Forum:Turning into...Social Networking Site?

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→ Turning into...Social Networking Site?

They're changing User talk pages to Walls. The reasons are nonsensical, and could easily be solved in different ways, but nonetheless, they take away what people like most...

Dopp's Blog.

BF2 Talk 16:58, September 27, 2011 (UTC)

I've seen this (yesterday). I'm really not liking the idea, especially the way they call it a 'wall' like Facebook. First we had Wikia Chat (aka Facebook Chat) and now we're going to have Message Wall (aka My Wall). Wikia is becoming more and more like Facebook and other social networking sites. :/ I put:

To Wikia: This is not criticism, nor praise, just a comprimise that is believed by myself to make the users of Wikia more happy with this new feature.

Nothing is worth going to waste. Considering Wikia has spent the money to develop this system it might as well be used, but. It should be optional for each individual user, not the wiki. My reasoning for this is I believe that there is a strong message coming back in reply to this decision Wikia, and that is that over 90% of us users currently don't want this feature as a mandatory, global feature.

However this doesn't seem to be possible.
SKP4472 Talk [[Special:Editcount/SKP4472|Special:Editcount/SKP4472 Edits!]] Devoted Editor of Brickipedia 17:14, September 27, 2011 (UTC)

Yeah, they won't do a thing about it. They really don't seem to care about what the users think. BF2 Talk 17:15, September 27, 2011 (UTC)

I agree with you BF2. Users have even made a petition against it.

SKP4472 Talk [[Special:Editcount/SKP4472|Special:Editcount/SKP4472 Edits!]] Devoted Editor of Brickipedia 17:17, September 27, 2011 (UTC)

I've talked to other users on other wikis about it, and it's pretty obvious it is very disliked. I personally hate it, it's just Wikia being the money-loving thieves they are. With Social Networking comes more oppurtunity to advertise and make some money out of the whole thing. Wikia is getting "new" and "hip" but it ain't working. Screw it Wikia, and go screw yourselves while you're at it. Maybe you can get something done for once... <--- Long-ass rant. -N B P 17:39, September 27, 2011 (UTC)

What just kills me about this is how Wikia ignores local community's wishes in regards to this. They are yet again saying "screw you wikis, we are the bosses and we do things our way!". Their bold attempts to get as much money as possible are really getting crazy - it might be time for us to look into new hosting solutions. ajr 18:12, September 27, 2011 (UTC)
- Although it may come to us using a different host to host Brickipedia, I may not follow the move (i.e. join the site).

SKP4472 Talk [[Special:Editcount/SKP4472|Special:Editcount/SKP4472 Edits!]] Devoted Editor of Brickipedia 18:49, September 27, 2011 (UTC)

- Problem is, this one still exists after a move, so traffic still comes here :S - Kingcjc 18:53, September 27, 2011 (UTC)
  - Exactly.

SKP4472 Talk [[Special:Editcount/SKP4472|Special:Editcount/SKP4472 Edits!]] Devoted Editor of Brickipedia 18:55, September 27, 2011 (UTC)

- - After a brief search I've found a site that we could use to move to (this is a bit off topic from the social networking thing, but all well). We could use Wiki-Site.com. Thoughts?

SKP4472 Talk [[Special:Editcount/SKP4472|Special:Editcount/SKP4472 Edits!]] Devoted Editor of Brickipedia 19:52, September 27, 2011 (UTC)

- - - If we do move off at some point, I'd like to not associate ourselves with another wikifarm. If anything, we could get together with a couple of other wikis moving off and make our own little one. Also, SKP, it's people staying behind that makes moving unsuccessful - if everyone leaves, then there won't be a problem with this wiki continuing. a jr 20:36, September 27, 2011 (UTC)
I think it's about time we left. It's time to show Wikia we're not happy, and we're not going to stand for their "we're going to do whatever we like and there's nothing you can do about it" attitude anymore. They take away Monaco, a hugely popular skin at the time, because they can, then they bring in hideous skin which is for ads first, content second, because they can. Now, after several more smaller changes noone can do anything about, this (I think you get the idea per what people have said above, and see here for complaining from another well-known site). It's time to stop putting up with them and go elsewhere. I would be agreeable to a farm that just left their editors alone (which is pretty much every other farm), but I think Ajr's idea of self-hosted would be better. That way, we can add the extensions we want, and not have to go through a third party and request extensions which they may not even give us. Of course, the big problem is not everyone moving- creating another account is a pain, especially if you'll still be on other Wikia wikis. But I think if all the serious editors left for the new site and we left links everywhere to the new one, our activity may be small at first, but I think it would pick up. NightblazeSaber 00:19, September 28, 2011 (UTC)

