NIWA - should we consider joining them?

[Torchickens]

"NIWA" is a network of 'independent' wikis which I believe Zeldawiki and Bulbapedia founded. It has already affiliated with other Nintendo related wikis such as Mariowiki, Metroid Wiki, Pikipedia and one non-Nintendo related wiki: Strategy Wiki.

According to its own website: niwanetwork.org, it promises to support and help grow 'independent' Nintendo wikis. Though in another sense, it also stands as a force, (perhaps a bit of a biased one at that) against wikis run through the Wikia service (where it may be putting up a controversial stance that Wikia are 'at war' with NIWA?).

Here are a few points to consider:

Advantages:
1) If we join them, other members of NIWA especially those who are knowledgeable about non-Pokémon glitches can help support us by contributing to our wiki and cleaning up pages.
2) Consequentially, this will attract more visitors and make GCL a more well known source for the documentation of video game glitches.
3) More visitors to the website means that the community is likely to expand; we have a larger spread of users willing to inform others of their findings and research more glitches.
4) We may be able to get the support of other wikis to help keep our website up.
5) Closer links with other primarily Nintendo related websites.

Disadvantages:

1) (Important): This puts large stress on our website, as well as Operation Time Capsule and The Morass. Joining NIWA is risky and may cost a lot of money to maintain the server.
2) Some of the information (about glitches) on Glitch City Laboratories is already on Bulbapedia, this may be a little awkward if the information contradicts itself/conflicts. Other contributors may feel that there is no reason in contributing to our wiki if known glitches are already covered on another NIWA website. We may be putting ourselves in a narrow situation where we assume that the information about glitches on other NIWA wikis is moved/implemented into our wiki, which in it itself is difficult to do.

[Yuzihax]

edit numero quatro:

okay there's actually, if you look into it, almost no chance that we'd be turned away.

let's do this s**t.

[Wa]

Server stress is definitely major issue, so we'll have to wait until malacoda says something on that.

Assuming that he agrees to take care of that, it would be good to reconcile our dysfunction with Bulbapedia when it comes to glitches. However, as you mentioned, this would be awkward; Bulbapedia already has information on glitches, but we have greater depth. Perhaps a discussion with the current NIWA would help resolve issues before joining. Maybe a statement like "We're thinking about joining, but are concerned that info currently on our wiki would conflict with that on others" would help start discussion.

Once these problems are solved, I agree with Yuzihax that there is no doubt that they will accept us. After all, they accepted a Pikmin fanon wiki.

[Adrian Malacoda]

I like the idea but I have 3 concerns, two of which have been voiced already

My concern is that this might limit our scope. We started out doing Pokemon and still are primarily Pokemon, but since we implemented Caspar we have been broadening out. We aren't strictly a Nintendo wiki anymore. This might hurt our case.

That and the fact that we are still unfinished with infrastructure problems.

[Yuzihax]

We aren't strictly a Nintendo wiki anymore. This might hurt our case.

StrategyWiki would like to have a word with you.

but yeah considering that strategywiki got the full membership and they're not strictly nintendo means that what we cover isn't going to hurt us any more than it did them.
also it appears that they are considering a WoW wiki at the moment too, so...yeah.

e: also concerning the server and stuff, that s**t messes up regardless if its two or two hundred people on it, so it doesn't really look like that matters very much 'cause of that.
...but i know nothing of servers and s**t so feel free to ignore this if i'm wrong.

[Tombstoner]

Based on what Yuzihax said, we should definitely apply for this.

[Yuzihax]

10/26/2010  3:24:26 PM  GARY 'M 9  Yuzihax  Abwayax gave you the go-ahead for contacting the NIWA preliminary

And so I did, wonder what they'll say.

Will post the response whenever I get it.

(also 'preliminary' only means that we are getting confirmation from NIWA as to whether or not we would be applicable, which if confirmed will allow us to continue debating on whether or not to go for it, otherwise we'll just drop it.)

[Bluelatios]

I vote yes, it would be beneficial for sure! But server running cost does seem a bit daunting. Adrian, you'd be ok with that?

[Yuzihax]

still haven't seen anything nor have I received a response.

e: waiting until tuesday for a response, after which i'm just going to assume that their answer is a 'no' and close the topic.

e2: why did i think being a dick was necessary.

[blahpy]

Did you contact them through their forums?

[Photon-Phoenix]

Try the forums Yuzi. I don't think they check their e-mail much.

[Yuzihax]

The request has been posted, anyone else who is a member on the forums is welcome to jump in the discussion any time and assist in hopefully getting us somewhere.

[Mugendai]

</late>

I'm primarily interested in joining NIWA because of the huge boost in activity we'll get. It seems that a final decision was made elsewhere, but I'm unaware of it; are we going to join NIWA if we're more ready?

[Torchickens]

</late>

I'm primarily interested in joining NIWA because of the huge boost in activity we'll get. It seems that a final decision was made elsewhere, but I'm unaware of it; are we going to join NIWA if we're more ready?

I haven't heard anything more than the replies from what was posted in Yuzihax's request here: http://www.niwanetwork.org/forums/index.php?topic=481.0. Adrian Malacoda suggests that this is only a check to see whether we are conceptually eligible.

They aren't making any final decisions at the present moment and are only discussing potential. Xizor, a NIWA coordinator from the niwanetwork.org forums suggested that conceptually once the current memory issues with Glitch City Laboratories (and other Eightzees hosted sites) are resolved we could become "good members". Xizor even suggested a merge with Zelda Chaos (a Wiki focussing on glitches from The Legend of Zelda franchise) to try and resolve the memory issues but no one has approached Adrian Malacoda or Zelda Chaos about that (as far as I know) yet.

Axiomist from WiKirby said "we (referring to NIWA staff) aren't saying yes or no at the moment." He thinks that "conceptually a glitch focused Wiki would be a great inclusion to NIWA's portfolio of offerings" but on the other hand he would prefer "something as strong as Strategy Wiki to be the NIWA glitch partner".

[SCf3]

let's do this s**t.