Poll: Ever Edit a Wiki?
- Thread starter Saelune
- Start date
I used to be staff on the Bleach Wiki.
The site has a very strict Manual of Style, with numerous policies and standards that are stringently enforced across all the articles. Generally speaking, anything that could not be backed up with a reference from the series could not be placed on the article under any circumstances. The site's biggest boon (or detriment, depending on who you ask) is that anonymous editing is disabled.
As one might suspect, the strict rules were (and still might be) very off-putting to editors, especially newer ones. Of course, many of the site's visitors rarely took it upon themselves to read the manual. Consequentially, the vast majority of the work on the site was done by the staff themselves. Though, on occasion, competent, well-meaning editors were brought into the fold. That's more or less how I first got involved with the staff. If this all sounds like it is a pain in the ass, that's because is kind of was; the site definitely wasn't for everyone, and we had our fair share of "enemies" in the fandom. But I enjoyed the structure, the appeal to accuracy, and the editors I worked with. Except when there was drama.
Oh god, the drama.
If you're interested in editing, my biggest piece of advice would be to get to know the site's regulars, especially the staff. Read the discussion pages, and get a grasp of how they deal with conflicts on the site, or just how they interact with each other in general. If they seem friendly, contact them directly and ask for advice. Even if your goal isn't to make friends, it helps to at least get to know everyone. And of course, read the manual of style.
The site has a very strict Manual of Style, with numerous policies and standards that are stringently enforced across all the articles. Generally speaking, anything that could not be backed up with a reference from the series could not be placed on the article under any circumstances. The site's biggest boon (or detriment, depending on who you ask) is that anonymous editing is disabled.
As one might suspect, the strict rules were (and still might be) very off-putting to editors, especially newer ones. Of course, many of the site's visitors rarely took it upon themselves to read the manual. Consequentially, the vast majority of the work on the site was done by the staff themselves. Though, on occasion, competent, well-meaning editors were brought into the fold. That's more or less how I first got involved with the staff. If this all sounds like it is a pain in the ass, that's because is kind of was; the site definitely wasn't for everyone, and we had our fair share of "enemies" in the fandom. But I enjoyed the structure, the appeal to accuracy, and the editors I worked with. Except when there was drama.
Oh god, the drama.
If you're interested in editing, my biggest piece of advice would be to get to know the site's regulars, especially the staff. Read the discussion pages, and get a grasp of how they deal with conflicts on the site, or just how they interact with each other in general. If they seem friendly, contact them directly and ask for advice. Even if your goal isn't to make friends, it helps to at least get to know everyone. And of course, read the manual of style.
