The Marvel and DC Database Projects have entered negotiations with Wikia for services to be provided to the projects in order to move forward and remain competitive in the Comic Wiki niche of the Internet.
While no agreement has been signed, it is highly likely that a large majority of the projects, and sub-projects will be joining the Wikia Community within a few weeks.
The staff have voiced their thoughts and we have moved even closer to finalizing the deal. It is at this time we invite all of our readers, those who have been with us a long time and those here only a week, to share with us your candid thoughts and feelings on this subject.
UPDATE:
The contract is signed, sealed and delivered.
As of the time of this writing, The Marvel and DC Database Projects are a part of the Wikia family!
Please feel free to visit our new neighbours at Wikia, they already have a large and highly interactive community just waiting for us to join them...
Note: Because of upcoming changes to our projects, if you are already a registered member of the Marvel or DC Database Projects, we ask that unless you just can't wait, please refrain from registering your MDP/DCDP account at Wikia. We will do this for you automatically in the coming days.
More details about specific technical and policy changes to follow...
A brief history of the Marvel and DC Database Projects
The projects roots reach back to the summer of 1997, during the infancy of the Internet. Originally intended to be a locally installed database of files, only viewable and modifiable on one computer at a time. It was with the hope of gathering as much information about Marvel Comics characters and their exploits, in one place, for the purpose of study and enjoyment.
The first draft began as indexed text documents, stored in a hierarchical folder-tree, alphabetized for faster retrieval. After a good deal of work was complete, the project was shelved because of the massive undertaking it would entail using the archaic file structure.
Years passed and early 2005 saw the rebirth of a dream. A singular, definitive resource all about Marvel Comics was now a possibility. MediaWiki, the software developed and used by the highly successful Wikipedia, was freely available to implement the new Marvel Database Project.
After speaking Marvel about the idea, the project went ahead as planned...
Hundreds upon hundreds of work-hours later the project was beginning to flourish. Many contributors from around the world stepped up to make the project their own. Without question, the combined projects have come together, from unlikely roots nearly a decade earlier, to become the best Marvel and DC Comics resource on the planet!
Times have changed, even since we began...
Just as Marvel had promised in earlier conversations, they released their own version of the same concept we had proposed to them months earlier. In fact, Marvel had decided to utilize the same software used by the Marvel and DC Database Projects, and with it they launched the Marvel Universe Wiki.
With the massive traffic Marvel.com receives and the official support, their site immediately rose to success.
In addition, the same free software movement that provided the means for the Marvel and DC Database Projects, was now providing a similar advantage to webmakers all around the world. Within months, dozens of similar Marvel Wikis began to arise. The world's largest encyclopedia, online and offline, Wikipedia continues to receive far more traffic than even Marvel.com and MarvelDatabase.com combined.
Previously, in a world where the best Marvel comics reference was your stash of comics combined with a good old-fashioned Google search, today there are limitless resources, in many languages... Truly a lucky time for comic fans around the world...
Continued success
Our projects, has risen from a home computer built by one person, into a highly respected site, edited by thousands from around the globe. In order to continue to grow as a valuable resource while not be overshadowed by Wikipedia and Marvel.com, we must strive to stay ahead of the game...
Several requirements will be needed to keep our projects moving forward:
-Alliances with companies like Webaroo, Google and Wikipedia.
-More bandwidth and faster servers to support more incoming visitors
-Dedicated staff for community and technical issues
-Project promotion and an influx of new members
-Continued hard work, the same way we are already doing
With the exception of the last point, these are items which it would be increasingly difficult for the community alone to reliably provide.
There is hope. Wikia, a spin-off of Wikipedia, is a company whose sole purpose is to help wiki projects continue to grow and thrive.
Here is how Wikia can help us with the points I listed above:
Alliances with companies like Webaroo, Google and Wikipedia
Several projects already hosted by Wikia are affiliated with major partners and draw a great deal of media attention for being "up and coming". A partnership with Wikia would bring our projects into this realm of influence where it would be easier to secure partnerships and alliances to keep us moving forward.
More bandwidth and faster servers to support more visitors
This is the most immediate and financially beneficial change listed above. Wikia employs the latest and greatest in technology, funded by millions of dollars in venture capital, from such people as the founders of Wikipedia and Netscape.
Dedicated staff for community and technical issues
This benefits is something that is definitely out of our current reach. Paid employees would keep an eye on our servers, making sure that all our hard work is always available to the world, 24 / 7.
Project promotion and an influx of new members
One distinct advantage to a partnership with Wikia is that all of Wikia's membership, currently tens of thousands of users, would be instantly exposed to our project. A single-sign on would allow them to help contribute without having to re-register for our projects. Likewise, we could enjoy a single-login for all of our projects as well!
Surely these are just a few points of interest. You can find additional information about how Wikia can help here.
We request all of your discussions be kept together here, on the talkpage for this article. We welcome all your feedback, thoughts and opinions.
Your friend,
Jamie.
Editor-in-Chief
Marvel and DC Database Projects