Wikipedia:WikiFauna

A WikiFauna (or UserFauna) is a characterization set out in a Wikipedia essay that a Wikipedian may use to further convey something about themselves that other editors may find helpful to understand.

WikiFauna relates to the culture of Wikipedia and its users, and Project WikiFauna serves as a resource to help coordinate, organize, and otherwise manage the writing and editing of WikiFauna essays.

Inclusion criteria

WikiFauna pages are essays within the project namespace (Wikipedia:) and should follow the advice regarding Wikipedia essays. In addition, the WikiFauna description should address the human aspects of working on or with Wikipedia that are generally common to some Wikipedians including actions, speech, or thoughts. In highlighting broad editing patterns that can be seen throughout the community, a WikiFauna page may include a general editing pattern description, provide a rounded description of a personality as it relates to encyclopedia editing habits, and describe a general editor behavior. Wikipedia's most important resource is its contributors. When considering the value of WikiFauna in project namespace (and UserFauna in user namespace), think about the impact of the content on editors' feelings, and whether the content may drive them away. WikiFauna essays meeting the inclusion criteria may be added to Template:Wikipedia fauna. WikiFauna essays not meeting the inclusion criteria may be improved, or may be deleted or userfied by posting a request at Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion.

A WikiFauna should:

• provide some educational and reflective merit closely related to Wikipedia's goals.
• be helpful or useful in building the encyclopedia.
• be a sincere and genuine effort to improve the encyclopedia.
• express an attitude designed to encourage a cooperative spirit among editors.

A WikiFauna should not:

• be too obscure to be useful in building the encyclopedia.
• treat serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor.
• lack genuineness towards improving the encyclopedia.
• be mean or too aggressive. Pointing a fellow editor to a WikiFauna essay to identify them as that WikiFauna should not serve to inflame a situation, belittle the editor, or dismiss/discredit the editor for maintaining an opposing/different opinion.
• serve to foster negative attitudes in others towards an editor identified with the WikiFauna.

Classic WikiFauna

These WikiFauna have been around for years and generally can apply to a larger group of editors.

WikiElf

Representation of a WikiElf

A WikiElf is described as having desirable traits of an editor working behind the scenes to improve Wikipedia. Subspecies are: WikiElf; CreatorElf; PeopleElf; DeleteElf; ExpandElf; ProtectElf.

WikiEnt

A WikiEnt is described as having desirable traits of an editor that is the exact opposite of a WikiTroll. They promote peaceful interactions, and consist of the following WikiFauna: WikiGnome, WikiElf, WikiHen and/or WikiFairy.

WikiFairy

A WikiFairy is described as having desirable traits of an editor who beautifies Wikipedia.

WikiGnome

A WikiGnome is described as having desirable traits of an editor who quietly attends to details of the encyclopedia.

WikiHobbit

A WikiHobbit is described as having desirable traits of an editor developing expertise niches and topics and evading drama or arguments unless forced to make a valiant stand, often against heavily armored adversaries. Sadly, they are not all immune to the temptations of Power.

WikiOgre

A WikiOgre is described as having traits of an editor who can sometimes be inactive for periods of anything from days, weeks, or months, but often engage in a rampage of activity, editing wildly.

WikiOrc

A WikiOrc is described as having undesirable traits of a troll-like editor, and they are disruptive to processes.

WikiTroll

A WikiTroll is described as having undesirable traits of an editor who baits others into repetitive methods of disruption. This usage of troll dates from the 1980s, and is not particular to Wikipedia.

Expanded WikiFauna

These WikiFauna generally can apply to a smaller group of editors.

WikiAges

The WikiAges are described as certain mildly desirable traits of an editor based on seven stages of the human life cycle. The stages are:

1. WikiInfant
2. WikiChild
3. WikiTeen
4. WikiYoungAdult
5. WikiAdult
6. WikiSeniors
7. WikiDeath

WikiAngel

A WikiAngel is described as having desirable traits of an experienced Wikipedian of significantly reduced activity, but who continues to follow the project and to act altruistically in cases of need. WikiAngel is modeled on "Guardian angel".

WikiBadger

A WikiBadger latches onto vandals, unlucky newbies, and even WikiTrolls or WikiGiants. It may be disruptive, but when left alone is generally useful.

WikiBarbarian

A WikiBarbarian is a very dangerous vandal, who devotes their time to vandalising articles. They can overtake a WikiJanitor or low ranking WikiPolice, but they need to watch out for WikiPumas.

