User:Mikado282/Sandbox/Community content notability guidelines
The objective of this sandbox is to develop and present drafts of expanded guidelines for Community topics in the TFwiki (e.g., Mods, Community events, and custom maps).
Present policy only exists for Mods, while Community events, and custom maps exist on the wiki without explicit policy. Note, the Wikipedia Mod article suggests that the Custom Maps are a form of Mod; however, this wiki has made distinction of Maps from and other Mods.
The existing Mod policy established that Mods may be covered on this wiki if they are sufficiently notable. The present concept here is that notability is a suitable criteria to apply to other Community topics, that is, topic related to what players experience in popular Community servers or what they might be interested in supporting when they create their own server.
Contents
Draft: separate sections
Second Draft: separate policy sections to cover specific types of Community Topics
Community topics (notability)
Community topics are pages about popular and notable content developed within the Community for play within Team Fortress series games, but has not yet been patched into the game.
Because the Team Fortress Wiki is treated as a reliable source of information by players, all new page additions are reviewed by staff to ensure that they meet minimum quality standards. This naturally includes all pages about published Team Fortress series content; however, Community topics are particularly scrutinized for sufficient notability to justify inclusion in this wiki.
A significant amount of Team Fortress 2 player time is spent on Community servers where players are likely to encounter many modifications to the current versions of Valve's Team Fortress franchise games and media. It is therefor useful to players for this wiki to cover a limited number of Mods, Custom maps, Custom maps, Community events, and other Community topics applicable to Community servers where practical. The more notable a topic is, the more likely that player will find the page about it useful, and vice versa.
Therefore, in the case of Community topics, to maintain this wiki's standard of quality, certain notability requirements should be met. Before creating a new page for a Community topic, please ensure that it meets applicable notability criteria, and be prepared to demonstrate this to staff should the need arise (either via IRC prior to creating the page, or on the talk page for the Community topic after it has been created). Beware that if review determines that a page about a Community topic is not notable, it may be removed from the Main space of this wiki. Notability will often be a judgment call, between obviously notable and obviously not notable is a wide range; unanimity on notability should not be required. Different players while have different interests; even players who favor the same game mode differ on whether the prefer Valve or Community servers.
As with any article, incompleteness, poor grammar, inconsistent formatting, and other quality issues are completely separate issues from notability — low quality is never a reason to tag for non-notability. All notable topic pages with quality issues can and should be fixed by normal editing. Severely underdeveloped pages can be moved by authors or custodians to User sandboxes until improved to at least stub quality. Similarly, there no requirement that stub be completed; some Valve maps have languished as stubs for years at a time.
Generally, to neutrally reinforce notability, the page should not be written by anyone who developed the subject of the page.
Notability is forever. Once a topic is notable, it is notable indefinitely; even if a topic can no longer be found hosted in the Community, it still retains its notability.
Mod notability
A mod is a Community modification of a Team Fortress series game, which, naturally, are distributed and hosted only by Community servers. (See: Category:Mods) Team Fortress itself was a mod of another game. A particular mod is notable enough for coverage in a page in this wiki if it meets all of the following criteria:
- Running on multiple servers: The mod in question must be shown to be in use on multiple servers, run by different entities (meaning that if there are a half-dozen servers being run by one group or person, it doesn't count). These servers also have to show a reasonable amount of player activity, and not simply be empty all the time. If a mod truly is notable in the community, then players will request that server admins run the mod and/or plugin, and it will see reasonable activity in those servers.
- Discussion among the community: Discussion of the mod must extend beyond the thread announcing its creation and development. It must be shown that the mod is actively discussed by multiple users over multiple communities, in order to illustrate its popularity among players.
- Reported in game media (blogs, youtube, etc): A very good marker of popularity is if a prominent YouTuber uploads a video of gameplay of the mod, or a popular Twitch streamer plays it (with or without fans/subscribers is acceptable). Simply showcasing the mod over the course of a few videos and a few personalities is proof enough of trending popularity, it does not have to be multiple videos over a consistent time period.
Custom map notability
| “ | [M]ost maps on this page were either part of something important, like a community mapping contest, or they are very well known maps that have had a lasting presence in TF2 (Achievement Idle, Walkway, etc.) Maps don't usually get pages on the wiki unless they were part of something that had some form of importance, whether or not they have a lot of work put into them.
— ClockworkSpirit2343, 24 April 2018
|
” |
Custom maps are maps created in the Community for play with patched and/or modded versions of Team Fortress, Team Fortress Classic, and Team Fortress 2. (Particularly, these are not Community maps, which are Community-created Custom maps that have been officially Patched into published Team Fortress games, and therefore are automatically all notable enough to be covered by tfwiki pages.) Many Custom maps are incomplete or amateurish, but several have become popular on Community servers or have significantly influenced game play. Some Custom maps have eventually been included in the the game by Valve as Community maps. The following criteria should be considered for assessing the notability of a Custom map.
