Forum:Memory Beta in 2017

Ten Forward → Memory Beta in 2017 (Reply | Watch)

2017 is going to be an important year for licensed Star Trek publications. Besides the launch of new canon materials in the form of the delayed Star Trek: Discovery and the 30th Anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation, 2017 is the 50th Anniversary of Star Trek in print, with the first comic and novelization having been published in 1967. Also expected are new licensed publications tied in with both the movie series, as well as associated with the new TV series.

For Memory Beta, this is cause for continuing our celebration of Star Trek in all its non-canon published forms, including games and comics and prose, and remaining inclusive as canon forks between being produced by two separate studios and a number of production companies.

A new draft policy for continuity and contradictions has been written based on our inclusive spirit, with clear directions for improvement based on input from collaborators on discussion pages.

We also received an updated code for our infoboxes that continues to be refined, ensuring this remains a Wikipedia-style database, as Memory Alpha has also remained, remaining an encyclopedic pursuit first and foremost like the canon Wikia before us.

I've updated our 2006 logo with a draft version that hopefully fits better with the changes in Star Trek and the internet that have occurred since our founding 11 years ago. As with all collaborations, changes to the draft can be suggested.

Despite the maintained simple encyclopedic theme of Memory Alpha and Beta, the new Wikia functions can be activated if it is desired by the community. We're a small group on a big wiki, and it has been easy for all to work without collaboration, but if there are any chat, blog or comment features that can make it easier for users to communicate, I welcome any initiative to determine whether or not any which ones are desired for inclusion.

Communication and collaboration are important, and talk pages should remain a welcoming place, as when we talk about the changes that can be made to articles we're discussing something we're really passionate about. The most recent suggestion that spurred the addition of 'separating sources' to our draft continuity policy is a work in progress, as I'd really like to see a well coded technical adaptation made to paragraphs that change courses between different source media that have differently themed continuities within the unified whole of the Star Trek universe, but I think it can eventually evolve into a success like the suggested infobox changes of last year. It is important to be welcoming to new ideas and make them fit into the whole of the wiki and our well established mission, even though some of us who generally work on their own might be tempted to respond "why are you reviving this old discussion" or "why didn't you just fix this yourself" -- it would be a lot better if it was treated like a positive call to action, like I've approached the recent discussion about refining source citations.

Here's to a great 2017. -- captainmike 01:04, January 29, 2017 (UTC)

I haven't familiarised yet with the new separating-sources infobox system. But I already like the new logo. It nails the Return-to-Roots-but-with-Renewal spirit spearheaded by Kelvin movies and DSC. Kind regards, -- Markonian 14:46, January 29, 2017 (UTC)

Thank you for the compliment on the work - I was trying for a unification of sorts to symbolize the eras of Star Trek - we have the new font and 'broken' Starfleet delta from Discovery, the industrial Federation banner 'gear' from the Kelvin epoch, the traditional canon-TNG era federation wreath, and the TOS command division apex star -- with the familiar Memory Beta pentagon, name and beta letter placement

I havent wanted to do any 'votes' because they tend to go slowly and can turn contentious, but if any aspect of the update comes up for discussion i am and will be glad to know you support the style.

as to separating sources, I've done some test runs with a sort of table i'd like to suggest as a horizontal rule, but it hasnt been enacted. i have style concerns that outstrip my technical knowledge.

i think the recommended rule of thumb until we adapt a visual/code for a separator will be "always start a new paragraph.. whenever you move to a different type of media source" (in the body of the article at least).. so when you're writing a biography, describe an event in a comic, cite it, and be sure to start a new paragraph before describing a subsequent event from a novel or game. in this way, the concerns of the readers who started that discussion can be addressed -- captainmike 15:08, January 29, 2017 (UTC)