Wikipedia:Wikipe-tan

Wikipe-tan (ウィキペたん, Wikipetan) is one of the personifications of Wikipedia. She is the mascot character for WikiProject Anime and manga, the Counter-Vandalism Unit, and Admin coaching; she was also a contender for the Wikipedia mascot. The "-tan" in "Wikipe-tan" is a hypocoristic suffix, in the form of a Japanese honorific. Like the OS-tans, she is a product of moe anthropomorphism.

Background

The idea and her name came from an anonymous IP (192.192.170.2) who suggested that Wikipedia should have a mascot like the OS-tans on the Wikipedia mascot vote on 5 January 2006. Japanese Wikipedia user Kasuga then drew and posted her in the Futaba Channel on 8 January 2006; she later showed up on the Wikipedia mascot vote. Wikipede won the mascot vote, but new Wikipe-tan images were made, and saw continued use.

Use on Wikipedia

In June 2006, Wikipe-tan was made the mascot for the anime and manga Wikiproject after the previous mascot, fan-art image of the title character from Midori Days, was removed from the commons due to copyright problems. Since her first appearance, many users across the Wikimedia project have adopted her into their userpages. (See commons usage for each image).

On August 8, 2006, an image of Wikipe-tan was promoted as a featured picture, and it appeared on the main page as the October 2 Picture of the day. In October 2007, the image was delisted and is no longer a featured picture.

Starting September 2006, Wikipe-tan is also acting as the mascot of the Counter-Vandalism Unit, since their previous logo had been removed in February 2006 due to trademark and copyright related complications.

On 21 February 2007 WikiProject Military history began using a Wikipe-tan image, requested to be created with her in a navy uniform for featured articles, to decorate one of their userboxes.

On 2007 29 March, Wikipe-tan was joined by her sister projects Commons-Tan and Quote-Tan. Kasuga has stated "...new Wiki-sisters will be designed in the future". However, Kasuga stated "...there was no page that needed other sisters' images up to now. I might draw their images if there are pages which need them."

In June 2007, a suggestive image of Wikipe-tan was proposed to be used in the article on lolicon. The image was removed from Wikimedia Commons by Jimbo Wales, who acknowledged Wikipe-tan as a "community mascot" who should not be subject to such "pedophilic sexualization". ^[1] Kasuga would later draw a new image for the article without Wikipe-tan.

Use outside Wikipedia

A userChrome.css, written by Kylu, is available for Firefox users to add Wikipe-tan in their browsers.
games™, a UK gaming magazine, used an image of Wikipe-tan as an illustration of maid cafés (p 30, Issue 48).
On October 12, Apple Daily ran a short article discussing Wikipe-tan, and how the GFDL license helped her spread across the Wikipedias.
Two Wikipe-tan cosplayers have been spotted in a cosplay activity in the University of Hong Kong. One of them, Heung Ying Ching(向映晴), was interviewed by Hong Kong magazine Easy Finder weeks later.^[2]^[3] In that article, more images of Wikipe-tan were used to illustrate how Heung became an "international icon". As an aside, the article erroneously told how she was invited by Kasuga and Norwegian "administrator" GunnarRene to become the real-life Wikipe-tan. Apple Daily went further on that error, saying Heung became a representative for Wikipedia.^[4]
On June 15 2007 the German newspaper Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten (circulation ca. 31 000) used Wikipe-tan on the front page as well as next to an article on the variety of manga.
In March 2007, the Swedish foreign ministry published a promemoria about Japanese anime and manga, using text and Kasuga's Wikipe-tan image from the Swedish Wikipedia without acknowledgement as required by the GFDL licence. The Swedish media reported this violation in April, ^[5] and the Chancellor of Justice ruled that the act was a copyright infringement in November.^[6]
British newspaper The Observer featured a picture of the cropped sailor fuku version of Wikipe-tan in the article "Girl geeks find manga haven" (World, Page 35, 2008-06-01, by Justin McCurry). The article makes no mention of Wikipedia, Wikipe-tan or the GFDL license.

