WikiHow Creation: It's Alive!

Creating a WikiHow wasn't too rough of an experience. It was kind of like a refreshing crash land into softly coded grass. While it would have clearly been much easier and quicker to use the template they already setup, the advanced editing was certainly a much more rewarding experience.

Learning the code and playing with it is a good first step in learning how to code anything else. While it is much simpler than any other code out there, it is safe to say it is just as finicky. When setting up anything on a WikiHow using the advanced editing, it was imperative to take notice and really understand where things where to go, because if there were even one space in the wrong part of the code, it could have messed up the entire page.

More often than not, people who are interested in roleplay take a whack at it when they are either really new to it, have some experience in other kinds of roleplay environments (i.e. forums or Dungeons and Dragons), but it is never really quite the same as online roleplaying.

Imaging a way to explain online roleplaying to those who may not have already done any was rather odd. Teaching someone how to roleplay is not easy, and people kind of pick it up and enjoy it, or they do not. More than anything, it depends on first experiences, friends, interests and arguably the chosen setting. If these factors are not present, even the WikiHow could possibly not save someone from having a bad time.

Narrowing the topic down to Final Fantasy XIV was likely a good choice, simply because it eliminates at least one of those tough factors one chooses when thinking about roleplaying online. The good news is that the WikiHow article can still be applied to other games. It is a flexible guide for someone who really wants to get their feet wet in the world of roleplay.

One of the things mentioned in the WikiHow, and likely the most important, is a love of writing and some basic skills in English. For the most part, roleplayers love what they do. They love writing, the love the craft, the story, all of it from head to toe--or in this case beginning to end. It is so important to have a love of what is going on in roleplay. A mass of people have come together to create an ever growing world that changes as the developers change the game, and keep their own personal stories rolling, even when the credits on the main story have finished rolling. That, quite honestly, is amazing.

Most of the photos used were screenshots of the in-game characters, landscape, and loading screen. Since the topic was narrowed down, it became a much easier thing to photograph. Of course, there are some actual "real life" photos.

Part of roleplaying, as explained in the WikiHow, is knowing when to take a break and enjoy real life, as much as virtual life. Eating, drinking, stretching, and social interaction are very important to keeping roleplay alive. If one person roleplays all day everyday, eventually they will get completely burned out!

The WikiHow is all based on personal experiences and over 8 years of roleplaying both in video games and elsewhere. For someone with that many years under their belt, the passion just kind of flows out like a river, and that goes for anything. The writer, as I am sure is the case with many other WikiHows, has a long relationship and history with their how-to, even for something as mundane as "How to find a job" that contributor must have had some serious bad luck, or a lot of experience with job hunting. Either way, it was likely good in the long run!

The WikiHow creation experience gives a window into finding out how passionate one really is when talking about something they love to do, know how to do, and just want to share with the world. It is amazing how passionate one can get when they don't even realize it, unless it happens to come about when you're just trying to give someone some tips.

The problem, perhaps, with WikiHow is worrying about stepping on legal-toes. That is, copyrights and the like can sometimes prevent a passion from becoming a how-to in the WikiHow-universe. There are a lot of "to whom does this belong" and "what-ifs" that pop up when using images, or thinking up an original topic. Still, it comes with the passion, there are tons of people who may want to or may be writing the same topic at any given moment.

Brainstorming with others really helps get that out of the way. Having people critique ideas and say which they think is truly original and which they think could benefit a lot of people is a really engaging way to get the "is it already done"-phase out of the way. Furthermore, having more than one solid idea--brilliant! This should go without saying, of course, but backup ideas are a good idea. Always know that there is someone out there who thinks similarly to another, sometimes originality clashes. Three ideas is a good start, but five would have given a bit more weight and thought to choosing a final topic.

