Forum:Name of the wiki - revisit

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Just to revisit this topic (originally started here). The current title 'Doctor Who Wiki' doesn't really fully wrap up the idea of this wiki.

I'm suggesting we rename the wiki as what the logo says "TARDIS Index File", and then follow it with 'the Doctor Who universe Wiki'. So titles would read "Article Title - TARDIS Index File, the Doctor Who universe Wiki".

Just as Wookipedia is "Wookipedia, the Star Wars Wiki". Though we're not just a Doctor Who Wiki, we cover the whole DW universe. I also think this may help us to better define this wiki as not just a Doctor Who Wiki (which is what the title is currently), but rather one covering the whole DW universe. We are after all the TARDIS Index File and we're very much like our namesake, a searchable database that's bigger on the inside than its outer structure may indicate. Thoughts? --Tangerineduel 16:02, November 21, 2010 (UTC)

I agree totally, theres been too much deviation with some users making Sarah Jane Wikias and Torchwood wikias (not to mention the latters plagurising). As many people have probably noticed im trying to expand the wikias entires for spin offs such as Iris Wildthyme and Faction Paradox as there is so much more than just Doctor Who that needs to be covered. "a searchable database that's bigger on the inside than its outer structure may indicate." that could be worked as a very good tag line too. Revanvolatrelundar 16:12, November 21, 2010 (UTC)

I've enacted this for the pages for now to see what it looks like. The main page is still titled 'Doctor Who Wiki' as I'm fairly sure when/if that's retitled it's renamed so the templates that support it need to be moved (EDIT, actually no I think the title can be changed without effecting anything else).

The lengthier title of "TARDIS Index File, the Doctor Who universe Wiki" is only noticibly long when you go to something like Forum:The Sarah Jane Adventures television discontinuity and plot holes/Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith. --Tangerineduel 16:10, November 26, 2010 (UTC)

Well, you're mostly right about the impact of changing the main page name. Don't forget that the main page templates are based upon the name of the main page being "Doctor Who Wiki". So long as the name of that page is "Doctor Who Wiki", then the templates are called using shorthand, like [[/Audio]] You can change the name of the page without changing the name of the main page templates, but then you'd have to type out a longer version of the name in the main page code (i.e. template:Doctor Who Wiki/Audio). For simplicity and elegance, you would want to move the names of the templates to the new name of the page. Since the doc pages are also based on the title of the main page, you'd need to move them, too. But that's a discussion for another day.

I myself dislike that you're lengthening the name of the wiki. I never have liked that the name of this thing isn't simply, The Doctor Who Wiki. I get what you guys are saying about wanting to change the name to try to stave off "copycat" wikis that specialize in SJA or Torchwood. But there's nothing that can be done about that. It's super easy to start a new wiki, and Wikia are encouraging multiple wikis covering the same ground. And no one's plagiarizing anyone; check the terms of your submissions.

I don't think that the average person will give much thought to the distinction between Doctor Who and the broader Doctor Who universe. The DWU is not a term that gets much play in the popular press or even really on the official site. I remember having a hell of a time convincing people on Wikipedia that the article wikipedia:Whoniverse should even be kept; most believed it to be simply a fan term. And though there have been a few mentions in the popular press, the term is really only known to harder-core fans. If we call ourselves The Doctor Who Wiki, that's a branding that most people will understand. The "universe" in Doctor Who universe not only fails to register with the vast majority of casual readers, it is also potentially problematic with hard-core readers. I can imagine some people thinking that we only deal with the wider universe, not the main Doctor Who programme itself. (This, mainly because within other fandoms like ST and SW there is the concept of an "expanded universe", and because there are longstanding wikias, like MemoryBeta, which explicitly deal with only the broader universe.)

You mention Wookipedia as a template for your new name. But Wookieepedia never uses the term "Star Wars universe", even though there is such a thing. Hits are retuned, "Wookieepedia, the Star Wars Wiki". It's simple, clean, elegant and funny. Our "TARDIS Index File" isn't funny. It's not a clever play on Wikipedia. It just buries the words "Doctor Who wiki". Our complete ref now is, "TARDIS Index File, the Doctor Who universe Wiki". Which is massively long.

Let's look at how some other wikias covering similarly complicated properties name themselves. There's a DCU and a Marvel Universe, but the DC and Marvel wikias go by the simple names "Marvel Comics Database" and "DC Comics Database". There's a Stargate Universe, but it's just the "Stargate Wiki". Family Guy has a "universe" now thanks to spin-offs but Google returns simply "Family Guy Wiki".

And let's also think how all this might look in a Google search. Depending on the size of type you set your browser to, and the length of the article name, our super-long name runs the risk of being truncated in such a way that the user never sees the words "Doctor Who" or "wiki". That's bad.

We should be using strong, clear branding. The more words we add onto our title, the more it will look like we're not the main DW wiki. Since doctorwho.wikia.com redirects to us, I don't see why we can't simply rebrand as The Doctor Who Wiki. Everyone, except for the extremely picky über-geeks like us, will completely understand what that means instead of having to initially stumble over TARDIS Index File. Then, from our front door, it's completely obvious we cover the whole universe.

Failing simpler rebranding, the word "universe" should be immediately excised. CzechOut ☎ | ✍ 00:27, December 12, 2010 (UTC)