Wiki

A wiki is a collection of web pages designed to enable anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify content, using a simplified markup language. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites and to power community websites. The collaborative encyclopedia, Wikipedia, is one of the best-known wikis.
In fandom, many wikis aim to provide information about the source texts, as well as the production behind the scenes. Fans can also create wikis for fanon (e.g. Harry Potter Fanon Wiki) and shared universes (e.g. Transcendance AU Wiki)
Wikis hosted by FANDOM (formerly Wikia) are the most common and well known, though in recent years the company has gained a somewhat negative reputation in part due to several anti-user implementations. Miraheze is a non-profit wiki hosting service, that is increasingly seen as an alternative to FANDOM. There are also independent, self-hosted wikis. 
==Usage note==
It is common to see people using the term 'wiki' to refer to Wikipedia, a practice that annoys many users of other wikis no end.
==Wikis as Fanworks==
One acafan writes of wikis (using a Battlestar Galactica wiki as an example) as creative force:
"... creativity and wikis, since I equated them... to library science -- a profession, however noble, ... isn't often associated with the term 'creative.' While... wiki users are not engaged in fan vid creation, icon production, or fan fic drabbling, they are still writing about beloved characters, items and practices. In fact they are interacting the text not just though what one Blich or Jenkins might call 'collecting,' 'mastering' or 'conquering,' but are engaging in a creative process requiring an intimacy with the text and a creative outlet... Cristobal Garcia mentions myths of creativity, listing three fallacies "1. Creativiy cannot be managed, 2. Is only in the arts, 3. Is a lonely process,' he notes instead that 'creativity' is a social and group phenomenon, that can be stimulated and fostered through virtual, physical, and psychological space. I'd like to take this a step further and suggest that the Wiki, while upon first glance appears quite standardized and unmovable, is actually a discursive space for posting and sharing not only facts and images but ideas and perspectives." Reimagining Fan Culture: The Long Journey of Battlestar Galactica by Sarah Toton, paper from 27 April 2007 at MIT5 Conference at MIT, accessed 1 May 2012 
==Fannish Wikis==
Many popular fandoms have their own wikis.
* Battlestar Galactica: Battlestar Wiki
* ConimationWiki, was a Wiki based Wiki about German animanga conventions (German)
* DC Comics: DC Comics Database
*Discworld & Terry Pratchett: Discworld & Terry Pratchett Wiki
* Farscape: Farscape Encyclopedia Project wiki
* Final Fantasy: Final Fantasy Wiki
* Firefly: FireflyWiki.net (previously .org), The Firefly and Serenity Database
* Forever Knight: Forever Knight Wiki
* Fringe: Fringepedia
* Harry Potter: HarryPotterWiki, Unknowable Room Wiki, LeakyPedia, Harry Potter Wiki at Wikia, German Harry Potter Wiki
* Lost: Lostpedia
* Marvel Comics: Marvel Database
* Marvel Cinematic Universe: Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki
* Merlin: Merlin Wiki
* Perry Rhodan: Perrypedia (German)
* Pokémon: Bulbapedia, Pokémon Wiki
* Smallville: Smallville Wiki
* Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis: Stargate Wiki, Stargate Wiki at wikia
* Star Trek: Memory Alpha 
* Star Wars: Wookieepedia
* Supernatural: Supernatural Wiki
* Temeraire: Temeraire Wiki, German Temeraire Wiki
* Transformers: TFWiki.net
* Twilight: Twilight Saga Wiki
* Villainous Beauties Wiki - female villains
* X-Files: The X-Files Wiki, Spookyverse - ein Akte X, Millennium und Die einsamen Schützen Wiki (German)
* X-Men Movieverse - X-Project Wiki created as a data source for the X-Project RPG.
==Multifandom and Pan-Fandom Wikis==
* Anime: Anime-Wiki.org, Animepedia
* Cosplay: Cosplay Wiki
* Fandom Wank: Fandom Wank Wiki 
* Filk: Filk Discography Wiki
* Shipping: Shipping Wiki
* Fandom: Fanlore, Fan History Wiki, The Directorium, FanPolis
* Tropes: TV Tropes
==Wiki hosting==
One common host of fannish wikis is Fandom (formerly Wikia, Inc.), a free hosting service that has had some bad PR relating to intrusive ads, dodgy acquisition practices, and compulsory redesign of the layout. Nevertheless it is a frequent choice especially in animanga and gaming fandoms.List of Wikia wikis, accessed 23.12.2011 Among the largest fannish wikis hosted on wikia are Wikianswers Anime, Jedipedia (a German Star Wars wiki), Wikia Gaming, Final Fantasy Wiki, and Manga Wiki.
Miraheze(external link) is a nonprofit, free wiki hosting service that can be an alternative to Fandom. The Independent Wiki Federation(external link) discusses other independent hosting options. 
In 2022, a former president of Fandom, Donovan Duncan, and Gamepedia founder, Ben Robinson announced the creation of Wiki.gg, operated by indie.io, a for-profit company. 
Some fandoms have both a Wiki and an independent wiki (e.g. Madoka Magica Wiki on FANDOM.com and Puella Magi Wiki on puella-magi.net )
===Fandoms moving off Wikia/FANDOM.com===
Please see Wikia hosted wikis project vs. self-hosted wikis and Wikia#Rehosting for more information.
==Links and Further Reading==
* by Karen Hellekson -- a presentation on fan wikis for SFRA 2008
* Wikipedia:History of Wikis
* by gwern, a history/polemic about policies on Wikipedia in regards to inclusion of media and fan content
==References==
Category:Websites
Category:Collaboration
Category:Non-fiction Writing
*Wiki