LOTR talk:Community Portal

Proper acknowledgment of Wikipedia material
We should show a suitable source attribution on any page that copies slabs of text.

The Calgary Wikicity has a template called "Wikipedia" which goes like this:

We could do the same. Preferably a shorter name for it, such as "enWP": "". I don't know how its internal templates work, but somebody around here probably does and someone active in WP almost certainly does, because its form looks like a WP standard. If nobody offers to clarify, then one of us can dissect it. I just may install it as is and see what happens.

Robin Patterson 00:33, 19 Jul 2005 (UTC)


 * Now done -- see Template_talk:EnWP -- Robin Patterson 01:04, 19 Aug 2005 (UTC)

Middle-earth dates
How should we express these? At this moment we have at least 40 links written in the form "xxxx T.A.". But Wikipedia uses "T.A. xxxx" and there could be value in following that.

For less typing, long-term, however, we could remove the full stops and say "TA xxxx" for the Third Age and "FA xxxx" for the Fourth.

Thoughts? (Please!)

Robin Patterson 01:04, 19 Aug 2005 (UTC)

I've been using the short form in the last few days. Robin Patterson 01:45, 29 Aug 2005 (UTC)

What's to make the distinction between the 1st and 4th ages using this abbreviation? --Cymra37 16:47, 21 August 2006 (UTC)


 * First Age is mentioned relatively rarely in "Lord of the Rings", so I suggest that it can be stated in full with little inconvenience. Robin Patterson 23:11, 18 October 2006 (UTC)

Image use policy?
( copied from Firebird's talk page, because Firebird has not edited in the last 6 months and is possibly no longer looking at that page)

Hi there, I'm new to this wiki, but I've written loads on the Memory-Alpha Star Trek wiki. I wondered, what is your image-use policy? Can you upload images from the DVDs as screencaps? Echidna 19:03, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)


 * I've no idea, sorry, but some of our contributors probably know. Robin Patterson 20:03, 14 Sep 2005 (UTC)


 * Because, if we can use the images from DVDs, like we do on Memory Alpha, it would make the site soooo much better. It also depends on how much filespace this wiki has assigned to it. See here:  for what's been set up for MA. Echidna 08:21, 15 Sep 2005 (UTC)


 * Have you tried the central authority at http://wikicities.com/wiki/Help:Images? Robin Patterson 11:22, 15 Sep 2005 (UTC)

Missing images
There are loads of missing images for different pages. I'm not quite sure what has happened with them. Any ideas?--Darth Mantus 13:22, 24 Oct 2005 (UTC)


 * They are currently missing because they usually don't copy over automatically when you copy a page from another site. Need separate importing. A fiddly job for someone who's keen on that sort of thing, rather than creative people such as you? Robin Patterson 19:23, 24 Oct 2005 (UTC)

Tolkien Languages
The Tolkien Languages Wiki could do with some help. Any quenya/sindarin/other Tolkien language speakers here? -- Reginald (Talk) 13:21, 3 Sep 2005 (UTC)


 * Shouldnt that wiki be merged here? Most of their 34 articles are already covered here Gimli 14:31, 3 March 2006 (UTC)
 * I agree with Gimli, but I think that perhaps the wikia should be renamed 'Tolkien' wiki instead of 'The Lord of the Rings' wiki. Tolkien wiki would be more inclusive. &mdash;Mirlen 20:35, 1 April 2006 (UTC)
 * I think the point of the wiki, and what makes it unique from the vast number of other wikis is the fact that it concentrates (or is supposed to) on The Lord of the Rings. At least that is what Robin Patterson stated.
 * I see. --Mirlen 00:44, 6 April 2006 (UTC)
 * It is also for all Tolkien related material since no other wikicities wikia wiki covers that Gimli 11:07, 6 April 2006 (UTC)
 * This wiki is supposed to focus on The Lord of the Rings, but it actually does not. It gathers mostly any Middle-Earth related articles. So, my advice would be: either discourage addition of articles loosely (if at all) related to the LotR, or explicitly describe this wiki as gathering any piece of information about Middle-Earth (and/or Tolkien). --Athyndmion 13:02, 14 June 2006 (UTC)
 * I am in favor of merging this wiki with the one on languages. Anyway, even though languages are not the key interest of this wiki, we should pay attention to the names of the articles. Names are of utmost importance in the LotR, and in all Tolkien's literature, so I consider it a necessity to give a few sentences about the names appearing in the titles of the articles. At the very least, the meaning of the names should be given in English, when known. To encourage people to add information on meaning and etymology, I have created a template: Template:Etymology needed. --Athyndmion 13:02, 14 June 2006 (UTC)
 * Could be useful. To save typing, a redirecting shortcut such as Template:Etym can be used. Robin Patterson 23:53, 18 October 2006 (UTC)

I propose a wiktionary-like component of this wiki. I have a comprehensive dictionary myself, and some Tolkien langs are appearing in Wiktionary. --Cymra37 01:42, 31 August 2006 (UTC)


 * I see no problem having "stub" articles that give the meaning of a non-English word. We already have many articles with Tolkien-invented words as their titles.


