2008 February

Archive for February, 2008

Wiki Hints - Take It Home

Posted by TroyJMorris on February 29th, 2008 No Comments

The most critical page in an entire wiki is the home page. It is the first thing your visitors see, so it’s your chance to make a smashing first impression. Our very own SEO Content Coordinator, Erin Nickerson recently created a page over at Wetpaint Central illustrating some wikis that can really keep one heck of a home.

She’s extracted three keys to building a premo home page before people come to the door:

1.) Do-it-yourself design basics. Use tables, headlines and small paragraphs to organize your homepage and drive visitors deeper into your site.

2.) State your purpose. Clearly state what your wiki is about and how they can get involved. Help visitors recognize that this is a wiki party and they are all invited.

3.) Keep it fresh. Keep the home page updated. The more often your refresh the content, the more often visitors and members will return to your site with anticipation.

Erin has a ton more helpful hints over at Wetpaint Central, which is yet another great resource for getting the most out of your Wetpaint site.

Keyword Tags: New Media, Wikis, Wetpaint

Our Best Budde

Posted by Michael on February 28th, 2008 3 Comments

Meet Budde: junior developer, web guru, and Wetpaint enthusiast who adds “Providing user support” to the top of the list of things he does for fun. Budde’s passion for helping other users shines through on Wetpaint Central, where he was recently promoted to Moderator.

Here are the top five reasons that we think Budde is a Superstar:

1. Budde is a creator or member of over 130 wikis.

2. He’s made nearly 2000 contributions as a Moderator on Wetpaint Central.

3. He hosts a series of weekly tech podcasts, including Wetpaint Talk.

4. In his spare time (which we can’t believe he can find) he is also a fish keeper.

5. He is not even out of high school!

So thanks, Budde, for all you do to help make the Wetpaint user experience the best that it can be!

Keyword Tags: Wikis, Wetpaint

A Wiki Profile: For the Future of Australia

Posted by TroyJMorris on February 26th, 2008 No Comments

Back in November, Australia went and got itself a brand new Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd. One of Rudd’s first acts as Prime Minister is a Community Outreach event where he will be gathering 1,000 of the “best and brightest” Australia has to offer to discuss the future of Australia. This two day summit is getting a lot of attention Down Under, some of it positive and some of it negative. The majority of negative coverage is in protest over the lack of representation of the voices and opinions of the remaining 20,699,000 Australian citizens who won’t be heard.

That’s when a self proclaimed “regular bloke” named Jim decided to use the Wild World Wide Web to help ensure that those not picked to attend the summit would be heard. Thus, the Oz Ideas website was born.

In order for Oz Ideas to succeed, Jim needed a tool that meet three critical criteria:

It had to be able to handle an open discussion amongst the public. The less road blocks (accounts, etc) the tool had, the better. Trying to keep the discussion as open and public as possible was principle to the spirit of “Oz Ideas.”
It had to have administrative abilities (somewhat like a blog). There needed to be people in some form of control (moderators, admins, etc.) to give the platform some direction.
It had to have the ability for the ideas shared to have priority. Of course, it’s ridiculous to assume that every idea could be discussed in a two day summit. Currently, Oz Ideas is hosting a petition and will be, hopefully, presenting a great selection of ideas which are decided by those who decide to vote on the wiki.

After many, many hours of research between different platforms (blogs, bulletin boards and social networking sites) he found us here at Wetpaint. The wiki met all of his criteria- and most of all- it was simple. He figured the best way to get the most Australians engaged would be to keep the platform as simple and straight forward as possible. Within a week, Oz Ideas has already garnered a ton of attention and traffic. He expects the trend to continue and for it to get even larger as the the event’s date (April 19th) nears.

We here at Wetpaint are very happy that Jim and 20,699,000 Australians are working together to figure out their future- after all- that is the wiki way.

http://ozideas.wetpaint.com and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_2020

Keyword Tags: Web 2.0, User Experience, User Generated Content, Events, Wikis, General, Wetpaint

Wiki Hints - The Wonderful World of Tables

Posted by TroyJMorris on February 25th, 2008 No Comments

The fine folks over at the Ultimate James Bond Wiki have, once again, delivered some quality hints and all around good advice about wiki building.

All these tips are focused on the very important art of formatting. Formatting can and will give your wiki the life it needs to flourish on the internet. It helps get and keep many users, because- let’s face it- people like to look at pretty things. The most helpful tips the Bond Wiki has provided are those that deal with tables. Tables have a lot of power and can really transform your wiki into something table-riffic. Just take a look at a what a tricked out tables can do:

All in all there are 13 Tips (however, thankfully for the superstitious the final tip is numbered as 14) and the recurring tip is to use the “Right-Click.” It’s like opening a whole new world of wiki.

