Wookieepedia:April Fools' Day 2014/SH:Announcing Wookieepedia Pro

Wookieepedia Pro is the next step in Wookieepedia's history. Due to decreasing ad revenue and rising maintenance costs, we have been forced to adopt a pay-to-read approach. Details can be found here. While we regret this move, it is necessary to ensure the longevity of Wookieepedia.

There are still plenty of details that need to be ironed out, as outlined on Subscription. Comments, suggestions, questions? Please comment below.

We have deployed the prototype subscription popup on a few popular pages, including the Main Page, Star Wars Episode VII, and Anakin Skywalker. Open these pages to view the popup. Note that the popup is optimally viewed with the Oasis skin, so it might look weird in Monobook.

Discussion
Love the joke. I preferred the Star Trek/Star Wars combo last year though. :D --Spongebob456 talk 19:55, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * This must be an April Fool's Joke. Seriously, who is going to pay money to look at a wiki? Nicholasemjohnson (talk) 22:32, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Obvious April Foods joke. Jesus people.--66.31.18.24 19:02, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * When will this be put into effect? Cevan (talk) 00:36, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * At some point this month, once we've fully worked out all the kinks.  IFYLOFD  ( Enter the Floydome ) 00:38, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Will there be any sort of warning/announcement saying the date for when it will happen once the kinks are sorted out, or will one day it just suddenly change without notice? Cevan (talk) 00:41, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * There will certainly be an advance notice once we have a date settled.  IFYLOFD  ( Enter the Floydome ) 00:44, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * The popup looks fine in Monobook. --  Riffsyphon  1024 00:49, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * I think this has been a long time coming. The economy has forced us into this mess. We just aren't sustainable anymore. But more importantly, it ensures for the first time that admins will finally be paid for their hard work. It'll be nice to finally be able to quit my day job. Toprawa and Ralltiir (talk) 01:25, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * We deserve it, don't we? *clinks glass*  IFYLOFD  ( Enter the Floydome ) 01:28, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * I'm outraged by this measure, this is a disgrace and I'm disgusted by it! Also, poop (on Jang's forehead). Winterz (talk) 01:56, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Do you guys take EBT? Gal-icon.jpg  OLIOSTER  (talk) 02:36, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * No, but I drink PBR. Toprawa and Ralltiir (talk) 02:37, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Tope doesn't care about poor people! Gal-icon.jpg  OLIOSTER  (talk) 03:11, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * This had better be an April Fools Joke. Milo49 (talk) 02:37, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * We've been getting that response a lot so far, and we expected as much. That's why we wanted to roll it out tonight, March 31 in North American timezones, to avoid any confusion. We're working with Wikia Staff on this, and they've been breathing down our necks to get this notice up by April 1, since it's less than a month to go now before implementation. We apologize for any confusion. Toprawa and Ralltiir (talk) 02:41, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * If this were real, they'd have waited till April 2nd to announce it to avoid the "is it a joke" confusion. I have to say, I don't find it to be very funny joke. Jokes where you trick people into thinking they need to give you money never sit well with me (having witnessed scams where this has happened and not been a joke). Glad others are making silly remarks about it though. -Thunderforge (talk) 02:48, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * I don't understand. What joke? Gal-icon.jpg  OLIOSTER  (talk) 02:50, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * I too thought they were just playing around but it seems I was wrong. I've been in contact with them in the IRC and this is very real. Some people have already started paying so there's no going back in that now :( Winterz (talk) 02:52, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * I'm sorry for your displeasure, Thunderborge, but no one is forcing you to buy the service. You will still be able to read 10 articles per month without it. Toprawa and Ralltiir (talk) 02:53, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * I pledge 1,000,000 dollars to this wonderful organization! Just give me a moment to set up my Pay Pal account to transfer Space Bucks...-- Richterbelmont10  ( come in R2! ) 02:44, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Woot! Woot! Looking forward to having the details ironed out. I want to know how much I'll be making.&mdash; Cal Jedi Infinite Empire.svg (Personal Comm Channel) 02:49, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * So THIS is the sort of thing I miss out on when I'm working 14.5 hours a day! If only these fees would be enough to cover my salary, I'd quit in a heartbeat. Alas, I imagine Wikia's cut is going to make admin "pay" something closer to a stingy grandma's birthday money. Oh well. To new horizons! jSarek (talk) 04:07, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Not so sure about that. From what I understand, the control of the money will be given to us to decide what to do with it, so we can divert it all into the Admin fund.