User blog:Chicken Bond/Wiki Anniversary!

Alright, the title is slightly misleading. The wiki's anniversary was actually on the 13th of September, but it is still good to acknowledge the birthday of this website that continually pulls us BIONICLE fans together to survive and thrive. This anniversary is very special in-particular. As of now, the Custom BIONICLE Wiki is officially five years old. Half a decade now, and this site is still alive and kicking! A real testament to fan site that not only revolves around a concluded LEGO franchise, but is dwarfed by other BIONICLE communities present on places like BZPower or even YouTube. It is truly a day worth remembering!

So we really have a lot to celebrate here for this grand wiki. And so, I will take it upon myself to write a brief reflection on the wiki's history (since I'm usually the main person who updates it):



A Historical Reflection
The Custom BIONICLE Wiki, like many things in the world, started out small. Originally created, then abandoned shortly afterwards, by user on the 13th of September, 2007. From the start, the wiki seemed to have been destined for a brief and empty existence. Effectively cast out into the wild and left to fend for itself, the wiki remained empty until joined and created one of the wiki's first (if not the first) pages: Krakana. Shortly afterwards, the first generation of users came along and populated the wiki, and then the wiki began to experience an explosion of activity. Since its testing early days, a lot has changed on the wiki. Staff and users have come and gone, new policies have been introduced and the wiki's overall appearance has changed dramatically. From the days of 'the Move' to the creation of the Podcast, CBW has flourished and developed over the years, and remains an extremely adaptable creature. Even after the retirement of BIONICLE, the wiki continues to thrive, and has gone on to become one of the largest fan fiction wikis. It has earned a Wikia Spotlight and has even expanded beyond the realm of Wikia onto places such as YouTube and more recently Tumblr, deviantArt and Twitter. For a wiki that was probably expected only to have a couple of articles and die out very quickly, we have done extraordinarily well since those tough beginnings. Though this journey has not been forged by the staff alone. Had it not been for the commitment and devotion of the ever-changing community, then CBW would still be little more than a blank main page.

My Reflection
BIONICLE has been something most precious to me during my childhood. Not including Doctor Who, it is probably the only remaining link to my younger days that has endured for this long. The Custom BIONICLE Wiki has only added onto that connection, and has truly strengthened it. Had I not been involved with the community, my interest in BIONICLE would have probably died the day the main story truly finished in 2010. The wiki is also the place where I realised my talents in writing, and his remained the main place where I have been able to hone and develop those skills for use in school and beyond. The wiki has done a lot for me during my time on it, and I hope my experiences are similarly positive with the other members of the community.

Your Reflection
Now, for those who have read this far, I'd like to ask you to maybe write a comment reflecting your time on the wiki. You don't have to, but I think it would be a nice, little tribute to the wiki that has brought us all together. Reflect on your fondest memories, or perhaps what you have enjoyed most so far on the wiki and what you hope to achieve or see happen before you leave this site. So take a minute to think and see what you can write down.

And now, I wrap up this blog with a very sincere farewell and a quote by Turaga Vakama from 'BIONICLE: Web of Shadows. was the one who rediscovered this little quote, and we both agree that it perfectly reflects the spirit of CBW. So as this site hits its fifth year, let us anticipate how far this wiki will go into the unknown realms of the future and how we can be a part of it....