About the Nintendo Independent Wiki Alliance
On February 14, 2010, NIWA was jointly founded by Bulbapedia, ZeldaWiki and the Super Mario Wiki, with the goal of creating a community of wikis that will support and strengthen each other, leading to fuller coverage of all things Nintendo. Since then, NIWA has expanded to a network of more than twenty wikis covering a multitude of Nintendo franchises, both large and small.
All of the wikis in NIWA are separately owned, operated and hosted. Each maintains their own unique designs, values and traditions. We are bound together by our common desire to better ourselves (and each other) while retaining our own identities and autonomy. Most importantly, the main purpose of NIWA is to improve each and every reader's ability to access information about all things Nintendo.
Since its founding, NIWA has expanded to cover three languages: English, German, and Italian.
Our Principles
The word "niwa" in Japanese translates as "garden", and it is that concept which best embodies us. NIWA is bound together by our common desire to better ourselves (and each other) while retaining our own identities and autonomy. We are a nurturing place that will provide each and every member with knowledge and support that will help them grow into a vibrant and independent wiki. Our feelings on this can be summarised thus:
- Fan communities should be run by the fans, not by wiki farms that are only in it for the money and take no interest in the wiki's content itself.
- Fan communities should be run for the fans, by people who will always think about how they can continue to enhance the enjoyment of everyone in the community.
- Fan communities should be run together with the fans, embracing a spirit of co-operation and camaraderie within and between our fandoms, fostering friendly rivalries rather than bitter divides.
Our Goals
NIWA hopes to become known as a welcoming and supportive gathering place for independent, community-oriented wikis. We want to help build up our smaller members without smothering their own uniqueness, and create a complete network of all things Nintendo, allowing readers and editors alike to travel between our respective wikis with ease. Every fandom should have a place to go for its information, and if your interests lie within the imaginative worlds of Nintendo, NIWA is the place to be.