The BS01 Staff RPG

The RPG was announced in the BS01 forum of BZP on Dec 10th 2007 at 6:22 a.m. The opening action post was made by Swert just a few minutes later at 6:35 a.m. It was effectively over on Jan 2, 2008 with a final status update by Erebus, continuing sporadically thereafter. The last post was made on May 17, 2008 at 10:31 p.m. by Bioran23. The RPG stands incomplete, with 7 of the original 8 retired from staffhood.

The Hiatus status for the WikiCon

The RPG was brought about "in order to bring in 2008 without going insane from checking edits and not getting the major information of 2008..." The RPG did not interfere with editing, and was reserved for staff only. Wiki users were informed of the game's progress by reading the main topic, and by a changing Wikicon that would inform them of who was in the lead of the war.

The BS01 Civil War

The war began when the Toa Sectra dissolve on December 10th, 2007 when Makuta Rhikorin (played by Electric Turahk) and Makuta Skartrax (played by Gravitan) reveale themselves and form the Brotherhood of Turahk. Lih (played by Lihyahm), Shine, and Nemus (played by Kopaka’s Apprentice) break off and form the Hand of the Apprentice. This leaves in the Toa Sectra only consisting of Swert (played by himself), Nobrai (played by Bioran23), and Ui (played by Gb1).

Swert transmittes the message of the war across Wiki Nui and goes to find Nobrai. Nobrai is in Ga-Wiki after the Hand of Apprentice (HoA) had taken over Ponu-Wiki, his home region. His designed Biodakh, sentient Vahki, emerge to aid the Toa Sectra and go to talk to Nobrai who sends them to Le-Wiki. Meanwhile, Skartrax surveyes his captured territory of Ta-Wiki and thought of when he murdered Nobrai’s friend Tapiki. Nobrai meanwhile accompanies Biodakh to Le-Wiki and went to the Brelzen Peninsula and gets a little green dragon named Snarpuf to help guard it.

Skartrax goes after Nobrai after seeing him, but in Ta-Wiki gets attacked by an Energy Hound of the Toa Secrta. He realizes it must be guarding something. Ui and Swert go to the Great Museum, and Ui heads to Le-Wiki. Rhikorin remembers when he and Skartrax posed as Ektris and Ordoxin after imprisoning the true Toa while in Ta-Wiki, and plans to unleash a spy. Snarpuf touches the statue of Brelzen and it creates a shield protecting the Great Museum and Ga-Wiki. In the Great Museum Nobrai realizes Skartrax’s plan and uses his Faxon to emulate a Fader Bull and teleport to Ga-Wiki. Skartrax picks up on this, and telepathically tells Rhikorin of Nobrai’s movements.

A map of Wiki Nui

Snarpuf finds Skartrax and presses a button to tell Ta-Wiki to be evacuated. Nobrai hears this and rushes to get Swert while Snarpuf goes in to attack Skartrax. In the Onu-Wiki Archives, Lih survives the HoA’s robotic Bohrok army. Ui tells Swert that they have 60% of Wiki-Nui and the Tahtorak is still in place. Nobrai tells Swert, but Swert is ready as he was Protodites under his control in Ta-Wiki. Nobrai tells swert a Matoran named Aoran has confirmed Ta-Wiki evacuation, and Nobrai goes to greet the Tahtorak.

Information floods in Ko-Wiki has been taken over by the HoA, and Swert announces the bad news before sending Protodites there. Lih watches the Bohrok control Ko-Wiki and sets his sights on Le-Wiki. Rhikorin flies over Hall of the Legends, succeeding in making the Toa think Skartrax was acting alone. The Biodakh watch him, and think that the HoA misjudged the amount of forces still in Ga-Wiki. Nobrai manages to talk to the Tahtorak, and tells him the plan before heading to Ko-Wikito fight Bohrok.

After defeating and putting Snarpuf in a deep sleep, Skartrax angrily tells Rhikorin about Ko-Wiki falling to the Hand. He is sent to Le-Wiki while Rhiorkin puts Rahkshi in Po-Wiki and plans to go to Ta-Wiki. Ui is left in Le-Wiki, and is concerned that neither the BoT or HoA have attacked yet.

Skartrax masquerades as a Ba-Matoran named Sajh, and infiltrates the Le-Wiki forces and uses his confusion powers. He vaporized Le-Wiki’s banners, sent the Matoran leader to stasis. Ui was enraged and dedicated himself to murdering Skartrax. Rhiorkin then entered the Hall of Legends, easily defeating the Matoran guards. Aoran saves Snarpuf using Nobrai’s stone, and Snarpuf returned to the Great Museum. Brelzen’s statue removes Skartrax’s confusion from the Le-Wiki army. Nobrai himself topples a Knowledge Tower, crushing the Hand’s Bohrok. Meanwhile Biodakh laid in wait at the Hall of Legends for Rhikorin.

Ui lets Skartrax go, and Skartrax gets Snarpuf to help him. Snarpuf is confused and continues heading to the Great Museum while Nobrai meets the dragon in the Pumaa Gardens. Snarpuf tells Nobrai of Ektris and Ordoxin in stasis while Brelzen’s statue begins to fail. Nemus talks to her Nuhvok-Kal Brutus and draws up battle plans for her, Lih, and Shine to take Le-Wiki for the Hand of the Apprentice. Reaching Ektris and Ordoxin, the two Toa ambush Nobrai while Brelzen’s shield over Ga-Wiki falls.

The Protodites tell Swert about recent events, and Ui suggests going to Ga-Wiki to defend it. Snarpuf flees and tries to find Aoran. Rhiorkin and Skartrax fight the Biodakh while Snarpuf continues his search for Aoran in Ga-Wiki. As he finds Aoran, Aoran goes to find the Toa Sectra as Snarpuf heads for Brelzen’s statue. Skatrax meanwhile was fighting the Hand over Brelzen Peninsula, but Skartrax wins. Nemus coordinates the Le-Wiki invasion. Ui had started evacuating the Matoran, and watched as the great Bohrok army of the Hand begins to face off against the Rahkshi of the Brotherhood.

Skartrax readied his Rahkshi, while Swert entered the Hall of Legends. Rhiorkin finishes off the Biodakh, and Swert enters, causing the Makuta to attack him. Swert begins the battle, as Ui develops a plan to take Le-Wiki, using the Gukko herder Cholie to keep Matoran safe. Snarpuf rips Skartrax’s Kanohi off, and returns to Brelezn’s statue, creating a fire ring that began to expand from it. Skartrax got his Kanohi back, but sensed Rhiorkin was in a serious fight. Rhiorkin fought Swert, gravity against gravity, but was crushed by a pillar. Meanwhile his Rahi of Rahkshi Control subdue Snarpuf.

Ui manages to get Antidermis to leak from Skartrax, but runs into something cold. Snarpuf realizes that only he and Swert can shut off the fire ring he unleashed, which could lead to Wiki-Nui’s destruction. Nobrai sat in a power-sucking chamber and fell near-unconscious, which also deactivated the Biodakh. Ui and Skartrax fight, but Ui is knocked out as Rahkshi free Sajh from stasis. Nobrai, still awake, uses a noble Komau Aoran gave him and broke out, saving Snarpuf. However, Nobrai was under the illusion powers of Skartrax.

A map of Wiki Nui showing claimed territories near the end of the war.

As Nobrai walked to the ‘Ta-Wiki Courthouse’ (an empty Le-Wiki field) and thought he saved Ektris and Ordoxin. In reality he was talking to two Vorahk. Swert manages to escape Rhiorkin, but seals him in the Hall of Legends. Then Erebus (played by himself) emerges from the water. In Nobrai’s vision Lava Rats attack, and Snarpuf sees the Vorahk attack a tree, apparently under the illusion as well. Ui wakes up in the bay, having dropped a tracker on Skartrax. He uses his air powers to create a cyclone turning it into an almost hurricane off the bay, stopping Brelzen’s statue’s fire, and cleansing the area of Rahkshi.

Snarpuf ‘rescues’ Nobrai from Ui’s flood, but the Toa’s still trapped in a deep illusion. Skartrax sees Snarpuf and blames him, and takes over the Rahi’s mind, sending it into the deep cold of Ko-Wiki. Soon Brelzen’s statue reignites the fire which starts to burn again. Nobrai starts to hear fire and see smoke not in his illusion and snaps out, seeing Skartrax and Rahkshi.

Skartrax engages Nobrai instantly and easily defeats him, and heads to help Rhiorkin face Swert. Fire engulfs Nobrai but he uses his Faxon and becomes a Fire Entity, defeating the Rahkshi. Returning to normal, Nobrai finds his armor transformed into new ornate designs, but Snarpuf arrives and tells him to head to the Great Museum. Rhiorkin meanwhile sat in the Hall of Legends, reclining while thinking about the great base he now has. Skartrax arrives, but Swert has already vanished. Nobrai uses his new wings to reach the Le-Wiki border, testing his Jutlin, but is attacked by a Weather Control Rahkshi.

Participants

The BS01 Staff of the time, divided into 3 teams, were the only participants in the Civil War. Erebus did not originally participate in the War, posting only a single time in the RPG. Based on the post, it is presumed he would join the Sectra.

• Toa Sectra
  • Swert as Toa Swert
  • Bioran23 as Toa Nobrai
  • GB1 as Toa Ui

• The Hand of Apprentice
  • Kopaka's Apprentice as Toa Nemus
  • Shine as Toa Shine
  • Lihyahm as Toa Lih

• The Brotherhood of Turahk
  • Electric Turahk as Makuta Rhikorin (who impersonated Toa Ektris)
  • Gravitan as Makuta Skartrax (who impersonated Toa Ordoxin)

Links

Warning: BZP Auto Logout

• http://www.bzpower.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=270972 Main Topic
• http://www.bzpower.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=270936 Toa Sectra Topic
• http://www.bzpower.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=270961 Hand of Apprentice Topic
• http://www.bzpower.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=270855 Brotherhood of Turahk Topic

Trivia

The WikiCon to display when the Brotherhood was in the lead of the war.

• The Hand of Apprentice and Brotherhood of Turahk based their names on the Hand of Artakha and the Brotherhood of Makuta respectively.
• During the events of Destiny War, Krakua awakens the Bohrok swarms to fight the Rahkshi. This is an unintentional parallel to the events of the Wiki Nui Civil War, where the Bohrok of the Hand of Apprentice fight the Rahkshi of the Brotherhood of Turahk.
• The HoA effectively quit at a certain point, leaving the 30% control they have on the final map as being part of the neutral 40% in Erebus' status update on Jan 2.

The V File

• Locations
• Transportation

• Flora
• Society

• Elements
• Sapient Species

• Creatures
• Rahi

• Characters
• Objects

BIONICLE · BS01 · BS01 Policy · Member Opinions Hub · Sources · Expanded Universe · Events · Saga Guides · Timeline

V File Creator Zoxara Tomana Status Complete, Ongoing fine tuning Purpose To Inform Focus Toa V Great News! This File was advertised (without my asking) in the BS01 Podcast Q&A Session 2!

Toa V

Toa V Species Matoran (Toa Form) Location Wiki Nui (aka BS01 Wiki)maybe Staus Alive Mask Powerless Kanohi Tools Daggers Pronunciation TOE-AH VEE

Swert's alter-ego and anarchist of BS01, V is a mysterious man and a strange character in the history of BS01.

V's Backstory

Who is Toa V? What is his mission? Where is he from? Why does he stalk the shadows of Wiki Nui? Is he dangerous? Is he a herald of hope, or a messenger of destruction? What are his motives, and what is he beneath that mask?

V began his life as an Av-Matoran on an island whose name is now unknown. At the time it was dangerous to be a Matoran of the Light tribe in that land and V was forced to keep his color scheme as it was, despite his Kanohi Hau being black and not matching any part of his color scheme. To reveal himself as Av-Matoran would be tantamount to suicide. V hoped that the Great Spirit would come to liberate him and his fellow Av-Matoran soon. But it did not happen; the tyrannical leaders of the island arrested all suspected Av-Matoran and placed them into a concentration camp where, under torture, it was determined whether or not they were Matoran of Light. Some of the suspect that were guilty as charged gave in, and were executed but V and some others held up and a few were able to trick the leaders. Many, including V, were not trusted and were forced to demonstrate their powers by force.

But by this time, the torture and cruelty of the leaders had twisted V and removed his power over Light. His body drained to black and a fireball emerged form his hand, engulfing him. Where once had stood a pitiful, tortured Matoran now stood a Toa with a strange mask, hat, and, of all things, hair. A cape emerged from V's shoulders and his new form was born. His new powers, Total Destruction and Anarchy, allowed him to explode the building he was in. Looking inside him, he found he had only the power to destroy, but he did not wish to use it for evil. He made a vow. He would go to every island and liberate them from tyranny. All that stood in his way were populations so brainwashed that they would defend the leaders oppressing them.

To this day V will not speak of the camp, where his prior identity was lost for all eternity in the flames of the camp. He spoke of it once, and shall not do so again.

He eventually came to Wiki-Nui, and the story of his presence here is chronicled below.

Abilities and Traits

V once had limited power over light as an Av-Matoran, but as a result of his imprisonment and torture he somehow became a Toa controlling Anarchy. He can use this power to create explosions and destroy things, but does not wish to use it for evil. His mission in life is to depose all tyrannical forms of government in favor of total, peaceful anarchy where the people voluntarily do what is right. His Anarchy powers gave him great control on Wiki Nui, power to equal that of Swert.