Overall, while the WikiHow creation process can be tedious, daunting, and perhaps even a bit too straightforward, it was also rather relaxing, and enriching. For someone, reading a WikiHow can really change their life for the better, even if it's just a tiny nudge in one direction or another. For others, there is entertainment value.

For the contributors, there is a content sigh, knowing that their work is done, it is released to the world, for all to enjoy and take a great lesson from.

A salute to all WikiHow contributors who have given the people of the internet something to look forward to, and a salute to the people of the internet who have given those contributors a few nice page views every now and then.

Web Evolution and the Internet: Differences in Web Media

Web 1.0, Web 2.0 and the Web of Tomorrow

Web 1.0 is your grandmother's Web. Or perhaps your mother's Web. It is the Web of the late 80's and early 90's, where everything was just hyperlink connected to another hyperlink. It was literally just for information, nothing more. If it couldn't fit on one page, it wasn't worth it. There was no interactive content, no games, no music. It was just as is: a page for you to look at. Or perhaps click onto another page.

Web 2.0 sought to change that.

It seems that Web 2.0 has achieved it's overall goal. The idea that Web 2.0 is for people to participate and to communicate. We've gone almost further than that. With things like blogs, being able to comment on virtually everything, Skype, and so on, we are without a doubt, participating in a constant flow of Web interaction. To further this point, take a look at the website for stores like Sears or Macy's. You can buy whatever they have in stock, while also receiving comments and ratings based on other shoppers' experiences. It's innovative, yet perhaps scary, that nearly everything has a section for comments and reviews by the general public.

Looking at things like newspaper websites as well, we can usually tell what kind of agenda--if any--a newspaper company has based on the people that comment on a given story. Aside from reading the story itself, taking a look at the comments is an easy way to tell who is reading what and what we they think. Which, is why I find it a bit scary. Web 2.0 is an all-inclusive way of interaction without ever really seeing anyone face-to-face. As stated it is an "open source" program, available to all.

Web 3.0, as we move into it, I think will bring about a smarter and more helpful way to comment and interact. That is to say that, with Web 3.0 and the Internet accessible from just about anywhere and everywhere, we can properly do our own research when looking into other things people have said. I feel that Web 3.0 has more educational value than 2.0. I feel that with the help of Google and other such engines, Web 3.0 teaches that not everything is or should be the first link you click on. 

Furthermore, I think that this is the direction that Web 3.0 should be moving in. Many people take the first piece of information they hear as fact, without any research or credibility, and spread it in a very "2.0" fashion. I think that when you get a piece of information, you should use the resources made available to you by Web 3.0 to find more information, build upon it, and figure out a truth that is at least somewhat undeniable. 

Unfortunately, super engines like Google do tend to give you the top result based on other peoples feedback and how much site traffic it gets. You need to be very specific and narrow with your research at times. A small price to pay to get to the truth.

The Facts: Web 2.0 and 3.0

The Web, and thereby the Internet, was created for very few purposes. For military, academic, and scientific purposes. The web, however, has become a big part of our lives, offering those same old benefits, but adding a few new ones. Connection, being the biggest benefit hands down. 

Web 2.0 was, and still is--for now--the Web most people know and love. Web 2.0 saw the start of amateur webpages adding clickable links and navigation to their websites. It saw the addition of comments sections. Perhaps most importantly, it saw the addition of social media. Things people know and love today, like Facebook, Tumblr and Blogger, all came from the advent of Web 2.0. Community is the name of the game when it comes to Web 2.0, and there is no better example of the community that comes from Web 2.0 than Wikipedia.

The "original" Web, as some put it, is Web 2.0 and is the way we've seen the internet since the 1990s. With new and innovative styles of webpages, visually and technologically. This further enforces the idea that Web 2.0 is working and will soon evolve. People can barely remember a time where browsing the Internet was simple, easy and perhaps even boring. Now, people interact with everything including the Internet itself and the Internet interacts back.

