Wikipedia:Wiki Game

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

See also Wikipedia:Six degrees of Wikipedia, Wikipedia:Wiki-Link Game, Wikipedia:Wikifun, Wikipedia:Wikirace, and Wikipedia:Wikington Crescent.

The Wiki Game is a hypertextual game, designed to work specifically with Wikipedia. The Wiki Game (known casually as the "Wikipedia race" requires no purchase of product at all, just a computer, a subscription to Internet access, a web browser, and a time-keeping device (optional).

Contents 1 Objective 2 Setup 3 Procedures 4 Variations 5 Websites for Wikiracing 6 The Don'ts 7 External links

[edit] Objective

Players (one or more) start on the same randomly selected article and must navigate to another pre-selected article (home) only clicking links within the current article. The goal is to arrive at the home article in the fewest number of clicks (articles) or the least time. The single-player Wiki Game, known as Wikirace ,WikiLadders,WikiClick or WikiWhack, involves reducing one's previous time or number of clicks.

[edit] Setup

1. Use the Random Article link in the navigation box to or have someone else (see procedure 1 for more information) select two random articles. One is the start article and the other is the home article.
2. Navigate all player's browsers to the start article.
3. Purge the history folder of the web browsers.

[edit] Procedures

1. The random selection of pages must be performed by someone other than the player, that is, either an impartial overseer (i.e. referee) or an opponent. Of note, the latter option tends to breed a fun competitiveness between players, where one player tries to pick the most "random" (read: tangential) wiki-links for his/her opponent.
2. A close tally must be kept of the number of clicks used by a player; all selections must be accounted for. Whoever has the fewest clicks wins. The browser history can be used to determine number of articles / clicks.
3. A round in the Wiki Game can be played at one computer terminal, where players take turns, or at multiple computers simultaneously. In the latter option, a "session" begins immediately after everyone loads their randomized Homing Page and ends when the last person returns to his/her Homing Page. NOTE: It is from our experience that rounds with a session consisting of several people require both referees and cooperation between opponents to make sure all are treated fairly.
4. After each round, the history folder of the web browser needs to be purged.

• The game can also be played by seeing who can get to the designated page first, regardless of the number of clicks.

[edit] Variations

If one ever grows tired of the "traditional" version of Wikiracing, several variations of the game have sprung up, created to spice things up or otherwise raise the stakes.

1. '5-Clicks-to-Jesus': A form of Wikiracing that mimics golf, the challenge in this version is to get from a Random Article to the Jesus entry in as few clicks as possible. Reaching the article in 5 clicks is considered 'par', with clicks over or under five being referred to as 'bogeys' and 'birdies' respectively. Players can either play the course (aiming for 'par' or better) or as a competition. In the latter case, players start from the same Random Articles and add their score between rounds. Lowest score wins!
2. Time Trials: Rather than using the click rules, the winner can be determined by whoever reaches the "Homing Page" in the shortest amount of time. This is easier with two parallel machines, although it should be noted that they ought to have equivalent internet connections.
3. 'One-Can't-Go' rule: Essentially, if you find yourself in a doomed-scenario (i.e. stumbled into a stub with no wiki-links) you are allowed to use one of the Category links at the bottom of an entry (e.g. 1904 deaths or Philosophy). Each player can only use this option once though, so use it wisely.
4. 'Find Hitler!' Believed to be the original form of 'The Wikipedia Game,' The objective is to begin by selecting the 'Random Article' link. From there you look at the selected article and click the links in the main body of the article that are believed to lead to the Adolf Hitler article. Two players or more can play and they count the number of articles it takes to get to Adolf Hitler. The person who gets there with the least number of articles wins.

[edit] Websites for Wikiracing

Wikirace.org is the first wikiracing website. It is the free wikipedia racetrack for wikiracers. Wikiracing is made exciting at this website by giving players points for every race they finish and every record they break. At Wikirace.org players cannot edit articles which will ensure no workarounds. Year links, date links, category pages, list pages and few disambiguation pages are disabled to make races interesting.

Wikispeedia is an implementation of the Wiki Game with the additional research purpose of using the gathered data in an artificial intelligence program that automatically learns commonsense knowledge.

[edit] The Don'ts

Except where otherwise noted, any player breaking these rules automatically forfeits the game.

1. DO NOT use the Wiki search box.
2. DO NOT use any of the links outside of the page's contents. The contents of a page are demarcated by gray lines which intersect to make the page box. DO NOT click (for example) "Help", "Donations", "Related changes", "Category:..." etc.
3. DO NOT visit external websites. You must stay within the bounds of Wikipedia.
4. DO NOT use the backspace or back arrow to return to a previous page. History is bunk in the Wiki Game (unless a referee or an opponent demands a recount).
5. DO NOT visit the United States page, as it is too broad to pose a challenge.
6. DO NOT click on dates e.g. 2001, as these pages are too broad to pose a challenge.
7. DO NOT employ automated search tools to find a path for you.
8. DO NOT edit the start page to insert a link to the home page.
9. DO NOT use the ctrl + F function to search for words.

[edit] External links

• Wikirace.org - The wikipedia racetrack - The first wikiracing website
• Wikispeedia - An implementation for research purposes