On the Wiki, he has the User Group Rights of Administrator, Check User, and Staff. He has a certain flair for the dramatic when the fancy suits him. As evidence of this, he leaves comments on a black background with white text in Pristina font.

For example (pulled from V's Talkpage):

--And he will make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun.

--V--

One also might supposed from this that he has a fondness for Shakespeare.

Mask and Tools

V's mask is a powerless Kanohi shaped like a Guy Fawkes Mask. He wields two daggers that we also know very little about.

Activities on BS01

Toa V first showed up on BS01 on March 8th when Swert launched the BS01 Empire prank, recorded below. Through various methods of communication, he gave users clues as to Swert's "plans", showed them images, and became notorious for being banned and then coming back and banning others. His biggest claim was that Swert was becoming a tyrant, citing the removal of the Moto-Hub as evidence. He gained a following amongst the users, and enemies among the same. At the end of the prank he had his own skin on the wiki and left with about as many questions about him open as when he first came. His participation is

Toa V has been mostly quiet since the Empire. He was part of the Kayru Empire Gag, recorded below, by making the show of investigating whether she was truly a tyrant and worth his time to be fought against. He determined that he would remain neutral and that it was up to Swert to solve the issue.

On November 5th, 2010 he posted a message on the main page that read, "Verily, the veracity of this voracious site has been verified."

He came back to join in a staff joke by voting in the AfC when Cholie nominated "Flexible Thumbs" as a Power/Ability page.

On April 1st, 2012 Toa V returned to the wiki after Derpy Hooves began to upload My Little Pony pictures. He opposed the pony at first, but then sided with Derpy to form "a plan". He was not heard from after that, and when Swert returned he was quoted as saying "My poor brother in arms... we'll fix him right up later." This gives the hope that the Toa V account (which, it should be noted, was under the control of Bionicleman at the time) will be restored to its previous dark, anarchial glory.

Links

BS01 Empire Prank

• Links are recorded below in the BS01 Empire Report

KS01 Empire Gag

• http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:Kayru&oldid=76074#Judgment
• http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php/User:Zo;Tomana/April_Fool%27s_History#KS01_File a record of the event
• http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php/User:Lord_Nektann/KS01_Regime_Files This was once another record of the event, but the 2nd Great Transition destroyed the page, and its creator did not have a backup. Lord Nektann now hosts several KS01 screenshots here

Other

• The Nov. 5th, 2010 Message

• http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page&oldid=136575

• V's AfC vote

• http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php?title=BIONICLEsector01_talk%3AArticles_for_Creation&diff=143237&oldid=143236

• The Nov. 5th, 2010 MP Edit that was kinda boring.

• http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page&action=historysubmit&diff=169639&oldid=169141

Trivia

• V was inspired by "V for Vendetta".

• DX is from the WWE Stable and Tag Team known as D-Generation X.
• The White Ussal is from the "White Rabbit" in "The Matrix" which in turn is from "Alice in Wonderland".
• There was a code "Timbo" on the V Terminal but it was removed since it did nothing. This code was placed as an Easter egg, as the creator of the Terminal was named Timboman2000.
• In the 2009 serial Reign of Shadows, Chapter Five, Vezon arrived in a dimension where Toa and Glatorian work together and no one was threatening his life. To keep it that way, he pretended to be a Toa, specifically a "Toa of Anarchy", which is exactly what Toa V is labeled as in official Swert canon. This however, was unintentional as Greg Farshtey does not read fan-fiction or pay attention to BS01 Pranks.
• In the Expanded Multiverse there is a hacker codenamed Revolution, whose hacking style leaves a "V" behind. Revolution is not V however. Revolution is an actual person whose codename stays with that person through death, Toa V is an avatar figure of Swert's. V is a mask to be donned, Revolution is a person.

April Fool's Prank 2008

Toa V Incident Conflict Member Freedoms Location BS01 Wiki (a.k.a. Wiki Nui) Result Moto Hub taken away, Users left feeling like they had just been owned

Combatants Staff Toa V Commanders Swert Toa V Strength The Staff His own mysterious Anarchy powers

An ARG (Alternate Reality Game) starting in March and building up to April Fool's Day, the BS01 Empire (also known as the V Incident) was a strange time for BS01 and was the cause of many effects, including being catalyst for a flaring of Member Groups, which led to enforcement of the rules against them.

The Story

The prank began with subtle changes in the way Wiki Nui was working at the time. Swert had organized the staff into an army, and that is when the mysterious Toa V came to us to warn us of an impending disaster that Swert was to bring down upon us, sending us messages through the White Ussal along with normal Talk Page messages. He told us Swert had a new design for the wiki, something he feared we would accept without much of a fight, something he could not stand by and let happen. He claimed Swert was a tyrant bent on controlling as much of the user life of the wiki as possible, claiming that we were going to lose our user pages, talk pages, and some of our editing rights, and he warned us that even the lower ranks of the staff were not what they seemed. Soon after V’s arrival the Moto-Hub was taken from users at large and V cited this as evidence of Swert’s tyranny, but even regular users opposed this view, saying that it was reasonable as it had been a major form of vandalism. V faced much verbal opposition but there was little we could do to stay him from acting on his suspicions. User groups formed (not all represented on this page) in support of either V or Swert and a few bent on finding the truth. This Investigator began his mission not too long before the groups arrived, finding much information of interest. As April 1st moved closer, V’s predicted Day of Reckoning, Swert made his move and took the place of BS01 Emperor, changing the skin to fit the atmosphere of his realm. The users tried to rebel but they knew that they could not do much of anything except complain and hope V could do something. However, V had been banned by Swert. For a few days the BS01 Wiki was the BS01 Empire, and then the Day of Reckoning came. There was yet another change in the skin and we became VS01 for a single day, a day of repairs to the way the wiki was to be, and a day of revelations. V unveiled himself as none other than Swert! The whole era, as suspected by this Investigator and many others, was an elaborate April Fools Day prank. By April 2nd everything was back to what it was except for a single change, the Moto-Hub was kept off limits due to it being a weapon for vandals.

The V Terminal

One of V's methods of communicating messages to the Members of the Wiki during the Incident. There was widespread discussion about the codes used to access the files on the Terminal.

The actual codes for the V Terminal are as follows:

"Rebel"-Leads to the Unauthorized Biography of Toa V-The White Ussal

"Rebellion"-Leads to one of V's warnings, one full of questions and declarations. Clicking on "Do you Like Music" starts and audio file of part of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture

"White Ussal"-Leads to two messages guarded by the White Ussal. Message one is a request for us to be vigilant and suspicious, and a warning that we will listen. Message two is a warning that the staff are not all they seem, though they may say the same about V, and a promise the on March 20th, 2008 V would have revealed himself.

"V"-The first code most of us would find, and it says the V tried to warn us, but we didn't listen and explains the purpose of the Terminal as an information delivery system.

This code is more complicated.

Type "~Login" hit enter and then type "Toa V" and hit enter again-A congratulations for finding the passwords, and a request to be patient and expectant and to remember that "every rebellion need its Rebels."

Swert's Coded Message

@) * % _ % !# !^ ( !* % _ !@ ( @@ % !( _ !% !$ . ! !@ !@ _ !( @) ! ^ ^ _ !# % !# @ % !* !( _ ! !* % _ @) !% _ !* % !^ !% !* @) _ @) !% _ % !# !^ % !* !% !( _ !( @# % !( @) _ !% @) * % _ & ! @ @ !@ @% _ # * ! @) _ @! !* % $ _ @ @% _ @) * % _ !# % !# @ % !* !( . !^ !@ $ ! !( % _ @! !( % _ @) * % _ # !% $ % . An alpha numeric code, cracked by Danwojo913 and revealed by him to say,

"THE EMPIRE LIVES ON. ALL STAFF MEMBERS ARE TO REPORT TO EMPEROR SWERT ON THE GABBLY CHAT USED BY THE MEMBERS. PLEASE USE THE CODE."

Exo Malakai also cracked the code, and via his comments we get this guide.

Different combinations of the symbols above the numbers on the American Standard Qwerty Keyboard give us all twenty-six basic letters of the Latin Alphabet. Spaces designate a change in letter, underscores("_") designate spaces between words.

Major Groups

There were only two sides in the Incident that had real power, The Staff and V, but members joined in as much as they could.

Staff

DX Army- The Staff, Swert’s Imperial Army of “Degenerates”, as they were back then.

DX Army
DX Army Leader: DX Army Generals: Electric Turahk | Darnzerf DX Army Soldiers: Erebus | Lihyahm | Shine | Syn | Cholie | Gb1 | Bioran23 Former Soldiers: BMan | CM | Ikki | Bionus | Utopia | KoApp | Kraahlix | Gravitan

Toa V

While he did have a following amongst the members, V did not claim a group, nor did he find a need to lead one. To do so would have been against his anarchist ideals anyway. His powers on the wiki were sufficient for his purposes.

Warriors of V

Members

Warriors of Wiki-Nui

An alliance of two major user groups, The Warriors of V and the Wiki-Nui Freedom Fighters, created after the leaders figured out that V was Swert, and members expressed a want to end the nonsense and paranoia the prevailed during the Incident. Note that there were already some crossovers.

Wiki-Nui Freedom Fighters

A group created to keep the wiki together despite Swert and V's rivalry. Their Template puts the silver Avohkii back on the icon corner, which you can now see with the V File section open.

________

Veritisan Crusaders

They looked for the truth about the Incident but followed no specific truth for themselves.

Relevant Links

BS01 Discussions

Links were destroyed in the October 2009 Wiki Update and Database Reset. They still exist as Internet Archives, however.

• User:Swert/Gears
  • http://web.archive.org/web/20080522200231/http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php/User:Swert/Gears - May 22, 2008
• User_talk:Swert/Gears
  • http://web.archive.org/web/20080423085527/http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php/User_talk:Swert/Gears - Apr 23, 2008
• User:Swert/Archive5 scattered over the page
  • http://web.archive.org/web/20081226150220/http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php/User:Swert/Archive5
• User_talk:Toa_VDiscussions of the V Incident gone

• Web Archive of V's TP during the incident

Warnings

• http://www.biosector01.com/swert/vterminal.html V's Terminal
• http://www.biosector01.com/swert/test.html A test leading to one of V's warnings.
• http://www.biosector01.com/swert/Ussal.html A place to choose if you will follow the White Ussal. "Yes" takes you to a notice that V's Final Warning will come on March 15th 2008. "No" will bring you to the Main Page of BS01.
• http://biosector01.com/swert/vfinale.html No, Swert didn't win. Swert won.

Spoilers

The Original Links are dead, but they still exist as Internet Archives. The Icon to the right was used by Swert to link to his Gears subpage (you click on it and you get to see some of the 'gears' beneath what is going on).

• http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php/User:Swert/Gears/Information
  • http://web.archive.org/web/20080421181043/http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php/User:Swert/Gears/Information - Apr 21, 2008
• http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php/User_talk:Swert/Gears/Information
  • http://web.archive.org/web/20080609010726/http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php/User_talk:Swert/Gears/Information - Jun 9, 2008

Post-Incident Gifts

• User_talk:Moutekea Toa V used this account for reasons now forgotten, parts about V lost in BS01 Wiki Crash & Update.
• http://biosector01.com/swert/gifts/ Gifts for all members to use in remembrance of the V era.
• http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php/User:Toa_V/Award all users may use it.
• http://www.biosector01.com/swert/ToaVRayg.PNG A sprite sheet for Toa V, no cape.

Other

• http://www.biosector01.com/swert/VAward.jpg V's mask, reminiscent of "V for Vendetta"
• http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Swert109/Me/tfdc2.png A comic cameo with Swert and V
• Entry on the BS01 About page

User Boxes

This user supports the VS01 Wiki Skin. FOLLOW THE WHITE USSAL!

This user supports the BS01 Empire Skin. SURRENDER OR DIE!

Reasons for Leaving

I am leaving now for a few reasons. Some are public, some private. I will list here in detail only the public (obviously).

