Blog:JohnVMaster/Happy Birthday, HighJewElfKing!
A big happy birthday to the one and the only HighJewElfKing!!
Every wiki is a collaboration of hundreds of editors and loyal staff coming together, and this is what I love about wikis -- the idea we are all on the same team working towards a great common good. We are all here together because we value information, we want to share it with others and make it accessible to as many people as possible, to feel that thrill of discovery when something new comes to light. This is the spirit of wiki editing, and it can be incredibly difficult for even a friendly and outgoing person to foster this spirit with their best effort. I have been vocal about this from the beginning - the South Park Archives wouldn't be a fraction of what it is today without Charlie at the helm, because this is what his leadership has accomplished.
Whenever FANDOM announces something new is coming, Charlie usually a step ahead - already figuring out how it will affect the wiki, how we can maximize it and what we can do to make it work to our advantage. When they announced the default theme would be changing, Charlie put together a team and made sure that it would look better than ever - we have a beautiful day theme and a beautiful night theme. The wiki looks better than it ever has right now. It's not just about that but a host of changes over the last few years - infoboxes across the board being modernized to include multiple character designs and costumes, and tons of new navboxes as well which dearly departing SG put a ton of work in with. Charlie, SG, Apple, and the team did an incredible amount of work updating every single image gallery on every episode page, making sure they came from crisp, official sources, which I know was no small feat for anyone involved and took a lot of editing to remove blinking eyes!
Let's talk about content, too - there's so many ongoing projects adding new research and tons of new depth to every possible page on the wiki. The integration of content from the South Park game wikis to the Archives was no small feat, incorporating two additional wikis' work fully into the project and making it feel seamless. Tons of work behind the scenes has been going on merchandising pages such as home video releases, action figures, plush toys and more -- letting users see how the show has been marketed and evolved over time. The upcoming expansion of character relationships is something I am really excited to dive into as well. I also know he put a lot of personal work into making sure every page updated 'Token' to 'Tolkien' last month. This staff team has never been content like others to simply maintain work that was done years earlier with small changes, but there is always discussion of new projects and expansion, how to improve our base content.
We succeeded in both of these areas most, however, because what makes Charlie truly a great leader is he is so encouraging to new editors. Staff members like SG, Skyrider, Apple - and editors new and old like Jazie, Rain, Alstro, Supergug, Yesterday and Mawiluxury - have been essential to the projects mentioned above. We all check each other because again, collaboration is the key to a great wiki. The staff team has been put together and fostered significantly by Charlie personally, having spoken with many of his predecessors in the past, and many of these new editors are here because of the personal effort he has placed in advertising the wiki, in moderating South Park Studios' official discord, of streaming edits to show inexperienced users what is like and the personal assistance he, and others like SG, have offered to them. Unlike some previous administrators, Charlie welcomes other users into the fold with open arms and gives them the tools that they need to succeed -- we are now seeing users who first cut their teeth here going on to run their own wikis and passing on what they have learned.
I wish I could say more about what a good friend Charlie has been, but I don't want to be sharing his or others' personal information, so you'll have to take a lot of my word on that one. I have certainly seen his passion for this wiki every single day, his frustration that he can't do more when he is already doing more than anyone could, the lengths he has gone to help advertise and build relationships to help it succeed. I have also seen his drive to foster greatness in others who can't find it in themselves anymore, and his willingness work with people who can help the wiki even when they're being stubborn and avoidant... and my God, I have seen him take a lot of shit that I wouldn't be able to handle as well as he has. In short, he's a hard worker, an excellent team leader, and a good friend.
Okay, enough with the sappy, over-sentimental speech, I know, I know, but what better way to celebrate his birthday than to list off his accomplishments? ...okay, well, your idea probably is better, but my options were limited, I work most of today and we're in different parts of the country!
Anyhow, leave a comment below to offer HighJewElfKing wishes on his birthday!!