Wiki 101
(Originally written by Frito in 2009, updated by Rossi in 2023)
We've had several new players, and it's been a long time since we started the wiki, and since a few minor issues have come up recently,it's come to the attention of those of us who do the bulk of the wiki work (technical, editing, graphics, etc.) that a renewal of the wiki HowTo is probably a good idea.
All of this, plus some more is covered in the Wiki FAQ.
Okay, so, I hear you saying, "Frito, what is this wiki thing?"
Wikpedia, the big grand-grand-grandmommy of all wikis says that a wiki is a page or collection of Web pages designed to enable anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify content, using a simplified markup language. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites and to power community websites.
For us, it's a encyclopedia of the game, a resource for looking things up quickly without having to re-read five+ years of logs and posts and a reference point for new players so they don't have to read five years of logs and posts before playing.
"Okay, who are those people who do most of the wiki work?"
For the technical details and the hosting, it's Frito. Dex was the original project runner and basically got the Wiki off the ground. Rossi, Sam and Isaura handle a vast bulk of the edits, and organizing all the projects to get the tedious little stuff done. (More or less in that order too). You'll notice that while most of the unofficial wiki team have been mods at one point or another, that's no more than just a sign that we're all insane.
"Huh? What do mods have to do with the wiki?"
Not a lot more than the rest of you. The wiki is the official repository of game canon for X-Project, which means in the odd case where it contradicts an existing log or post, it means there has been a retcon put in place, and the wiki contains the correct canon details. To do this, the mods have oversight on the wiki content in order to ensure that it correctly reflects any changes, updates or retcons that have been put into place. Otherwise, the wiki is a wholly player run resource and is not administrated by the mods in any fashion.
"Well, I don't use it."
Not everyone uses it - that's okay. No one says you have to. But many of us do, which means that it's a valuable resource for the game. (However, Frito questions your sanity if you're digging through the vast twenty-year archive of xp_logs every time you need to look something up.)
"What do you mean anyone can edit?"
Any and every player in X-Project can edit it at any time (If for some reason you are a new player seeing this and you do not have a wiki account, contact the mods. If you can't remember your password, contact Frito. In the case of the latter, you'll get a password reset, with a new password probably set to something Frito thinks is funny).
"I don't want to bother editing."
Okay. That's fine too, if less so because it makes more work for everyone, but only if you understand that since -everyone- can edit, that your character(s) and plot(s) and NPC(s) will have their pages written by someone else. If you can't stand the idea of someone else writing your stuff, well, get to writing. Since everyone can edit, several people -do- edit.
"But I'm not done writing my page!"
The folks who do the bulk of the needed edits give people time. But if your page is blank for a few weeks, some content will get added. Nothing is stopping you from making your edits at a later date, adding the content you have now, or asking for help. We have templates for incomplete pages and pages that need work, if you're only partially done, put what you have up and leave a note on the discussion page.
General expectation is that a plot writeup of some kind should go up within a month of plot completion. This can be as simple as a short summary of the events, even if it needs to be expanded on later. If you need more time, let us know. If you need help, let us know. Every page has a discussion tab, you are free to make as much or as little use of it as you like.
"I don't like what's on my page, I'm just gonna delete it."
No. Blanking pages is considered, well, rude in terms of wiki etiquette. Instead of blanking, make edits where you need to, and correct whatever is wrong. Even if your edit isn't perfect, you can always go back and fix it later. Some content is better than no content, and blank pages help no one. If you must make drastic changes to a page, consider putting in a short paragraph summary instead of erasing everything.
"Something on a page is wrong!"
Okay that happens. We're not perfect. Now go fix it.
"That's YOUR job!"
No, it's everyone's job. If it's minor, it'll take you a few minutes at the most. If you don't understand how to change a link or graphic, ping one of the wiki team, we'll walk you through it. Don't just go complaining to the wiki team about a page being incorrect - since everyone can edit, if you see something, take care of it. That's the best part of a wiki, you don't have to go through a staff or a team to fix something, you can just throw up the edit yourself.
"Why are you talking in the third person?"
It's been a long couple of weeks.
"You think you're funny, don't you?"
Yep.
And remember, if you have questions, complaints, issues, problems or suggestions etc. that you for whatever reason can't address yourself, please contact the Wiki editorial team. We will no longer be reacting to anonymous "people have been complaining" - we want to hear from you.