• I feel that I am spending too much time on the Internet and not enough time on other things. My life is taking me in a direction that BS01 cannot be a part of, and in order for me to be able to move on, I need to separate myself from things that could distract me from my goals. This is the main public reason I am choosing to retire now; all other reasons are subject to this one. What else I have listed should not be considered main or even secondary causes for my departure (except for the one directly below). Think of them as items which cemented this one and made the decision to retire easier to make.
• I was hired as a staff member in the first place because I was needed. Despite what I'm sure is popular thinking to the contrary, members are not put on the staff only because they are good members; they are selected for the job because there is a void that needs to be filled at that particular time and the member selected is deemed to be the best person to do it. Nobody, no matter how good, is ever picked when there is no need for another staffy. Doing that means having yet another person on the team who needs to be taught what to do, informed of all important changes or developments like the rest of the staff, monitored closely for the first month or so, integrated enough to be trusted, and dealt with when in error. All of that is highly painstaking, and a totally useless waste of effort if there was no need to hire the guy in the first place. In addition, the Wiki is largely deprived of that member's information-related edits, since much of his time must now be diverted to moderating, so hiring someone is partially a sacrifice, the benefits of which must be weighted against those of keeping him a normal member. Keeping that in mind, would it not make sense for someone who is no longer needed to retire? That's how I feel about it. When I was hired, I was needed at the time, but since October of '07 a number of things have happened which have rendered me no longer truly needed. I now have people who can take my place as a staff member: Cholie, who has already proved himself ten times over to be just as fine as staffy as BS01 has ever had, and Master of the Rahkshi, a greatly respected old-time editor who has a better handle of the site than most folks ever will. These two were hired because of the ever-expanding staff void, and now that they have both shown themselves too valuable to fire any time soon, the way is paved for me to go without any repercussions. My purpose on BIONICLEsector01 has been fulfilled, leaving me safely able to drift quietly away.
• Staff unity has become a problem for me. My ideas for things on the Wiki are seldom heard anymore, and if they are they simply get beaten down by everyone. And I'm not the only one who feels this way; it seems as though we all do. I think that one major problem lies with General Managers and/or the most influential staffies having a false sense of supreme authority over other staff members and even Swert, and being too tight with what they will allow or even consider. It appears to me that the GMs in particular are focusing too much on their own voices and tastes in most matters, making the opinions of the moderators technically neutral and irrelevant. "Ghosts" would be an apt term for the mods at large right now. There is also a timidity problem, and by that I mean that the higher-ups are more concerned about the fallout caused by their actions than they are about the necessity of the actions themselves; if they see something that should be done or needs to be done, they appear to first consider if they as specific individuals think it is a good idea based on their tastes. If they don't like it, the idea gets scrapped; if they do like it but the reaction will be too negative for them, it still gets scrapped. The mods too are not immune from problems, and that's where the other major one comes into play: Bickering among us is almost constant these days, and we usually end up at a standstill rather than making any real progress. I see a tendency for the Sectra to split into two basic camps: Those who prefer a more absolute and firmer approach to dealing with things, and those who prefer a softer, more lax method; the divide is obvious, problematic, and has yet to be even half-way fixed, partly because no one has bothered to try. To sum up, in essence I think that taste has supplanted logic on the part of the staff as a whole. This does not apply in all cases (yet), though the atmosphere has become thick enough to be noticeable. The staff do get things done effectively, I will certainly say that, but if the current bad trends continue, they will culminate with one or more huge, chaotic breakdowns, both preceded and proceeded by a number of staff members quitting, which I do not in the least desire to be around for. If I could do anything to help prevent what will likely happen if nothing changes, I would; but with the current situation being the way it is, I very much doubt that whatever I tried to do would have an impact of any real significance. I'm too uninfluential anymore. And as the heat generated by the lack of unity is continually turned up, the already diminishing voices of reason will be vaporized, along with, so it seems, the Wiki as we once knew it. Degeneration is, like it or not, inevitable for most things, even BS01, and it will take drastic action on far more than my part to prevent collapse from happening here.
• The Wiki itself, I think, is also being attacked by the Laws of Thermodynamics quite rigorously these days. The is partly do to the situation mentioned above, and partly due to the fact that the site is in general being overrun by people who have no idea what they're doing and should have just stayed off BS01 as editors, much like what happened and is still happening with BZPower. Now I'm not saying there are no good people left on the Wiki; I'd be the last to say that; what I am saying is that more and more of the truly good editors are either gone, becoming more inactive, or are being promoted to the staff, and their places are being taken by members who are, for want of a better word, n00bs. This means that the quality of the BIONICLE pages goes down and the chaos level goes up, leaving the poor folks stuck in the middle wondering why they ever came to BS01. The original goal of the members, i.e., making this site a good place for accurate reference info to ensure that anyone who wants it can have it, has been replaced with the counter-productive goals of making friends or chatting or having cool userpages as the good members leave and the bad ones poor in too fast for the small number of staff and helpful contributors to keep up. We've also had an influx of vandals, people who recognize no authority above themselves, and people who come here with the sole purpose of getting themselves on the staff. Plus, seeing as bad influence spreads much quicker and easier than good influence, members who were valued, or had the potential to be, have been in many cases slowly giving way to the attitude that prevails in the current member body. So you see, the process rolls along, without any real way to stop it; chances are the Wiki will lose its initial momentum as the BIONICLE franchise continues on and will be taken over by members who haven't a clue how to do things, and a small, fragile, ineffective staff will be the best the site can muster up. I wish to leave before that happens, because I don't think I could bear to see it.
• There are several other reasons that helped prompt my leaving, and as they are strictly personal, I will not disclose them here.

I hope that gives you a fairly good and thorough explanation as to why I choose now to retire for good. This will be a permanent retirement; I will never go back to being an active member of the Wiki Staff or the Wiki itself. Just typing that causes me more grief than I can express in words, all the more so because it's true. Do note, however, that I will come back and visit whenever the opportunity presents itself. Not even a team of raging Electric Turahks could keep me away from BS01 forever. :D

The Essential Gravitan

It's been a heck of a ride, I'll say that much. I remember the day I joined. I had seen a link on Wikipedia, a site I was a member of about a month before BS01, and I clicked it because I had heard about the BIONICLE site while looking at stuff on BZPower. I cruised around the Wiki for the first time, and at first I thought it was rather primitive and unorganized. I noticed that, to my great surprise, this seemed to be a place that kids like myself edited; on Wikipedia you had pretty much exclusively adults, so the transition caught me off guard. I joined and as my first edit made a userpage, patterning it somewhat after the one I had on Wikipedia. I then went about editing pages I found lacking, using what I consider to be my classic style: calmly, boldly, and without emotion. I found that such an anti-social approach did not have to be used on a wiki like this, so gradually I got a heart. The next few months were great times; I made some relatively constructive edits and established myself as a semi-prominent member. Then, in June (or was it July?), the Wiki crashed. When it finally came back online in August, all of the data was gone. All of it. We had to start everything over again. I was fortunate enough to be one of the first people on the scene, so as far as the New Wiki goes, I was one of the first members of BS01. So anyway, the work had to be done; it was a daunting task, but it went along surely as one could hope. At first progress came slowly, and we were all pretty well demoralized by the sight of a Wiki so barren and cold; visiting it at that time was like walking through a desert. The first attempts at unassisted restoration resulted in small, practically worthless pages that would have been better left unmade in the first place. I had heard about people backing up all the Wiki's old pages (I myself offered to help but was turned down); the question was where these people were. As the days went on the articles got better and better and more and more folks started to show up to help; few of them had backed-up pages though. One of the guys who did was Masketh Kahn, and the whole Wiki owes him a debt of gratitude for almost single-handedly saving the day. Once he started putting up saved pages, it inspired other folks, me included, to work harder, and gave us an invaluable glimmer of hope. It was during this time that I started displaying the leadership/staff-like qualities that I guess I was staffified for. Some (many is a better word) of my actions at this time were too authoritarian and went over the line, and nearly all of them were far too mod-like; I openly admit that and regret that I acted so immaturely. But I guess what I did was to a degree necessary, since the real staff trickled into the barren beginnings of the New Wiki Nui incredibly slowly, and the members needed somebody other than ET to watch out for them. This I did to the best of my ability, and I worked out pretty well as a make-shift staff member. I never got sysop, and looking back, what I was doing deserves to be frowned upon, but it didn't seem to matter then; everybody thought I was staff regardless, in addition to nobody voicing complaints against me. My experience on Wikipedia proved incredibly useful during the Reconstruction Era. That particular site, while undoubtedly an unreliable heck-hole nowadays, taught me a great deal of important lessons that I relied on then and still rely on now. I could go into some of the many adventures Electric Turahk and I had on the King of Wikis, but that, as they say, is another story.

In the grand month of October 2007, once we had gotten a good amount of our pages back, I (along with Lihyahm, Shine, and Gb1) was made a staff member. That was without a doubt in the world the second-highest point of my career on BS01, the highest being, of course, joining; I can scarcely say that I was ever more proud than on that triumphant October's day. It felt like all the doors of the Wiki were being opened to me at once; nothing was impossible now. It was a fantastic feeling; I would liken it to a sailor who just got a day off while in his favorite port. The road ahead was clouded by the shadow of doubt, but the four n00b staffers trudged on nonetheless. I knew we'd be alright once we figured out what we were doing. As soon as I got my shiny new buttons in order, I went about modding and getting to know my fellow staff members, and I quickly reverted back to the cold and relatively unemotional manner that I started with. Why, you ask? I can't say I'm too sure myself; I guess it's because I was never one to fool around while on a job, and also because some of what I saw/heard/experienced in that first month hardened me. Regardless of why it happened, it did, and I've been unpopular ever since. XD

So yeah, I pretty much went about my merry way as a BS01 staff member for the next several months. I was almost exclusively a pure moderator, and I kinda regret that. I was so consumed with my main job that I rarely made actual article contributions, and as such my storyline knowledge went down to a point that I would say is still slightly above average, but not nearly as good as it used to be. I had always longed to be considered a member of the ever-elusive "storyline buffs" crowd, and it burns me inside that I never quite made it there. Anyway, things were going fairly normally until, in February, something happened. I will not say what it was, but it forced me to go into a sort of half-cocked position: I was still an active member of the Wiki Staff, but any moment could be my last on BS01. I felt as though I had broken with the Wiki during that time, and I became less active, confusing everyone with the fact that I was technically retired yet nothing had appeared to have changed with me; this was not the case, but I came off as somewhat of a liar nonetheless. One of the saddest periods of my adventure was this one. I was sad, angry, confused, and just...lost, I guess is the word. I felt alienated from and opposed by the staff and members, something that has not changed since.

Finally, in April, the ultimate decision presented itself to me. I had to make a choice: Either stay on the Wiki, or leave it. No ifs, ands, or buts. It was a flat, inescapable predicament. I thought about it for some time, and after considering all the angles, a painful conclusion was reached: I must leave BIONICLEsector01. For good. I have already discussed my reasons, so they will not be repeated here.

That's about all there is to my journey through the Wiki, viewed through a historical, chronological lens at least. In order to ensure that this section does not end on a completely hopeless note, however, allow me to deviate for a few moments from its main object.

I'd like to say, first of all, that it wasn't all negative. I had the time of my life while I was here, and the happy memories I racked up can never be taken away from me. Although, the fact remains that these last few months have brought me far more negative memories than positive ones. Quite frankly though, the happy times are the ones that I will try to make the dominant as I personally look back on what I did over the course of my brief tenure as a member of the BS01 Wiki.

Moderating has always been a topic close to my heart. Many people surely wondered what guidelines I was going by in my day as a mod, and I will tell you right now: My own. :P I came up with and gradually added to my style based on general experience, prudence, and logic.

My method for moderating was and will always remain this:

• Do what you think is the best thing to do for the Wiki at the time you have to do it.
• Put your personal preferences aside, and let logic be your guide.
• If you have to be a little harsh in order to get your point across, that's okay; sometimes it's the only approach that works.
• Try to be friendly, but at the same time don't let personal ties say you should treat some people better than others.
• Be prudent.
• Follow the orders of your superiors; if you think they want to do something illogical, don't argue unless you can prove that they're wrong. But with some things, you won't be able to prove them wrong, since many of the decisions handed down by the GMs and Swert are merely personal preferences, or taste. In cases like this where you really don't like what they want to do, voice your concerns and then shut up about it.
• Don't overwork yourself; remember that although BS01 may be a big part of your life, it should never be the center of it.
• Always try to keep in mind the age and dispositions of the people you're working with.
• Whether or not your reputation gets damaged should be the last thing on your mind when doing your job.
• If you're facing a tough call, don't hesitate to leave it to someone who would know better if you think it's the best thing to do.
• Pride = BAD -- I absolutely loathe people who are stuck up with themselves, and I find that pride is a huge roadblock for anyone who is or wants to become a staff member. Honestly, if you start to get stuck up with yourself, just imagine me coming over to your house and beating you up. With an axe. And a bulldozer. And if those don't work, an artillery cannon. That oughta do it. Or if you're really full of yourself, I would be glad to help get ET mad at you. If that doesn't give you an attitude adjustment, nothing will. In all seriousness though, pridefulness is staff member suicide. Don't get cocky. I can't stress this enough.

There you have my basic method. If anything I did was not in line with it, then it was an instance of me betraying my own values, and a lesson for others to learn from.

Who am I? Well, ya know, that's what you'd call a hard question. I'm still trying to figure it out myself; but if I had to give you a description of who I think I am, I imagine it'd go something like this:

I am someone who is looking for something, something important; I know where it is, but not necessarily how to grasp it, and it always seems to be just out of my reach. I work hard at things I have a passion for, and tend to be a little lazy in stuff I don't; but if I put my mind to something, then chances are I can do it. I'm cold, overly sarcastic, and have a rather sharp (I might say brutal) sense of humor, but if you get to know me I can be quite friendly. I know where I stand in everything and will fight to the death for my cause, but if my standpoint is proven wrong, I will gladly change it. I have few people I consider to be true friends, and I hold fast to those I do. I long to be appreciated by my fellow man, but I always try to keep in mind that in the end it is not what they think that matters. I look for opportunity, prosperity, and happiness now, but I know that if I play my cards right, the best is most certainly yet to come.

