The Movie Database Support
Support → General
Wikipedia: outstanding issues
posted by jimthingSTAFFMOD on March 7, 2019 at 8:53 PM
copy of email sent to mgmt:
Hello, I'm one of several users trying to add an En:Wikipedia page for TMDB over years now. But without sources it's proving unacceptable to senior editors on there: they need citations, obviously.
Please see previous controversial attempt (Feb-Mar.2017): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/The_Movie_Database
Unless TMDB does some further PR to improve it's notoriety in the press, this means:
1) No En:Wikipedia page at all for the site.
Meaning no improved uptake in user-ship and cross-site abilities.
2) No TMDB 'template' function ability on WP.
Meaning no linking TMDB pages on WP to their corresponding TMDB pages.
3) Conversely, TMDB's External ID's.
Need ability to add En:Wikipedia as a linkable resource on TMDB.
Kind regards, James
You should also note, that you are available on other language WP versions, but En had much tighter notoriety via citation standards.
https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Movie_Database
Reply by Travis Bell
on March 10, 2019 at 1:11 PM
Hi Jim,
I don't disagree with any of this, it's just a lot harder than it sounds. And as the only person working on TMDb, I don't have the spare resources to focus on any of this. It's something that I will need to fall back on the community to work on.
On a personal note, I've resigned myself to more or less having to not be involved at all due to my experience with Wikipedia last time I discussed this with them. They don't want me involved in any way--conflict of interest--so the best thing I can suggest is to see if we can get some of the community behind this effort.
Thanks again for your effort here Jim.
Reply by jimthing
on March 10, 2019 at 2:43 PM
Hi Travis,
Fair enough, understandable. I'm no PR guru either, so cannot really offer high-end detailed professional advise myself on how to get even a small amount of press coverage. It's hard I'm sure. But one would guess journalists (obviously specifically film/TV-related ones) are always after wider industry related pieces, so maybe worth a try in even some small capacity.
If other products are anything to go by, then usually a press release or two shipped around various newsrooms may garner positive results... with a decent subject line, purpose, and de-spammed as much as possible (sounds easy, right – perhaps not, haha?!):
https://www.walkersands.com/want-your-pr-pitch-read-dont-underestimate-the-subject-line
Angles:
lead-in with an interesting site feature that leading competitor IMDb doesn't offer or not as well, why its important or interesting, and how it improves web users movie/TV usage.
wrap it in info on why TMDB exists in contrast to IMDb's more proprietary data model under Amazon (mentioning the forums removal as a catalyst, et al.).
add-in the sites' interesting usage on users' Plex/Kodi media server metadata advantages, and similar.
mention some interesting filler info for them to be able to add colour and expand their pieces.
always end with a background paragraph briefly detailing site background, who you are as site owner/director, and where it's going longterm.
...maybe then a journo or two maybe able to make it into a newsworthy piece or more. ;-)
Anyway, it's certainly perplexing for WP readers on how da/de/pt WP policies seemingly allow an article for TMDB, but en's doesn't – inconsistencies across language variants on WP are often this bizarre. Sure, while one would expect citations to obviously be important, any web search makes it clear this site exists, regardless of mass citations being available. Furthermore, there are loads of other websites listed on en-WP that fail the very same high standards admins there are stipulating for TMDB.
Good luck! – James