WikiBogeyman

A WikiBogeyman scares off bad editors.

WikiBouncer

A WikiBouncer is an editor that is strictly against incivility and bias.

WikiBear

A WikiBear is an omnivorous browser. It can fight fiercely, but would rather be munching berries.

WikiBee

A WikiBee is an insect who loves perfection, but is friendly with other WikiBees.

WikiButterfly

A WikiButterfly is an editor whose edit history starts off as slow as a caterpillar, with hardly any edits for months or even years, only to eventually burst onto the scene as a highly prolific contributor worthy of adminship.

WikiCat

A WikiCat is described as having desirable editing traits such as being goal-oriented. They are also described as ambitious editors with the neutral quality of being less social.

WikiChef

A WikiChef cooks (creates) new pages.

WikiChicken

A WikiChicken is a user who is good-natured and eager to create a page, but is afraid of what may happen if they do so.

WikiClaus

WikiClaus gives awards to good deserving editors when even fellow editors failed to do so.

WikiCloud

A WikiCloud is a type of network architect who can effectively regroup, plan, and organize data, in order to optimize or to understand and represent any definition, about anything. They are called WikiCloud since they come from the shadow's in the view to bring positivity out of chaos(or at least they try to), and they'll evaporate once their mission is done. As per the name, WikiCloud, they come and go... You can imagine or view them as a "quantum computer" where they can operate in more than one area, at the same time, while doing more than one thing, at the same time. They are a mix of WikiSloth, WikiElf, WikiGremlin (without the Grand Marnier), WikiEagle and WikiGnome.

WikiCrook

Artistic interpretation of a typical WikiCrook

A WikiCrook is a WikiFauna, depicted as being a shady manlike creature. They are known for finding loopholes in the laws of Wikipedia and using them for their advantage. WikiCrooks are small in numbers but overwhelm users with the use of sockpuppets.

WikiCyclops

A WikiCyclops is described as having the mildly desirable traits of an editor who works at depth with a narrow focus.

WikiDee

A WikiDee is an observant editor resembling a dwarf species of WikiEagle. WikiDees flit from one article to another finding and correcting previously unnoticed errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, or formatting.

WikiDinosaur

WikiDinosaurs were the ancestors of all modern WikiFauna.

WikiDodo

WikiDodos are editors who are good-natured but don't understand the rules and make frequent mistakes.

WikiDog

WikiDogs are editors who viciously attack those who intend to disrupt Wikipedia.

WikiDragon

A WikiDragon is described as having desirable traits of an editor who is sporadically highly active and when sporadically highly active, bold and grand, but exhibits less desirable traits of being clumsy or overconfident.

WikiDwarf

A WikiDwarf cleans up a WikiGoblin's mess.

WikiEagle

A WikiEagle is capable of finding the minutest typo hidden in the page.

WikiEguor

A noble Eguor surveys the scene.

Eguors stand between the innocent herd and the antics of Rouge Admins and the Oxen of Boll by exemplifying a no-fuss, neutral good approach to adminship.

WikiElephant

A WikiElephant is an old, experienced user who has a deep knowledge of Wikipedia's history, as well as Wikipedia's policies. They are usually calm and thoughtful, but may sometimes break into stampedes. WikiElephants are frequently found at various arcane parts of Wikipedia, such as WP:ARBCOM.

WikiEngineer

A WikiEngineer is an editor who focuses on doing more technical work.

WikiFallen

A WikiFallen is described as having undesirable traits of an editor who was once a productive Wikipedian who has been banned or otherwise exiled from the project. Before using this WikiFauna, see Wikipedia:Deny recognition.

WikiFarmer

A WikiFarmer is an editor who is devoted to nurturing stubs.

WikiGiant

A WikiGiant is described as having desirable traits of an administrator who responds to vandalism, but with the undesirable trait of responding overly powerfully and clumsily in opposing vandalism.

WikiGoblin

A WikiGoblin is a new vandal that sprays a lot of graffiti on Wikipedia.

WikiGoon

A WikiGoon is described as having undesirable traits of an administrator who conceals their administrative privileges for a purpose of administratively using that concealment to their advantage. They are like semi-stealth WikiPolice that try to bounce trouble makers speedily. They have connections and loyalties to other, more senior and powerful users that they might favor over official policy.