Note: It is not necessary that a map meet all or even many many criteria to be considered notable enough for a page, since some criteria are mutually exclusively and a few other overlap. Neither should the notability assessment consider the completeness or style of the map's article -- article quality is subject to other policies. As is the case with any article about Official and Community maps, it is acceptable for a Custom map to remain at stub quality indefinitely.
- Original non-Event version: A Custom map later modified for and patched into a Valve Event is often considered notable on this basis alone (for example, Fifthcurve).
- Reported in game media (blogs, youtube, etc)
- Discussion among the Community
- Significant use: Popularly counts to notability, as measured by player count, multiple server occupation at least during peak hours (several Valve maps on Valve servers go unoccupied, even in peak hours.)
- Vetted quality: Winning or placing in a judged competition supports notability.
- Used in a notable Community event
- Rivaling Valve servers: Custom maps with multiple variants that recently or historically collectively rival popularity of Valve maps, even if not highly finished (e.g., Achievement Idle), recently or historically (such may receive a collective article broadly covering the variants)
- Originated or particularly promoted new Community activities: Certain Custom maps that created or supported popular new Community activities definitely rivaled some Valve game modes, especially when including many derivative variants in the consideration. Examples: Achievement Idle (Idling maps), Walkway (Community training maps), Trade Plaza (Community trading maps), etc.
- History making: Maps that were notable for introducing significant mods, Community activities, or official modes (for example, trading, Surfing, etc.) (singly or collected as appropriate)
- Perpetual event: If the Custom map was part of a Community event, its notability is especially supported when it is/was hosted on Community servers not associated with the original event (that is, independent Community use continues after the event).
The following do not count for notability:
- "This is a rally good map." (Let a Competition and the Community be the judge of that.)
- "Obviously, someone put a lot of time and effort into this map." (If, so, then enter it into a competition!)
- "Such and such have pages and they aren't notable, so this one should get a page, too." (working on it)
Community event notability
Community events are significant, higher-profile events sponsored by organizations other than Valve; such as content competitions, special server activations, charities, tournaments, campaigns, or tours. Community events have been a source of many Community maps, community items, and other content that have been added to the game by Valve. However, Community events can be significant areas of Community activity in their own right, rivaling the popularity of some activities on Valve servers.
- Reported in game media (blogs, youtube, etc)
- Running multiple event servers
- Significant participation: player count, players earning rewards (backpack counts)
- Promotion by Valve: blog posts and or promotional/reward items
- Perpetual event: Event content (e.g., maps/mechanics) are/were publicly used outside of the event on Community servers
Community content "patches"
< Work in progress > e.g., Swamp Theme,
- Fan updates: unofficial content releases, most of which is usable only on Community servers
Variant games
< Work in progress > ( e.g., Fortress Forever and Team Fortress 2 Classic )Policy not only for notability (or complete exclusion), but to what extent it should be covered, e.g., not a self-promotion )
Draft: combined section
Original Draft: one policy section to cover all sorts of Community Topics
Community topic notability guidelines
Because the Team Fortress Wiki is treated as a reliable source of information by players, all new page additions are reviewed by staff to ensure that they meet minimum quality standards. A significant portion of Team Fortress 2 player time is spent on Community servers where non-Valve Community content is common, and it is useful to players for this wiki to cover such topics where practical. The same quality standards and editing policies apply to Community topic particles; however, in order to maintain that standard of quality, certain notability requirements also have to be met.
There are several areas of Community content covered by this wiki:
- Fan updates: unofficial content releases, most of which is usable only on Community servers
- Community events: unofficial content competitions, special server activations, campaigns, charities, or tours, sponsored by Community organizations
- Community Mods: unofficial Team Fortress game modifications running only on Community servers
- Custom maps: specifically, Community-made maps not Patched into the game, and so, hosted only on Community servers
The goal is not to cover every Community-developed item or activity, but to restrict the wiki to notable topics. This notability can be a measure of the popularity of the Community subject or its significance to the continuing success of the game. Before creating a new page for a Community content subject, please ensure that the subject generally satisfies the following notability criteria. Be prepared to show evidence of notability to staff should the need arise. The notability of the subject may be discussed on the IRC prior to creating the page, or may be placed on the talk page for the article when it is created. This evidence should be stated in the article's Talk page under the heading "Notability" for public review and comment as well as for historical record. Beware that if consensus determines that Community content page is "not notable", the page may be removed.
It is recognized that specific thresholds are not defined, meaning that there is some judgement to be made in the consensus of notability, and exceptional strength against criteria can counter relative weakness in another.
- Running on multiple servers: A mod or map in question must be shown to be in use on multiple servers, run by different entities (meaning that if there are a half-dozen servers being run by one group or person, it doesn't count). These servers also have to show a reasonable amount of player activity, and not simply be empty all the time. Exceptionally full occupation of several servers over a sustained period can also establish notability even where the operator is a single entity. If a Community content is truly notable in the community, then players will request that server admins run the map, mod, and/or plugin, or there will be reasonable activity in those servers that host it.