I suppose I'd agree to moving --Berrybrick (Talk) 00:23, September 28, 2011 (UTC)

I agree. BF2 Talk 00:24, September 28, 2011 (UTC)

I second the motion! I mean, I third the motion...no wait, fourth...shoot. I agree. We need to start considering the move that's been on our collective minds for a while now. It will be a very difficult process that could take a large amount of time and effort, but if we have enough people willing to help and we all work together, then we can pull it off. FB100Z • talk • contribs 00:38, September 28, 2011 (UTC)

Another idea to play around with:

Me and some of my other wikifriends from other Wikia wikis have been tossing around the idea of moving off, and all coming together and forming our own not-for-profit "wiki farm". Some characteristics of this "wiki farm":

Would be founded by the communities of the initial wikis coming together. Everything would be decided by those communities, not by some cabal of users intent on making money.
Users would not be able to create their own wikis, though in some cases new wikis could be made on request or when other wikis merged onto our hosting.
The entire purpose of this alliance (if you will) is to support the wikis hosted on it. The not-for-profit aspect and lack of paid staff means that the main focus is on the wikis, which is where it should be.
There will be no cabal. Wikis will be able to do whatever they wish, whenever they wish it, and the only "no" that will be said is if something isn't physically possible.

Advantages to this:

Other, wikismart people will be available to provide help when needed.
Better search results!
More mediawiki smart people = more system administrators = extension requests are filled sooner. (Again, the sysadmins will exist to serve the community, not the interests of a company)
More users and less need for advertising! (the cost doesn't rise as the number of wikis does - with multiple wikis we could be looking at one ad at the side for only a short time per year)

Anyways, in no way is this idea taking off yet, but it is something to consider. a jr 00:42, September 28, 2011 (UTC)

I'm thinking of a word. It has five letters, it starts with an M, and it conjures a mental image of green pieces of paper. FB100Z • talk • contribs 01:22, September 28, 2011 (UTC)

Not hard to get initial funding - one of the wikis that would be joining us has been on their own for about a year now and has accumulated enough money to support this. Plus, I'd be willing to chip in a bit ;)

Actually, that's another plus of this. If we just host by ourselves, it will come out of our pockets... and by our I mean my :3 a jr 01:29, September 28, 2011 (UTC)

Ooooh...so we all get to be freeloaders? I now wholly support this project. FB100Z • talk • contribs 04:52, September 28, 2011 (UTC)

By the way, folks, this is one of those situations when a real-life meeting would be extremely useful. Unfortunately, it's not terribly practical given the international nature of our community. FB100Z • talk • contribs 04:54, September 28, 2011 (UTC)

(editconflict) How is having to pay a plus? :) Sorry, but I for one won't be contributing any money, if it comes down to being on a free site and one you have to pay for, I'll take the free one. But isn't there good quality free hosting out there? Also, just a question about the idea above about being part of a new farm- would we still have our own subdomain, and do the wikis run independently of each other (eg, if you hit the RC, it'd only be changes related to the lego wiki wouldn't it?) NightblazeSaber 05:02, September 28, 2011 (UTC)

Wikis would run completely independent of eachother. We would be at our own domain (brickipedia.something), have our own skin, and nothing from other wikis would affect us. There are some good free hosting options out there, but none for a wiki unfortunately - wikis take up a lot of space. a jr 13:27, September 28, 2011 (UTC)

If Ajraddatz can pay it all, I support it. I'd pay for part of it myself but I still haven't found a job... BF2 Talk 15:03, September 28, 2011 (UTC)

Just like NHL, I for one would not pay to have a wiki hosted. The whole reason I do this is because I can give my knowledge of LEGO to a site for free, not having to pay.

