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{{short description|Wiki about Star Trek}}
{{Short description|Wiki about Star Trek}}
{{About|the website|the fictional ''Star Trek'' location|The Lights of Zetar}}
{{About|the website|the fictional ''Star Trek'' location|The Lights of Zetar}}
{{primary sources|date=September 2023}}
{{Primary sources|date=September 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox website
{{Infobox website
| logo = Memory Alpha logo.svg
| logo = Memory Alpha logo (2022).png
| type = [[Wiki]]
| type = [[Wiki]]<br>[[Online encyclopedia]]
| owner = Communal
| owner = Communal
| author = {{Plainlist|
| author = {{Plainlist|
Line 13: Line 13:
}}
}}
| revenue = [[Advertising]]
| revenue = [[Advertising]]
| url = {{URL|memory-alpha.fandom.com}}
| url = {{Official URL}}
| commercial = Yes
| commercial = Yes
| registration = Required
| registration = Required
Line 19: Line 19:
| content_license = [[Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial]] 4.0<ref>{{cite web |url={{fullurl:MemoryAlpha:Memory Alpha:Copyrights}} |title=Memory Alpha: Copyrights |website=Memory Alpha |publisher=[[Fandom, Inc.]] |access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref>
| content_license = [[Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial]] 4.0<ref>{{cite web |url={{fullurl:MemoryAlpha:Memory Alpha:Copyrights}} |title=Memory Alpha: Copyrights |website=Memory Alpha |publisher=[[Fandom, Inc.]] |access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref>
}}
}}
'''Memory Alpha''' is a [[wiki]] encyclopedia for topics related to the ''[[Star Trek]]'' fictional universe.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tossell |first=Ivor |date=January 12, 2007 |title=It's a wiki world |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/its-a-wiki-world/article1068574 |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |access-date=September 23, 2023}}</ref> Created by Harry Doddema and Dan Carlson, it uses the wiki model<ref name="History of Star Trek Minutiae">{{cite web |url=https://www.st-minutiae.com/site/history.html |title=History of Star Trek Minutiae |last=Carlson |first=Dan |date=August 3, 2020 |website=Star Trek Minutiae |access-date=September 23, 2023}}</ref> and is hosted by [[Fandom (website)|Fandom]] on the [[MediaWiki]] software.<ref name="Memory Alpha: History">{{cite web |url={{fullurl:MemoryAlpha:Memory Alpha:History}} |title=Memory Alpha: History |website=Memory Alpha |publisher=[[Fandom, Inc.]] |access-date=September 23, 2023}}</ref> {{As of|September 2023}}, Memory Alpha contains over 56,000 articles and 62,000 images in its [[English language|English]] edition.<ref>{{cite web |url={{fullurl:MemoryAlpha:Special:Statistics}} |title=Statistics |website=Memory Alpha |publisher=[[Fandom, Inc.]] |access-date=September 23, 2023}}</ref> The site is also available in several other languages including [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]], [[Catalan language|Catalan]], [[Chinese language|Chinese]], [[Czech language|Czech]], [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[Esperanto]], [[French language|French]], [[German language|German]], [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Japanese language|Japanese]], [[Polish language|Polish]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[Romanian language|Romanian]], [[Russian language|Russian]], [[Serbian language|Serbian]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[Swedish language|Swedish]], and [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]].<ref name="Memory Alpha: History"/>
'''Memory Alpha''' is a [[wiki]] encyclopedia for topics related to the ''[[Star Trek]]'' fictional universe. Created by Harry Doddema and Dan Carlson, it uses the wiki model<ref name="EAS">{{cite web |url=https://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/misc/eae-05.htm |title=EAE Award Winners 2005 |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Ex Astris Scientia |access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> and is hosted by [[Fandom (website)|Fandom]] on the [[MediaWiki]] software.<ref name="Memory Alpha: History">{{cite web |url={{fullurl:MemoryAlpha:Memory Alpha:History}} |title=Memory Alpha: History |website=Memory Alpha |publisher=[[Fandom, Inc.]] |access-date=September 23, 2023}}</ref> {{As of|September 2023}}, Memory Alpha contains over 56,000 articles and 62,000 images in its [[English language|English]] edition.<ref>{{cite web |url={{fullurl:MemoryAlpha:Special:Statistics}} |title=Statistics |website=Memory Alpha |publisher=[[Fandom, Inc.]] |access-date=September 23, 2023}}</ref> The site is also available in several other languages.<ref>{{cite news |last=Crockett |first=Christine |date=September 17, 2006 |title=A 40-year 'Trek' |work=[[Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)|Sun Journal]] |page=B1}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
In 1995, Dan Carlson created a personal ''Star Trek'' starship [[database]] called Starfleet Ship Registry. By 2000, he had expanded the database's scope and renamed it Starfleet Reference Database, including it as one of the five basic sections of his newly-launched website ''The Gigantic Collection of Star Trek Minutiae''.<ref name="History of Star Trek Minutiae"/>
In 1995, Dan Carlson created a personal ''Star Trek'' starship [[database]] called Starfleet Ship Registry. By 2000, he had expanded the database's scope and renamed it Starfleet Reference Database, including it as one of the five basic sections of his newly-launched website ''The Gigantic Collection of Star Trek Minutiae''.<ref name="History of Star Trek Minutiae">{{cite web |url=https://www.st-minutiae.com/site/history.html |title=History of Star Trek Minutiae |last=Carlson |first=Dan |date=August 3, 2020 |website=Star Trek Minutiae |access-date=September 23, 2023}}</ref>


