- We released a new ad layout that has fewer ads on the site.
- This new layout reduces the number of ad units on FANDOM by 30%.
- This improves the design and speed of wiki pages.
- The ad layout we chose was released after extensive testing across the site.
- Featured Video and site design changes enabled us to reduce the number of ads.
- Featured Videos are about the subject of the page, on-topic, and relevant.
- Featured Videos are placed near the top of article pages (examples: Alec Ryder, Newt Scamander).
- Featured Videos also appear on mobile web.
- Ads in front of Featured Videos helped us to reduce the number of ads on the site.
- Videos autoplay (with the sound muted) and minimize when you scroll. You can disable autoplay in the video player’s settings for 2 weeks.
- We tested a redesigned page and article headers on several communities.
- The logged in and logged out versions have slight differences because these two groups of users have different needs.
- The final product was released on June 13th to all FANDOM wikis. It was released to Discussions on July 27th.
- We released modernized versions of key right rail modules. More modules will be modernized soon.
- The Fan Feed, located at the bottom of the page, was updated to include wiki pages, community discussions, editorial content, Featured Videos, and wiki spotlights.
When we first spoke to you about Wiki Modernization, we talked about how wiki videos are a key part of modernizing the site. Today's readers enjoy watching videos, and the ads we put in front of great wiki videos will allow us to clean up the ad clutter across the site. That, in turn, improves the performance of all Fandom wikis. To do all of that, we need to create videos that visitors will want to watch. We’re trying different types of video content to see what works and where.
Types of Wiki Videos[]
We're experimenting with the types of wiki videos that we'll feature on some of our most high-traffic pages. The experimentation will be ongoing, that way we can adapt to what our users and general audiences are most interested in. So far we have identified four types of wiki video content to feature:
- High Production Custom Videos. These are custom videos that we will put extra effort into—hosts for the videos, digital effects, voice-over, and more—for especially high-traffic pages on key communities. These videos spotlight our users as authorities on their fandoms. An example of this video is "Will We Ever Visit the Andromeda Galaxy?" for Mass Effect: Andromeda.
- Templated Video with Voice-Over. These videos follow a basic format that has footage or images about the subject with voice-over. Examples include character overviews or lists, like Top 5 Best Moments for a particular subject. Examples include Newt Scamander and List of spells on Harry Potter Wiki. Some on-screen text may accompany the voice-over.
- Templated Video with On-Screen Text. Unlike Templated Video with Voice-Over, these videos do not include voice-over but do include on-screen text. One example is Moana on Disney Wiki.
- Third Party Videos. These are videos we did not create but have identified as high-quality official videos, like trailers or official gaming videos. Examples include Champion Spotlights on League of Legends Wiki, such as Aatrox.
We believe that some pages warrant a high production video, while others will work better with simpler videos. We're experimenting with these video types, and how often to use them, to ensure we can meet reader needs. We also need to make sure that we're efficiently using the time and resources of our expert video team. Custom-made videos are created by our video producers in San Francisco and Los Angeles, with some script-writing and even occasional video editing done by our Community Development team using video creation tools that we're experimenting with. Putting their talents where they'll be most effective will make sure we're providing only the best videos for users and readers.
So How Can Users Create Wiki Videos?[]
Wikis are written by users, which is what makes wikis so authentic, so you should be as involved in the wiki video creation process as possible. Right now we're figuring out how to do that, starting with script writing. We're working with some of our video test communities, like Elder Scrolls Wiki, on script-writing. Other communities, like DC Database, are reviewing scripts that we write.
Once the script process is proven to work, we're going to test video editing tools that users could use. It's too early to say how that might look, but our end goal is to give you a way to contribute to wiki video content in an easy and fun way.
Do you have any video-creation experience? Are you interested in writing scripts? Let us know! We'd love to know who in the community is interested in creating wiki videos.
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