WikiGoose

The WikiGoose will live in a state of dormancy, not contributing in any large capacity to the ecosystem in blocks of time which may last for months, or sometimes even years. Then, suddenly, the WikiGoose will abruptly take off in a spree of editing, making statements that may, with luck, be truthful, but are likely to be misinformed assumptions. The WikiGoose creates these edits simply for the purpose of making noise. After this manic period has run its course, the WikiGoose settles into its quiet routine once more, biding its time as it waits to strike again... and it will...

WikiGremlin

A WikiGremlin is a microscopic creature that runs (alternately ruins) the Wikipedia website.

WikiGryphon

A WikiGryphon is a diligent, versatile and flexible user. They have the pride of a lion and the fierceness of an eagle when it comes to vandals.

WikiHedgehog

A WikiHedgehog is a playful user with a good sense of humor, but who can also 'sting' when the wrong buttons are pushed.

WikiHibernator

A WikiHibernator is a user who lies dormant for very, very long periods (of months to years at minimum) but has not officially retired and may return to action at any point.

WikiHound

A WikiHound is an aggressive and confrontational editor who tracks another user for the purposes of harassing them. Common methods include reverting their good faith edits, participating in the same conversations they are in to disagree with them, and generally disrupting their use of the site.

WikiHunter

A WikiHunter spends their time tracking articles and getting them deleted.

WikiHybrid

A WikiHybrid is a kind of Wikipedian that possesses qualities of 2 other species.

WikiImp

A WikiImp is a user who, while not directly harming Wikipedia, leaves the editing to others.

WikiJackal

A WikiJackal is an editor who delights in being the first editor to spring into action and add a death date to a celebrity or other prominent person's article as soon as news of that person's death has been released.

WikiJaguar

A WikiJaguar is an editor prone to stalking other users' talk pages, occasionally leaving either constructive or negative comments. While often friendly, they are at great risk of Wikipediholism.

WikiJanitor

WikiJanitors spend their times doing anti-vandalism and any other sort of clean-up.

WikiKing

A WikiKing takes dramatic ownership of articles, contrary to policy. The description is negative, though intended non-offensively, as a description of a not-yet-encultured over-enthusiastic contribution to a particular subject.

WikiKitten

WikiKittens are generally newcomers, similar to WikiPuppies, but usually have more edits to mainspace articles. They might need help doing things and becoming new editors, but most of the time make it on their own.

WikiKnight

WikiKnights are there to protect the simple WikiVillagers; to defend Wikipedia and uphold the eternal pillars of truth. The term is intended as an honour for a particular style of contributing.

WikiKomodo

WikiKomodos edit Wikipedia, and create some articles, but try to avoid contact with other editors.

WikiLeprechaun

A WikiLeprechaun is described as having traits of an editor who carries a lot of information on the island of Ireland but can often forget to leave citations.

WikiLurker

Purported photo of the common, but secretive, WikiLurker

WikiLurkers are WikiFauna who make their presence known on the wiki, but rarely participate and generally avoid interaction. Despite their mysterious nature, they are not malicious and simply prefer to be left alone and only participate when they truly feel like it.

WikiMercenary

WikiMercenaries neither have their own Wiki-ing principles nor projects, they just look for projects where assistance is needed perhaps to take part in the after-glory of, for instance, having contributed to an article being raised to feature status.

WikiMeatpuppet

Some Meatpuppets waiting to be called into action

A Meatpuppet, also known as a WikiCrony, is a WikiFauna that appears only to illegitimately bolster another user's arguments.

WikiMime

A WikiMime is a user that mimics the edits of experienced users, often disruptively.

WikiMonk

A WikiMonk is a person who sees editing Wikipedia as an all-encompassing bringer of life's content.

WikiMule

A WikiMule is a relatively quiet user who assumes good faith and keeps modestly to their work.

WikiNecromancer

A WikiNecromancer is an old, wise Wikipedian who finds dead articles and brings them back to life, as well as healing sick or weak articles.

WikiNinja

A WikiNinja is an editor who stealthily blocks vandals and deletes vandalism.

WikiOrca

The WikiOrca is a playful and knowledgeable editor. They are also very social. They will ferociously warn vandals.

WikiOtter

The WikiOtter is very friendly toward new users. Another aspect of the WikiOtter persona is a tendency toward harmless mischief, which is always done in good faith.

WikiPanda

The WikiPanda is an account that mostly munches on a single topic. Giant WikiPandas face permanent inactivity despite encouragement from New Page Patrollers, while Red WikiPandas are more adaptable.