In the fall of 2003, Harry Doddema proposed the creation of a ''Star Trek'' wiki in a post on the Flare Sci-Fi Forums. Carlson was interested in the concept and the two of them went to work. Using Starfleet Reference Database as a framework, they named the project Memory Alpha, after the [[United Federation of Planets|Federation]]'s central library from the [[Star Trek: The Original Series|''TOS'']] episode "[[The Lights of Zetar]]".<ref name="The Story of Vokaya">{{cite web |url=https://www.st-minutiae.com/cafe/2016/07/vokaya.html |title=The Story of ''Vokaya'': Beyond a Fan's Wildest Dreams |last=Carlson |first=Dan |date=July 29, 2016 |website=Star Trek Minutiae |access-date=September 23, 2023}}</ref> Memory Alpha officially launched on December 5, 2003, as a section of the ''Star Trek Minutiae'' website.<ref name="History of Star Trek Minutiae"/>
In the fall of 2003, Harry Doddema proposed the creation of a ''Star Trek'' wiki in a post on the Flare Sci-Fi Forums. Carlson was interested in the concept and the two of them went to work. Using Starfleet Reference Database as a framework, they named the project Memory Alpha, after the [[United Federation of Planets|Federation]]'s central library from the [[Star Trek: The Original Series|''TOS'']] episode "[[The Lights of Zetar]]".<ref name="The Story of Vokaya">{{cite web |url=https://www.st-minutiae.com/cafe/2016/07/vokaya.html |title=The Story of ''Vokaya'': Beyond a Fan's Wildest Dreams |last=Carlson |first=Dan |date=July 29, 2016 |website=Star Trek Minutiae |access-date=September 23, 2023}}</ref> Memory Alpha officially launched on December 5, 2003, as a section of the ''Star Trek Minutiae'' website.<ref name="History of Star Trek Minutiae"/>


In April 2004, Memory Alpha was launched as its own website. In February 2005, Memory Alpha joined [[Wikicities]] (now known as Fandom).<ref name="Memory Alpha: History"/> By September, it was the largest project on Wikicities and a central hub for [[Trekkie]]s.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Barnett |first=Cynthia |date=September 1, 2005 |title=Wiki Mania |url=http://www.floridatrend.com/issue/default.asp?a=5617&s=1&d=9/1/2005 |magazine=Florida Trend |volume=48 |issue=5 |page=62 |issn=0015-4326 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061017142949/http://www.floridatrend.com/issue/default.asp?a=5617&s=1&d=9/1/2005 |archive-date=October 17, 2006}}</ref> That month, Memory Alpha received the ''Ex Astris Excellentia'' award from Ex Astris Scientia, a ''Star Trek'' reference site.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/misc/eae-05.htm |title=EAE Award Winners 2005 |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Ex Astris Scientia |access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> The site was featured as the [[Sci-Fi Channel]]'s Site of the Week for the week of October 10.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue442/site.html |title=Sci-Fi Site of the Week |last=Newquist |first=Ken |date=October 10, 2005 |website=[[SciFi.com]] |access-date=November 30, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051213204020/https://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue442/site.html |archive-date=December 13, 2005}}</ref>
In April 2004, Memory Alpha was launched as its own website. In February 2005, Memory Alpha joined [[Wikicities]] (now known as Fandom).<ref name="Memory Alpha: History"/> By September, it was the largest project on Wikicities and a central hub for [[Trekkie]]s.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Barnett |first=Cynthia |date=September 1, 2005 |title=Wiki Mania |url=http://www.floridatrend.com/issue/default.asp?a=5617&s=1&d=9/1/2005 |magazine=Florida Trend |volume=48 |issue=5 |page=62 |issn=0015-4326 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061017142949/http://www.floridatrend.com/issue/default.asp?a=5617&s=1&d=9/1/2005 |archive-date=October 17, 2006}}</ref> That month, Memory Alpha received the ''Ex Astris Excellentia'' award from Ex Astris Scientia, a ''Star Trek'' reference site.<ref name="EAS"/> The site was featured as the [[Sci-Fi Channel]]'s Site of the Week for the week of October 10.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue442/site.html |title=Sci-Fi Site of the Week |last=Newquist |first=Ken |date=October 10, 2005 |website=[[SciFi.com]] |access-date=November 30, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051213204020/https://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue442/site.html |archive-date=December 13, 2005}}</ref>


