The Daily Edit/2007/05/ComTeam interview
Wikia - creating communities
ComTeam interview
- By Jack Phoenix (full credits), IRC, 25 May 2007
This month, Jack Phoenix asks Datrio what he thinks of Wikia.
So, welcome everyone! Thanks for joining us on this interesting interview. Today I'm interviewing Datrio, a member of Wikia's Community Team.
Jack Phoenix: So, Datrio, how long have you been working for Wikia?
- Datrio: Let's see… I started as part of the Wikia technical team around October last year, during the Wikia All-Hands Meeting in February this year we've decided I would be better as a member of the oh-so-fabulous Community Team, so I moved there.
Jack Phoenix: What's your typical day in Wikia like?
- Datrio: Let's see… Get up, get some coffee, change nickname on IRC… Then it's all random, regarding what needs to be done on that day. Basicly whenever I'm online I'm trying to be on the IRC channel, and try to do something on the technical side for our wikis, JavaScript, CSS, stuff like that.
Jack Phoenix: Why is Wikia so great in your opinion?
- Datrio: Because we have a great community team! ;) In all seriousness, this is one of our strengths, which (I think) none other wiki service offers. Sure, all have technical help, FAQ pages, sometimes even a human being (gasp) who answers emails, but AFAIK none other has an IRC channel, and a group of people which monitors all the wikis, is ready to answer every question and help whenever possible.
Jack Phoenix: How many languages do you speak?
- Datrio: Only two, sadly ;). I speak the very basics of Japanese, but I can't read Kanji or even Katakana/Hiragana. The two are of course Polish and English. English, as you can see with my typos, isn't perfect yet ;) I also started learning French, so if you'll see me shouting "Bonjour!" and "Ca va?" in the next few days, the French podcasts are the ones to blame.
Jack Phoenix: What languages would you like to learn?
- Datrio: Oh, many *g* Besides French, I'd love to learn German and Russian, and later in the future Spanish and Greek, just to be able to talk with most of Europe ;) I've also been thinking about learning Japanese and some Scandinavian language, but right now that's only a wish for the distant future.
Jack Phoenix: If you could change something in Wikia, what would that be?
- Datrio: Hey, that's too hard! I actually have to think about that!
Jack Phoenix: <g>
- Datrio: Wikia is already a wonderful place (yay!), and we're constantly expanding – two things I'd love to see in the near future is a way to let founders/sysops configure a wiki in a really easy way, with some special page, not by hacking around MediaWiki:Common.css/js or any other page. The second thing is employing a full-time designer, who would not help Wikia – as a product – expanding, but help all the wikis with designing issues – to make infoboxes for them, logos, skins, and everything else what would be needed.
Jack Phoenix: Is there something in your job that you don't like?
- Datrio: Not really, I really like Wikia as a company, and as a community. Right now, even if I wouldn't work here full time, I'm sure I'd do volunteer work designing JavaScript and helping people on the channel.
Jack Phoenix: Do you consider yourself as well-paid? ;)
- Datrio: Well-paid, pretty much ;). Like I said, I'd help out at Wikia even if I wouldn't be employed, so you could say that Wikia just pays for my bills, food and all the other stuff I need ;)
Jack Phoenix: Do you find the shortcut "WC" (WC:EDIT is the shortcut for The Daily Edit) funny or amusing? ;P
- Datrio: Hah. After Nintendo, the gaming company, named their new console "Wii", nothing can get worse, so I find it both funny and amusing ;)
Jack Phoenix: What do you think of Uncyclopedia? Is it good or not? Why?
- Datrio: It's funny. I mean, it's a parody of Wikipedia, how can it NOT be funny? ;) Without Uncyclopedia many people around the world would probably die of boredom in their cubicles and offices (but don't quote me on that!) I go to Wikipedia and click on the "Random page" link when I'm bored, but want to learn something new. I do the same on Uncyclopedia when I'm bored and want to have a good laugh out of something.
Jack Phoenix: Name one MediaWiki extension you like a lot. Why?
- Datrio: Probably DynamicPageList. It was created for Wikinews, which I was pretty active at back during the days, and I submitted a few ideas for it. Also, while checking its source code, I started learning the MediaWiki codebase, how does it work, and everything related.
Jack Phoenix: Is americanization (gah, did I spell it correctly?) cool? ;)
- Datrio: The British spelling is "americanisation" ;) Anyway, I don't have an opinion on that - I'm more of a freethinker, so I don't give such a big importance to various cultures - of course I respect all of them, but I think everyone should have a choice where to eat your breakfast - at home, at the restaurant across the road, or at the local McDonald's. Some people say we're living in an americanized world, I'd rather hear people say "We live in the Internet world" - because the Internet is unlike any other culture, unlike any other country.
Jack Phoenix: Is there something you'd like to say to the Wikian community in general?
- Datrio: Don't hesitate to ask us, the community team, about anything you want to know. Oh yeah, and 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0 ;)
Jack Phoenix: And finally, Datrio, we'd like to know the answer to this one: Is there a cabal? ;D
- Datrio: Yes, and we're all a part of it ;)
Jack Phoenix: Okay, thank you very much Datrio, for you time. :) Now then, the actual interview's over and everyone's free to ask questions from Datrio, so fire away! ;D
Additional questions:
JaeSharp: Datrio, what actions would you recommend for people who wish to work for Wikia take? Rather, why do you think they selected you as a member of their team?
sannse: Because he's cute ;)
- Datrio: and sexy
Jack Phoenix: <g>
- Datrio: Well, as Wikia expands, we'd probably be needing more people speaking the various languages we have wikis in - so it all depends on the languages we have more wikis in.
Muppets101: Datrio: Any input on the new skin for visitors, comments, etc.?
- Datrio: Not much, apart from the one on wiki pages, we're finishing the migration of our biggest wikis to 1.10, then we'll get back to the skin and all the other stuff.
Muppets101: Will the existing wikis js and css have to be changed to work with the new skin?
- Datrio: The ones in Common.js/css no, the ones in Monobook.js/css will have to be moved to Slate/Smoke.css/js.
Muppets101: Any new customizations with the new skin?
- Datrio: Well, as with other parts of MediaWiki, you can customize it in Slate/Smoke.css/js, so the sky's the limit ;)
Muppets101: What do you think of the draft for the new main page? Community Portal?
- Datrio: Oh, that - it's great for the active community, listing all the necessary pages/information. My thoughts are that the visitors should get something more "web 2.0", with big fonts, big images and flashy buttons ;)
Muppets101: Sounds good, other than the new main page and visitor skin can we expect any other updates with Wikia?
- Datrio: More than you can even imagine :) Some time in the future I hope we'll have a public SVN server, which will show you just how many things we're working on.