&mdash; Cal Jedi Infinite Empire.svg (Personal Comm Channel) 04:09, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Social Security is all your poor grandma's got, you insensitive prick! Gal-icon.jpg  OLIOSTER  (talk) 04:11, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Hey, easy there.  JangFett  (Talk) 04:14, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Forgive me. This announcement has just put me on edge. I just can't believe it. Gal-icon.jpg  OLIOSTER  (talk) 04:16, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Has there been any discussion about whether members of the review panels or users with Rollback rights receiving funds? Supreme Emperor (talk) 04:12, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * We discussed that briefly but ultimately decided not to divide up the pie any further than it already is. We're also considering cutting off new admin nominations. Toprawa and Ralltiir (talk) 04:14, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * We would cut off the new admin nominations after completes the WOTM process, of course.&mdash; Cal Jedi Infinite Empire.svg (Personal Comm Channel) 04:15, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Any chance this could be revisited once everything settles? Depending on how much revenue the site makes, some funding would be nice :P Supreme Emperor (talk) 04:19, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Since you're not getting the message, maybe it just needs to be said: We're keeping the money for ourselves. Live with it. Toprawa and Ralltiir (talk) 04:20, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * I don't understand! Star Wars is now a Disney IP, and the Disney wiki is free! -sigh- Will there be a discount offered for yearly membership?
 * I wouldn't be surprised if the Disney wiki did the same eventually. Gal-icon.jpg  OLIOSTER  (talk) 04:18, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * To 96.241.54.146: Wookieepedia has no ties with the Disney wiki. We are a fan-run organization. And unfortunately, the fans just don't have enough money to keep running it with Pro. And as for the yearly membership, that's not a bad idea. Something we'll definitely have to consider.&mdash; Cal Jedi Infinite Empire.svg (Personal Comm Channel) 04:20, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Ah! I see! In that case, I withdraw my whining and complaining.  Thought that Mickey & co. were beginning the Star Wars cash-extraction process...
 * ALRIGHT!!!!!! It is time this prank ends on a hard note.  Administrators and Wookieepedians, you can check my records to find I have answered questions with one hand on the Knowledge Bank, was banned by an Admin who promoted the discontinuation of respecting the canon from the movies versus sourcebooks, and promoted dropping the timestamp rules since they pointlessly disallowed the answers or possible explanations to age old questions that will be asked again and again until we make a decision.  I was banned for having that discussion by an Admin from outside the conversation for this too.  Coming back I shut my mouth and went along quietly to help answer questions and seek my answers in a dangerous, threatening free-for-all that is all too real.  I used to contribute, and came close to summoning contribution, for articles that misinterupted or missed small, irrevocable facts about how many names a Duros has, why Jabba killed his baby nephew if Huttlets cannot survive outside a brood pouch, and reminded this wiki the Jedi Prince series contradicts the Courtship of Princess Leia...And the Thrawn Trilogy.  I ask a question good for the article on its talk page, and I get ordered off to the KB. I ask about an article there, and get the vice versa.
 * I repeat: Episode VII is coming soon. The Walt Disney Company has Lucasfilm on a leash and is everyone's worse joke.  Fans are wringing their hands, some have shoved them in their pockets already and walked away...This is not what we need.  Forgive my sensitivity to you celebrations of a time-honored holiday, but those are the facts.  And you do not put naked Twi'leks on the Front page, a mock quote by Captain Solo, or even keep inappropriate pictures of private areas our females patrons and writers would quickly hide on themselves for all to see.  And I don't want you to start arguing with me that it isn't a rule as it should be! If you are going to enforce so strictly timestamps on inquiries we can very well see and need to respond to on article talks, then you are going to move that trash off of the datasource the Star Wars website has now chosen to use as an extension of its database! When don't you think that honor will be revoked because of your shenanigans and personal uncaring desensitization shown before every child or member of a family who looks beyond the lesser Star Wars Encyclopedia online? Payments to the Admins?!
 * And you even made popups to help turn away your fellow Star Wars lovers whose spirits and love for such a Saga are already broken or dying. This is not what we need.  The joke is over, and over with no humor for its terrible beginning. Yes, I made a big block you disagree with and refuse to read. Light up my page with warnings. Ban me forever. Go ahead and read my proposal to list the titles of all ships that fall under a certain class or model as we do with characters from an alien species. Or don't. I do not care anymore. You guys don't. And when you do, it is worthless regulation with fear, with anarchy, good day, Foolish or otherwise. I sign out with none of the four tildes in protest, but you will obviously read my failure to sign in and find the violator for a write-up. But I will have no more if you will throw away what value and promise the retention of the knowledge of such ancient, wonderful, and daily overwritten stories have for the next generation Lucasfilm thinks they will own when they first promised more.