Blogger [[Will Richardson (educator)|Will Richardson]] called the site "one of the most impressive [wikis] out there."<ref>{{cite book |last=Richardson |first=Will |title=Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms |publisher=Corwin Press |location=Thousand Oaks |date=2006 |isbn=1-4129-2767-6 |page=62}}</ref> By October 5, 2006, Memory Alpha had reached the 20,000 article mark.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.trektoday.com/news/051006_02.shtml |title=Memory Alpha Surpasses 20,000 Articles |author=Michelle |date=October 5, 2006 |website=TrekToday |publisher=Christian Höhne Sparborth |access-date=September 23, 2023}}</ref> On June 20, 2007, Memory Alpha reached 25,000 articles.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/06/prweb534113.htm |title="Memory Alpha," the Online Star Trek Encyclopedia, Surpasses 25,000 Article Mark |author=<!--not stated--> |date=June 20, 2007 |website=PRWeb |publisher=Cision |access-date=August 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207014726/https://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/06/prweb534113.htm |archive-date=February 7, 2023}}</ref>
Blogger [[Will Richardson (educator)|Will Richardson]] called the site "one of the most impressive [wikis] out there."<ref>{{cite book |last=Richardson |first=Will |title=Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms |publisher=Corwin Press |location=Thousand Oaks |date=2006 |isbn=1-4129-2767-6 |page=62}}</ref> By October 5, 2006, Memory Alpha had reached the 20,000 article mark.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.trektoday.com/news/051006_02.shtml |title=Memory Alpha Surpasses 20,000 Articles |author=Michelle |date=October 5, 2006 |website=TrekToday |publisher=Christian Höhne Sparborth |access-date=September 23, 2023}}</ref> On June 20, 2007, Memory Alpha reached 25,000 articles.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/06/prweb534113.htm |title="Memory Alpha," the Online Star Trek Encyclopedia, Surpasses 25,000 Article Mark |author=<!--not stated--> |date=June 20, 2007 |website=PRWeb |publisher=Cision |access-date=August 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207014726/https://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/06/prweb534113.htm |archive-date=February 7, 2023}}</ref>


In 2007, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' named Memory Alpha one of the 25 Essential Fansites.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20167049_15,00.html |title=25 Essential Fansites |author=ABV |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=August 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016093332/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20167049_15,00.html |archive-date=October 16, 2013}}</ref> [[Simon Pegg]], actor and writer for ''[[Star Trek Beyond]]'', used Memory Alpha as a resource in the writing process of the film,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blog.trekcore.com/2015/07/simon-pegg-memory-alpha-star-trek-beyond/ |title=Simon Pegg: "Memory Alpha Has Been So Helpful" During ''STAR TREK BEYOND'' Writing Process |date=July 23, 2015 |website=TrekCore |access-date=August 24, 2023}}</ref> even asking the community's founders to name and establish etymology for a device in the film.<ref name="The Story of Vokaya"/> ''[[Star Trek: Discovery]]''{{'}}s showrunners have described Memory Alpha as "an amazing resource."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://slate.com/culture/2017/09/how-shows-like-star-trek-discovery-stick-to-canon.html |title=The Keepers of the Canon |last=Martinelli |first=Marissa |date=September 21, 2017 |website=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |publisher=The Slate Group LLC |access-date=September 23, 2023}}</ref>
In 2007, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' named Memory Alpha one of the 25 Essential Fansites.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20167049_15,00.html |title=25 Essential Fansites |author=ABV |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=August 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016093332/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20167049_15,00.html |archive-date=October 16, 2013}}</ref> [[Simon Pegg]], actor and writer for ''[[Star Trek Beyond]]'', used Memory Alpha as a resource in the writing process of the film,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blog.trekcore.com/2015/07/simon-pegg-memory-alpha-star-trek-beyond/ |title=Simon Pegg: "Memory Alpha Has Been So Helpful" During ''STAR TREK BEYOND'' Writing Process |date=July 23, 2015 |website=TrekCore |access-date=August 24, 2023}}</ref> even asking the community's founders to name and establish etymology for ''vokaya'', a [[Vulcan (Star Trek)|Vulcan]] mineral that enables [[Spock]] to locate [[Nyota Uhura]].<ref name="The Story of Vokaya"/> ''[[Star Trek: Discovery]]''{{'}}s showrunners have described Memory Alpha as "an amazing resource."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://slate.com/culture/2017/09/how-shows-like-star-trek-discovery-stick-to-canon.html |title=The Keepers of the Canon |last=Martinelli |first=Marissa |date=September 21, 2017 |website=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |publisher=The Slate Group LLC |access-date=September 23, 2023}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
*[[List of online encyclopedias]]
*[[List of online encyclopedias]]
*[[List of wikis]]


