Wikipedia:WikiProject Video games/Newsletter/20100407/Feature

WikiProject Video Games Newsletter

Volume 3, No. 1 — 1st Quarter, 2010

Changes to Featured and Good content | News items and announcements | Feature | Featured editor

Feature: Task forces

The Video games Project has smaller subgroups of editors (task forces) that aim to improve specific, related articles within the project's scope. These task forces are different from a WikiProject in that they do not have their own style guidelines, peer review, assessment, and other administrative processes. Such processes are handled by their parent WikiProject, the Video games Project, leaving editors to collaborate and focus on the actual improvement of their articles.

Because video game series sometime expand beyond the video games medium, some task forces fall under the scope of other WikiProjects and should adhere to the appropriate guidelines for that project. For example, the spin-off anime series, Devil May Cry: The Animated Series, should follow the common practices of the Wikipedia:WikiProject Anime and manga.

Using a task force

A task force is meant to serve as a central location to organize efforts to improve articles in a designated topic—a video game series or company for example. However, a task force is not a "club". Social activities like reminiscing about favorite games are discouraged.

Members are able to design the main task force page to help them achieve their goals. For example, the page could list articles that have reached and have yet to reach quality ratings. Subpages can be created as well, though this is discouraged if the main page can contain the content.
The task force talk page allows editors to plan and discuss specific ideas to improve single articles or board changes to improve all of them. They are also the place to ask for assistance on an article. For example, an editor working on Nintendo's character Mario could ask for help at the Characters and Nintendo task forces.

Creating a new task force

Typically, task forces should only be created if there's a genuine need. Many times, collaboration can just as easily take place on the separate article talk pages. If, however, you would like to create a task force, then these loosely defined steps will steer you in the right direction:

If you notice several other editors are working on the same articles you are, it might be beneficial to suggest joining forces.
Bring up the idea at the Video games Project talk page. The project has had mixed success with task forces, and is wary to create more subpages in our WikiProject space that will go unused. If you have enough interested members, then this is should not be an issue.
Create the task force page. It's recommended to copy the format of other task forces. This keeps the page creation work to a minimum, and maintains some uniformity. Feel free to tweak and alter the page to suit the task force's scope.
Start the talk page. Add {{WikiProject Video games}} and an introductory discussion to get the ball rolling.
Add a link to the task force at {{WPVG Sidebar}}
Request support for the new task force in the Video games Project banner at Template talk:WikiProject Video games.

Join a task force

Below is a list of video game task forces. If you would like to participate and collaborate with like-minded editors, follow the appropriate link and sign up.

Some task forces may have become inactive. Maybe you can get one going again.