Again with the New Wiki

Let me start by saying thank you to those who have jumped to support me, both financially and emotionally, in these times of troubles.  I am very grateful.

A good friend of mine has recently launched his web service company ~ and as a gift he's providing me with an unlimited traditional wiki.  It is live now, at http://wiki.alexissmolensk.com/.  This will be officially my fourth D&D wiki since 2009 ~ and hopefully I won't have to relaunch it again.  My friend assures me that whatever happens, he'll be able to continue hosting me.

This means that, as it did in early 2018, my wiki will be moving.  The plan this time around is to rebuild the wiki from scratch, since I don't have to worry about blogger going down.  In fact, I'll probably leave the blogger wiki active, for those who have made bookmarks and probably don't want to change them.

I've given this some thought.  The move last time taught me that shifting the content is a mere annoyance compared to shifting more than 10,000 page links.  My wiki is also 350 pages larger than it was two years ago.  As such, I've decided the first step is to create ALL the page titles up front, so that any existing page can be linked before the first actual content is copied.  This is about 1,400 pages; I was able to create 603 titles today (since about 1:30pm).  As it happens, coincidentally, I have a little time off as yet another restaurant undergoes a renovation.  This has allowed me to write more than usual this last week or so.

Going back to a traditional wiki grants me an improvement in tools that I've had to forego using a blog.  I don't know who remembers, but I looked into several wikis back in late 2017, only to find they did not have enough memory or that they had content rules that did not suit my needs.  Both of those restrictions are now gone.

A proper wiki enables me to search for orphans (nothing links to the page) and dead ends (the page links to nothing else).  It allows me to make changes without worries that the changes will be lost, as all changes are recorded in a history.  It means the content is no longer posted linearally, so that I can control what is seen first.  I haven't tested this yet, but I believe it gives me a menu so that the reader can skip down the page, like with wikipedia.  And, once again, since I can fix any bad changes that might be made, it means I can allow other people to participate.

Here's what I learned from previous volunteers who joined my wiki:

1.  It wasn't as much fun as they expected.  They learned that making rule and content pages for public view is taxing and somewhat less than emotionally rewarding.

2.  Wiki-design does require some experience and training.

3.  They found themselves intimidated by both my output and the quality of appearance I created, or so I was told, and this turned out to be discouraging.

4.  It is hard to invent something worthy to add.

5.  They did not want to bother me.

6.  Fixing grammar and spelling mistakes sucks.

So, I can offer a little advice.  First, the wiki exists to make an impression on the D&D playing world; as such, I want the wiki to look as professional and attractive as possible.  Like everyone else on the web filling up their instagram and pintrest folders, I am actively using a website to display rich, stylish pictures that I am best able to link to specific pages.  I am also working to standardize the tables that appear on these pages, in color and the utilization of white space and soft-gray borders.  A table that is tightly designed with hard black borders looks garish and unpleasant; but this is a problem that can be easily fixed, if the volunteer will ask me for help.

If anyone wants to be a volunteer, this is a priority:  interrupt me, engage with me, ask me questions, let me help you.  Design is really not that hard, but it comes easier if you treat it as a learning experience.

Apart from moving the content of 1,400 files, which volunteers can help with (if they want the experience), I have hundreds of hours of real content work that needs to be added to the wiki: monsters, spells, sage ability rules, history, herbs and medicines, magic items, etc.  For volunteers who might be interested, I don't need someone to invent new work by brainstorming ideas.  I need people who might be interested in rewriting all the AD&D 4th level mage spells, or researching falconry to figure out what sage abilities ought to be included; or giving a precise list of valuable (and very minor) in game benefits to be gained from berberis, comfrey root, gelsemium, hyssop, kelp, quince and white bryony.  I would prefer that these benefits were based on real myths discovered about the herbs, and not out of one's pocket.

Yes, any new work that anyone takes on would be subject to veto from me; or most likely some adjustment, major or minor.  It is a question of playability, actual game value being added, continuity with the existing system and general quality.  I know how intimidating that sounds; but it isn't a personal attack, it is a matter of my experience ~ not only my age, but the enormous amount of time I've spent producing content exactly like that which already appears on the wiki.  This could be a learning experience for the right group of volunteers ~ and what makes the right group is less a matter of genius and talent as it is a willingness to learn and see the world more thoroughly through research, adaptation and respecting the spirit of that thing being represented.

Before putting a page together about a monster, I spend a good deal of time reading about its behaviour, dimensions and habitat ... and paraphrasing carefully directly from the source material in order to translate it to D&D, rather than build a thing out of whole cloth.  This is partly why I'm able to manage so much content: because I'm stealing it directly from sources, adjusting certain phrases and details so it will fit a game world.  I can't teach this process; but I can identify when it is not being done well.

I would like some volunteers.  I need people who are willing to do nothing more than fix spelling and grammatical errors, find broken links, or add links to a page if some other page is referenced.  Or look at content and say, "Gee, that doesn't quite make sense."  And then try to fix it themselves, or come and find me.  You're not bothering me.  You're making the wiki better.  It is then my responsibility to help you make that wiki better.

If you want to join, for the present know that the first big task is going to be populating the new wiki.  That's dull, repetitive, boring work.  But I made 600 blank pages today; and I will probably make a hundred or so more before I go to bed tonight.  Dull, repetitive work is often how the greatest things get built: 99% perspiration and all that.

I'd like some help, yes.  But this is one thing where the quality comes first ~ and I will happily work alone, if need be, to ensure that quality.  As annoying as it is to keep having to build it again, I believe that my wiki is the best work I do.