User blog:PyroNacht/Wikian Legacy

''Hi guys! Today, I wanted to go over a more unspoken topic when it comes to Wikians, and that is the Wikian Legacy, as I like to call it. I will be discussing mostly how you affect your Wikian community. I know I already went over specifically how people contribute in different ways, but this topic is essentially one step further.''

My Backstory

 * As many of you might already know, I once went by the name "Nachtide". For those of you who do not, I will condense my lengthy explanation of who I was in a few sentences: basically, I was a well-known chatter who often flied to other Wikis to help out on occasion. Granted, I never really became a solid editor on most Wikis, but I still came to chat and help out. As time went on, I realized that I was unhappy being Nachtide. Too much drama (various rumors and confrontations) had been attached to my name, and I didn't wish for that to define who I was overall. Ironically enough, my computer updated one day and I lost the password to Nachtide. So, I took that as an opportunity to change users- until I became PyroNacht.

Determining Your Legacy

 * A question I'd like people to ponder is the question: why do I edit? Why do I chat? Why do I contribute to Wikis? Why do I do what I do here?


 * I've pondered that question for a long time, truth be told. As an individual who grew up without a sense of purpose in her life, I quickly found my passion in helping others in any way I possibly could. Some of you might note that while I can be sarcastic in chat, I'm not doing so to be rude. Back when I was lost and confused, Wikia was basically my saving grace, but you cannot be saved unless you decide to choose yourself. You cannot have other people decide for you if you should stay or go, edit or chat, and so on. You must be able to make your own choices for yourself.


 * This is where legacy comes in. On the dreaded day I decide to pack up my bags and leave Wikia (which won't be anytime soon), everything boils down to one thing: how I affected the communities. Did I do the best I could in every single aspect of my "life" as a Wikian? Sure, we all make mistakes and we all have our strengths and weaknesses. Personally, I avoid coding like the plague because I break things, but I blog like crazy because I find that it helps others, as well as myself in that I am doing something useful.

The Choice

 * When we have free will, we have the ability to choose. Some people often make bad decisions on Wikia for self-benefit, such as vandalism or trolling. These individuals might be entertaining themselves, but what about the people that are affected by such? What about the people who have to clean up the mass edits of cleared pages and gibberish inserted? When people make a decision, they ought to consider the consequences of their action. Granted, many vandals/trolls do not particularly care about the nature of their behavior, but some other users might.


 * That is choice. You choose what you wish to become, and what your legacy on Fandom is.

In Conclusion

 * Do not let your past actions on Fandom affect you. Somebody I knew was once a vandal, but after she realized she was affecting others, she worked hard. She ended up being an admin for 3-4 years.
 * You can change your legacy at any time. All that matters is you feel like you did the best you could at various points.