Now, to paint for everyone a picture of myself by my tastes, I shall talk a little about what I like. :D

When people ask me what kind of music I like, the answer more often than not makes their eyes go a little wide. I'm a huge fan of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin; if I had the choice I would listen to only those two for the rest of my days. I also like Perry Como, Sammy Davis Jr., Louis Armstrong, and basically any kind of jazz you can throw at me. It strikes many folks as odd that I would play in to those kinds of "relics," but hey, I like what I like and I'm thankful I do. When I listen to my favorite music, it transports me to a different time, a different place, away from all the hustle and bustle of today's idea of life. It gives me an overwhelming sense of comfort and happiness, to the point where, as Dean Martin's On The Street Where You Live puts it, "there's no where else on earth that I would rather be."

My favorite superhero of all time is without a doubt Batman. Ever since I was a kid I couldn't get enough of him; "Hah, as if Superman is half that good," I often thought to myself. Vying for second place would probably be The Punisher, Spawn, and Spider-Man. As you can probably tell, I mostly prefer the darker brand of crimefighter. Don't ask me why; I've just always been more captivated by that type. Heck, sometimes you'll find me cheering for the bad guys rather than the good. The way I see it, it's the creators' fault for making the comic book villains cooler than the heroes. On that topic, my favorite supervillains are The Joker, from Batman, and Venom, from Spiderman. And I don't mean the Joker you saw in the 1960's TV series; that one made me want to go mad myself. I mean the Joker who sent chills up you spine rather than laughs choking your lungs; the one who really posed a threat to the good guys. Like the 1940's Joker and the one portrayed in The Dark Knight.

I don't really watch many TV shows anymore compared to most people (I hope XD). I very much like CSI: Miami, but all they do is show reruns as of late. If I could figure out which channel showed the new episodes, then I'd really be hooked, but even so, I usually go to bed before the times it'd be airing at. :-/ I'm a big fan of The Shield; it's just my kind of show, although the filming technique can be a bit annoying/weird sometimes, plus the fact that season seven is only shown once a week and at a time I don't like to be awake at. Burn Notice appeals to my tastes too, probably just because there's really no other show quite like it. I'm also into quite House. Anyway though, I'm not much into your standard shows. Movies are more of my thing.

Oh boy, movies... Where do I even start? I love the Indiana Jones movies, and I'm hoping to see the fourth one eventually; I mean seriously, those are some of the best adventure films of all time. I'm a big fan of John Wayne's films, especially The Searchers, True Grit, and The Shootist. I greatly enjoyed all of the Star Wars movies, although I think Episodes I and II could have been done way better. I like so many movies that I prefer to group them by the actors, the major ones being: John Wayne, Harrison Ford, Bruce Willis (esp. the Die Hard series and Tears of the Sun), Denzel Washington (esp. Training Day), Frank Sinatra, Henry Fonda (esp. Twelve Angry Men), Tommy Lee Jones (esp. The Hunted), Matt Damon (esp. the Bourne series), James Sterwart, Tom Hanks (esp. Saving Private Ryan), and George Clooney (esp. the Ocean's series), just to name a few. Heh, from there I don't think I should try to list anything more, since I'm liable to keep typing forever. But I will say that in general my favorite genres are the less mindlessly violent action/adventure movies, mystery and suspense, and the classier brand of comedic movies, such as Ocean's Eleven.

I don't really play many video games, since as far as stations go I have only a PC and Nintendo DS. But out of what I have, the LEGO Star Wars games for PC are the best, hands down. I've had LEGO Indiana Jones for PC for a little while now, but I don't have the right softwear for it. :( The Super Mario games also rank pretty high on my list; though for the most part I'm stuck borrowing them from my brother. XD

But above all these other likes and pastimes comes reading. I could read day in and day out. Put me in a good library and you'll never get me out before I've read half the books in the thing. The majority of the books I read deal with history, but I also dabble in fiction on occasion, the most successful venture in that case being The Lord of the Rings. Can't say I much like poetry, although now and then I'll come across some that captivates me. Religious material is my overall preferred area, but seeing as it is what it is I won't get into it.

I don't really play any sports, seeing as I get plenty of exercise taking care of the small farm my family owns. When I am outside and with spare time I like to wander through the woods and fields, admiring nature and pondering what is meant to be pondered. I consider myself to be a fun-loving guy, but in the sense that my kind of fun is different from most people's. If you were to call me weird, I would whole-heartedly agree, and I sport that weirdness proudly, because I see it as a reality reminder, so to speak. In the modern-day world where we are all expected to conform to what everyone else is doing or thinking and sane ideologies are deemed irrelevant, it's easy to almost forget that we inhabit a living, moving world with good and fascinating people everywhere, or even that we exist at all; "weird" folks or sights or experiences serve as a kind of jolt to the system, a reminder that the universe is not static, but the very opposite. These jolts are what inspires us to break away from the same old routines and recognize that a world exists outside our own limited perception of it. If people consider me to be one of those jolts, whether or not they mean the label in a pleasant way, then I can only be honored.

That is, in a few words, a rather blurry picture of who I am and how I got there. Maybe as the years go by it will become less indistinct for me as well as you. But for now, this is essentially me: Essentially Gravitan.

My Legacy

I've been on this site for over a year now, which is not an incredibly long time; nonetheless, it is plenty of time to make a difference. If BS01 is a lake situated on the sands of time, then Crystal Matrix could be likened to the water that filled what was before an empty hole, giving it beauty and purpose. Swert could be compared to a storm that through sheer force and persistence eroded away a path to the sea, opening the lake up to never before imagined waters and truly making it a part of something bigger. What would I be equivalent to in this lake of ours? Well, I would say this: I am a large purple fish jumping up out of the unseen depths, a part of the living force of the lake that gives it life and makes it what it is (in other words, the members). During my jump I caught a glimpse of the bigger world, and then with a large splash went back to where I came from. That is what I would liken myself to, and now I wish to talk about the impact I made in somewhat plainer terms.

I made waves on this wiki, of that I'm sure; not big ones that will last forever in memory, but waves just as wavy as any others. I tried as hard as I could to bring order to BS01, a mission that I had to leave before seeing through to the end. I'm not saying that there was not order here before I arrived, but I do think it was not (and still is not) to the degree that it should have been. I wanted to see the Wiki survive and prosper, but to do that it needed order, and that is what I sought to bring to it as a staff member. Many people thought I was harsh and unrelenting and bossy, and they were right to an extent; they fail to understand, however, that I acted how I did because someone had to impose order. If the member body was unwilling to take orders from their superiors and unappreciative of the fact that their being on the Wiki is not a right but a privilege, then how in the world would BS01 survive? Order had to be more firmly established among people who tended to resent authority higher than themselves, and to do that it was necessary to be a little harsh/authoritative. It's not that I didn't want to be friendly with everyone, it's just that friendly sometimes does not work, especially taking into account the average age of the members of this site. If nobody can understand that, then nobody can understand me.

My greatest accomplishment in creating a more orderly environment was the Respect Policy. Prior to my making the Policy on Swert's commission, there were no written rules on the subject, so even putting down something basic would have been a huge step forward. I went a few steps further than basic; the result of my labor was an official written guide on almost every aspect of how respect was to be observed by the members toward the staff (the area that was the most lacking) and the members toward each other. Before then the members had to guess at how they should behave toward the staff, and given the age of most of them, the results were far less than satisfactory. Now we had real rules that would be observed and enforced. Swert later added a section on staff-to-member respect, making the work complete. Soon after posting the Policy, I asked Kopaka's Apprentice what he thought of it, and his reaction put a smile on my face that I have yet to fully wipe off:

"*Praises God for answering my prayers* Seriously, I was praying =D"

It's true that there is still a lot of work to be done in the areas of respect and order, but I think I've helped lay the groundwork for future progress, groundwork that I hope will never be erased. I also made headway in other areas. I tried as best I could to eliminate some of the pointlessly small pages the info of which could easily be put elsewhere, and in my time as a normal member worked on the Help Desk. I am mostly responsible for all of the official awards that you can now see being handed out around the site by staff and members alike. Of course, one of the things I helped the site out most by was simply being around to check edits and block vandals. And then of course there was the stuff I did behind the scenes and which I am not permitted to talk about; I will tell you that for the most part it was all very hard. I saw fruit in all areas though, no matter how hard I had to work to coax it out of the proverbial tree.

I helped as best as I could to make sure public relations were good, a task that has now fallen to the PR Staff, of which I was originally a part of. I can't say I much like the way things are going with that body now, and I'll tell you why: I am not someone who believes that we can all be material equals in a place like this. I believe that in order for things to work out for BS01, the line that separates staff and members in abilities and authority has to be a very distinct one. It does not at all mean that there can be no friendliness between the two bodies; just that nobody should be confused in regards to the roles of each. The members add info to BS01, the staff run BS01; that is the most basic concept of our structure, and it necessarily implies real, absolute differences between what staff can do and what members can do, differences that cannot fade without chaos resulting from it. Public relations should work to promote unity and friendliness between the two bodies, not blur the line that makes them distinct, as they tend to lean toward nowadays. One thing very few people realize or accept is that BS01 is a hierarchy, not a democracy, and it would help greatly if everyone respected that. Not enough (even among the staff) do, and try to make us as democratic as possible, not wanting to admit that using democracy as the Wiki's modus operandus would have catastrophic results. I won't go further on the subject, as that might mean getting overly political. Might well have crossed the line already. I just want to go far enough to make sure everyone knows where I stand and have always stood on the subject.

On a very related topic, I will say that one of my most passionate areas is normal members and moderating. My position has always been that normal members should perform moderating-type actions only when no staff members are around to do so at the time; I have held this stance ever since I joined BS01, and it is not something I intend to change. Many people seem to think for whatever reason that normal members have some kind of duty to seize every available opportunity to perform staff actions. Why? I don't know, but I am violently against this view. As I said, I fully support the notion of non-staff executing what are otherwise staff duties under the condition that no staff are online or responding at the time, but opening the flood gates and letting them do it all the time is absolutely absurd; it's disruptive, intrusive, disrespectful toward the staff, confusion-inducing, and totally unnecessary. The staff are there for a reason, and if moderating needs to be done, the staff should be the only ones to do it, as that's what they were hired for. One thing that I think is contributing to the members' so-called "duty" to moderate is an unfounded and immature sense of urgency about things that require correction. If, for example, someone posts a link to a forums site on their talk page, everyone jumps out of their seats to remove it as if it were a bomb in the middle of a busy street. Why the rush, people? It's just a forums link. Your life and that of BS01 is not at stake here. Just wait for a staff member to check it and remove it if necessary. By doing it yourself, you're not letting the staff member do his job, and interrupting him if he was trying to, in addition to making people think that you yourself are a staff member. Unless something you see is all-out vandalism, there is simply no need to make a big fuss about it; let a staff member handle it. A major problem with members moderating under even in emergency situations is that they simply have nothing to back up what they're enforcing. They can't block anyone or delete any pages. If you've got somebody who's doing something against the rules and will not listen, a normal member has ZERO options for making him. The best he can do is warn the member and hope that he will back down. The members should be on BS01 for the purpose of editing its BIONICLE pages, and if they aren't, they joined for the wrong reason. When I see people editing only their userpages, talk pages, or moderating, it ticks me off big time, and I come down hardest on the folks in these categories. I see these actions in particular as perhaps the most disrespectful offenses anyone can commit on the Wiki, because they show not only that the member responsible has not read our policies, but that he has little to no regard for our ultimate goal. If you came here exclusively to "have a radical userpage," "talk to people and make friends," or "protect the Wiki from bad people," then I've got two words for ya: Leave. Now.

Because no matter how much you like the idea of these things, they are not why you should be joining. At all. Period. But I'm drifting here; back on my main point, members moderating is about as impractical and destructive a notion as I can think of for the health of the Wiki. By it, the responsible member is deviating from what he should be doing here, and at the same time building up an ego that was likely already too bloated in the first place. When a member moderates needlessly, he is saying by his actions, "I don't think normal editing is good enough for me, so I'll just romp around this place and act like I own it." What positive results are effected by it? I dare anyone to show me even one good reason why the moderating divide should be opened to the general public. Naturally, it is quite likely that this will be done sooner or later, things being the way they are, but no benefit will come of it; what will ultimately result over time is likely to be a situation close to website anarchy. I personally feel that normal members are attracted to modding because they see in it some nobility that is absent in mainspace editing contributions; in reality, they are more often than not simply bored of adding content to articles. Problematic from the start, so you see, and even under the guise of nobility, member moderating still falls short, because that greater importance or specialness has no basis in fact. To say it truthfully, your standard day-to-day editing is far more noble and important than moderating could ever be, since by it you are actually making sure there is still a website to moderate! Think about it this way: Normal editing is in itself a positive thing which improves BS01 and makes it more informative and attractive, while moderating, in itself, necessarily implies that there are things (i.e., problems) that need to be moderated. To be figurative, editing could be considered your bloodstream, and moderating your antibodies: The blood keeps you alive and healthy, while the antibodies fight off internal problems that could harm you. The body can still survive, albeit not as well, without the antibodies, but take away the blood in which they are contained, and you don't have a chance. Which of these is more essential and noble, you think? I shouldn't even have to say it for you. So believe it or not, by moderating, or accepting a staff request, you are actually taking more of a downward step than an upward one! But that is the nature of self-sacrifice for staff members: You have to know what is being asked of you in order to truly profit by what you are losing. The only other unaddressed attraction that members have to moderating is the rush that it presents, which is the one thing that really presents an obstacle to discouraging people from moderating. Editing is fun if you do it right, but nothing can quite give you the feeling that taking on a staff member's situation does. Sure it's an insulting thought that people would take on a duty not their own just to suck the rush out of it, but that is not likely to dissuade a majority of members, especially younger or prideful ones who have nothing that they feel is better to do. Oh well; regardless of how important or cool or dignified members think it is, the Respect Policy in its present form prohibits a normal member from moderating unless no staff members are online, and doing otherwise is a punishable offense. Some may think that the ban is unfair, and I can't much stop them from doing that. For now though, all is secure in that particular area of my work here.

