User:Sandstar12/Essays/Why We Joined The Wiki

'''Before I start, I would like to remind any readers that this essay is extremely opinionated and is based solely on the way I see WWiki. It is in no way accepted to be factual excepting the additional links at the bottom of the page. You may not agree with me, but feel free to express your own opinions on the Talk Page structured in a polite and legible way. I would not like comments on this directed to my user talk, thank you. If you disagree with any of my opinions, that's fine, but I do not expect any disrespectful or insulting comments. Thank you for reading =)'''

There are many reasons to join WWiki, but I should hope that the first and foremost reason would be a love for the Warriors World, followed in a close second, by a desire to form an extensive and factually accurate database as a resource for all those with an interest in this complex and creative collection of characters and settings. Both of those are certainly reasons I joined, although I admit they were not the only factors that prompted me to do so. I came across the WWiki a good few months before I decided to join, and unsurprisingly to those of you who know of my role and position within the WWiki community, it was Project Charart that first caught my eye. I watched for a while, checking back in about once a week to keep up with what was going on, and eventually I joined, unsure of exactly how the wiki worked, but well aware of the way the community worked. That was my third reason for joining - the community. I joined the wiki with the utmost respect for those I had seen working to shape the wiki into what was a ghost of what it has become today, although at the time - little over a year ago - the improvements were vast and a huge achievement for the scattering of members. I was like any new user, probably worse than some, but learned quickly with the help of certain long-standing members, who will remain nameless for the purpose of this essay, but I trust you know who you are. (If you do not, you should ^_^) Soon I began to understand the WWiki as a whole, although I still find things to learn every day, and I branched out, becoming more involved with the other projects as much as I was able, and I surprised myself by finding myself among one of the most fantastic groups of people I have met online. You're probably wondering by now, why I'm telling you this, and I admit, an essay based around my history on WWiki would be dull, tedious and inconsequential at least, so I will spare you from that. I wanted however, to highlight the true purpose of the wiki, which is not, as some new users may be inclined to believe – and quite justifiably considering the current situations – a chat site, forum or roleplay site. Whilst the wiki has, as I have mentioned, a great community and I have met some of my best online friends, friendship (or signing a list to say you are friends, which is what seems to be deemed as friendship these days) cannot be the primary function of the wiki. WWiki has many a hardworking, dedicated user content to stay relatively unnoticed whilst systematically combing through article after article making edits for the betterment of the wiki. It is these users who have been rewarded for their work and have earned my respect at the very least, for what it is worth. It is the respect of our fellows that we should all aim to earn through the value and quality of our contributions, for only then is the wiki making progress. I have been lucky enough myself to gain the friendship, and hopefully, respect of other members, making my time on WWiki all the more enjoyable as I have been privileged enough to watch the majority of its growth into what you see today. We should not join the wiki for power, authority or control, nor to make ourselves feel important; we join to help improve knowledge of the complex world of warriors and eliminate all false families, rumours and supposed ‘facts’ that are not author confirmed, and hopefully have some fun along the way. Additional Reading: About us Warriors Wiki is NOT