 * You're right. We've tarnished Captain Solo's good name forever. Toprawa and Ralltiir (talk) 05:52, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * By the way I was 99.188.37.41, so look for contributes there if necessary to double check what I say. But Toprawa...What is the fallout for putting this stuff on Wookieepedia? Star Wars.com trusts the site, people love it, but a lot of the people who come here to get more than the Clone Wars and pending doom or excellence with Disney owners are already hanging by threads. This is not what we need. Its not what we want.
 * Well, obviously, the people who are responsible for these shenanigans must be reprimanded in the severest manner possible. Banning them from the wiki isn't enough. We may have to explore deportation. Toprawa and Ralltiir (talk) 06:10, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * You're going to try to make people on the internet pay for information? Good luck with that. Bashfluff (talk) 06:51, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * If the New York Times can do it, so can we. Gal-icon.jpg  OLIOSTER  (talk) 07:05, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * I don't have a problem with this. None at all......I'm slowly dying inside. Why hath the almighty Force forced us into such a Hutt business practise? Vexed Forest (talk) 09:57, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Shouldn't there be a preferential tariff for former Wookieepedians of the Month, at least? -- Lelal Mekha  Old Republic military symbol.svg(Audience Room) 11:10, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * It would seem there are way too many WOTMs just hanging around, doing nothing and expecting their pensions (just like those Bulgarians in Germany). I don't think that's sustainable for the administration's profit so I guess we can't expect it. Winterz (talk) 12:04, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Hey, say nothing about Bulgarians or I come to your house!!!!  Clone Commander Lee  Talk 14:21, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Ah-ha! Caught in the fish net. Winterz (talk) 14:49, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Okay, now I'm just confused about this whole thing, is Wookieepedia asking us to pay money to use Wookieepedia, if so, then its a sad end to my contributions, I just can't pay to use a service (its a personal matter), but before I go down into a state of depression, somebody clarify this all to me, do we pay to read? Pay to edit? Pay to be Wookieepedians!? What?-- MadMarek (Force Box) - "Doeth thee mother know you wearest her drapes?" 11:16, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Registration is more on Wikia's department and as of now, they're still not forcing you to pay to register so that's not related to Wookieepedia's new payment system. As for reading, you'll still be able to read articles on Wookieepedia but unless you're paying something, you'll be restricted to reading 10 articles (max) per month, unfortunately. Winterz (talk) 12:04, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Has anybody ever stopped to consider what this could do the contribution levels? There's going to be a flood of new information soon, can the admins really handle that workload? 72.201.68.137 12:24, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Great idea, but you really should give a piece of the cake to the writers of the FAs, GAs and CAs, 'cause they are the reason the Wook is so appreciated out there.  Clone Commander Lee  Talk 13:14, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * The cake is a lie. -- Lelal Mekha  Old Republic military symbol.svg(Audience Room) 13:21, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Your life is a lie!  Clone Commander Lee  Talk 14:18, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Guys, please settle down.  JangFett  (Talk) 14:25, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Or what? You'll come to my house and add me to the list of your kills?  Clone Commander Lee  Talk 14:27, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Jang lacks a list of kills. He does, however, possess a large collection of his list of fails (over fourteen volumes). Winterz (talk) 14:49, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Long ago, I was told there would be cake. But it's nowhere to be found. I grow tired of asking this so it will be the last time: *Where* is the cake? --  Lelal Mekha  Old Republic military symbol.svg(Audience Room) 15:17, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * This is not a game nor a joke. Please take all April Fools humor out of this SH forum. Even though the subscriptions are to be taken seriously, you guys are certainly making a big joke out of it.  JangFett  (Talk) 15:44, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Humor is nothing but a way to deal with this outrage! I've been told I'd have no advantages as a former WOTM and a member of this Wikia since 2006! This is unbearable. Is this how loyalty gets rewarded? -- Lelal Mekha  Old Republic military symbol.svg(Audience Room) 18:55, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * As one of the key persons behind the development of Wookieepedia Pro, I heartily condone this approach. It is simply the best of the options we have. 1358  (Talk)  14:19, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Are you finish(ed) with your statement or is there more to come?  