Another thing I take a firm stance on is BS01's method of selecting staff members. I firmly believe that selection rather than applications is the only way to go in putting people on the staff. Anything else falls short. The method of taking and accepting based on sent applications is one that encourages members to think of themselves rather than the good of the Wiki. By allowing apps, you're essentially saying to everyone: "Okay, think about all the reasons you would be a better staff member than anyone else and why you deserve this job more than anyone else." Makes for a pretty disgusting attitude for new staffies to start with, no? You absolutely cannot take away the fact that apps necessarily do force members to think about themselves and their merits to the exclusion of others' in applying. Any hint of pride, like that brought out by taking applications for staff membership, is similar to playing Russian roulette with the staff.

Applications also take away from the specialness of being a staff member. With selection as our main method, more of an anticipation is built up around who gets chosen: "Will it be me? Have I done enough good to merit this position? Probably not, but I had better show how much I care about this Wiki by behaving as best as I can." You see? With applications, that's all taken away (granted, it's impossible to eliminate selfishness completely). People will see staff membership as some kind of right that they all have and should achieve at all costs. When the staff chooses its members, it gives them full control over everything, rather than the members applying, and no selfish thoughts have time to ferment in the members' heads since they did not apply and do not know if or when they might get that little PM from Swert or a GM.

Through selection, you are assured of getting the best people instead of the worst. 'Cause, in all honestly, I don't think any of us could argue that almost every member of BS01 wouldn't apply for staff membership if given the chance. With selection, you overall have a better chance of getting a few people who are sincerely interested in taking care of the site they've worked on and stuck with regardless of what's happened to it, rather than a load of people who only want on the staff because they want the title.

Now, there is something that I want everyone to understand very clearly, something that few know or would accept even if they did: Everything I did on this wiki, everything that people hated as well as liked, everything behind the scenes and on the front stage, everything no matter how it looked; it was all unconditionally and without exception done with BS01's best interests in mind. I never did anything big or of direct influence that I did not think would be of benefit for this site. I know it will strike some people as suspicious that I could be so seemingly unselfish, but it's true taking into account that your standard selfishness is harder to apply on a website where you can never really gain anything that applies in real life. I will say that there were times when I thought about and even talked with other staffers about doing some pretty selfish things; but thankfully none of these were ever acted upon. Power corrupts, and I did everything I could to try to prevent that from happening to me. Sometimes successfully, sometimes not, but I always tried. Pride is the root of corruption, and I'm grateful that I was never (too :P) consumed by it. That would be my advice to all staff members, past present or future: Don't get prideful. A lot is expected of you as a staff member, so don't screw up by giving yourself a bias that says the world revolves around you. Always keep in mind what you're here for, and always give more than you expect to get back. You are materially superior to a normal member, true, but that does not under any circumstances mean you are superior to him in everything else too. My time here has brought be much joy, but also plenty of grief, and some of the sadness I experienced during my time here was some of the worst in my life; that doesn't mean I'm overly emotional, although technically speaking I am; it means that I put absolutely everything I had into making BIONICLEsector01 a better place, that I gave my all to make sure this great site survives intact as BIONICLE moves on into the years and into history. It was my firmest desire to see the Wiki right there alongside it the whole way, and that is why when someone insulted me or disrespected me or deliberately messed up the work I had done, it caused me far more pain than it should have. If someone rejected my work, it felt as though they rejected me. Didn't help that I'm prone to mild depression. That's part of why I was as cold as I was; it helped conceal the worst of the sadness that I experienced. That I could get so sad over something that happened here is something I look back on with regret and bitterness, since it only shows I spent too much of myself here and not enough elsewhere, something I intend to make right in the future.

But this brings me to another topic: If I have ever hurt anyone during my time here, if I have ever offended anyone or made them feel rejected, I am sincerely sorry and ask for their forgiveness. Mind you, I am not sorry for the actions themselves; what I am sorry for is that I executed some of them too harshly or quickly or something, and inconsiderately hurt people in the process; it is for this that I ask pardon. Because as odd as it may seem, even in my harshest rebukes I never meant to offend anyone. Please let me slip into retirement knowing that nobody is holding anything against me because of what I did; it is the only way I will be able to rest peacefully at night and try to enjoy the coming journey.

Some people thought I was extremely unkind and many of you I imagine wanted me off the staff and even off the site; but I did things as best as I could; if my best was not good enough for you or anyone else, then so be it. Suffice it to say that I have few regrets and am satisfied that I gave my all. In the end that's all anyone has to give.

What is my legacy? Only time will tell, but I hope it to be one of order, respect for other people privileged to be a part of this site, and of a member who did his best through thick and thin, through times of happiness and times of sadness, who did what he thought was right no matter how much he had to fight for it. I can't say I'll be remembered for my humility (goodness knows I'm lacking in that area), so maybe I'll be remembered more for my actions than my unpleasant demeanor. My legacy does not promise to be a big one or even one of influence, but I hope it will be present nonetheless, however subtly (perhaps even subconsciously), in the minds and hearts of those who knew me.

My Motto

I have a motto that I live by, and it goes something like this: The best is yet to come. It comes from a Frank Sinatra song called, what else, The Best Is Yet To Come; but it's more than just a song line. It's a way of living, a philosophy. It's one medium through which I can express myself and who I am, and it's helped me get through tough times both on here and in life off the comp. So to make sure such a vital part of me is not left uncovered, I shall attempt to elaborate upon just what my motto means to me. First of all, it does not indicate that I'm an optimist, as it might seem at first glance; I have always preferred to look at things the way they are rather than the way I want them to be. It also does not indicate that I am a pessimist, as some might interpret the message to be one of a fleeting hope of some good to come not now, but perhaps in the distant, murky future. It's a statement of hope; one that says that even though things might look shaky now, a brighter tomorrow lays ahead if we play our cards right. But perhaps a section by section examination will be the best approach to this.

The Best

Okay, what exactly is "The Best"? To me, it doesn't mean something "better than what we have right now." It means a state of peace, happiness, and stability which we, as far as we are able given our being human, cannot imagine to be exceeded by anything which we can comprehend at the time. It does not mean there can be nothing better than it, though in some cases it might very well; just that experiencing anything better would require us to go beyond what we are capable of feeling then and there. The Best is not a physical state, as it is quite possible to be happy when one is not at all in good physical condition. No, The Best is a mental state, whether or not accompanied by bodily well-being makes no difference; it is caused, influenced, and ended by our internal emotions and the situations around us, each of which has an effect on the other. As may become apparent after closer inspection, to attain The Best is an impossible feat for a selfish person, since selfish people can never truly be happy. To be a part of The Best requires us to look not on ourselves, but on everything except ourselves; we must become small while everything around us becomes big; we have to put others in the center of our lives rather than our personal comfort. If we, even for one moment, put "I" at the heart of all our endeavors, we distance ourselves from The Best, to the point of it being totally out of our reach at the time. So as you can see, the quest is not one that can be taken up without substantial humility, a quality that the modern world tends to lack nowadays. Thusly we keep making the search for happiness that much longer for ourselves and those around us. We seek The Best, sure, but do we know why? Do we really want what it has to offer? Or are we too high up on the pedestals we have made for ourselves to come down and embrace a world that "I" cannot be a part of. The journey will be worth it, surely, but we must be ready to take the first step. It's an interesting paradox, isn't it? How is it that disregarding our own happiness is so effective in making us happy? That's what I love about the concept of The Best, and I think it brings up an important point: In our modern day and age, the main reason we tend to be so unhappy is because that is exactly the problem we are constantly exerting so much energy to try to fix! The very irony of it makes me laugh and feel sorry for the people afflicted with their cases of "me, me, me."

That's what The Best means to me, and I actively seek it despite my own shortcomings. The surest path to it is drawing our personal joys and sorrows off of those possessed by the people around us. If we all did that, maybe, just maybe, we'd all be content with what we have and not what we want.

...Is Yet To Come

"Hmm... Is yet to come? Now what could that mean? Say, you're not indicatin' that I have to wait for true happiness, are yeh? Now see here, that just ain't fair! I want it now! Or are yeh perhaps sayin' that what I have right here'n'now ain't good enough? Maybe I oughta just bust yer jaw, you philosophical n00b!"

In reply to this gentleman, I'll say that yes, you do have to wait for The Best. You aren't going to get it unless you've worked for it and proved that you deserve it; you can't be the judge of that, of course, so just keep plodding along the road. You do need patience to acquire it. That's an absolute must. You cannot take shortcuts to it, like, say, a restaurant drive-through; to try to do so only shows that you would have been better off staying at home. The journey is one of traversing rough terrain and hoping in your heart that there will be a better path ahead. You have to believe that no matter how bad things look now, they can and will get better. But you have to suffer a little on the way, you have to test your faith, you have to fight; otherwise your quest takes on a nature that is altogether not in keeping with its true meaning.

This "Yet," as some might be mislead to believe, is not an indefinite one. It does not keep leading you to a place you will never reach. The Best is yet to come if you earn it, not might be yet to come or will never be yet to come. And your hope is what will make it happen.

Our kind friend also seems to inquire as to what might be better than he already has. Well, to tell you the truth, even if you have already come to The Best, there are different degrees of it, each higher and fuller than the next. If you're happy right where you are, great, but you don't honestly think you couldn't make yourself better, do you? That's the second main message of this part: To get to The Best you have to be good, but no matter how good you are, you can always make yourself better. You can always do more for others and therefore more for yourself.

So basically, "Is Yet To Come" has a twofold meaning: Keep looking for the light at the end of the tunnel; and there's always a chance to improve yourself as a person. That's my take on it. If you have another, cool, but I'll bet you can't use as many words for it. XP

So there you have it. My motto in all its shining purple glory. There's so much more I could write about it, but I'd be getting a little technical and a lot boring (:P). I hope I've covered enough for everyone to get a good picture of it and a better picture of me. I live by these words, and if you'd like to adopt them as your own, by all means go ahead. Not like I have a copyright on them, though I will say they're my trademark; them and "Cheers," at least. XD

Cheers

I've already covered my trademark; now I shall discuss my catchphrase. Yes, you just knew I had to get into this, didn't you? :P Well fear not, for I shan't be long. Just wanna say enough to satisfy myself that nobody leaves without getting the symbolism behind this word. You have undoubtedly already discovered that many of my words and actions say more than it would appear at first glance. This is no exception.

Cheers, <-- That word has almost always been and will always remain in my BS01 sig. During my time on Wikipedia, I saw a few members who used it, and I instantly liked the sound of it. However, due to the Great Downtime and the busyness just before and after it, I was not able to officially incorporate the phrase into my sig until a little after we got back online. But from then on, seeing as I was and remain the only member ever to use it, Cheers was instantly identifiable with Gravitan. The two were inseparable, which I hope never changes. The word is used commonly in toasting, which is by and large what I intended it to convey. It's as if all my good friends and members are sitting in a nice, relaxing place: a jolly, carefree and stress-free BS01. The thirsts of our ambitions can never be quenched, so I raise my glass and propose a toast, the three objects of which are the Wiki's prosperity, our health, and of course The Best. With a resounding round of "Aye"s and "Hear, hear"s all of the glasses go up. "Cheers to that," I say, and we all down our beverages, a brew akin to satisfaction, specially made in Wiki Nui's finest tradition. Imagining such a scene brings a smile to my face, and surely smacks of what we all wish it could be like.

A cordial toast to the Wiki, a hurrah to your good health, an expression of friendship, a statement of hope for things to come, a glimpse into what I'm all about. All that and more are symbolized by this one word, which you see every time I make a comment somewhere in the ever growing expanses of BS01. I think it really does speak volumes about me, or at least the ideal me. Maybe that'll make you think a little about why it's there, for that is of course one of the reasons I wrote this: To make you think. Even one or two words can mean a lot more than the longest book. All you need is a little insight and nothing better to do with your time. :P

Special Thanks

Now that my Farewell Address is at last drawing to its merry conclusion, I would like to take the opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to a number of people who have been of special value to me while I was here. They have been constant sources of inspiration and comfort to me, and have made worthwhile my time on BS01. Words can never quite express the fullness of my appreciation to what they have been and will continue be to me, but as those pesky little things are the only mode of idea-exchange I can use, I can't say I've got much choice.

