User blog:343TheGuiltyProphet/Depression on Wikia

Wiki Depression
After doing some research and gathering some information from users, I've decided to make this blog about something called Wiki Depression.

Sometimes, things don't always go according to plan on Wikia. The same as any other community driven project. When things don't go well, many things can occur within a community which can affect it's users. This includes the administration. The most common are as follows:
 * Feeling worthless to the community.
 * Feeling like the community doesn't need or want your help.
 * Feeling alone or no one to turn to for advise.
 * Consistent arguments within the community.

This can result to something I've personally called Wiki Depression. I've made this blog so those who feel this sometimes know it's not just them. Anyone on Wikia can get this and it's essential to look after your health and well being and always put it before an online project/community.

When the above things happen, I've found that users often feel the need to try and “fix” things right there, right now. Despite if other users are angry or not yet prepared to co-operate. I believe this is because the user in question wants things to be okay. Unfortunately, this is not the right thing to do. Mainly because it can infact make the situation a whole lot worse or just make people back out.

How to deal with these situations affectively?
If there's something I've learned, it's to give the person you are trying to communicate with a break. Despite how you feel, it's essential to consider other members of the conversation/debate. If a user asks that you leave then alone, do so.


 * Take a break from the community – Sometimes this at the time feels like the last thing you want to resort to. For obvious reasons. However, this is sometimes a very effective method of helping yourself and the community involved. Providing a space allows users to clear their heads and have time to think about how things are done. Even 2 hour breaks can often be seen as beneficial.


 * Don't burn yourself out - Trying too hard to make things better can quite often lead to a big down. Both on what you're trying to achieve and on your mood/mindset on the community you're helping. Take it easy.


 * Don't put Wikia before your daily activities - Although Wikia is a great place to communicate with friends and learn amazing things, it shouldn't get in the way of your real life activities. Becoming obsessive (which is a very easy thing to do on a community driven site) can be a main cause for feeling like this. You almost care much more than you should.

Remember, things can seem down in a community, sometimes lasting quite a while and it's easy to point the blame on yourself, be assured that it is a community driven project. Users must co-operate in order to maintain a nice environment for users. If it feels like your fault, rather than sitting there feeling like you've ruined many things, try to see it as a learning curve and what you could do next time to improve things. ''If this happens in your every day activities and not just on Wikia, this may indicate an underlying problem inwhich the current community you are with is not helping. I would advise to visit your local doctor and see if something can be done.''

Helpful link, credits to NHS UK. http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/depression/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Have fun on Wikia!

20:58, July 24, 2014 (UTC)