GDWiki:About
From GDWiki
The Game Development Wiki is the name given to the wiki hosted by GameDev.Net. The name is not intended to assert ownership by GameDev.Net, but rather the optimistic hope that the wiki will grow to serve as a repository of accurate information for the entire game development community.
History
The Game Development Wiki, or GDWiki, was founded based on an attempted cooperation between GPWiki, the Game Programming Wiki, and GameDev.Net. The community here at GDNet had long clamored for a wiki, but GPWiki was a well-known and positively regarded resource, which many felt it would be wrong to unnecessarily duplicate. As a result, at GDC 2008, the operations team at GDNet reached out to GPWiki and raised the idea of cooperation, with the wiki being hosted by GameDev due to its higher profile and visibility. Unfortunately, taking the wiki away from the GPWiki community was a backward step, and GameDev experienced considerable logistical difficulties in managing the transition. Ultimately, it was decided that the world could accommodate two game development-oriented wikis. GameDev.Net will always be extremely grateful to GPWiki for its donation of its content under the GNU Free Documentation License as a seed for the development of the Game Development Wiki.
Present
The Game Development Wiki is a work in progress. A number of fundamental issues regarding the wiki implementation are subject to imminent change, from the software platform powering it to the terms affecting content added to it. Specifically, GameDev.Net is likely to move away from the MediaWiki platform in part due to its hosting requirements lying outside the product mix used for the main site, which complicates integration and specifically profile management. Also, GameDev.Net intends to leverage wiki technology to accelerate the article and resource publication and maintenance process on the main site. While content added to the same wiki platform would technically be considered subject to the same terms, GameDev.Net does not necessarily possess the rights to release such content under the FDL and as such would logically (and visually) separate such content to clearly indicate that author copyright is preserved.
Let us be absolutely clear that all content currently available in the wiki under the GNU FDL will always remain so. Further, content contributed to the public areas by users will be licensed under the GNU FDL, free for others to copy and disseminate.
These architectural and editorial decisions aside, the contents of the wiki under the current terms and running on the current software platform are due for significant reorganization to achieve the stated goal of a repository of accurate information for the entire game development community. Editorial guidelines are being formulated and will be published shortly. For any questions regarding wiki policy, editorial guidelines and so forth, please contact Oluseyi Sonaiya.
Future
GameDev.Net has big plans for the Game Development Wiki. Deeper integration with the GameDev.Net main site, of course, but also means for other sites to integrate with the wiki. A particular aim is the possibility of partner sites and communities "sponsoring" a section or subject domain - a site about music production for games providing content and expertise on music, for instance. GameDev would seek to recognize such significant contributions by applying a logo from such institutional contributors to content in such sections.
GameDev.Net is open to suggestions and exploring ways to leverage wiki technology and content to serve the game development community. Please let us know any ways we can make the wiki better for you.