(There are many more good folks who have my thanks and appreciation but are not listed here; that is simply because I want to make this brief, and does not mean that I am any less grateful to those people. Besides, it's not like it's any great honor to be on here. I mean, come on, who do you think I am? Chuck Norris? XD)

• Electric Turahk -- For being quite possibly the best friend I've ever had in my life. I look back on the times we had together as would an old man remembering the golden years of his life. I will miss him greatly.
• Swert -- For being no more and no less than exactly who we all need him to be. Guys like him are hard to find, and we should all be more appreciative that the Wiki has such an outstanding owner. A great listener, if not talker. :P
• BionicleFanNuva -- For being a great friend and an outstanding example of what all members ought to be like. His kindness, humility, tolerance, and endurance in difficult situations are unmatched by just about anyone I know.
• Cholie -- For being a great staff member and an even greater friend. The Wiki expects a lot from him, and I have no doubt he'll do it all and then some.
• Crystal Matrix -- For making this site! I still don't think he knew what he was getting himself into, but hey, at least he's around to tell the tale. :D
• Great Being #1 -- For being a good friend and helping me out in the early days.
• Kopaka's Apprentice -- For being far better a friend than anyone would ever ask for. The wound he left by his departure is one I'm sure will never fully heal.
• Tahu Nuva Unleashed -- For being a good apprentice. He has something that I've rarely seen in anyone else, and I very much hope that as he continues to grow in experience, he will not depart from the path of BS01 Tradition.

Conclusion

As this Address comes to a close, I want to impress upon everyone something that, I think, not many people ever really think about: BS01 is nothing. Yes, you heard me: Nothing. You have no obligation to come here; you have no obligation to stay here; you have no reason to feel bad about not making that last edit; you have no reason to feel bad about not doing more for the site. This place, as nice a place as it may be, must never become anything close to a priority in your life. If you make it anything more than a friendly pastime, you are only heading toward sadness and loneliness. BS01 is not a solution to any of your problems, and it's not someplace you should go to try to escape from life's burdens. It's merely a reference site for a kid's toy line. If you put it above that, even fleetingly, you're just fooling yourself. You need to get out there and enjoy life as it really is, out doing things, not sitting at your computer all day trying to make Tahu's article just a little better. If you're lost or scared, take refuge in your friends and family. You may make friends here certainly, and they may even be your best friends, but no matter how hard you try to think otherwise, they will never be the same kind of friends. Many good people spend their time shut up in their own little virtual world, and because of that they will never know what life is actually like. Life can be awesome, and it can also be depressing, but the latter is no reason to abandon it altogether. Life is too short to spend in a dark room with only a mouse and a keyboard to keep you company, regardless of how much you dislike its challenges. Besides, in my opinion one moment of happiness is worth a whole lifetime of suffering; as a matter of fact, happiness can often be found in suffering itself. It just depends on how you look at that suffering. So what I tell you is this: BS01 is fun, but it's nothing. It is no substitute for life, and you should never let it become one.

Well, I must say that it feels good to have finally finished putting down what I was never able to say through my actions. My time on BS01 has been a blast, and even though, as I said before, this site is ultimately nothing, I have learned much from my experiences here. I've made some friends, I've made some enemies, I've been up and down and everywhere in between. But most of all, I've learned a little bit about myself and what parts of me I need to work on. I hope you have enjoyed this Address, which has been subject to my greatest efforts, and I hope you will walk away with more than you came with. Being here has been great, but it's time for me to move on with my life. I've got places to go, things to learn, stuff to ponder, and hopefully some time to enjoy. And so I may now say with a smile on my face and a song in my heart:

Farewell BS01! May your days be merry, and you future, bright!

-- Cheers, Gravitan^{(Talk | Contribs)}

2009 RHG (A Change of Space)

In 2009, Swert and Moutekea attempted to let the wiki play a game, instead of play a prank, the instructions for the game going up on Moutekea's userpage on April 3rd. A new skin was designed and implemented for the duration of the event, a Red Herring Game in which clues were scattered about the wiki for the members to find. Each page with a clue was protected to prevent tampering. A comic gave hints to the location of the clues, which were typically colored or otherwise changed letters that led to a page which had a link to a comic. This particular April event failed to work out as Moutekea, the architect of the story, was caught up with other responsibilities and could not continue to supply the wiki with clues and comics. Member groups were allowed for this event, and promptly disbanded afterward, save The Crew and The Detective's Company, which now respectfully exist informally as Spawn of Teridax and Tomana's groups of friends.

Member Groups

Members were allowed to form groups briefly in order to work together towards the goal of solving the puzzle. There were several created. Templates are presented as they were at end of the RHG (when Moutekea went on a Hiatus).

The Detective's Company

Named after yours truly. This group used Tylaran, a language made up by Tomana, to communicate on the wiki as Tomana did not have a BZPower Account at the time.

Knights of the RHG Table

They were fairly clever with their names, basing them off of the King Arthur legends. Only Creep of the Deep did not have a combined name, preferring to go by "The Black Knight".

• King Zatthur (Arthur) = Kanohi Zatth
• Sir Jawayn (Gawain) = Jaykanu
• Sir Percivr7 (Percival) = Pablovr7
• Sir Kleevesalot (Lancelot) = Kleever
• Sir GalABIS (Galahad) = Master Core: ABIS
• Sir LNUnel (Lionel) = LNU
• The Black Knight = Creep of the Deep

Some members of the group proudly displayed a userbox:

The Crew

A team started by Spawn of Teridax that ended up disbanding during the RHG when TNU and MI left it and Spawn defected to the Detective's Company. Later became the basis for Spawn's main group of friends. Its members included:

• Spawn of Teridax
• MatoroIgnika
• Tahu Nuva Unleashed
• Avlok Mahri

(Note: Due to the general laziness of everyone involved, no template was ever created for The Crew, and the team had very little effect on the RHG.)

The Crew Today

These days, The Crew refers to Spawn of Teridax's group of friends, many of which were originally part of his RHG team. More on this can be found here.

Links

Clues

The images links are broken links. I'm hoping for their eventual re-upload

• User:Moutekea- This page introduces the concept of the game.
• Who turned out the lights?! First comic, posted on the Main Page. It contains the first clue, ORO GANK A HAIR, which when unscrambled turned into KANGAROO RAHI, a reference to the Fusa.
• *creeeeaaaaak* Second comic, found on the Fusa page. No known clues, just began the story.

• TEH UPDATE ALREADY False Update, Main Page
• What'sa goin' on-a here? Third comic, on the Main Page. Third panel has a shadowy figure that resembles Toa V (see The V File above for more on him). The last panel clues are pictures of a Thornax, a Kolhii ball, and a Kanoka Disk. On two of the pages there were colored letters that spelled out Society (on one) and Sports (one the other). The final key being the picture of the Kolhii ball.
• Mama Mia!! Last Comic given to us, found on the Society page in the Sports section beneath the picture of Kolhii. It gave us more information about what happened and introduced the game's host, Moutekea.

Other

• Entry on the BS01 About page

The following section was copied directly from Moutekea's Userpage

April 2009 Event Explanation

--A pair of lime green eyes stare down at you as you look up at a tall, lanky, lizard-like creature towering a head taller than most Toa.

Moutekea: Hello.

--You, at first, don't know what to make of this creature but now that you've heard him talk and he hasn't ripped you apart and eaten you (yet!) you safely assume this long lizard is friendly.

Moutekea: I first want to thank you for helping me get out of that cage. Dragon longevity isn't worth having when you're cooped up in some dark corner.

--You manage a nod, partly to agree, partly to placate your host in the hopes he won't eat you, and mostly because you have -NO- idea why the heck you're here.

Moutekea: I take it you're a little confused about what's going on, correct?

--You nod again, this time in total agreement, recalling that this was the very reason why you came to this creature's lair. You came for answers. Meanwhile, Moutekea shuffles items around in the stone cupboards of his lair, and you try to stay composed when you see the dragonling produce a pot of hot water and a butcher knife.

Moutekea: Soup?

--Unsure if he's offering you something to eat or that he's warning you that you're going to be -deeply- involved in the soup's recipe, you quickly shake your head 'no'.

Moutekea: Shame. Stone soup tastes better shared with a guest.

--You can't help but watch in confusion as the dragonling drops several odd-sized pebbles into the boiling water, and wonder how he's keeping the water bubbling despite not placing the pot on a hearth... Your answer comes like a hot desert wind as the dragonling inhales and directs his natural firebreath onto the bottom of the pot. He then proceeds to chop up some vegetables and herbs and dumps the ingredients into the pot along with a cup of oatmeal. You duck as he breathes another spot of fire, this time lighting the nearby hearth where he leaves the pot to simmer.

Moutekea: It'll be a while yet before that soup is done, so I'll gladly answer as many questions as I can about what is going on here.

--You sigh slightly in relief, knowing that you're finally going to get some answers out of this guy.

Moutekea: Simply put, something's happened to Wiki-Nui... and the whole city is on a sea of sand instead of a sea of protodermis. What we're trying to do is figure out what happened, why we're here, and how do we get home.

--You blink and sit in silence for a while. It's a nice, simple story, but that doesn't really explain all the clues and comics.

Moutekea: The comics are for flavor and for the people who like stories. The clues are part of a type of game called a Red Herring Game.

--"... Red Herring Game?"

Moutekea: That's exactly what it is. ... Okay, the simplest explanation is that a Red Herring Game (or RHG) is a race to follow a trail of clues leading to an ultimate answer; in our case, the ultimate answer is the very end of the story being told in the comics. The first person (or team, if you prefer to work together) to solve -all- the puzzles in the RHG and find the ultimate answer wins the RHG. ... -That's- why I've asked you to find my lair and drop me a note; that way I can keep track of who won the game!

--"... a game!? This is a game?!"

The dragonling nods and stirs the soup that is bubbling softly in the hearth of flame nearby.

Moutekea: Yes. It is a game if you don't follow along with the story. Every time you solve an episode's puzzle, I ask you to post in my talkback saying that you did so.

The person or team who finds the ultimate answer first -and- has completed all the puzzles will win Grand Prize.

Runner-Up Prize goes to the person or team with the most episodes solved first.

--You nod slowly, knowing now that there are stakes involved. You absent-mindedly accept a bowl of the dragonling's stone soup as you politely ask what the prizes are.

Moutekea: The prizes are simple.

Grand Prize is an art request, an award, -and- you (and your team) will star in the Short Story version of this game when it comes time for it to be chronicled... and yours truly will be writing the tale. As far as the art request, feel free to speak with me about it in the talkback tab if you happen to win.

Runner-Up Prize will involve an award and a cameo of you and your team in the Short Story verson of the RHG.

Door prizes will involve a simple badge saying that you were part of this great chase.

--The stone soup is surprisingly tasty, but you have a strange feeling in your gut. The unsettling notion that the dragonling is fattening you up for the main course crosses your mind... until you see him dunk his head into the pot, followed by a hearty and happy -SLURRRP-. Seemingly sated, the dragonling cleans off the soup that had splattered on his Rahkshi-like face and burps contentedly.

Moutekea: I sure hope you didn't eat any of those rocks. My digestive system can handle them, but I don't think yours can.

--So -that- was the terrible feeling in your stomach. Trying to get your mind off the sudden realization that you just swallowed several pebbles, you ask your dragonling host if this RHG you're caught up in has a name. Moutekea only smirks.

Moutekea: The RHG has a name, yes, but its namesake has yet to make an appearance. Until then, we're just calling this little fiasco "A Change of Space". Fitting for the moment, kree?

--You nod a little as you accept a little laxative tonic from the dragonling. Not your chaser of choice for such a tasty soup, but those pebbles do not agree with your gut.

Moutekea: It's getting late, my guest, and I have work to do. Thank you for stopping by and sharing my soup, kree. I wish you good luck in this little game, that you enjoy the story, and that those pebbles you swallowed won't give you too much trouble.

--You thank your host and gingerly shake his, um, talon before heading outside and into the sands to resume your quest for clues and for glory...

This Policy was first written up by Gravitan, and then completed by Swert. It was brought up for Deletion in the Articles for Deletion by Spawn of Teridax, and while the nomination was dismissed by Electric Turahk there had been enough argument for its deletion that Erebus deleted it anyway.

This is the latest version that was available. Prior to its deletion, there was an effort to make the Policy a more flexible one with less concrete language, but the original respect Policy is what will be archived here.

The Respect Policy

Due to recent developments, a new policy is being put down. This policy is known as the Respect Policy, and will be followed by members and enforced by the Wiki Staff. Any violations of this policy will be dealt with accordingly.

Member's Behavior towards Staff Members

1) You should listen to staff. You should always listen to the staff, as they are the people who maintain order on the Wiki and, and they know what's best for the wiki.

2) When complaining, use constructive criticism. It serves no point to simply yell or scream at a staff member. If you wish to complain, complain to them politely and constructively.

3) A staff member's decision should always be recognized as the final one. The only exceptions are if another decision is made by consensus among the staff, a decision is made by the General Manager(s) and/or the Admin, or a compromise is made between the members and staff.

4) Do not flame a staff member. Once again, complain constructively. Failure to do so may be recognized as spamming and the member will be warned.

5) Please do not make fun of a staff member. The staff are doing a difficult job managing the Wiki. Making fun of them only makes their lives harder.

6) Do not revert a staff member's edit(s). If you have a problem with what a staff member has done to a page, bring it up on that page's talk page. Do not simply revert the edit. However, if the edit is something minor (i.e duped word etc.), or if the staff member has made an accidental mistake (i.e accidentally adding something onto the wrong section), you may go ahead and correct that edit.

