User blog:Sniperstock/A project

So, there are obviously still things on this wiki that drive down the reputation of it, and make it look unappealable to the eye of newcomers, people who view but don't edit, etc. There are multiple problems, and making one individual tackle them all down at once is merely impossible. It's best to tackle each of these problems one at a time. So, without further ado, let's tackle one main problem that I and many other users have seen with this wiki. This problem is the overusage of the countryball templates for images in infoboxes.

Why is this a problem?
Some may ask why this is a problem. After all, they're just images. How could this possibly drive down the reputation of our wiki? Well, I'll be giving an answer to that question. The main reason why it drives down the reputation of this wiki is because to new users, it will seem like we lack any originality, and that we users aren't creative enough to make individual art pieces that are distinct from one another. This community is supposed to have originality, and making templates for images takes away from that. It only makes us lazier, and gives other users the impression that this community lacks people who can devote time and effort both into making countryballs that look good. Also, it just feels  annoying, looking at the same image with only a couple different colors inside.

How can we fix this?
The one and only solution to fix this problem is to draw new pieces of art work that are original, and look appealing enough to pass through. To give you an idea about the templates I'm talking about, go to this page and this one as well (they're the same person with different accounts). Here, you will be able to find out the templates I'm talking about. You can see that many of the images are nothing more than a normal countryball with the name of a locale written across them. (This is not a callout post, just a demonstration of how many drawings on this wiki are low-effort and contain few original elements.)

What's the project?
In case you don't get the idea by now, the idea is to have a project where each individual user is supposed to submit an original, non-templated image which will replace the templated one. Yes, this will take time and effort, and yes, you will have to take time out of your day to do this. In the end, I believe that this is worth it, and if we can execute this project successfully, we will be able to attract more users. I don't want this to be an effort in which only less than ten users actually help in replacing the templated images. I want this to be an effort in which this entire wiki can contribute to.

How can I help?
Pick a page or two or ten about locales interesting to you. If you find a templated image on that page, make a new one! Tips: 1. Follow your own art style, but conform to DA RULEZ 2. Draw the ball in a relevant pose. Instead of using a generic blank expression, involve some emotion. 3. Come up with a good caption and/or make use of props. 4. Don't draw tiny shitty images! Set your canvas size to at least 800 px square and fill the space. Don't waste bandwith with worthless backgrounds. 5. Contribute to the article text while you're at it. Tell some historical anecdotes. Give a little more information for the infobox. 6. If there's no known flag for the locale, think hard before you speculate and make your own. Most of the time it's not that important. Pass your special snowflake flag around in userspace before you upload 7. If you lay claim to drawing an image and then find that you don't have time to make it, let somebody know so it can be taken over.

Example
Today's contestant is Phnom Penhball. You can see that the seal was probably automatically posterized and it looks like blue doo doo. Better to draw it by hand.

Thank you for listening, and have a nice day.

-Sniperstock