- High participation: Hosting of specific mods, maps, or events that cause observable increases or shifts in player participation can be considered notable. Participation can be measured though statistical services (e.g., teamwork.tf), distribution of promotional items from a event (e.g., backpack.tf), or, where provided, host tracking of participants (e.g., records of numbers of players signing up for a tournament, or completing lengthy Community contracts, campaigns, or tours.),
- Vetting: Community maps or other content should be at least of Valve-published quality and completeness to be considered notable. Such content achieve a degree of vetting through judged selection and play-tested competition, which can attest to quality and completeness, at least relative to the pool of candidates.
- Valve support: Valve can indicate some notability of an event or map by authorizing cosmetic content as encouragement for participation. But this alone does not assure full notability or success.
- Discussion among the community: Discussion of the Community content must extend beyond the thread announcing its creation and development. It must be shown that the content or event is actively discussed by multiple users over multiple communities, in order to illustrate its popularity among players.
- Exposure via YouTube: A very good marker of popularity is if a prominent YouTuber uploads a video of gameplay of an event, map, or mod, or a popular Twitch streamer plays it (with or without fans/subscribers is acceptable). Simply showcasing the subject over the course of a few videos and a few personalities is proof enough of trending popularity, it does not have to be multiple videos over a consistent time period.
As with any article, incompleteness, poor grammar, inconsistent formatting, and other quality issues are separate issues from notability. Notable articles with quality issues can be fixed by additional editing. Severely underdeveloped pages can be moved by authors or custodians to User sandboxes until improved to at least stub quality.
Tags
Suggested Community content tags to replace existing tags (e.g., Custom map):
- Custom content tag
“This page is about unreleased Community content that meets [[<link>|notability requirements]] for inclusion in the TFwiki.”
- Custom content stub tag
“This page is about unreleased Community content that meets [[<link>|notability requirements]] for inclusion in the TFwiki. However, is it not complete. You can help Team Fortress Wiki by expanding it.”
- Non-Notability (Delete) tag instructions
Process for applying notability Delete tags to Community topics:
- Remember, deleting any page is a process; Tag the page, discuss the tag, close the discussion. The result is not required to be deletion. Consensus should determine results, keep, delete, move, improve, etc.
- If you feel the topic does not meet the Notability requirements for inclusion in this wiki, then locate or create the Notability section in the topic's Talk page and state the case, and Delete-tag the page for potential non-notability.
- Deletion for non-notability should have that reason stated; e.g., "This Community topic page is nominated for deletion for lack of notability. Please, discuss under the the Notability topic of the Talk page."
Index
[M]ost maps on this page were either part of something important, like a community mapping contest, or they are very well known maps that have had a lasting presence in TF2 (Achievement Idle, Walkway, etc.) Maps don't usually get pages on the wiki unless they were part of something that had some form of importance, whether or not they have a lot of work put into them. ClockworkSpirit2343 Talk Page 06:11, 24 April 2018 (UTC)
Index of discussions and resources relevant to expanding Notability criteria to broader Community topics. Other editors: Please, add anything you think is relevant.
- Community topics guidelines
- This is the only existing policy for community topics on the wiki. As much as the editors can offer no definition of a Team Fortress "mod", the present paragraphs cannot be applied to Community content as a whole.
- "Second" Draft: separate sections for different classes of Community topics; mods, maps, events, etc.
- "First" Draft: separate sections for different classes of Community topics; mods, maps, events, etc.
- Discussions
The main issue is the needed policy for inclusion/exclusion of Custom maps
- 2011-2018: Talk:Custom maps
- 2020 late-Summer: Talk:Community content notability guidelines
- 2019 late-Summer: Talk:Regarding pages on custom maps, competitions, MVM missions, and such
- 2020-2021: Team Fortress Wiki talk:Policies/Community content notability guidelines
- Resources
Much of this can/may be moved, especially if it is embedded in a discussion or sandbox.
- A catalog of resources for measuring popularity of Community maps
- Measurably precise to the Valve community server list; but, it has been suggested that there is a large amount of community servers (hosting community content) that cannot be measured by the Valve community server list. This is to say, rather than overstating the influence of Community content on Community servers, teamwork.tf actually may understate activity on Community servers.
- An inventory of all maps in the Custom category at that time. There was a surprising amount of low-notability maps in place since around 2011.
Tasks
Proposed Tasks for an impending Community topics project (subject to prioritization, should not try to do all at once):
- Assess infobox templates for correctness of categorization. Seems to have been already done?)
- Assess each page in Category:Mods for conformity to these policies.
- Notability -- keep or not?
- Quality -- improvements?
- Categorization -- correct category?
- Assess each page in Category:Custom maps for conformity to these policies.
- Assess each page in Category:Community events for conformity to these policies.
