WIGO
From RationalWikiWiki
WIGO, otherwise known as "Conservapedia:What is going on at CP?", is RationalWiki's most popular destination. Indeed, for many denizens of the site it is the only reason for visiting RationalWiki at all. WIGO is the focal point of all things anti-Conservapedia and frequently the first port of call for new users.
Those sufficiently obsessed with Conservapedia list therein the banal goings-on in Andyland and vote them up or down pointlessly.[1] Some entries are mildly amusing but many are simply incomprehensible. WIGO's talk page is by far the most active page on RationalWiki, and usually a lot more fun that WIGO itself. Comments vary from the amusing to the spiteful (often both).
It seems as though the cabal occasionally use WIGO to spread misinformation, but that they sometimes cannot control their members sufficiently to prevent them putting real information on WIGO as well.
The rule of not exposing unnoticed parody at Conservapedia on WIGO occasionally causes some tension, as some members tend to ignore or forget it in their excitement to point out some petty piece of satire they have found or done, resulting in reversions or blocks at Conservapedia and disgruntled comments from other RationalWikians.
Many active users participate almost exclusively in WIGO:CP and its talk page, and take very little interest in the rest of RationalWiki. Some other members have no interest in Conservapedia at all and work only on RationalWiki's articles. Probably the majority, however, are involved in WIGO as well as other RationalWiki content.
A casual glance at recent changes on any day will confirm that much, and frequently the majority of RW activity is associated with CP in some form or another. If not about WIGO, then CP sysops, or Andrew Schlafly (with or without jokes) or some other CP nonsense. All of which rather suggests that RW will experience some difficulty in moving beyond CP.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] *ahem*
WIGO began life as "According to Conservapedia", which appeared with entries directly on the main page of RW. This was then re-titled as "According to *ahem* some people" and expanded to include all manner of craziness. There were no up/down votes in this system, and news items were placed manually on the page with bullet points. Discussion was held wherever and whenever. On the talk page of the relevant template, Human established what the page was for:
| “ | Feel free to debate, but I think this should be for "on mission" craziness. It is turning into a (US Democratic Party) news blog feed, which is boring and, I think wrong for the intent of our main page. There is no need to update it every seven seconds. Please just add new MISSION-CENTRIC items - or discuss here if you think I'm wrong. | ” |
While the description was updated to remind people:
| “ | Remember, this list is on the front page. It's not a bunch of in-jokes, or smarmy half-stories for those familiar with our site. It's also not a news ticker. Please think before adding, think while adding, and hopefully, then, people will think about your additions. | ” |
This version was officially blanked and shut down in July 2008, with a redirect to the new "What is going on" pages established in its place.[2] If things had turned out differently, perhaps the name would have stuck and the news pages would have been titled "ATSP" instead.
[edit] Broadening scope
In July 2008 WIGO was officially expanded and split to include people who don't care that much about Conservapedia, establishing four separate pages. WIGO now covers the blogosphere (blogs they like), clogosphere (blogs they think are nutty) and the "world" (whatever that is, but it seems to attract attention whenever big news events break).
Other sites that have come under the gaze of RW have had their own WIGOs, although none are as active as the original. WIGO:4th Reich, which was for Metapedia and Stormfront, was started 7 May 2008 and received it's last non markup/cat edit on 25 July 2008.[3] On 20 November 2010, Citizendium got a WIGO. This remains fairly active and is the place where LArron posts statistical updates about Citizendiums progress and expansion - or at least it's lack thereof. There is also a WIGO:ASK (founded 25 March 2009) to cover A Whorehouse of Knowledge and WIGO:Armondikov a semi-active mini-blog-cum-Twitter-account for RW's most egotistical editor to project themselves through.
[edit] Homogenous corporate style
Around May 2010, the WIGO pages were given a facelift to give them individual colour schemes and icons representing each page. After a bit of bickering over the colors ("of course the clogosphere should be brown to represent shit") things settled down and became what they are today.
[edit] Footnotes
- ↑ What to the votes mean? Nobody knows. RWians just like voting.
- ↑ http://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Template:According_to&diff=prev&oldid=198953
- ↑ http://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=RationalWiki:What_is_going_on_in_the_Fourth_Reich%3F&diff=prev&oldid=198330
