in the gaps of history takes time, but it’s deeply rewarding.
Looking ahead, Robert was excited about the impact he could have on the world’s knowledge base. "I’m excited about adding new and forgotten knowledge to the world database," he wrote. His focus remained on preserving films, particularly those from corners of the world where archiving practices were poor. "There are so many films from different corners of the world that are disappearing due to poor archiving. Let’s save some movies!" he urged, seeing Wikipedia as a tool to protect cultural memory from fading into obscurity.
In the end, Robert’s journey through the Wikipedia workshop was more than just an opportunity to learn a new skill—it was a return to the joy of discovery, research, and storytelling that had first inspired him as a filmmaker. Through Wikipedia, he found a way to expand his work, preserving not only films but the cultural histories that shape the world.
