Wiki Tribune Report

Assorted Plottings

Very first thing I'd like to point out is a competition called "The Ultimate Enemy" being run primarily by PRT Waldron Ravenblade from Naga Sadow. All the details are available by following the provided link, but the quick summary is that you have to make a page for your character's sworn enemy. One thing I'd like to ask, but since it didn't make it into the competition request it's not mandatory, is if you're participating in the event please add [[Category:Ultimate Enemy]] to the bottom of the article. Just to keep everything organized. For other journeymen (and their summits) looking for quick and easy competitions to run <span style="color:#AAAAAA; font-size: x-small; font-style:italic;">perhaps for promotion requirements hinthint</span>, I'm pretty open to people running Brotherhood-wide Wiki competitions like this. Clouse summits, go ahead and send me a note if you get any interest in this from your journeymen. It also means I don't have run any competitions myself, so that's a bonus for everyone.

People keep saying they want to work for me <span style="color:#AAAAAA; font-size: x-small; font-style:italic;">(Well, they keep expressing interest in being a part of the wiki staff...I may not actually factor in there)</span>. Well, now's your chance! There's even two options available. First off, the Docent position for the two wiki courses is available. I believe the usual SA stuff applies (you've passed the course, good turnaround time, etc), but there's also a Wiki element <span style="color:#AAAAAA; font-size: x-small; font-style:italic;">which is why I get to talk about it in my report</span>. Your past wiki contributions will also be taken into account here, so someone who doesn't even have an account won't be taken as seriously as someone who's made many good edits in their time. Still interested? Shoot an email to Taig and me about how awesome you are. <span style="color:#AAAAAA; font-size: x-small; font-style:italic;">As a bonus tip, if you include the words "Wiki Docent" and "Application" in some order in the subject line, we might even know where we're supposed to file it.</span>

Maybe you don't want to work as a Docent, grading exams. You say you'd rather get your hands dirty working in the recent changes swamp? Well, I've given it some thought, and I know how I'd like people to seek out these spots. Get out there, and go do it. Now, before you call me crazy <span style="color:#AAAAAA; font-size: x-small; font-style:italic;">...not that I'm entirely convinced I'm not...</span>hear me out. When you're given wiki staff access, there isn't a whole lot that changes. Sure, there's added options like deleting pages and approving new accounts, but that isn't the main point of doing wiki work. One change that I think is pretty important though is that your edits don't get marked with a big scary red exclaimation mark. This scary mark tells a wiki staff member that the change needs to be checked (Yes, somebody at least skims through every single thing you change. That's why it's important not to kill us with a thousand papercut edits to a single page). So, if you want to become a wiki staff member, fill that recent changes page with lots of good edits <span style="color:#AAAAAA; font-size: x-small; font-style:italic;">(good being the keyword here, the reward for irritating spam is the banhammer)</span>. Make it in my best interest to make you a part of my staff just so we don't have to keep checking your work. <span style="color:#AAAAAA; font-size: x-small; font-style:italic;">I'm pretty sure that's how Shad and I got "hired" back in the day...just to make us stop breaking it.</span>

As far as things on the wiki are concerned, November was a month of improving the little things. I've re-discovered how to change things like the upload text or the top of the recent changes page <span style="color:#AAAAAA; font-size: x-small; font-style:italic;">(I say re-discovered because I know Wiki Tribunes before me have done it - I can't take credit for the idea)</span>. More detailed instructions were written for the Upload File page, as well as an example image thrown up there for good measure. I have noticed some improvement here. While mistakes are still being made, I'm seeing more people at least attempt to categorize their images. And really, I don't mind fixing honest efforts. Next thing that's being looked at is the main page. The "Featured Article" has swapped positions with the "Quote of the Week", because honestly that's more important. Interesting fact: If you had a quote you wanted displayed and you added it to the queue right now, at our current rate you'd be waiting until the week of September 23rd, 2012 before you see it up on the main page. That's a bit excessive. Can we refocus those efforts on Featured Articles? They need more love.

X of the Y

• DJBWikipedian of the Month for November 2011 - Andrelious

• Featured Article of the Month for December 2011 - :(

DJBWikipedian of the Month is Andrelious. Because it's good to have consistancy with article names (this was done closer to the start of the month). Featured Article is again a sadface. We've got the articles for Sashar Arconae and Teu Pepoi sitting on the nomination queue with the consensus that they're close to featured status if we can get just a bit of a tune-up on them. There are also new nominations for the articles for Xathia Tugrina and Jeric Cyrin with no comments yet. As always, the nomination page is open for comments from all members. Let's start 2012 off with a queue for featured articles!

Conclusion

Competitions are good, Come work for me, Little improvements on the Wiki, Featured Article > Quote of the Week

-Ben

<span style="color:#AAAAAA; font-size: x-small; font-style:italic;">I was mean to Yacks, and I apologize</span>