This issue we are trying a new type of newsletter feature: "Featured editor". This is a chance to learn more about the various editors who contribute to theVideo games project as well as the roles they fill. If you enjoyed this new feature and would like to see similar interviews in future issues, please drop us a note at theVG newsletter talk page.
David Fuchs (also known asDer Wohltemperierte Fuchs), is a long time video games editor that has written a large number of the project'sFeatured articles. He has been ranked high onWikipedia:List of Wikipedians by featured article nominations, and has assisted in reviewing and editing more many. Recently David has begun to assist with image reviews forFeatured article candidates, and branched out into other types of articles in addition to video games. He can normally been seen on theproject's talk page offering advice and his input on the various discussion taking place there.
What drew you to Wikipedia, and what prompted you to begin editing?
I got involved due in part to (I believe, my memory is fuzzy) finding the site while doing research forAdvanced Placement Europen History during high school. My earliest contributions (in December 2005) were creating topics based on what I learned, as well as creating an article for my high school with another friend. I soon became involved with editing topics related toHalo video game franchise, specifically the article on the parasiticFlood.
What got you involved in writing Featured articles?
I think for most editors it's a shiny accomplishment you are striving for, and natural for most editors to try and get an FA. I first nominated an article for FA in 2007, after about a year of inactivity onwiki; it didn't pass as it was poorly written and didn't follow our guidelines forwriting about fiction; I also took a couple of tries to get my first video game FA (Halo 2).
What article(s) are you most proud of writing or exemplifies your best work?
I supposeMyst is a sort of accomplishment I can point to; I started work on the article on May 2 2008, when it looked likethis, and submitted it to Featured Article Candidatesone day later. I think that's some kind of record, but I dunno. In terms of being a good read or something I'm very happy with, however, I'd have to look at my more recent work, specificallyStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan andBone Wars.
How do you pick the articles you work on?
Whatever hits me. There's many articles I haven't gotten around to editing and improving as planned because another article has caught my fancy.
What advice would you give to editors seeking to write quality articles?
In the words of one of myfavorite cartoon characters when I was a child, "We must doreeea-search!" Even in video games, online sources don't usually cut it. Even after getting an article to FA, make sure you continually trawl the internet and elsewhere for more information to add to the topic.
Note: This is an abridged version. To read the full interview, clickhere.