SKP4472 Talk [[Special:Editcount/SKP4472|Special:Editcount/SKP4472 Edits!]] Devoted Editor of Brickipedia 15:12, September 28, 2011 (UTC) I am neither supporting nor protesting against this. For too many reasons to list. - 16:02, September 28, 2011 (UTC)

Per KoN. If Brickipedia moves I will still be here, I will accept the changes whether I like them or not. Sorry guys, but if you leave it will be without me and some other users. :(

SKP4472 Talk [[Special:Editcount/SKP4472|Special:Editcount/SKP4472 Edits!]] Devoted Editor of Brickipedia 16:05, September 28, 2011 (UTC)

If people stay then there's no point in moving. At least give a good reason for staying. a jr 16:22, September 28, 2011 (UTC)

Because this place started on Wikia. Brickipedia is known for being on Wikia, it is already one of the most popular LEGO sites out there. If the site were small, a move would work. But we have too many users, and all those users care about the site and want it to stay. Why move if people want it to stay? Especially such valuable users. They've contributed all of their time and effort into this site, is it easy to just move the site away from Wikia? The whole reason we all joined Wikia is because of Bricki. And believe me, I hate the commenting just as much as everyone else. I dislike Wikia too. But users want it to stay, and if three administrators want it to stay (SKP, KoN, and I), then that should be enough to keep it here. sorry if this makes no sense, but you get the point. We just don't want a move. -N B P 16:31, September 28, 2011 (UTC)

That sums up most of my reasoning for why I want to stay here at Wikia's Brickipedia. Well said NBP. :)

SKP4472 Talk [[Special:Editcount/SKP4472|Special:Editcount/SKP4472 Edits!]] Devoted Editor of Brickipedia 16:38, September 28, 2011 (UTC)

Well, not matter how dumb I think that your reasoning is, if there are people that are going to stay then I will too. No point in dividing the community. a jr 17:54, September 28, 2011 (UTC)

Exactly.

SKP4472 Talk [[Special:Editcount/SKP4472|Special:Editcount/SKP4472 Edits!]] Devoted Editor of Brickipedia 17:56, September 28, 2011 (UTC)

I'm sorry, but from what I see, your reasoning is rather circular. People won't leave, so we won't leave. Basically, your saying that you don't believe that all the good editors will leave, so you won't even consider it as an option, meaning that all the people who do want to leave are stuck. I beg you to rethink this, for it would improve the wiki in so many ways. There is absolutely no harm in moving wikis. BF2 Talk 18:02, September 28, 2011 (UTC)

Even if it does cause a split, I do think it would be for the best if we got out now before anything worse gets implemented. And we could do so much more if we didn't have so many restrictions on the things we can do- more namespaces and rights/page management, and there are so many useful extensions out there which we just can't use because we're not allowed to. NightblazeSaber 04:44, September 29, 2011 (UTC)

To be honest, I dont think it sounds that bad. The only thing I don't like is that we can't edit the actual page. - nxt

Do you know what it does for Monobook? Jag 01:08, September 29, 2011 (UTC)

Good point- since Wikia no longer touches Monobook, it's avoided many of the "upgrades"- so either it'll make the talk pages unusable (like editing user blogs) or they'll stay the same. NightblazeSaber 04:44, September 29, 2011 (UTC)

He said something about it. 'Parrently it will change. - nxt

I'll leave if others leave, and I will support leaving, if this becomes mandatory and global. Jag 17:58, September 30, 2011 (UTC)

So, Ajr has said that another wiki above would host us, correct? Is that what you meant? Jag 18:33, September 30, 2011 (UTC)

No, we would host ourselves (or we could host ourselves with other wikis). I dunno, the idea of just being by ourselves would be nice too. a jr 21:41, September 30, 2011 (UTC)

'Not hard to get initial funding - one of the wikis that would be joining us has been on their own for about a year now and has accumulated enough money to support this'- so you are using them as an example? Sorry, I just don't quite understand what you meant. Jag 22:31, September 30, 2011 (UTC)

I meant that if we do move out and another wiki joins us, they have enough money to support us starting up. I could easily pay for it myself, though, and would be willing to do so. a jr 22:40, September 30, 2011 (UTC)

Okay, so we have the funding. Do you have any idea for a suitable host? Jag 04:55, October 1, 2011 (UTC)

I'm concerned by how this discussion has turned from wikia adding new features to suddenly some make or break count on whether people will stay or go. Unlike some decisions we over-discuss here, moving is not one we can just mutter about in the side of forum before deciding, but something that has many pros, cons and requires serious thought, so I think deciding based on one feature wikia chooses is silly, and making a decision without fully exhausting the options and the positives and negatives is jumping the gun badly... - Kingcjc 18:17, September 30, 2011 (UTC)

The point it that they've been doing stuff like this (eg, removing Monaco) for quite a bit of time: they really don't care as much about the users as they do the customers. That's why it's worth moving. We'd be able to do so much more without the hassle of asking them to do it for us. BF2 Talk 18:20, September 30, 2011 (UTC)

