The Support for New and Operating Wikis Alliance, also known as the SNOW Alliance or simply SNOW, is a group of independent wikis, and the users of such wikis, who work together to improve independent wikis everywhere. Our mission is to provide a community of support for independent wikis, new and long-established. Members of the alliance commit to help build a warm and welcoming community for those who wish to build their own independent wikis, including those who wish to migrate from existing sites.
Story[edit source]
The Support for New and Operating Wikis Alliance grew out of a desire to better support independent wikis who have small or new communities, and communities seeking to go independent. With all the numberless independent wiki communities sporting experienced editors, administrators, and system and host administrators, it made sense to create a group where they could all work together in support of the common good of independent wikis everywhere.
SNOW was established on October 1, 2019 on the Kingdom Hearts Database, and currently works out of the #snow-alliance channel on the Kingdom Hearts Database's Discord server. You can join the server here.
How it Works[edit source]
SNOW focuses on helping editors and their communities:
- Answer questions about independent wikis and hosting.
- Find support for new independent wikis and their communities.
- Build new independent wikis by providing support with content, template, structure, design, and community-building ideas.
Independent wikis (wikis not hosted on a corporate wikifarm) can request help and support from the alliance for their wikis and communities. Users from these wikis can then offer their help, whether that's by joining the wiki or offering their suggestions. Alliance members may also coordinate and offer special projects to help member wikis. Communities currently on a wikifarm may also request help and suggestions as they weigh the decision to migrate to independent hosting.
Thus, the group is a form of technical and community support group for independent wikis, allowing any wiki or editor to request and to offer help from other independent wiki alliance members. The alliance also allows communities thinking about going independent to have a group they can turn to for advice and support as they weigh their decision.
SNOW does not provide hosting services, nor does it dictate a specific way for hosting, designing, writing, or building a wiki. All these tasks are voluntary; members of the alliance are not obligated to participate in projects or wikis with which they are not familiar or are unable to assist for any number of reasons, and wikis do not have to accept suggestions for improvement from the alliance.