User blog comment:Ericmoro/Introducing the Fan Contributor Program/@comment-4234382-20151217223047/@comment-4788732-20151218001515

Hi there. Just to clarify a few things...

This program is indeed meant to serve as a sort of "editorial training ground" and by no means will it replace the great work that's already being done on your communities. This is more for the Fan Contributor (and you're right, everyone who edits on Wikia is a "Fan Contributor" of sorts) who's looking for an outlet that will allow them to express an opinion and/or develop their own unique voice.

As for assessing a participant's level of "expertise," we're using that term to refer to a person's inherent fandom(s). For example, in today's day and age, its safe to say that a Star Wars superfan IS an expert in Star Wars. Through their love and consumption of that property, they probably know everything there is to know about it (or at least, more than the average media consumer). And you'll be able to tell pretty quickly by reading a piece they wrote whether they're faking it or not. That's all.

And lastly, this is a voluntary program -- one that really only benefits the participant who's willing to commit to it. Should the person refuse to write an article or continually deliver their assignments past deadline, that's fine. There's no real repercusion other than probably not getting any more assignments from us. But should a contributor really give the program a chance, they'll most likely develop the skills (and writing samples) necessary to pursue a career in new media.