Yet, have we discussed the options for moving, where we move to, price, hosting etc. It is fine saying that wikia are making us want to move, but its not as simple as going "Well, I want to move now" and then just clicking a button and being done with it. It takes time, money and planning, and so really deserves more then just "Doesn't wikia suck" "yes, lets move" "ok" - Kingcjc 18:24, September 30, 2011 (UTC)

No, we're just counting up the people, so we can see who would leave and who would stay. The discussion can still continue above. I just did this so people can get a quick glance at people's opinions, without having to read everyone's comments and trying to gauge their opinion. Jag 18:27, September 30, 2011 (UTC)

Pah, whatever. People still are deciding without actually knowing..well anything about what the move would consist of, but guess wanting to know what you are supporting isn't that much use anymore.. - Kingcjc 18:31, September 30, 2011 (UTC)

Basicly I'm saying your putting your support based on certeris paribus, which isn't really that useful at all... - Kingcjc 18:32, September 30, 2011 (UTC)

Comment to opposers. Seriously, think about this. You are opting to stay behind for sentiment? Come on. This move could potentially help this community and wiki to expand - let's go for it and start planning. At least give this a go, because there is really no point in moving if there will be an active community back here. a jr 23:45, September 30, 2011 (UTC)

Per Ajr, think about this: if the rest of the community wanted to leave, would you be willing to go with them, for the wiki's benefit? Jag 00:27, October 1, 2011 (UTC)

I just don't want to see the wiki go. If the wiki goes, I will be on both. More active on the new, but still on the old. It'll still suck though. Just my opinion, I don't care either way anymore. -N B P 00:32, October 1, 2011 (UTC)

No point having both still active, no point having a split community. Just means both sites would get worse. It would be like moving house, but half the family staying at the old one. Both will be less efficient, and fighting for the mail/google rankings. Of course, my main concern would be how to inform people you have moved, as if you do it on the site, wikia go block crazy and put the link in the spam filter across the whole of the site... (plus, Brickipedia is in the top 3 results for a lot of LEGO searches). - Kingcjc 09:06, October 1, 2011 (UTC)
And its not like we are the most efficient of places, if half the people stayed and half left, we may as well just give up...just saying. - Kingcjc 20:58, October 1, 2011 (UTC)

Okay, so we have the funding. Ajr, do you have any idea for a suitable host? Jag 04:10, October 4, 2011 (UTC)

Right, first of all I think it's very kind of you Ajraddatz to be willing to pay the fee's for Brickipedia's new hosting site. However, when you decide to leave, you'd probably (I mean you might or might not) not want to fund something yourself for something you no longer take part in. Can we please look at the bigger picture also? Thanks. Kind regards.

SKP4472 Talk [[Special:Editcount/SKP4472|Special:Editcount/SKP4472 Edits!]] Devoted Editor of Brickipedia 05:52, October 4, 2011 (UTC)

What do you mean by "the big picture"? Also, I'm getting a job (or at least I hope so), so I'll probably be able to provide some funding. BF2 Talk 17:12, October 4, 2011 (UTC)

I can try to cook up a MediaWiki skin if necessary. What layout would y'all prefer? FB100Z • talk • contribs 18:58, October 4, 2011 (UTC)

NOOOO! I want a go! Please, sir FB. I'm good at this sort of thing.- nxt 17:43, October 5, 2011 (UTC)

Why don't we collaborate? I can make a small Google Code project for it so we can both write it and review each other's code :) FB100Z • talk • contribs 05:03, October 6, 2011 (UTC)

Nice Idea! I've never really used gcode before. - nxt 11:02, October 8, 2011 (UTC)

Head Count[]

PLEASE continue the conversation above this and keep this at the bottom the page.

Support Leaving[]