Keyword Tags: Web 2.0, User Experience, Social Networking, General, Wikis, Wetpaint

Profile of a Painter: Jaymie of the “Supernatural Fanwiki”

Posted by TroyJMorris on February 21st, 2008 3 Comments

Yesterday, I had the great privilege of interviewing one of our most successful painters. Jaymie managed to get her Supernatural Fan Wiki up into the top 100 Wetpaint Wikis in less than 6 months. By putting passion and energy behind the development of her wiki, she’s made her story one to surely take note of. Who knows- Jaymie’s efforts, and the efforts of the other members’ may even save a TV show.

WP: So, what was it that made you want to start the Supernatural Fanwiki?
Jaymie: Well, I love the show! I got into it about a year ago with the first episode being “Folsom Prison Blues” and knew it was a great show right from there! After watching all the episodes, I thought about making a site for other fans to make it easier to find what they need instead of having to search a lot of different sites
WP: So can you tell me a bit about trying to get such an ambitious wiki off the ground? Were there any troubles when you first started?
Jaymie: It was mostly trying to find all the info that I needed to really get it going… it took me about 3 months just to get the most important stuff in the wiki.
WP: Wow. That’s some dedication.
Jaymie: Yup- but it was worth it! I mean look at all the members it has so far… I get about 10 new members a day so the sites got to be good right?
WP: That’s right! And it’s a great lead to my next question: at what point did you realize that your wiki, the Supernatural Fanwiki, had become a true wiki success?
Jaymie: Well, mainly, when it got on the wetpaint homepage, added to the Wetpaints “Wiki of the Month” in one of the newsletters, and adding it to the cross-promotion section of the wiki sites. That was a great help.
WP: So about how many members does the site have now?
Jaymie: Right now it has about 223 member… so far.
WP: Wow, impressive. And what do you think that most of those members come for?
Jaymie: For the information on their favorite show and the chance to talk and interact with other fans.
WP: Is there anything coming up the pipe line that the wiki members can look forward to?
Jaymie: Well, I add a lot of new information on a regular basis. I normally add any new things that I think other fans would want to see. I am always willing to take suggestions from other users when it comes, but I never really know what I’m going to add until the thought clicks.
WP: Any new sections? Themes? I know you’re getting ready to debut the new homepage.
Jaymie:Yeah, the homepage took a lot of work. I mostly based the layout from the more known wikis (CSI:Miami wiki, etc.) and got the feedback from the members of the wiki. I haven’t really thought of any new sections yet; I often look around on other Supernatural sites to see if there is something I think should be on the wiki that isn’t.
WP: Which section is your personal favorite?
Jaymie: My personal favorite is the “Hunters Journals” because you get to see into the life of some of the hunters before they started the job of going after the Supernatural
WP: So what’s going on with the show’s possible cancellation? Any new news there?
Jaymie: Well, of what I have heard, the show is going on hiatus after a few more episodes and should return, possibly in the summer if the ratings go up. They said that if the viewings are higher then they may bring it back for a fourth season.
WP: I know you’re putting a lot of effort to raise awareness, your wiki comes up number one when searching for “Save Supernatural” Do you think your efforts have made an impact on the television network?
Jaymie: I think this illustrates that the show has more support than they thought. The wiki has helped greatly to bring the fans together and I really hope it helps out!
WP: As do I. So do you have any other tips to the Wetpainters out there?
Jaymie: Well- if you have an idea that you like, even if you don’t think it will go anywhere, try it and maybe it will work out like mine did!
WP: Huzzah! Well- Jaymie, thanks for answering all my questions. Take care!
Jaymie: You too!

You can read even more about the Supernatural Wiki at http://supernaturalfanwiki.wetpaint.com.

Keyword Tags: Web 2.0, User Experience, Social Networking, General, Wetpaint, Wikis, Fun

It’s Peanut Butter Sandwich Love Time

Posted by TroyJMorris on February 20th, 2008 No Comments

We here in Seattle managed to snag ourselves a few days of sunshine over the weekend. Unfortunately, that ended this morning. So everyone has sort of been doubling up on the java intake to make us a bit more chipper when what arrives at our door but a little bit of love.

Looks like someone gave us some heart-shaped PB sandwiches from Tat’s. And since they were sent “anonymously” there’s no real way we can let the well-wisher know that our Valentines Day promotion was a roaring success. So we’ll do it here, by displaying a prime examples of Wiki-Love (click to view full size).

Heck. Some Wetpainters even created Valentines for their dogs!

Keyword Tags: Social Networking, Web 2.0, General, Wikis, Wetpaint, Fun

Wikileaks Shut Down - Totally Lame

Posted by Kevin on February 19th, 2008 2 Comments

As many now know and many will know soon, openness, democracy (and wikis) around the world were dealt a blow when Wikileaks.org was forced to shut down by a ruling issued by a federal judge in San Francisco. You can read the story in the New York Times but the basic gist is this:

Wikileaks allows anyone to contribute information and documentation that discourages nefarious behavior by companies and governments. The suit that shut the site down was brought by a bank residing in the Cayman Islands – home to sunny weather and secret bank accounts. The lawsuit in question involved allegedly stolen documents that revealed various trust structures that hid assets for tax evasion.