Clone Commander Lee  Talk 14:22, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Nobody cares, Xd, pls. Winterz (talk) 14:49, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Funny: They did something similar in the GW2 Wiki. Are you guys feeling naughty? Nice breasts BTW --88.19.99.135 15:01, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Thank you. My breasts are indeed spectacularly fabulous. Winterz (talk) 15:05, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Noted--88.19.99.135 15:12, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * If the GW2 wiki has done something similar, then that is probably because the wiki is part of of the same Wikia initiative (there was a mention of this at Subscription. As for the copyright issue, all this has been planned and developed together with Wikia and their legal team, so everything appears to be in order. 1358  (Talk)  15:06, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Gah, drop it now...--88.19.99.135 15:12, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * It is a joke. 89.71.161.130 17:47, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * No, it is not a joke. Wikia takes money related matters very seriously. Supreme Emperor (talk) 17:50, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * I'm seriously hoping that this is a joke (due to it being April Fool's Day) since I definitely read around 10 articles a day if not more. I cannot afford the subscription either, so this is really disappointing. I'm afraid that with this new subscription service, Wookieepedia may not stay as one of the leading wiki sites since many of their editors and readers will not be able to participate in this wiki. I'm really saddened by this news so I guess it's wikipedia where I'm going to have to get my Star Wars info from. Yay....not. --SapphireStardust (talk) 18:34, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * On the upside, this subscription service will keep out all the trolls and vandals, and will allow the cabal to further tighten its grip on the wiki. Adamwankenobi (talk) 18:40, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * The nonexistent cabal that does definitely not exist has no comment on this because it doesn't exist, but the nonexistent cabal heartily agrees with this. 1358  (Talk)  18:41, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * How can we be sure that the admins won't just spend all of the money raised from this on alcohol and fast cars?? --Jinzler (talk) 18:44, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Not seeing what the problem here is. Everyone loves alcohol and fast cars. 1358  (Talk)  18:45, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Because I don't drink and I'd rather have one of these. Seriously. undefined 18:47, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * I don't drink and don't need a Porsche. I hereby volunteer for the post of treasurer.  Clone Commander Lee  Talk 18:49, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * It's not a joke. :|  JangFett  (Talk) 20:00, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Not a joke? I was hoping it was since I could use a good joke. --SapphireStardust (talk) 21:13, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * The Breasts article is this years joke, unfortunately. This is all too real. Gal-icon.jpg  OLIOSTER  (talk) 21:14, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Thanks for the laugh. The descriptive names were hilarious. I seriously never knew this article existed. Now I wish I didn't. --SapphireStardust (talk) 22:31, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * I think this is an April Fools joke. While the admins may discuss matters the general public may not necessarily know about in advance, I doubt they'd put up a pop up out of -seemingly- nowhere and then have paid subscription very soon thereafter.
 * If this is not a joke: Umm, sorry, guys, to disappoint you. But making this service here commercial won't be working unless you have a licence from Lucasfilm/Disney to do so. Star Wars and all of its characters, stories and so on are property of Lucasfilm/Disney. You just can't make money from it, be it just to have defrayed your costs, unless you have permission from Lucasfilm/Disney to do so. --Chimealheltei (talk) 22:18, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * You're misinformed. We're not profiting from Star Wars material.  JangFett  (Talk) 22:24, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * It's not just that you are not allowed to profit from it, it's not even allowed to take money at all for licensed material you have no license for. --Chimealheltei (talk) 22:41, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * Who said we weren't licensed? You do realize that StarWars.com links to us from their Encyclopedia feature, right? Toprawa and Ralltiir (talk) 22:51, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * If this whole thing would be real you wouldn't have chosen exactly April 1st for this kind of announcement to prevent people from arguing about it being an April Fool's joke. I just don't believe. Also the fact that StarWars.com is linking here doesn't have to do with having a license. Lucasfilm/Disney can decide to link here as they want, since all the content is just their property, be it a commercial site or be it non-commercial as this still is. --Chimealheltei (talk) 22:59, April 1, 2014 (UTC)
 * For the record, we posted the announcement last night, March 31, specifically to avoid such confusion. I don't suppose you actually read through the previous posts in this forum to learn this. Secondly, we don't care what you think. All we care about is your money. Toprawa and Ralltiir (talk) 23:02, April 1, 2014 (UTC)