BF2 Talk 18:19, September 30, 2011 (UTC)
Maybe not "now" as such- we would need to consider where/how to host it, and also how to attract people to the wiki. But I am strongly supporting a move- it really bugs me how Wikia forces these changes on us, and they're making a stack of money for the content created by the very users that they just won't listen to (it wouldn't really bother me too much if they made money so long as they actually listened to what their users wanted and didn't want) NightblazeSaber 23:38, September 30, 2011 (UTC)
Changed, I just did it for emphasis. Jag 00:26, October 1, 2011 (UTC)
I only really want to move because Wikia behaves so badly on my computer. Every time I edit a page, a message comes up that says "this script has stopped responding", and my browser freezes for a little while, half the time I try to edit it won't let me anyway, as the "Publish" button is somehow unclickable. Also, although this is no great loss, I am unable to respond to blog comments (or, more importantly, edit or delete them with my special admin powers) unless I am in Monobook, which I prefer not to use, as (despite how bad it is) Oasis is what I am used to. So basically, I'd like to move to a system my computer doesn't hate. -Cligra Join the redlink war!
Seriously? You should consider talking to the Wikia folks about that. FB100Z • talk • contribs 02:51, October 1, 2011 (UTC)
I don't hate Wikia, but we need to find a new home. A problem I see is this: where do we move it? Brickipedia.org is already taken :( FB100Z • talk • contribs 02:51, October 1, 2011 (UTC)
We'd probably have to go to .info. But hopefully things won't come to that. - nxt
--David Robert Jones 10:02, October 1, 2011 (UTC)

Neutral; will leave if the community leaves.[]

Jag 18:05, September 30, 2011 (UTC)
I just want to tie up some loose ends, then I'm good --Berrybrick (Talk) 18:44, September 30, 2011 (UTC)
a jr 21:35, September 30, 2011 (UTC)
-- Sir Penguin! 03:48, October 4, 2011 (UTC)

Oppose Leaving[]

~~#N B P 18:09, September 30, 2011 (UTC)~~ ~~#-- Sir Penguin! 21:51, September 30, 2011 (UTC)~~

We should really just narrow this down to Leave or Stay. -N B P 18:09, September 30, 2011 (UTC)

Narrowed it down to three... Jag 18:27, September 30, 2011 (UTC)

I WILL STAAAAAYYYYYY! - nxt

SKP4472 Talk [[Special:Editcount/SKP4472|Special:Editcount/SKP4472 Edits!]] Devoted Editor of Brickipedia 07:28, October 1, 2011 (UTC)

I will stay too... 09:26, October 1, 2011 (UTC)
i will stay

Darth henry The Dojo Turtles! 12:48, October 1, 2011 (UTC)

One large change isn't going to make me move... (I hope) Agent Swipe^(talk) 13:33, October 5, 2011 (UTC)

USERS FIGHT BACK![]

http://community.wikia.com/wiki/Forum:Message_Wall_-_A_Simple_List_Of_Names#I_don.27t_like_Message_Wall_and_don.27t_want_it_to_replace_user_talkpages

It is a petition to say no to the wall! Sign! MORE THAN 150 USERS ALREADY!

-- Sir Penguin! 01:48, October 2, 2011 (UTC)-- Sir Penguin! 01:48, October 2, 2011 (UTC)

No, users can fight against it as much as they want. It's not gonna be changed back either way. -N B P 11:57, October 5, 2011 (UTC)

Agreed. Though that doesn't mean I won't vote. Agent Swipe^(talk)

Same here, lol. -Cligra Join the redlink war!

For some stupid reason, I can't vote. The edit view blanks everything out. - 14:27, October 5, 2011 (UTC) I've switched to Monobook and I've signed it - 14:34, October 5, 2011 (UTC)

More organized forum for moving.[]

Alright, there are definitely some people who want to move, so let's get some planning done for lols. To those still opposed - completely regardless of this most recent change, a move would be beneficial for Brickipedia. Our own forums, skin, extensions, and power over what we want. There are really no downsides, especially with some of the MediaWiki savvy people who are on Brickipedia. So, anyways, let's plan this here. a jr 22:59, October 5, 2011 (UTC)

Why it shouldn't be done[]

One of the most vital requirements is that a wiki's true goal is to act as a repository for knowledge. While a wiki may contain various features unrelated to the storage and organizing of that knowledge, its ultimate purpose is still to act as an online encyclopedia or datacenter of some form. A wiki must also appear appealing to the individuals that absorb and add new information, and the layout of the wiki must not drive away anyone due to difficulty of navigation and/or an unattractive outlook. This is not to say that an unattractive outlook is worse than a featureless one, but it is very unappealing to all users. Furthermore, a wiki must be properly moderated so that any vandalism of sites can be dealt with swiftly, and any problems on the wiki are quickly reported.

To shorten it down, Wikia are seeing wikis as "Blog Sites", and forcing blog site-like features upon them. If this is supposed to be "modern" and "up-to-date", I'd like to tell those who are trying to turn this into a social network, I WOULD JUST USE FACEBOOK OR BLOGSPOT OR ONE OF THE MILLION OTHER SERVICES WHICH DO THE EXACT SAME THING. - Tehtumpi 17:22, October 7, 2011 (UTC)