Gallery

Wikipe-tan by Kasuga
The original Wikipe-tan image
Wikipe-tan sock puppet show
Wikipe-tan is a little heavy
She needs your help!
Wikipe-tan in color
Wikipe-tan is ready to learn in her sailor fuku
Wikipe-tan front view
Wikipe-tan cleaning up
Sock puppeting
TrollBoat-tan
Wikipe-tan in casual clothes
The Library of Babel
Kasuga's own pixel art version of Wikipe-tan
Her past, present, and future
Don't abbreviate Wikipedia as Wiki!
Wikipe-tan gets a birthday present
Gothic Lolita Wikipe-tan
Wikipe-tan grows up to be featured. FA-tan?
Wikipe-tan with Commons and Quote sisters
I've been expecting you, Mr. Anderson
Adult Commons-tan taking a picture
Adult Wikipe-tan in a bikini
She needs your help! (color version)
Wikipe-tan in the library
Wikipe-tan pondering the mysteries of Wikipedia. Aum.
Nekomimi-mode Wikipe-tan.
Wikipe-tan holding up a blank sign, for various uses
Miko Wikipe-tan
Adult Wikipe-tan
Adult Commons-tan
Simple Wikipe-tan
Adult Quote-tan
Wikipe-tan in Santa costume
Wikipe-tan wearing ao dai
Wrong season? That's a Northern Hemisphere's POV~
Wikipe-tan at Valentine's Day
Wikipe-tan in Cleopatra-style costume
Wikipe-tan coaching
Wikipe-tan wearing baro't saya
Wikipe-tan presenting a carnation
A new badge
Wikipe-tan in a Halloween costume

Wikipe-tan by others
It's summer! The sea! Wikipe-tan!
(by zh:陈少举)
Wikipe-tan dot art (by ja:User:Cpro)
Wikipe-tan cosplayer Ying-Ching HEUNG (向映晴) in Hong Kong
GA Wikipe-tan by User:Squilibob (GA-tan)
3D Wikipe-tan made by FUSHIMI-DOLLS
Jumping Wikipe-tan

Jumping Wikipe-tan
Wikipe-tan battling a Wikitroll in the Darknesses of Ignorance
Angry wikipe-tan
Chibi Wikipe-tan
animated
Heung Ying Ching as Wikipe-tan again at the Wikimedia Hong Kong establishment ceremony
Cheerleader Wikipe-tan
Wikipe-tan cat by SunnyChow

Wikipe-tan cat by SunnyChow
SchoolGirl WikiNeko-tan

Derivatives
Wikipe-tan as a DVD cover
Wikipe-tan in a visual novel
The same, using Ren'Py
This Wikipe-tan is a stub..
Wikipe-tan in riot gear
CVU
Wikipe-tan with Jimbo Wales
Wikipe-tan stars in a comic
The Wikipedia super-team
In the opening of her own anime (with engrish)
in a portal
Wikipe-tan in outlines only
(Wo)man in Black Wikipe-tan, by Perfectblue97
Afro Wikipe-tan
Afro Wikipe-tan (alternate)
Burqa Wikipe-tan
Conservape-tan
A desktop wallpaper
Newspaper article using Wikipe-tan as an illustration

Newspaper article using Wikipe-tan as an illustration
With a dialogue bubble
Banner ad for Wikipedia:Fundraising redesign
Gothic Wikipe-tan wallpaper ver.1: normal
Gothic Wikipe-tan wallpaper ver.2: darker
Gothic Wikipe-tan wallpaper ver.3: normal ver - smaller with Japanese text reading "wikipe tan"
Wikipe-tan attacked by a Wikitroll.
Wikipe-tan cleaning up.
Hello mah honey, hello mah baby, hello mah ragtime-tan...

Cropped versions
Wikipe-tan as an avatar
FA-tan

Sisters
Commons-tan
Quote-tan

Wikipe-tan in Shift JIS art

　　　 　ｒu‐┐__ 　 ｒu‐┐
　　　　.} Ω_{' ⌒´ヾｰ､.{　
　　　　´ｒｰﾞｆ（ﾉﾉ）)））!i.｢
　 　 　 ﾉ乂k(lﾟ ヮﾟﾉ'ﾉ乂　　
　　　 ´ ' 　 と}i凹{つ 　 '　
　　　　 　　ｆく/{__}〉
　　　　　　 ´　し'ﾉ

Code

Result

This user loves Wikipe-tan, the cutest personification of Wikipedia.

Usage

References

External links

[1] ttp://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Log&type=delete&page=Image:LoliWikipetan.jpg

[2] ttp://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h208/vfoma/kuso/1.jpg

[3] ttp://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h208/vfoma/kuso/2.jpg

[4] ttp://game.21cn.com/zhuanti/ags2006/news/2006/12/18/3069581.shtml

[5] ttp://www.resume.se/nyheter/2007/04/30/ud-plankade-wikipedia/index.xml

[6] ttp://www.filecrunch.com/file/~jab4f9

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]