 “Web 3.0, a phrase coined by John Markoff of the New York Times in 2006," The website "Lifeboat" references. "Refers to a supposed third generation of Internet-based services that collectively comprise what might be called ‘the intelligent Web’." The intelligent Web. A semantic Web. It is portable, easy to understand people, and easy for people to understand it. There is no guesswork with Web 3.0, especially with the use of "behavioral advertising."

Basically, Web 3.0 moves us more into a artificial intelligence style. A way that the internet can communicate with people, while they communicate with one another and also the internet. Examples of this are already starting to appear, like when someone visits a website looking for underwear and Facebook gives you ads for all kinds of underwear websites.

This, in a nutshell is Web 3.0

There are arguments about whether we are in Web 3.0, or if we are still creating it. It might be better off to call the current "Web" era something along the lines of "Web 2.5". A web where people interact with one another, yet the internet and the Web have begun to interact as well, giving us it's "thoughts"--for lack of a better word.

The Web is an ever evolving state. The further people get out of "Web 2.5" and into Web 3.0, the faster people will be looking at the future and Web 4.0. Though, that may be getting a little too far into things too soon.

How to Roleplay in Final Fantasy XIV: Draft

Roleplaying, as most who participate in it know it by, is a form of writing that allows the writer to insert themselves or a character into an ever changing, playable world. In a sense, the player is living a second life, controlling their character through different situations. Roleplay (or RP) can come in all different forms, dramatic, entertaining, or even romantic. When roleplaying, it is important to know what you want to get out of the character, and ultimately, what you consider to be fun. Consider this how-to merely an opinion and guide to how to roleplay within Final Fantasy XIV. This how-to can also be applied to other multiplayer games as well.

For roleplaying in Final Fantasy XIV, you will need:
1. A Final Fantasy XIV subscription
2. A computer or Playstation 3 or 4 that can run the game.
3. Basic English language skill.

Step 1. Character creation
Aside from creating your character in a "physical" way, you should think carefully about your character traits. More often than not, the player inserts pieces of their own personality, likes, dislikes, and perhaps even their beliefs, into their character. Try to be unique but, in some way, realistic. Think about what your character may have gone through in their past and how that may shape their personality.

Step 2. Learn the lore
In established settings, learning the lore is important. The lore in Final Fantasy XIV is rather solid and easy to grip. There is some lore that can be speculated and bent to benefit your character or the kind of RP you're looking to do, and that is where the fun comes in. Naturally, not all people stick to the lore 100% and that is completely fine.

Step 3. Play the game
You are paying for the subscription after all, so try to enjoy the game as well. As you play, you will understand the lore, and get a feel for your character. This is also how you make friends and find out more about other roleplayers.

Step 4. Find your roleplay style
Try out different kinds of roleplay with different people and see what is right for you. Often times, simple interactions like having your character go out to eat or drink, can open up many other doors for you. Sometimes, all it takes is a simple interaction to get pulled into a part in a much larger roleplay story. Part of learning your style is also learning the lingo like "In-character (IC)" and "Out of Character (OOC)".

Step 5. Know the difference between IC and OOC.
This step is important. If a character does not like your character, that does not necessarily mean that the player does not like you. Sometimes, characters don't make friends out of everyone. Sometimes, a character is evil. It is up to you to keep your in-character interactions separate from out of character ones to avoid confusion and conflict.

Step 5. Make friends!
There is a world of roleplayers out there, waiting for you to befriend them. Take the time to learn about people, about their characters, and you will make friends in no time! Without a friend, your roleplay is not much of a roleplay. Try your best to find forums to find roleplayers, or check out Tumblr, where many roleplayers in Final Fantasy XIV visit!

Step 6. Have fun!
Of course, you should be having fun the entire time, but overall, if you are not having fun while roleplaying, it may not be your thing. Roleplaying should be fun and enjoyable. People should get a real kick out of writing stories together and having interaction through their characters. Always have fun, do not make roleplaying a chore!