User blog:NOBODY/Popularizing the Nitrome Wiki

Hi all! Do you all know what the mission (sorry for poor use of words, I couldn't remember what other words to use) of the Nitrome Wiki is? It's to create a big encyclopedia about Nitrome! As no one person can create an encyclopedia by themself (well, I could, I did it for about a year), they need the help of other users to do the project - it becomes a community effort.

As the wiki goes on, project will be started, and mini projects done by only a few users will also pop up. How far a project goes, and how long it takes to do it is proportional to how many users work with it. Since we got popularized with the release of Nitrome Must Die, we have still had an generally small amount of users on here. Even though we've been receiving 2-6,000 views per day, we haven't really had a substantial growth of users (well, we did get a few new users, but I'm talking about users who stay here and edit as the months go by). And it isn't hard to understand why... the wiki hasn't been popularized!

Using methods of popularizing the wiki will draw more users, and more users will allow for more successful projects, ones that finish faster. More users equal a bigger community, more fanart, and other stuff you get out of more users. Below I list various methods of how we could popularize the Nitrome Wiki. I made this blog post mainly so that other users could suggest methods that aren't listed here.

Nitrome.com
Basically, this section isn't highlighting how we can get advertised on Nitrome's site, it highlighting how we can never get highlighted and the reasons why Nitrome won't even want to highlight us.

Nitrome.com layout
Do you see all the boxes that surround every page of Nitrome.com? The table of contents, the Nitrome logo with the little 14x14 face, the featured banner, top games, and Nitrome banner? Well, if Nitrome were to place a link to us there, then we wouldn't have to popularize ourselves at all - Nitrome would be doing it for us.

However, there are various problems with this, problems which Nitrome wouldn't like to have in a fan site that has a link across all pages. As highlighted below,
 * Changeable - as with all Wiki's, things can be changed. If Nitrome links to the front page (where else?), they may fear that since Wiki's can be changed, and may not want people complaining to them if something offensive is put up. Also, as it is called "Nitrome Wiki" (Nitrome is in its name), and placed on a layout that links to stuff run by Nitrome, people may complain to them without seeing that the wiki is fan managed.
 * Greed - Nitrome may see us as greedy. We already have a link on Nitrome's link page - now we want a link on the general site layout? They may see this as greedy, greedy, greedy... which is why we shouldn't try this
 * Authenticity - As the wiki is editable by everyone, Nitrome may fear that people may put up content which other people may believe, which may invoke comments on Nitrome's Facebook page, or cause something else related. Comments on Nitrome's Facebook page probably won't be bad... look at all the idiots who asked Nitrome if "Nitrome Touchy is coming to Android", and "Where is Super Feed Me".
 * What does Nitrome get out of it? - Nitrome links to us, but they don't get anything out of it. If Nitrome is going to link to someone across their layout, they must get something out of it. Otherwise, they take risks for no reason.

Now, I've gone through why Nitrome would not want to link to use, let's go through the reasons why Nitrome will.
 * Clarification - For those Nitrome fans who are absolutely confused about dead-simple sentences, they can come to the Nitrome Wiki where we clarify things with citations. Although if they get confused over simple sentences and pester Nitrome on Facebook, will they likely come to the Nitrome Wiki? Likely not - if you can be so stupid and to not read what Nitrome says in their blog posts, how are they going to wander on to the Nitrome Wiki?
 * Information - Nitrome fans can find information about Nitrome-related content they didn't even know existed. But then, how is that a reason for Nitrome to link to the Nitrome Wiki?

Nitrome's blog/Facebook/Twitter
In Nitrome related posts, Nitrome may refer to certain things from past games (cameos, events, stuff like that). Now, as not all of Nitrome's fans will be familiar with the references Nitrome makes, what better way to inform them about these characters than a link to the Nitrome Wiki? Now, lets look at the pros and cons of this:
 * -Con: Changeable - Wiki's can be changed. Unlike the front page of the Nitrome Wiki that is protected, Nitrome Wiki articles can be changed by anyone. However, if Nitrome were to link to us, they could request for protection of pages. However, as not all of us are on at all times (wish I could be on at all times...), we can't fulfill all of Nitrome's requests immediately (unless we adminned Nitrome here).
 * Also, what if the page on that subject is poorly written? Will Nitrome really want to direct to a poorly written page?
 * -Con: Greed - Nitrome may see us as greedy. However, I don't see how you can see linking to Nitrome Wiki page as greedy, as it's just for clarification
 * -Con: What for? - Why would Nitrome ever need to link to us for something relating to a past game? People can simply just go and play the game. However, we list images, but then, Nitrome can go and just take images out of their games. So really, no reason to link to us
 * -Con: Authenticity - Nitrome Wiki articles can be edited by anyone, and anyone can put up false information. Does Nitrome really want to accidentally link people to the Cuboy article, then on the opening line have a information about Cuboy being bought from Nintendo for 10,000 US dollars?

So as you can see, Nitrome wouldn't need to link to us about something like a past-game reference.

As you can see, the Nitrome Wiki can greatly help Nitrome fans with Nitrome related game problems, and also have lots to read. However, Nitrome can't get anything out of it. Thus, Nitrome presumably won't link to us more for the above reasons.

Also, we shouldn't try to get Nitrome angry through trying to advertise the Nitrome Wiki on Nitrome's Facebook page and site layout - the Nitrome Wiki is still not well known, and Nitrome can create a harsh blog post about us and highlight something bad about the Nitrome Wiki, and the majority of Nitrome's fans would read the blog post about us and see know about the bad things that happened here. Although Nitrome probably won't make a move like that since that could prevent future fan sites, and as Nitrome highlighted, there large fanbase has contributed to Nitrome's success.

