Tales From The Black Gate: Chroniclers
In the reading “Sites of Participation: Wiki Fandom and the case of Lostpedia” Jason Mittell writes that fan wikis “...constitute a system of participation” (Mittell 1.3). This system can be easily seen on the Tolkien wiki, also known as The One Wiki to Rule Them All. Currently, the fanon section of The One Wiki to Rule Them All is holding a contest called “Tales From the Black Gate: Chroniclers” in which fans can utilize Wikia’s new map feature to chronicle their own tales of The Black Gate of Mordor in the sixty years between the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. A winner is chosen through fan vote, and will have their story placed on the front page of The One Wiki to Rule Them All. In the reading, Mittell refers to Sarah Toten’s take “...that wiki’s as a platform seem to be better suited to such typically masculinist pursuits of cataloguing and analysis than to feminine creativity and community,” and states that his experiences have been different than Toten’s and complicate the “neat linkage between technological platform, gender identity, and mode of fandom,”(Mittell 2.2). “Tales from the Black Gate: Chroniclers” supports Mittell’s take on wiki’s rather than Toten’s, as it is event being held for the sole purpose of fan creation rather than fan collection. Mittel furthers his argument stating that Toten’s viewpoint is flawed as different Wiki’s demand different analysis as they may be larger or more in depth. The One Wiki to Rule Them All, being incredibly large with a ton of fan involvement, more closely aligns with Mittell’s view on sites of participation. “Tales From the Black Gate: Chroniclers” can be seen as a parallel to “The Lost Experience”, the ARG that Mittell mentions in his essay. Much like “The Lost Experience”, “Tales from the Black Gate: Chroniclers” acts as an example of a wikis “...dual function as a catalog of canon and a site of original creativity,” (Mittell 2.34). Despite the contests goal of encouraging fan original content, it does have very specific guidelines that creators must follow, most notably the time period of the canon in which they are allowed to create their stories. This is done to protect the boundaries between fanon and canon, and keep the wiki in control over its own contest. “Tales from the Black Gate: Chroniclers” is a noteworthy showcase of a wiki’s ability to not only encourage and cultivate original fan content on The One Wiki to Rule Them All, but also the wiki’s ability to control the distinction between fanon and canon.
Mittell, Jason. “Sites of Participation: Wiki Fandom and the Case of Lostpedia.” View of Sites of Participation: Wiki Fandom and the Case of Lostpedia | Transformative Works and Cultures, journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/118/117.
http://shadowofwar.wikia.com/wiki/Portal:Tales_from_the_Black_Gate
http://lotrfanon.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page