Wikileaks was started by journalists and Chinese dissidents and a host of others who wanted to develop “an uncensorable Wikipedia for untraceable mass document leaking and analysis.” We think that’s a pretty noble cause. As always, someone else explains the rationale for such a pursuit much better than I ever could – “Where secrecy or mystery begins, vice or roguery is not far off.”

Keyword Tags: User Generated Content, Events, Wikis

Happy President’s Day! (the Wiki Way)

Posted by TroyJMorris on February 18th, 2008 No Comments

We here at Wetpaint wish all you Wetpainters out there a very Happy President’s Day! With the 2008 presidential horserace occupying the national mind, we thought, why not celebrate the spirit of the day by sharing some of our past President’s most famous lines, via the eQuotes Wiki?

Let’s hear from the faces adorning Mt. Rushmore:

“When we assumed the Soldier, we did not lay aside the Citizen.” - President Washington

“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.” - President Jefferson

“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.” - President T. Roosevelt

“Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today.” - President Lincoln

If you have any quotes from any famous source, pop on over to the eQuotes Wiki and be heard!

Keyword Tags: User Generated Content, Collaboration, General, Wikis, Wetpaint, Fun

A Wiki Profile - Bond. James Bond.

Posted by TroyJMorris on February 15th, 2008 No Comments

It was a cold winter night in Idaho when our very own Alex Berg set out on a mission. A mission that would send him to the top of the Google world in a quest of the Ultimate James Bond Fan Site.

It took Alex 4 months of diligent effort to get his Bond Wiki to the number one page on Google. Earlier today, I spoke with Alex and petitioned him to brief the Wetpaint community on his success story. He politely obliged.

Get a good custom URL. - Easier said than done in some cases. Most James Bond URLs have long since been taken up, but JamesBondWiki.com was still available. Domains are getting cheaper and cheaper to buy, so start snagging some up and your Wetpaint Wiki can easily be placed under any of domain your purchase.

Build smart page names. - This is an easy one to miss out on. Yes, it may seem repetitive inside your site to call the Bond Quotes page “James Bond Quotes,” but think of what someone on Google would search for: not many folks would type “quote” into the search bar and expect to see James Bond Quotes. Internally repetitive? Maybe. Search Engine Optimized? Yes. (Side note - a search for “James Bond Quotes” delivers that Alex’s page as the number one result).

Start link swapping. - You’re never alone. If you have a passion, others share it. It’s the essence of Wetpaint Wikis. And there are probably a few sites already out there about your very topic. Don’t be afraid to reach out and start sharing links. Alex contacted some Bond sites and offered exchanges, and even just added some links to his link page just out of good faith. Google loves link sharing- just like your mother taught you.

Link your own content -extensively. - It all comes back to links. Link to your own internally pages whenever possible. Linking to your own pages within your site, you increase the number of page-views for each session. More page-views = more wiki love. But, don’t forget, those links have to be quality. Don’t just link for the sake of linking. Wetpaint developed a snazzy little tool to help you do just that. In the EasyEdit Menu, just click the “Suggest Links” button and let us help do some heavy lifting.

Those are just some of Alex’s hints and tips to get you climbing higher and higher on Google. Other key points he made were to have quality content, define your wiki’s purpose to new members, use “To-Do’s” to help contributors know what to do with the wiki, install some Analytics program to understand your traffic, make sure you use specific and meaningful tags (tags are your best friend in the Wiki game) and ever great wiki needs at least 3-5 high quality moderators, after all- no wiki is an island.

Keyword Tags: Web 2.0, User Experience, Social Networking, General, Wetpaint, Wikis, Fun

A Glance into Wetpaint - Dear Dustin Down

Posted by TroyJMorris on February 14th, 2008 6 Comments

Meet Dustin:

Dustin wetpaint

He is in charge of our Search Engine Optimization- basically he’s working hard at getting your sites popping up on Google, Yahoo!, Ask, etc.

He’s also involved in our most rocking dodge ball team. Unfortunately, as he is often known to do, gave it his all and it cost him his Achilles Tendon. He’s been out for far too long, ankle in a cast, eating grapes from a bowl, and watching The Young and the Restless. (to be fair, I have no idea if he’s watching Y&R, but Victor Jr. is coming so who wouldn’t?!)

So, for this Valentine’s Day, we’d like to wish Dustin all the best in recovery and hope he comes back soon. Also- Don’t let him know I’ve been using his pens.

Keyword Tags: General, Wikis, Wetpaint, Fun

freshcoats, the wetpaint blog