User blog comment:MisterWoodhouse/This Year at Fandom - 2019/@comment-1807002-20200109051210

Happy 2020!- 2019 was a great year for wikia/fandom for me at least; I returned to fandom after a long break, am having a great time in my wikis and excited about the improvements on the horizon. I left just at the take over/re-branding (wikia to fandom) and only thing I think fandom might want to think about in 2020 (besides what is already in progress): Is better educating on what fandom means. And please please take this as a benevolent observation criticism to help you guys and not just a complain or put down.

I have tried on many platforms (with online friends and real life friends) to introduce fandom (which I still refer much as wikia or wikia/fandom) and in almost every case those not fully aware of fandom/wikia. Most do not even think fandom is a wiki platform- they think it is just articles/blogs that no one has interest in (but I have a feeling is what your sponsors are paying for? exposure via these articles). I believe re-naming wikia to fandom and the non-stop articles of pop culture really has hindered the wiki premise and has mislead people from the fact we are wikis too. It is also not common knowledge fandom is gamepeidia or dnd beyond either.

This really should be corrected in hopes to bring in interest, editors and viewer popularity. I do not want to tell you to cut off your money making (nor for you to change your name) but to those I ask, fandom does not mean a wiki or a wiki platform- they think it is just a brand that puts out articles that if they do read they are unsatisfied with them (even if they are a huge fan of the genre/topic and don't bother to read more of them) and lose interest even before I get to say "it is a fan created wiki site" so I stopped even saying "fandom" (sorry to some people not in the community fandom is like a mood killing word)- but then when the click the link and see fandom they pretty much leave saying "oh it's fandom- I am not big on fandom".

After some time, I can convince it is a wiki site and fandom is just in the address bar and they advertise their articles- some people to give it a try but I really had no idea how reluctant non-wiki users are about fandom (but how willing they are when I say it's a wiki and fandom is just the rename/rebrand from wikia). And in some cases these converted actually don't mind or even like the fan based wikis and wiki platform- but it can take a lot to get there (and some people I have known online for years- and like me/trust me).