Wiki

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Synonyms:
See also: fanon wiki
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A wiki is a 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. The collaborative encyclopedia, Wikipedia, is one of the best-known wikis.

In fandom, many wikis aim to provide information about the source texts, as well as the production behind the scenes. Fans can also create wikis for fanon (e.g. Harry Potter Fanon Wiki) and shared universes (e.g. Transcendance AU Wiki)

Wikis hosted by FANDOM (formerly Wikia) are the most common and well known, though in recent years the company has gained a somewhat negative reputation in part due to several anti-user implementations. Miraheze is a non-profit wiki hosting service, that is increasingly seen as an alternative to FANDOM. There are also independent, self-hosted wikis.

Usage note

It is common to see people using the term 'wiki' to refer to Wikipedia, a practice that annoys many users of other wikis no end.

Wikis as Fanworks

One acafan writes of wikis (using a Battlestar Galactica wiki as an example) as creative force: "... creativity and wikis, since I equated them... to library science -- a profession, however noble, ... isn't often associated with the term 'creative.' While... wiki users are not engaged in fan vid creation, icon production, or fan fic drabbling, they are still writing about beloved characters, items and practices. In fact they are interacting the text not just though what one Blich or Jenkins might call 'collecting,' 'mastering' or 'conquering,' but are engaging in a creative process requiring an intimacy with the text and a creative outlet... Cristobal Garcia mentions myths of creativity, listing three fallacies "1. Creativiy cannot be managed, 2. Is only in the arts, 3. Is a lonely process,' he notes instead that 'creativity' is a social and group phenomenon, that can be stimulated and fostered through virtual, physical, and psychological space. I'd like to take this a step further and suggest that the Wiki, while upon first glance appears quite standardized and unmovable, is actually a discursive space for posting and sharing not only facts and images but ideas and perspectives." [1]

Fannish Wikis

Many popular fandoms have their own wikis.

Multifandom and Pan-Fandom Wikis

Wiki hosting

One common host of fannish wikis is Fandom (formerly Wikia, Inc.), a free hosting service that has had some bad PR relating to intrusive ads, dodgy acquisition practices, and compulsory redesign of the layout. Nevertheless it is a frequent choice especially in animanga and gaming fandoms.[2] Among the largest fannish wikis hosted on wikia are Wikianswers Anime, Jedipedia (a German Star Wars wiki), Wikia Gaming, Final Fantasy Wiki, and Manga Wiki.

Miraheze(external link) is a nonprofit, free wiki hosting service that can be an alternative to Fandom. The Independent Wiki Federation(external link) discusses other independent hosting options.

Some fandoms have both a Wiki and an independent wiki (e.g. Madoka Magica Wiki on FANDOM.com and Puella Magi Wiki on puella-magi.net )

Fandoms moving off Wikia/FANDOM.com

Please see Wikia hosted wikis project vs. self-hosted wikis and Wikia#Rehosting for more information.

Links and Further Reading

References

  1. ^ Reimagining Fan Culture: The Long Journey of Battlestar Galactica by Sarah Toton, paper from 27 April 2007 at MIT5 Conference at MIT, accessed 1 May 2012
  2. ^ List of Wikia wikis, accessed 23.12.2011
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