WikiParasite

Like this wasp, editors who do not take proper precautions against security breaches may be in for a nasty surprise.

The WikiParasite is a hostile being that takes over an unsuspecting account much like a cordyceps fungus and uses it as a front for various unsavory deeds.

WikiPeacock

A WikiPeacock is either highly boastful of themselves or of some other particular subject. Views tend to be grandiose and go to extremes.

WikiPlatypus

The WikiPlatypus is a user who has traits of many WikiFauna, and may spend some of its time acting, for example, like a WikiDragon, other times like a WikiKnight, a WikiSloth, WikiGnome, etc.

WikiPolice

WikiPolice is a term for editors who have studied policy actively and act to have policy enforced.

WikiPotoo

WikiPotoo is a term for nocturnal users who rather avoid attention until they discover an edit that conflicts with their personal values, which generally causes them to begin actively researching the topic until a more satisfactory answer can be found.

WikiPrairie Dog

A WikiPrairie dog is a user who works industriously underground as part of a larger sociable group, creating useful spaces and resources for others to use, such as WikiProjects, templates, navboxes, and other useful things, or else building and expanding its burrow through new articles, and communicating energetically with others in its WikiBurrow. It occasionally pokes its head above ground to see what others are up to. It has a very positive effect on its habitat, as it is an ecosystem engineer, and modifies its local areas in ways that many other species find very beneficial.

WikiPrincess

A WikiPrincess is a user who glories in Wikipedia's collection of data but is too lazy to contribute.

WikiPuma

WikiPuma refers to a user who edits a lot, but edits carefully. This user will often make grandiose edits, but hates bad grammar and will fix it wherever found. They are prone to lashing out at times, but are scared of fire and avoid flame wars. In addition, they can experience overworking, persecution and potential dangers.

WikiPuppeteer

A WikiPuppeteer is an editor who controls massive armies of sockpuppets.

WikiPuppy

WikiPuppy generally refers to an anxious user, most likely one who is new to Wikipedia. This user will make edits on the subjects they like even though they aren't yet very familiar with things like Wiki formatting and citation. They would be wise to avoid the impatient WikiVampire or coming across as a WikiTroll.

WikiRabbit

WikiRabbits tend to chew on articles.

WikiReaper

A WikiReaper is a user who is almost never supportive of others, and tries to drive other souls away from Wikipedia using its scythe, which they call Opposition.

WikiRoadRunner

WikiRoadRunners are editors that create or edit articles in a fast-paced way.

WikiRodent

WikiRodents are beneficial nuisances to the WikiFauna ecosystem.

WikiSeal

The WikiSeal is a user who tends to bite newcomers, vandals, and sockpuppets. WikiSeals also have a subspecies; the WikiFerocious Seal.

WikiSealion

Some WikiSealions civilly pushing their POVs

WikiSealions are users who congregate around controversial topic areas to try and politely pester other users into submitting to their questionable suggestions. Some people say they are sometimes allies with WikiWeasels.

WikiShadow

A WikiShadow is the fallen version of a WikiNinja.

WikiShark

WikiSharks are editors who mostly remove other users' contributions and rarely make their own. While in some cases this is beneficial, it's usually just disruptive and hindersome in the development of articles.

WikiShepherd

A WikiShepherd is a user who gently and benevolently shepherds entire groups of new editors and new aficionados into the vast Wikipedia habitat and ecosystem, caringly guiding them as they newly navigate the highways and byways of the vast world known as Wikipedia.

WikiSloth

A WikiSloth is a user who makes contributions based solely on hedonistic intellectual enjoyment. Their contributions are valuable because they rarely get involved in protracted disputes or edit wars, due to their attitude usually being that of WP:DGAF.

WikiSquirrel

A WikiSquirrel is a user who pursues tasks, goals, and ideals with relentless and careless passion, abandoning all other needs and concerns until the mission is accomplished. Rather like a dog chasing a squirrel.

WikiVampire

A WikiVampire is a user who loves to bite the life out of newcomers.

WikiVulture

A WikiVulture is a high-flying creature which feeds mainly on carrion.

WikiWarlock

A WikiWarlock is a sneaky and very dangerous vandal.

WikiWeasel

Experts have said that this is a WikiWeasel.

Some people think that WikiWeasels are very, very cute. They were introduced to New Zealand to hunt rabbits, but instead eat native birds and are widely believed to be a menace.

WikiWitch

The WikiWitch, a capricious creature whose devotion to arcane knowledge overshadows their every act. Can be mistaken for all sorts of WikiFauna.

