Friday, July 31, 2015

Building A Better Wiki Part 2: TFWiki

Even though it covers a much smaller part of the Internet than Wikipedia or TV Tropes, TFWiki is a unique resource worth studying. It compiles every known facet of the Transformers toy franchise in a humorous manner that does not interfere with the delivery of information. With "nerd culture" on the rise, there are hundreds of wikis covering franchises from the obvious (like Star Wars' Wookieepedia) to the obscure (like the Robotech Wiki and the Macross Wiki, which actually cover the same Japanese anime in different formats).

What sets TFWiki apart is the comedy. Pictures on wiki pages are usually captioned with puns, while a tone of sarcasm often creeps into pages about negatively-regarded pieces of media. You would never see another wiki cover "B.O.T.", the worst episode of the original Transformers show, with such snark and vitriol. This is possible due to the strength of the Transformers brand and fanbase; the toys have been in production consistently since 1984 and generations of children grew up with it, with annual conventions starting in 1994. Some of the fans who attended and organized those conventions went on to start and own TFWiki, and their personal irreverence guided the site's formation.

The growth of the Transformers fan community forced the wiki runners to maintain strong standards as the blockbuster films brought more and more newcomers to the fanbase. Because the moderators are always on guard for vandals, misinformation and bad jokes, the overall lighter tone reduces the feeling that they are too oversensitive about the wiki. If you're designing a wiki as an informal tool and not an official source to be cited, taking this approach to writing the articles might reduce users' pressure and make the interface more pleasurable to use.

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