Nitrome Wiki on Facebook
Many other wikis - independent and Wikia - have gone on to Facebook to promote themselves. Nitrome Wiki on Facebook could be considerably helpful, as many Nitrome fans are on Facebook. As you can subscribe to people on Facebook, people can subscribe to us, and be constantly reminded of stuff on the Nitrome Wiki.

We could use the Nitrome Wiki for informing users of stuff that happens here, walkthroughs, milestones, or how all the articles for something have been completed. However, as I don't know much about Facebook, other users probably have other ideas for Facebook I haven't mentioned. Also, the small messages relating to the Nitrome Wiki are probably best for Twitter.

The Spanish Nitrome Wiki portal
Santi speaks Spanish, has a good grip of the English language, runs the Spanish Nitrome Wiki, and knows how to use Facebook - Spanish Nitrome Wiki page! With Facebook, and how many Nitrome fans are Spanish, Santi can translate Nitrome blog posts into Spanish, and also popularize the Spanish Nitrome Wiki.

As the Spanish Nitrome Wiki is fairly small, we should use the English Nitrome Wiki Facebook page (when it comes out) for the Spanish posts. These translated Nitrome Blog posts will likely be popular - as the English/Spanish Nitrome wiki page will be the only site on the internet to translate these Nitrome blog posts. In fact, if the page gets a large following, the Spanish Nitrome Wiki will probably be packed full of users quite soon!

If we try to have Nitrome Wiki Facebook pages in other language, we should first start with Spanish. Also, the Spanish Nitrome Wiki could be very helpful by having the English text from a Nitrome game and showing the Spanish translation.

If the Spanish Nitrome Wiki portal becomes popular enough, it will be split into its own Facebook page.

Nitrome Wiki on Twitter
Nitrome Wiki on Twitter! We can use the Nitrome Wiki on Twitter for short messages, like if a game page is completed with all video walkthroughs, all articles for a certain game are completed, Battle of the Week, featured article, etc.. Also, we can use this for Spanish messages.

What other methods?
Here I list other methods at which the Nitrome Wiki can be popularized.

Wikia Spotlight
We can submit the Nitrome Wiki for Wikia Spotlight. We meet all the criteria for spotlight (as I show below):
 * The requester should be either an active admin, or link to a discussion with an active admin of the wiki and agreeing to the spotlight.
 * I'm an active admin!
 * The wiki should have at least 200 content pages, not counting stubs. Very short articles (less than about 300bytes; listed at Special:Shortpages) and articles marked with a stub template should make up no more than 1/5th of all pages on the wiki.
 * Under 300 bytes in the definition of a short page. From Special:Shortpages, we have 24 pages under 300 bytes. That is a little above 1% of all the article on our wiki, so we're okay.
 * The main page of the wiki should have at least one picture, and clear links to the most important content. It should not be sysop-protected from editing unless there is a strong history of vandalism.
 * We have pictures, and a clear link to the most important content of the wiki. I guess I'll de-protect the front page.
 * The wiki should have a clear category structure to help readers navigate around the site. Every content page should be in a category (Special:UncategorizedPages should be empty).
 * Special:UncategorizedPages is empty (with the sole exception of one project page), and all articles have categories.
 * The wiki should not be in the middle of choosing new admins, or any other upheavals; it should be a stable, friendly place.
 * Not choosing any new admins, and everyone here is friendly.
 * The wiki should be using the Wikia welcome tool, signed by admins -- (MediaWiki:Welcome-user should say @latest, @sysop or the name of an admin.)
 * MediaWiki:Welcome-user is signed properly.
 * The wiki should have a custom message in the Community Center on Recent Wiki Activity. (MediaWiki:Community-corner)
 * MediaWiki:Community-corner sure does have a custom message.
 * The wiki should have a customized skin.
 * Obviously, we have a custom skin. Thanks Santi!

Thus, we are clear for spotlight.

Youtube
Lots of people go to Youtube for Nitrome Walkthroughs. If we can somehow get most Nitrome Walkthroughers on Youtube to link to the Nitrome Wiki, we should get a tiny bit more users. Better yet - a short five second still frame advertising the Nitrome Wiki. If we can get people to put this up (don't see how we're going to get everyone to do this), then we will also be informing people of the Nitrome Wiki.

I thought that to get people to advertise the Nitrome Wiki, we could organize some sort of partner thing. Like if you link to the Nitrome Wiki and have a five second frame advertising the Nitrome Wiki at the start of each of your Nitrome videos, you get something.

I couldn't think of what that "something" could be.

Tell you friends!
Have friends who play Nitrome? Tell them about the Nitrome Wiki! Better yet, if they have an iPhone, tell them about Nitrome's awesome iPhone games (tell them about the free Nitrome Touchy app, for instance), then tell them about the Nitrome Wiki.

Inform other gaming websites
JayisGames, Freegamenews, Gamezebo, Bacon and games, Bytejacker... we could possibly inform them of the Nitrome Wiki, and they may even link to us! I got this idea when JayisGames linked to the Submachine Wiki in one post about a Submachine game.

Closing comments
Well, I had the idea for this blog post around three months ago. Thought a lot about what could go into this blog post. Finally, when Nitrome began changing their website, and I searched Nitrome Wiki and didn't pull anything up (of course I wouldn't pull anything up - I just tried it to test out the search), I thought of doing this blog post. Well, two/three hours well spent.

Finally, if you have any other ideas how we could popularize the Nitrome Wiki, say so in the comments - I've probably only highlighted a few ideas.