Forum:Revisiting the Fanon Discussion

Revisiting this Topic
Greetings users of Narutopedia,

A few of you may be familiar with me, as I occasionally contribute on this wiki, and yet others of you may recognize me from the Naruto Fanon Wiki. I have come here in light of the recent decision on Wookieepedia and the Star Wars Fanon Wiki to merge the canon and fanon wikis together to provide on solid, fan-based encyclopedia on the content of that particular universe. In the past, there have been whispers and short discussions around Narutopedia about the debate on whether to allow or not to allow fan-content on this wiki.

Proposal
I have come here, as one of the few active admins on Naruto Fanon Wiki, to propose a merge between our two wikis. A lot of the canon content you all have produced has made its way over to Naruto Fanon, or is often linked there, due to your excellent work in maintaining the information on this site. I do believe there would be a great benefit on both our parts for a wiki merge. I will detail this below. Keep in mind that I am completely serious about this proposal, and would like it to at least be discussed before being shot down, as I believe it could really aid us both.

Why a merge?
As many of you may have noticed, Naruto Fanon Wiki is declining in it's content quality. Numerous attempts have been made to correct this and set the wiki back up on its feet, but all have ended in failure thus far. However, Naruto Fanon Wiki has a lot of users that visit and edit the site on a daily basis; many of those users also read Narutopedia, but don't contribute.

A merge could be beneficial to our two wikis on two separate accords; it would allow the Naruto Fanon a breath of fresh air, per say. A chance to start over and do things right from the beginning. With Narutopedia's stern, yet fair admins, as well as the direction of new policies that must be followed, canon and fanon content can thrive side-by-side, turning this wiki into the source on all things Naruto; fan made of canon.

On Narutopedia's side of things, it will drastically increase the users that visit and edit your wiki on a daily basis. People who may have felt that they didn't belong, or maybe believed they couldn't positively contribute to Narutopedia will now do so, which will allow for a whole host of new ideas as well as a large workforce, which will help the site grow and develop.

What Would Need to be Done?
Obviously, simply smashing the two sites together would be a horrible idea and defeat the purpose of what we are trying to do. A lot would need to be done to ensure that this merge could be done successfully so that this wiki maintains its policies, and could rightfully adapt to the new content. Obviously, this would take time. Time would be needed to discuss the issue, and then, if we decide in favor of the merge, we would need time to gather ideas and test them before actually implementing the merge. Below are a few topics needing discussion should we decide to move forward.


 * 1) First of all, new templates would need to be developed to distinguish Fanon from Canon material. Categories could do this, as well as a Fanon equivalent to a "Spoiler Tag". Also, the topic of Fanon content on Cannon articles would need to be discussed. The way Wookieepedia is discussing doing it is with the above mentioned spoiler tags, which would then allow a separation of information. Another alternative would be to have a "Fanon" section on the page, or introduce a tab system that allows for a Canon and Fanon page of canon characters and content. These are only a few suggestions for discussion.
 * 2) Content policies would need to be updated/created to monitor the do's and don'ts of creating fanon content on the wiki. Obviously, we don't want users running around claiming their character is the child of Madara Uchiha or the father of the Sage of the Six Paths, so policies restricting these things could be implemented to prevent such craziness. If we created a good amount of decent "controller policies", Narutopedia could then retain its reputation as the foremost encyclopedia on the series of Naruto, while also providing a place for the fan-base to express themselves. Star Wars Fanon, which is now merging with Wookieepedia, has excellent content policies that restrict craziness and promote good writing and good faith in all cases, which is what makes the wiki so good. Avatar Wiki also allows for fan content, so ideas from both of these examples could help us with coming up with policies for the merged Naruto Wikis.
 * 3) The administration would need to adjust for the influx of users that would be coming in, as well as to deal with the massive new content coming into the wiki. New administrators would be needed, and more well-defined jobs for these administrators would need to be given. This will ensure rules are enforced and the merge goes smoothly.

Closing Statement
Like I said above, this is a serious proposal, and one I truly believe can work if done right. However, there has to be a heart for it. Many Narutopedia users may be skeptical about a merge, or may flat out not want it. I am here to tell you, though, that not only can it be done, but, if done correctly, it will drastically improve the site as a whole; increasing its popularity, views, and editors by quite a significant margin.

As one of the only active admins currently on Naruto Fanon Wiki, as well as a user of that wiki since October of 2008, I would be wholeheartedly willing to work side-by-side with the admins on this site to make sure everyone's needs are met, and that everyone is satisfied with the end result. I hope you will all seriously consider this and discuss it in the coming days and weeks. Ten Tailed Fox   (Talk with me) 19:56, April 1, 2012 (UTC)