User blog:Pinkachu/Adopt-a-Wiki: Bringing Admins and Communities Together



When a wiki no longer has any active administrators, an eligible user can adopt that wiki, become the new admin, and foster the creation of a brand new community. This Wiki Adoption process has been around for years and has allowed thousands of communities to be adopted by new admins.

Fandom staff members also often adopt wikis, and even create them from scratch. We watch for the latest trends and release dates, and we keep up with the hype around new shows, movies, and games. In addition, we look for communities related to upcoming releases and offer our support to admins and users. If there is no active community, we bring our toolbox of creativity and fix it up. We then seek admins to nurture the growth of the community.

Many of the communities that have been created are still without admins. They're sort of like the homeless pup in the local pound that no one knows about. The chance of adoption can become progressively slim over time, and we want to see these communities grow.

We're excited to announce the Adopt-a-Wiki project, a brand new initiative aimed at encouraging the growth of these communities. There are two main steps in this project. The first step employs the use of a badge. Staff will implement the badge on article pages of communities we come across or create that are eligible for adoption. The badge will link to the adoption requirements and the application. A sample of the badge can be seen here:



The second step is introducing users to the Adopt-a-Wiki article here on Community Central. Each month we will feature communities that have been ‘spiffed up’ and are ready for new admins. The page will also have a list of other eligible communities, but with less detail.

Ultimately our goal is to help users easily recognize communities that need admins and make the process more transparent. There are minimal requirements that need to be met, but they are reasonably easy to complete and we are here to answer any questions you may have.

Our listing at Adopt-a-Wiki will change as communities are added or adopted. If you are interested in becoming an admin, be sure to check the list often. You may find a community that interests you!