7) Respect the responsibilities of staff members. It is the job of the staff to distribute warning templates and tell members how they are breaking rules or what they are doing wrong. Please do not take on these jobs unless there are no staff online at the time to preform these duties.

Staff's Behavior Toward Normal Members

1) We will not flame you. This is much easier accomplished if you could do the same for us.

2) We will only revert an edit if we need to. Don't suggest we do it to single you out. One of the many staff-required jobs is to check edits. This is a single function done in the Recent Changes. Most of the time, we find the edit okay, but sometimes we find it is just unnecessary, junk, or even vandalism (our biggest tool in fighting a vandal is checking edits). Basically, give us a break if you think we're out to get you. We're not.

3) We do our best to respect you. This is a community. Think of us as a simple enforcer group keeping peace. We will NOT treat you like garbage.

4) Your voice counts to us. We may have "final word" on matters, but we are VERY flexible in decisions if needed. Swert himself has made 14 decisions over one matter, ultimately just doing what the public wants. If the public decides to do something, we can and will try to adjust our decisions to benefit everyone. Do not, however, disrespect our decisions.

5) We try to be polite to you. Normally we're polite, but if you tick us off, we may set off. There are various unwritten policies for what happens if this does happen. For the most part, we're gentle souls who are just doing a stressful enough job. If you show us bad vibes, we'll focus it back to you.

6) Our policies do not change. And as such, the staff will always follow them, and how we behave toward you will be based on them. We will not be changing any policy for any reason, especially spoilers, so please do not try to get us to.

7) We respect your authority in editing. All members can edit (except blocked members, and we'd prefer any vandal reading this not edit either, since you'd just make our job a lot harder anyway) and as such we will respect your ability to edit. But try to remember, we also have that chore.

Behavior Toward All Members

1) No flaming other members. If you're mad about something, do not take it out on other members. Doing so is pointless and will most likely get you blocked. If you do not feel you can edit kindly and civilly, don't edit at all.

2) No edit warring. At times, two members will disagree about which member's version of a given page is better. In cases like this, do not just revert over and over again and hope the other member gives up. Use talk pages to settle arguments. That's why they're there. Edit wars can only be solved in two ways: Either the issue is talked over on a talk page, or a staff member intervenes. Please try for the first way.

3) No one normal member's judgment goes above another's. You work things out through consensus, not through one member asserting his authority over another member. All non-sysops are equal.

4) Use common sense. If you think something you are about to say or do will upset people or seem disrespectful, don't do it. Use common sense to determine what is respectful and what isn't.

5) Please do not retaliate. If someone does something to you that you think is mean or ill-willed, don't do something back to that member. It's childish, and you will both get in trouble for it. See the below section for what to do if someone has done something to you.

Reporting Violations

If you feel that a member is violating any of the above rules, take it to a staff member. You can either inform the staff member on his talk page or (preferably) through an external source, such as BZPower.

And if a staff member has done something to you which you think is inappropriate and/or a violation of this policy, please post your complaint in the Complaint Center. The case will be reviewed and the staff member will be dealt with accordingly if your complaint is found to have a basis in fact. You are not, however, to use the Center unless you can view what happened to you with a clear and unbiased opinion and still find the staff member's behavior objectionable; if you have already fine-tuned yourself see everything only from your perspective, your complaint(s) will be rendered pointless and unconstructive, and will quickly be dismissed. So please, think for a minute before you complain.

Bottom Line

Following all of the rules listed here will allow for a much friendlier, happier, and cleaner Wiki for us all to edit on. If you have any questions about this policy or further suggestions you feel you should make, please contact a Public Relations Staff Member.

The Facts

Put simply, the 1st Great Transition was a turning point for BS01, and a hard turning point. It was the worst crisis since the dismal era The Great Downtime, though it did not come anywhere close to the Great Downtime on the disaster scale, nor was the aftermath as long lasting.

The Crisis and Deletion

In fall 2009, the BIONICLESector01 Wiki began to hit a crisis. Revisions from several years past were beginning to put a large strain upon the server and threatened to bring down the wiki. 70% build up...80%...98%. The Staff locked-down the wiki on October 5th to prevent more revisions, and for a time the wiki was sealed behind a log on page only the staff could get past. 99%...100% and now there was a big problem. All the old revisions of all the pages were deleted. Only by looking on the BZP news-board or by PMing or emailing staff members could anyone find out what was going on with the wiki.

The Transition

Deleting the old revisions did not quite do the trick. Left with two options, Swert opted to upgrade the Wiki software to Mediawiki 1.15.1, starting us out with a brand new database on Oct. 6th. Prior to this, all Mainspace and important wiki pages were backed up outside the database, as all pages were lost. The only thing kept in the Transition was accounts, skins, and images. The second option of enlarging the hardware space was left for another day, though it is still presumably open. Anything in Category: User was also backed up, but subpages were not.

The Restoration

The backed up pages were restored by staff on October 7th while the wiki was kept locked for maintenance. When things were back open, users came back confused and some angry. Some came back and saw a good chance to get work done. The transfer, while not deleting them, put all the Wiki's images on the Wanted Files list. The task of slowly getting the Wiki to realize the pages was there was monumental, but with the help of many users it was done. Slowly the normal order of things restored and the wiki returned to its peaceful norm. User pages were coded afresh or restored using cached versions on the web or backed up versions stored on the users' computers. Links to Bing and Google caches were added above the Recent Changes to possibly find lost content.

Wanted Files

One of the more lasting and unintended results of the Great Transition was the massive expansion of the 'Wanted Files' category. The restoration of the 6,000+ images on the wiki did not technically recreate them - the wiki server still treated them as if they were missing. A massive effort was undertaken by Vartemp, Lord Oblivion, Toa Nidhiki05, Toa Jala, Twilight Avenger, KZN02, KH, Toa11 and others to remove all of them from the list by 'creating' the page (typically with a letter, number or phrase) and then promptly blanking the text. Another issue existed with this spree, however - the massive strain of the spree was making the sever run slow. Hence, Swert required users participating to wait two minutes between each file removal. Through a massive effort, all the files that could be taken off were removed on July 18, 2010 - less than a year after the Great Transition.

Links

• http://www.bzpower.com/story.php?ID=4367 A BZP news story with Swert's explanation of what happened
• http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php/BIONICLEsector01:Event_Log/Archive#October_2009 The October Event log from that year. Go to the 5th and 7th. The missing 6th is presumably the day the wiki was out in transition/maintenance.

From the Users Point of View

This section will, hopefully, speak for itself.

The Template

This table used to be a template recording everyone who had made over 1,000 major edits to the Wiki's mainspace or uploaded over 500 new images, following a review by PR staff. It was nominated for deletion on January 25th of 2010 due to a general sentiment that it the celebrity factor of it became the end of wiki editing as opposed to the proper goal of improving the wiki, and unanimously deleted the next day.

This is the template as it stood right before its deletion. It does not take into account anyone who has again become active, or who has gone inactive since the deletion.

Trivia

• The 500 images qualification was added after the honor came into existence. It was added because while Triggy widely expanded BS01's image base and deserved recognition, he had nowhere near close to the 1,000 major edits.

April Fool's Prank 2010

• Locations
• Transportation

• Flora
• Society

• Elements
• Sapient Species

• Creatures
• Rahi

• Characters
• Objects

BIONICLE · BS01 · BS01 Policy · Member Opinions Hub · Sources · Expanded Universe · Events · Saga Guides · Timeline

KS01 Empire Gag Conflict Kayru coming to power as BS01 Admin Location BS01 Wiki (a.k.a. Wiki Nui) Result Swert regains his position

Combatants Kayru and followers Other members Commanders Kayru Various Strength Powers of the Admin and Staff Very Little, some Staff on their side

The KS01 Empire Event

Background of the Event

Planning for the event started in January, and it was decided that Swert would appear to retire on April Fool's Day, mirroring Crystal Matrix's day of retirement presumably in order to divert at least some suspicion of the prank, and leave the ownership of BS01 to Kayru. There was an option for the prank to last much longer but it was decided that it would be good to keep it short and fun.

The Takeover

On April 1st 2010, 12:03 am, Kayru placed a link on the Main Page to a topic on BZPower where Swert left a regretful notice of his retirement. He claimed to have been able to contribute all he could and to have "creatively run out of juice". Though this move was immediately labeled as a prank by several people, several people also either fell for it or decided to straggle the fence on whether or not it was a prank. Kayru moved to build herself an Empire, firing Bioran23 as her first act and changing the bright Wiki Nui skyline to her characteristic dark blue by 12:33 pm. This action sealed, in the skeptic minds, the idea that this was a prank, as this was the second of the BS01 Empires. Kayru had a new skin for her Empire, and drafted in Gravitan as a new General Manager and Bionus returned briefly to staffhood as the Commander of the Royal Guard.

The Rebellion

Members, both those who believed and those who weren't deceived, immediately revolted against the new authority, citing the firing of Bioran23 and the change in Wiki Skin as evidence of tyranny. Toa V made his first substantial appearance since the days of Swert's Empire, there first as an observer, then making judgment on Kayru during the last half of the prank. Members began to prank each other and form factions, and it was during this that the infamous "Forbidden Code" was developed by Danwojo and Shadow Kurahk as part of a giant prank they were pulling on people on the wiki. Various pages (the Main Page and some User Pages) were nominated or suggested for deletion and others were nominated for creation (such as new Kini for Toa V, Kayru, Swert and Bioran23). All of these were quickly revoked either during or after the prank. Spam wars erupted in various places between factions. These parts of the prank are chronicled in-depth in Lord Nektann's file on this event.

Factions

There were two factions in the prank, Kayru and her followers, and the rebelling members.

Kayru's Empire

While it would be appropriate to use the Wiki Staff Template to signify the KS01 Empire, it does not totally work as there were members beneath her as well. Kayru was of course its head, with the regular members performing most of the "asterisk actions". (ex. *kills ____*)

The Resistance

The Members who rebelled rallied with the fired Bioran23 as their figurehead, declaring him King of the KanohiJournal and highly expressing the wish for him to replace Kayru. Seanp12, Vartemp, and Lord Nektann spearheaded both its formation and its action.

Swert's Return

Toa V made the judgment that Kayru would be left to Swert to deal with, and soon afterward, Swert came back. Ostensibly because of the Member rebellion and subsequent "war", but obviously as an end to the gag, Swert took back Ownership and Adminship of the Wiki. The "negotiation" between him and Kayru over the site shall be linked to below. In the fictitious negotiation, Kayru refused to give up control of the site until Swert threw a shiny object, distracting her. By 12:14 am, April 2nd, the Prank was over.

Other

Event Log Entries

Relevant Links

Internal

• http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:Kayru&oldid=76074#Judgment<nowiki> -Dead *http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php/User_talk:Toa_V - Relevant entries have been erased *[http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php/BIONICLEsector01:About#KS01_Empire Entry on the BS01 About page] *<nowiki>[http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php/User:Lord_Nektann/KS01_Regime_Files Lord Nektann's page] - Dead, see Lord Nektann's screenshots here
• http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php/BIONICLEsector01:Event_Log/Archive#April_2010 The Event Log Entry for the month, scroll to bottom of inset scroll box.

External

• http://www.bzpower.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=321738 Swert's retirement address topic.
• http://www.majhost.com/gallery/superfox/Miscellaneous/bs01-negotiation.png The "negotiation"
• http://www.majhost.com/gallery/superfox/Me/Tacoma/tacoma_41.jpg Swert and Kayru, proof they get along.

Forbidden Code

Use of this code could get you in some trouble. It is recorded here, but not meant to be used... ever.

<img>http://www.majhost.com/gallery/bobobo1/blender/trans.png" style="position:fixed;z-index:354677982369587;width:100%;height:100%;top:0;left:0;" onMouseover="document.getElementById('globalWrapper').style.visibility='hidden'"</img>

Userbox

This user supports the Kayru Skin. HAIL EMPRESS KAYRU!

Document Regarding the Delegate’s Position and Future Prospects of the Same

Preambulatory Clauses

Recalling the state of affairs on April 1st 2010,

Noting possible decisions considered on the aforementioned day,

Mindful of the reasons providing for the aforementioned consideration,

Taking due note of decisive measures taken by compatriots on the aforementioned date and since,

Taking into consideration also various aspects of the current situation, both with regards to the respected location of reference and with respect to factors other than those concerning the virtual frame within which the aforementioned location is embedded,

Emphasizing the need for remedial measures and the appropriateness of these, with regards to the delegate’s position,

Determined to enact such measures at the earliest,

Expressing regret and acknowledging the time spent in the company of various colleagues at the aforementioned location, which, in the perspective of the delegate, was most fruitful and enjoyable,

Reaffirming the delegate’s positive opinions with respect to the aforementioned colleagues and location.

Operative Clauses

1. Recognizes the dedication expressed by colleagues and commends such;
2. Expresses a valedictorian position;
3. Encourages the remaining members of a specific group charged with the creation of records, with which the delegate has been involved, to persist in their present occupation and the competent manner in which it is being executed;
4. Recognizes the value of experiences obtained due to the delegate’s sojourn at the present location of reference:
5. Concludes the aforementioned sojourn and expresses the low probability of a continuation of the aforementioned sojourn in the foreseeable future.