 * Some of them might expand with illustrations of where the word is used. We could think up a suitable category name for them too. (As this discussion is getting lengthy and has potential to go further, I propose a new page for agreed "Languages" principles, with its talk page for related ideas and questions, including much of what's on this page.) Robin Patterson 23:53, 18 October 2006 (UTC)

Article Canon?
I noticed the bulk of Gimli's latest entries are of non-canon material. I had originally thought the intent of the wiki was The Lord of the Rings, will you guys be focusing on the Roleplaying material and not the primary works of J.R.R. Tolkien? Thanks, and keep up the great work. --Hyarion 06:40, 14 March 2006 (UTC)
 * I thought the non-canon stuff would be great to have here, to make it different to wikipedia, and since other wikis like star wars and star trek also use plenty of non-canon material Gimli 14:01, 14 March 2006 (UTC)

vote for featured
Theres a vote going on at wikia for featured wikis, vote here for this wiki to be featured! Its about time it was, its larger than some of the ones that have been featured. Gimli 05:39, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

Is Middle-earth big enough for so many wikis?
Hi, I was wondering what makes LotR.Wikia.com unique when compared to The Tolkien Wiki, Tolkien Gateway, and Wikipedia, etc. It juse seems silly that the Tolkien community works aganist eachother when we could all work together on one wiki. --24.249.154.83 21:37, 15 June 2006 (UTC)

I pretty much agree but... --Athyndmion 14:37, 16 June 2006 (UTC)
 * Wikipedia:
 * Wikipedia is a very general encyclopedia, so it is not specifically dedicated to Tolkien or Middle-Earth.
 * A specific wiki on such or such topic is welcome on the web.
 * Concentrating every possible things in wikipédia is certainly not a good idea.
 * Specific wikis:
 * Yet, gathering contributors to improve working force is good,
 * but diversity is also a necessity.
 * This wikia:
 * This specific wikia is supposed to focus on The Lord of the Rings (book and movies and RPGs etc), while other wikis are about Middle-Earth and Tolkien in general.
 * Unfortunately, I have the impression that this wikia is developping into a general Tolkien-related wiki.
 * Other specificity: it is a wikia, so it is taking advantage of the wikia infrastructure and the big wikia community gravitating around the central wikia.


 * I agree that having wikis based on the same thing is silly and we could accomplish so much more if we put our heads together and either worked as one or set specific concentrations for the wikis. --Hyarion 21:58, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Tolkien Gateway
Hey you guys (I'd have posted this on the talk page, but because it's vandalized, it's screwing up my compy and won't let me on)! Tolkien Gateway is in need of more people to help out. If you're interested, head on over! (the link is in the above subject). -His Lordship - Darth Vader 03:31, 7 August 2006 (UTC)


 * I really think the best approach for the Tolkien community would be to combine our efforts at Tolkien Gateway with lotr.wikia.com, if the community feels this is the better home then we would be happy to migrate the content from TG to here. Here's a comparison I've thrown together, feel free to edit it. I really don't want to bring up TG here since we are essentially competing but I've just grown tired of two groups attempting to do the same thing, we could be doing so much more if we worked together. --Hyarion 19:28, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

As my opinion was solicited, I think... --N3rus 07:02, 2 March 2007 (UTC)
 * 1) addy's don't matter. It isn't as if they are obtrusive here.
 * 2) size doesn't matter. In time, what is the smaller can become the bigger.  Hell, Microsoft used to be cheered because they were the little guy taking on that 3-letter company.  Who were they again? : )
 * 3) numbers and ratios of visitors to editors doesn't matter. I prefer a small pond to a big one and would rather live in a village of one or two hundred than a city of one or two million.
 * 4) who owns the server doesn't matter. It's not like I own it after all.  (But, I could be bought off ; )
 * 5) who profits doesn't matter. We all take profits (called wages or salaries) every day from the sale of our labor, so I don't regard it to be anything to fear or sneer.
 * 6) the manner of determining who is an admin doesn't matter because I never want to be one. I work all day as a system/database administrator for a very large organization, so I have no interest in such responsibility or who has such responsibility when I am doing something for pure enjoyment.
 * 7) chat doesn't matter. I don't chat online with folks I have never met in person no matter how friendly we are, so such a feature does not appeal to me.
 * 8) giveaways and gimmicks don't matter.
 * 9) look and feel doesn't matter as long as it works.
 * 10) relative freedom (i.e. to Wikia or not to Wikia) doesn't matter.
 * 11) spam doesn't matter. After all, spam could be the work of the other guy's agents hurling rotten tomatoes in this guys theater.  (Not an accusation, just meant to demonstrate that the relative amount of spam should not be that important.)
 * 12) numbers of admins and their activity level (24/7 as opposed to one or two hours a week/month/year) doesn't matter. Hey, the less active they are, the less likely they are to bully me.  (I get enough of that at my office.)
 * 13) the outcome of this debate doesn't matter. I think that there is enough room in the world for 2 (or 3 or 4 or 5...) Tolkien-themed Wiki communities.
 * 14) that being an aspiring author, I just want to write. I care very little whose chalkboard it is.  However,...
 * 15) loyalty does count for something, and as I was here, however briefly, before I saw the there.... However,...
 * 16) going along with one's fellows does count for something, however little it may be, and if everyone else agreed to quit this for that, then....

colours
I thought it would be nice to have a different coloured background, and maybe some other changes to the design, what does everyone think? see also the talk at MediaWiki talk:Monobook.css Gimli 08:55, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

fiction
All references to "fiction" or "fictional" should be annihilated. This includes categories of fictional things. you can do a search here (hopefully will be empty soon) Gimli 13:49, 25 January 2007 (UTC)