WikiWizard

A WikiWizard edits in order to keep the universe in order, by fixing small errors, helping with dispute resolutions, and occasionally helping fight vandalism and trolls.

WikiWolf

A WikiWolf is a user who lives in a pack. They are a formidable force against vandalism because of their fierceness, and their strength in numbers.

WikiWolfcub

The WikiWolfcub is a user who, although displaying the friendliness of a WikiPuppy, has the hunter-killer mentality of the wolf and is prepared to make bold edits and significant changes, as well as hunting down small prey such as typos.

WikiZombie

The WikiZombie (or consensus zombie, or "tea drinker") is a user who stands in the way of building consensus.

WikiCryptids

Mysterious Wikipedia editors believed to exist but rarely seen, similar to folklore cryptids.

WikiKraken

The WikiKraken is a hypothetical and legendary type of user that creates hoax material such as 1843–1844 Canada–Michigan Upper Peninsula War.

WikiQuatch

WikiQuatch are elusive Wikipedia editors known for their secrecy, believed to stay hidden by making edits on obscure pages where they are less likely to be noticed and by rarely interacting with other WikiFauna, except for fellow cryptids. Most in the community doubt their existence, despite occasional claims of contact from eccentric individuals.

WikiUnicorn

A WikiUnicorn is a mythical WikiFauna resembling a horned horse, widely considered fictitious despite some Wikipedians' claims of sightings.

Non-personal WikiFauna

Whack!

The fully grown Wikipede, while massive and intimidating in appearance, is also generally non-hostile. It takes offense to its official mascot status being challenged by populists, however.

Puzzly

Minnow

A WikiMinnow is a particularly small, or light chastisement of a user who has made a mistake. It is a lesser version of the WP:TROUT.

Trout

WikiTrout are used to make subtle adjustments to the clue levels of experienced Wikipedians.

Whale

The WikiWhale, for when a WikiTrout just does not cut it.

Jimbo Whale

A Jimbo Whale breaches!

The Jimbo Whale is another species of cetacea native to Wikimedia.

WikiMastodon

A WikiMastodon is an extinct WikiFauna that frequently went on stampedes, trampling anything- and anyone- in its path. Back then, it was useful to either fight the WikiMastodon or run from it. However, this trait is no longer needed, as the WikiMastodon is extinct, and there is no use for this trait on a public encyclopedia.

Quazer Beast

Quazer Beasts are rare and elusive creatures that are adept at disguising themselves as articles.

Living Skeleton

Participants in the Peloponnesian War. Randy in Boise is an expert on them.

Wikipede

The Wikipede is a reclusive and solitary, but otherwise friendly, semi-aquatic arthropod species endemic to Wikipedia.

Miwiki

The Miwiki ant is a eusocial hermaphroditic insect native to Wikimedia.

Puzzly

A curious creature, most commonly seen educating (or trying to educate) new users on Wikimedia Commons.

Disputed status as WikiFauna

Do WikiBots dream of electric WikiSheep?

VandalBot engaging in typical destructive behavior

WikiBot

WikiBots are a sort of mechanical WikiFauna, built to perform boring, repetitive tasks. Although they can superficially resemble sentient beings in behavior, they are really mindless automata.

Vandalbot

A Vandalbot is a hostile variant of the WikiBot created to cause mayhem or (ab)use the wiki for untoward reasons like spamming.

Sockpuppet

The sockpuppet is a hostile construct created by disreputable characters for nefarious purposes. Like WikiBots, they superficially resemble independent creatures, but are actually extensions of their creator’s will.

Homo sapiens wikiwiki

It is uncertain whether Wikipe-tan and her siblings are a distinct species of WikiFauna, set apart from the most common and generic WikiFauna (besides perhaps Gnomes and Trolls) by large eyes, unnaturally vibrant hair, and an extremely high intellect.

WikiVatar

A WikiVatar (from "wiki" and "avatar") is a general term for non-hostile entities that resemble sockpuppets. Like socks, they exist as extensions of their creator but are virtually harmless.

WikiFlora

WikiBeans

A common legume. Don't stuff them up your nose.

WikiKudzu

WikiKudzu is an invasive plant that is commonly found overtaking policy and guideline pages.

See also

• CategoryWikiUser at WikiWikiWeb – the original group of WikiFauna
• The Fauna Barnstar
• User:Aditya Kabir/Wikifauna