I Promise ^{I Will Remember} _{I Will Not Forget} 16:13, 29 July 2010 (UTC)

KH ^{(Talk | Contributions (If any)} 16:13, 29 July 2010 (UTC)

Translation

Reasons

Looking back at April 1st,

Keeping in mind that I considered leaving that day,

Considering the reasons for this,

A lot of people either left then and have since;

Looking at my situation on BS01 and IRL,

There are some definite changes that need to be made;

They'll be made ASAP;

I regret that I have to leave and I enjoyed my time on BS01 a lot;

I'll always think well of the people I've known on BS01.

Decisions

As I'm leaving, I'd like to remark upon the great dedication of BS01ers,

Bye guys,

Archivists, keep it up and don't slack,

I've gained a lot here on BS01,

My time is over and I probably won't be back.

So Long and Thanks for All the Fish

Hello. My name is KH and always has been (except for a brief period during which I might have been named Naomi or something like that :P). I first laid eyes upon this wiki in early 2008, over the shoulder of my brother, AH. I browsed for a few months and finally joined on 6th June. My life on the wiki has been... a unique experience to say the least. I'd like to look back and think that I did okay.

In my first week, despite good intentions, I managed to get in trouble and make a fool of myself. Consequence: I became terrified of staff and developed certain antisocial tendencies, leading to my habits of regularly calling staff "sir" and not talking much. I edited on and off for a while, watching from the sidelines and remaining generally unknown.

That kinda changed in March 2009, when I became more active in the community. A few days earlier, I had come to know that I had failed a competitive examination that my brother and his friends passed with flying colours. Self-doubt and disappointment drove me online. I came to escape my problems and try to find something I was actually good at. In BS01, I found a refuge and a place to use small gifts I had in English. It quickly became a second home to me, filled with welcoming individuals and lots of work to do. Summer 2009 was a great time. I loved working on BS01 and started chatting with some of its members on Gmail.

But, predictably, it didn't last. During winter 2010, a lot of things happened. A few of you know what I'm talking about. This period of time was one of the happiest, saddest, craziest times of my life. I had never been through something like it before and it shook me up. An incident in March nearly drove me over the edge. From a refuge from my problems, life online had become the source. It was terrible and I nearly did something I would have regretted. Thanks to my friends Tomana and Katie, I didn’t. They helped me through the next couple of months, plus Maya and Kraahlix. Then something happened in May that changed me a lot: personal loss. I wasn’t prepared to deal with it and couldn’t handle it for a long while. Things steadied a bit after that, as friends helped me out of the hole I'd dug myself into. It wasn't an easy thing and I'm surprised they're still sane after having to put up with me. If it wasn't for them though, I wouldn't still be around. Thanks guys. It's a crude expression but it's all I've got.

But, you see, after all this, I couldn't stay on BS01 anymore. It wasn't my home any longer and I couldn't keep escaping here. I had tenth grade and an example of messed-up priorities in front of me. I knew what I had to do. After disposing of the last duty I held on BS01, I departed from the wiki, on 29th July.

Over the past year, I've realised that I made the right decision. I had a hard time avoiding the wiki (a curse upon you, Grant-Sud :P) and a harder time dealing with actual real life, but looking back, I'm glad I left. A lot of things have changed since I joined and I know I wouldn't have been able to take it. When I look around at the wiki today, I can barely recognise it. Back in the time I remember, the focus was on editing and working together, improving the wiki. Staff and members got along really well and there were few disagreements. Now though, I see too many. Somehow, things have changed. Face-offs, if they may be so called, take place over small issues, with neither side willing to back down. There's a lot less editing, even taking the end of BIONICLE into account. The general mood seems to have changed to aggression and confrontation on the basis of claiming rights, as opposed to cooperation and compromise. What happened?

I remember reading the General disclaimer once. "We will defend this Wiki, our property, any way we can within reason, but if reason dictates otherwise, reason will be tossed out to the wind. Our duty is to protect the Member body, not the Pages. Pages can be reverted, people's interest in this Wiki cannot be so easily." It was one of the greatest things I had ever read on the wiki. I found it incredibly warming to read this affirmation of purpose and dedication.

Now, however, when I read the same page, I don't get the same feeling. Reading clashes between members and staff, neither in the right or wrong, leaves a taste of ashes. Why get so bothered about this? It's just a reference site in the middle of the internet. It isn't real. There's no need to defend "your rights" or engage in verbal combat. Why are we here? Because we love BIONICLE and we love editing. We're all here because of that. Why let petty personal issues get in the way of fruitful interaction?

My name is KH, always has been and always will be. Like AH before me, I've enjoyed my sojourn here on BS01 but today I wouldn't want to stay, even if circumstances allowed. But they don't and let me tell you, eleventh grade is not a cakewalk. It's the toughest year in school here and I have to start worrying about my future. SAT prep, tuition classes, Student Council top the list and you know what? I love being me and dealing with all this. "Meeting my heart's desire, nothing is difficult, nothing at all." I've got my life ahead of me and I'm going to enjoy it. Chances are, once I'm on this road, I'm not even going to look back.

I Promise ^{I Will Remember} _{I Will Not Forget} 03:14, 15 April 2011 (PDT)

KH ^{(Talk | Contributions (If any)} 03:14, 15 April 2011 (PDT)

HS01

On March 27th, 2011, unbeknownst to the majority of the BS01 Wiki or BZP community, the HEROsector01 site was installed on the BS01 server by Nuhrii the Metruan. This new site was launched in secret in order facilitate the recording of information on the LEGO line HERO FACTORY, which has replaced BIONCLE. While the BS01 Wiki does have a page on "HF" there is a general sentiment against including anything more than that cover page on the line, mixed with a feeling that as HF is the heir of BIONICLE, we should record it. Out of this general air came HS01. The Prank associated with this particular event was by far the least involved as far the members go, especially since the Database was locked. The site was set up in a matter of days, and when it was revealed, it was not very long before the HEROFACTORY wiki was being edited madly by the BS01 Membership.

My Involvement

I, the BS01 Detective (and now HS01 Detective too =D ), was involved in a very small amount in HS01, but only in that I knew about it the day Swert installed it. He graciously allowed me to see it as at the time all indications were that I would not be around for the grand unveiling. As the days progress I was able to watch the site be built, and follow the maneuvers of Swert towards a prank. Don't get the idea that I helped any, I made a suggestion for wording on the Main Page, but that is it. I kept the secret, and enjoyed the ride.

The Prank Details

On March 27th, Swert posted a (fairly transparent) blog entry stating that he didn't feel like doing a prank for 2011. This being Swert, generally everyone saw through it. Rumors soon began to fly when he posted an affirmation that BS01 would be prankless containing the letters H and S and numbers 0 and 1 in a separate typeface, the logical outcome of which was that people had an early idea that Swert would make a complete shift in the wiki from BIONICLEsector01 to HEROsector01, eliciting both happy and angry remarks from members. This idea Swert continued to deny until the 1st arrived. On the 1st Swert locked the BS01 database, hoping to preserve BS01 from any chaos that might ensue as he changed the wiki's skin and set up a banner on the Mainpage for HS01, a notice near the top of the page expressing a wish for the users to stick around as HS01 launched later in the day. He opened up a topic for users to comment in, and promised in his blog the midnight launch of HS01. At midnight (presumably, I was not awake for it), Swert opened up the gates to the real HS01 site, shiny and new and ready for use... but also empty. At the time of this record being typed (4/2/ 5:17) the editing community was already working hard on creating a new wiki from scratch.

Links

• The HS01 Wiki
• Swert's prank HS01 opening topic
• The actual HS01 opening topic

Trivia

• The HS01 Logo was designed by a friend of Swert's named Stephanie.
• The Wiki's can be linked to fairly simply. On HS01 you can use [[biosector:PAGE|PIPEDNAME]] to link from HS01 to BS01, and to go the other way you use [[herosector:PAGE|PIPEDNAME]] on BS01.

The 2nd Great Transition

Like the Great Transition before it, the 2nd Great Transition caused a great amount of damage to the wiki, this time on a broader scale with HS01 being involved now as well. The damage was transitory, the HS01 wiki being almost immediately restored, and BS01 mainspace pages being brought back completely by December 21st, 2012.

Rolling Blackouts

On December 2nd, 2011 the BIONCLEsector01 and HEROsector01 Wikis were suddenly down, both showing screens proclaiming an inablity in the server. Being online at the time, unofficial Sector 01 Detective Zo;Tomana joined Staff Members Cholie and Grant-Sud in an emergency back-up of the files of BS01 once the site was rebooted, none of them gaining a substantial amount before the Wiki crashed once more. Fortunately the staff was moderately prepared for the crash (having survived several), and had a November version of the Wiki saved, so the main issue was that the latest versions were not saved. Of the two Main Pages, HS01's was saved, but BS01's front page had to be rebuilt from scratch. After another reboot Cholie and Tomana were able to each export back-ups of all the HS01 files. December 3rd was the last time anyone got true access to the Wikis.

The Cause of the Problem

Oddly enough, it was an attempt to keep the Wiki's data backed-up that caused the server crash. ░░░░░░ attempted to use a 3rd-party Database software program to save the Wikis' data, but the use of the software was the impetus for the crash.

The New Age of Eraséd

On December 6th (December 7th, 12:53 A.M. according to the Wiki's shiny new, practically empty MP history) Swert brought the Wiki online with a new host. With nothing on-site, Cholie, the One and Only, began to import the saved exports back onto BS01. The server move was actually a planned event as part of BS01 partnering up with Tacoma, Washington's Brick Art Center, City Blocks. The transfer had to be, "more or less", moved up due to the crash, however. On December 11th, Nuhrii the Metruan began to re-upload images to the BS01 server. A regular user, Zapnox, recreated the various categories on both BS01 and HS01. HS01 ended up being a fairly easy site to set back up, as all crucial pages had been exported and saved the only major thing was to re-upload images and to bring back the few pages not categorized (the exports were done along the lines of categories). BS01, however, turned out to be much more difficult. While the relatively few pages exported were able to be set back up in relatively short order, there ended up being very crucial pages not saved by export whose previous back-ups were not viable to bring onto the site. The staff turned to cached versions of the pages for text and formatting, requesting user assistance in turning visual into Wiki code. Unfortunately, while staff members Bionicleman and KZN02 were able to salvage many pages through caches, there were that many more pages lost for good. These had to be remade by hand.

In restoring Pages from the cache, members had to copy text and manually add back the inner-Wiki links and templates, all the while making sure to keep from letting visible errors slip into the final product (like runtogether words , and oddly spaced punctuation (intentional mistakes)). As of May 5th, the Wiki was mostly restored. The mainspace was fully restored in December, 2012 by Toanicky. The last page to be restored was brought back on January 8th, 2013 by Lord Nektann.

Restoring Images was the responsibility of Swert himself, though the sheer amount of images and files of image storage severely limited the amount of expedience that could be put into the restoration. Swert also had the BS01 Main Page redesigned, a navigation similar to HS01 where clicking an image "slid" the page over to reveal a list of pages relating the subject of the image (the characters image revealing a list of characters, for example).

Links

http://www.bzpower.com/board/index.php?app=blog&module=display&section=blog&blogid=1106&showentry=109484 - Cholie's Blog Entry

Derp

During the period known as the 2nd Great Transition (see BS01 Histories below), Cholie and SPIRIT created a fake account known as Derpy Hooves in order to coax into Swert into uploading images that the Wiki needed, in particular the images for popular/important pages such as Teridax, Tahu, and Takanuva, as well as to have some fun on the Wiki's traditional day of silliness. The creation of the account and promotion to the UserGroupRights of Uploader and Administrator was oversighted by Bionicleman. They were also supported, less actively, by Dorek.

Once online, the Derpy account was used to change the look of the main page, a large picture of Derpy breaking through the main page and the words "HEY EVERYPONY! Looks like you're missing some images... Anything I can do to help?" around it. Parts of the words linked to the Toa Mata/Nuva pages, the Mata Nui page, and Teridax page, each with some brand new images "provided" by Derpy. All images were of characters or things taken from the animated television show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic by Hasbro Studios and DHX Media, a children's cartoon proving to be popular with various age groups and yet repulsing some people at the same time. An example of what Derpy would do to pages can be found to the left.

The Derpy Account also edited the Parent Page template, causing this image to appear all over the wiki, linking back to Swert's Userpage where a corresponding image sent the User back out to the Mainspace via the Random Page.

Toa V returned to the Wiki at this point, the account under the hand of Bionicleman instead of Swert this time, and assured the Users there was nothing to fear, placing the familiar White Ussal on his Userpage and on the Recent Changes. At first he opposed Derpy Hooves (the Derpy account placing a Pony on V's page in place of the White Ussal), but V eventually sided with the pony and retreated to form "a plan". V was not heard from after that point. When Swert returned and took the Pony picture off of V's page, he was quoted to say "My poor brother in arms... we'll fix him right up later."

Response to the Prank

A few users wholeheartedly accepted the change in the wiki, Dark Light and Grant-Sud leaving the "Avenger" friend/story group of Twilight Avenger in favor of "the Order of the Derp". It should be noted that, being long familiar with the staff's penchant for playing around, these users were hopefully just playing along.

Example Images

I think we can all see what went wrong... here are some examples of images that, while funny, went wrong.

Makuta Teridax

Tahu Nuva Mistika