User:AtteSmythe/SoS

= Saved! =

Thanks so much to every one who came and edited a page to try to save it. Even a one-line submission helped, and together we saved many, many pages. Though it's difficult to tell how many (over the last week, new articles were being tagged at almost the same rate we were all fixing them), I'd estimate we saved at least 100, and perhaps as many as 150 pirates' articles. (At one point, there were 202 articles tagged, and there are currently 102 articles tagged. I have no idea how quickly they've been added since the first count, however, and how many articles were preemptively cleaned before the tag was even applied)

The work isn't done! Just because deletion isn't the default action doesn't mean that our hearties pages are now carved in stone. Watch this space in coming days for the new cleanup brigade, and what you can do to help record our history. = The SoS Archive = YPPedia is on the verge of losing a lot of history. Some fluff, perhaps, but also the pages of pirates that have more than earned their right to be here. Why? Because no one stopped by to give them a proper page. These are your flagmates, your crewmates, your hearties. Let them keep their indelible mark on the YPP universe, and let future pirates know how this game got where it is today.

What can I do to help?
Write! Look at the list of pirates whose pages are on the chopping block - there are currently over a hundred. Pick someone you know. Pick someone you don't know. Pick out of a hat, but just pick an article and go to it. Look over this article's list of pirates in progress for someone you know and can finish off, or for pages you might be able to skip because others have worked on them. They're also useful examples for what can be done to flesh out a page.

Gathering Information
Editing an article is easy. Most already have the information you need to get started - a pirate name and an ocean. After that, we have only a couple easy searches to do:
 * In game Log in on an alt. Do a /who for the character. What crew and flag are they in? Read their public statements. Is the pirate a manager? A shopowner? Write it down.
 * In Wiki Search the wiki. The search box on the left is tricky. Type the pirate's name in, and click Search. Don't hit enter! That will just take you to the page you're trying to edit in the first place. The search button, though, will let you know if the pirate's name is on any other pages.
 * On Forums Search the forums! Many pirates use their pirate name as their login name. Go to the main forums and click search. You don't need a search term - just search by username.
 * If it gets results, great! You probably have the right person. Just skim over some posts to confirm.
 * If it doesn't get results, go back to the search form. Clear out the author searchbox, and just search for the pirate name. This may give you their real forum account name, and you can search from there.
 * Regardless, skim over posts that seem like they'd have good, juicy bits about the pirate's life. Parley and Mariner's muse are good for this, but don't forget the Bazaar. High-dollar items are remarkable.
 * On Flag Forums
 * The Yellow Pages contain links to many flag forums. Google may find more. Give 'em a shot. Mine them for publicly-available information.

Writing the Page
We're fortunate to have a blank pirate template. Go there, hit edit, and copy and paste bits you want to the article you're editing - just please don't edit the template itself! Go to the page of the pirate you've chosen to help and hit edit. Add what you need, edit out what you don't. No advanced wiki skills required. Still not comfortable? Just write something. Anything. Someone will edit it, and you just might save an article's life.

PLEASE only remove the note if you're confident that the article can stand on its own. If you remove one and other editors disagree, they'll simply put it back. In our quest to save our history, let's not start any edit wars. Thank you!

Spreading the Word
With luck, those aforementioned flag forums are going to come into play. With respect to a flag's wishes not to be spammed, the flags of these mates in questions need to know. It's their own pirate, and their own cultural heritage on the line. I will be contacting flags of pirates' pages I edit, hoping that they can finish the work that I've begun. Please sign below if you're willing to act as liason to your crew or flag from the wiki.

Sample contact message
The following is what I plan to use as a base when contacting flags with whom I don't currently have an established relationship. Please feel free to use it as a base in your own information-gathering. Spread the word! Ahoy, mates!

Some of you may have heard of [url=http://yppedia.puzzlepirates.com/YPPedia:Vanity_guidelines]policy changes[/url] that endanger some articles on pirates. A vote is underway that might result in further policy changes, but in the mean time, I and others are [url=http://yppedia.puzzlepirates.com/User:AtteSmythe/SoS]leading a charge[/url] to make the pirate page policy irrelevant by improving the quality of these articles before they can be removed.

In particular, I've located [url=http://yppedia.puzzlepirates.com/PIRATE]PIRATE[/url]'s article. There may be others from your flag and crews, and there are certainly articles of allies, hearties, and even rivals to which you can add information. Please help protect our history!

For your convenience, I've provided some [url=http://yppedia.puzzlepirates.com/User:AtteSmythe/SoS]rudimentary instructions[/url] for adding information. These are just the most basic guidelines, though. Add anything which you think is historically relevant. It doesn't have to be perfect in content or formatting - your best effort is good enough. Other editors will be around to fix it up and prettify it, but only you can provide the information.

Thank you in advance for your help! And, also in advance, please don't make this into an opportunity to attack the wiki administrators or policymakers. They're doing what they think is best for the wiki, too. Some just happen to disagree, but better articles will help everyone. Stephen atte Smythe

= Just a bit more work! = When you work to save a page, add it to the bottom of this list. Periodically, I'll go over the list and remove any who've been successfully saved. If any article is lingering on this page, it should need just a little more work. A couple more sentences. A factoid or two. Pick someone you know, and save their page.

= Preemptive Strike = After this messiness with the pirate pages is complete, you can bet your last poe that crew and flag articles will be next. You're here, you're in a crew, your crew's in a flag...write about them! It doesn't have to be much, just something. How many flags has your crew been in? Why'd the go there, why'd they leave? Who has been in charge of those organisations, what have you tried to accomplish (succeed or fail), why did folks step down, and who succeeded them? You don't have to write a complete history. Just put something in, and others will fill in the gaps. Start a thread on your forums asking for peoples' memories. Let everyone know your roots!
 * Thesky
 * Amykate