When one first hears about the idea of a wiki, a though that immediately comes to mind is that it could never work well. If any ordinary Joe can come along and change things around, then how can the information be trusted? Doesn't the wiki fall into unreliability and chaos?
Once you become part of the wiki, you come to realize that "weakness" is actually a wiki's greatest strength. Sure, anybody can add anything -- but admins and editors proofread every edit, fixing mistakes along the way. Any suspicious information can be verified. Vandalism is fixed in mere seconds on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Wiki. While there is a possibility of something slipping through the cracks every now and again, the best wins out over time.
If you're reading these words, then you're (most likely) a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Wiki editor. If you see a problem on one of the pages, don't roll your eyes and complain about it. Just fix it!
How do I start?[]
You can start your wiki career by registering with a username. The wiki has banned IP users (known as "A FANDOM editor") after a long history of vandalism and bogus content being added. Having an account allows you to communicate with the rest of the community.
Before making any edits, it's wise to get a feel of what the wiki is like. Browsing articles gives you a sense of our coverage of topics. If you're unsure where to begin, start small. Minor edits such as clarifying sentences and changing grammar and spelling are how almost every editor started out. You can also bring attention to pages that are in need of improvement. If you're brand new to the wiki and your first edit is a massive overhaul of an article, your change may not remain. Earning familiarity with the community is a key component to a successful wiki career.
Neutral Point of View[]
Articles on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Wiki should be written from a neutral point of view, representing all views fairly and without bias. Post facts, not opinions. If you write about an issue that fans disagree about, describe the debate without taking sides. Avoid "weasel words" like "Many fans think x," which is usually just a way of attributing your own opinions to other people.
For example, do not edit an article to say "Barney is unlikely to return to the Parade due to his infamy". Not only is is speculation (which is not allowed in an encyclopedic format), but it makes it seem as though the hate for the character is uniformed.
There are very few instances where the neutral point of view is ignored, mainly to prevent the Wiki from feeling lifeless. Describing posters as "eye candy" or referring to the Parade as a "holiday treat for children everywhere" is allowed, for example.
Show your sources[]
Other readers should be able to verify the information that you post. Cite newspapers/articles/news clips wherever possible, and give sources for quotes. If you find information in a book or on a website, tell us the title or the URL. If it's clumsy to put that information in the article, then add a "References" heading at the bottom of the page. It's especially important to source information about upcoming elements/events; we don't want to spread unfounded rumors.
History[]
Nothing is ever lost on a wiki! You can see all of the changes that have been made to a page — and who made them — by clicking on the "History" item on the Edit button's drop-down menu at the top of any page. This space may also be used to read notes about why the edit was made.
Why was my edit removed?[]
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Wiki is managed by a team of administrators, many of whom have been working together on this project for over a decade. We've seen a lot of patterns and trends over the years, and we have a pretty good method for assessing which edits made by new contributors are made in good faith, and which aren't. When possible, we'll try to leave an edit summary which you can see in the article's History (see History section).
Please don't take an edit reversion personally; none of the admins here work on Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade as our primary, full-time job. So sometimes it's necessary to quickly revert a change and move on to other duties. If you have a question about such a change, don't get into an edit war on the article; feel free to ask on the editor's Message Wall.
Can I become an admin?[]
The short answer is most likely not. The long answer has a bit more to it. The current admins on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Wiki have all been contributors for many years, some being active since 2015. Being an admin can be entertaining at times, but overall is not all that different from being a normal editor. Admins can ban any users of violate our behavior policy, change the wiki's theme (which is done very rarely) and give permissions to other users.
We do not allow everyone to become an admin because, as the old saying goes, too many cooks spoil the broth. This simply means that if too many people become an admin, the wiki may be ruined by the abuse of power. Too many people earning this role will also make it much less special, which just ruins one of the original points of being an admin.