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 04:15, 1 July 2024

This article is about the website. For the fictional Star Trek location, see The Lights of Zetar.

Memory Alpha
Type of site
Wiki
Online encyclopedia
OwnerCommunal
Created by
  • Dan Carlson
  • Harry Doddema
RevenueAdvertising
URLmemory-alpha.fandom.com Edit this at Wikidata
CommercialYes
RegistrationRequired
LaunchedDecember 5, 2003; 20 years ago (2003-12-05)
Content license
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0[1]

Memory Alpha is a wiki encyclopedia for topics related to the Star Trek fictional universe. Created by Harry Doddema and Dan Carlson, it uses the wiki model[2] and is hosted by Fandom on the MediaWiki software.[3] As of September 2023, Memory Alpha contains over 56,000 articles and 62,000 images in its English edition.[4] The site is also available in several other languages.[5]

History

In 1995, Dan Carlson created a personal Star Trek starship database called Starfleet Ship Registry. By 2000, he had expanded the database's scope and renamed it Starfleet Reference Database, including it as one of the five basic sections of his newly-launched website The Gigantic Collection of Star Trek Minutiae.[6]

In the fall of 2003, Harry Doddema proposed the creation of a Star Trek wiki in a post on the Flare Sci-Fi Forums. Carlson was interested in the concept and the two of them went to work. Using Starfleet Reference Database as a framework, they named the project Memory Alpha, after the Federation's central library from the TOS episode "The Lights of Zetar".[7] Memory Alpha officially launched on December 5, 2003, as a section of the Star Trek Minutiae website.[6]

In April 2004, Memory Alpha was launched as its own website. In February 2005, Memory Alpha joined Wikicities (now known as Fandom).[3] By September, it was the largest project on Wikicities and a central hub for Trekkies.[8] That month, Memory Alpha received the Ex Astris Excellentia award from Ex Astris Scientia, a Star Trek reference site.[2] The site was featured as the Sci-Fi Channel's Site of the Week for the week of October 10.[9]

Blogger Will Richardson called the site "one of the most impressive [wikis] out there."[10] By October 5, 2006, Memory Alpha had reached the 20,000 article mark.[11] On June 20, 2007, Memory Alpha reached 25,000 articles.[12]

In 2007, Entertainment Weekly named Memory Alpha one of the 25 Essential Fansites.[13] Simon Pegg, actor and writer for Star Trek Beyond, used Memory Alpha as a resource in the writing process of the film,[14] even asking the community's founders to name and establish etymology for vokaya, a Vulcan mineral that enables Spock to locate Nyota Uhura.[7] Star Trek: Discovery's showrunners have described Memory Alpha as "an amazing resource."[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Memory Alpha: Copyrights". Memory Alpha. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "EAE Award Winners 2005". Ex Astris Scientia. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Memory Alpha: History". Memory Alpha. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  4. ^ "Statistics". Memory Alpha. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  5. ^ Crockett, Christine (September 17, 2006). "A 40-year 'Trek'". Sun Journal. p. B1.
  6. ^ a b Carlson, Dan (August 3, 2020). "History of Star Trek Minutiae". Star Trek Minutiae. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Carlson, Dan (July 29, 2016). "The Story of Vokaya: Beyond a Fan's Wildest Dreams". Star Trek Minutiae. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  8. ^ Barnett, Cynthia (September 1, 2005). "Wiki Mania". Florida Trend. Vol. 48, no. 5. p. 62. ISSN 0015-4326. Archived from the original on October 17, 2006.
  9. ^ Newquist, Ken (October 10, 2005). "Sci-Fi Site of the Week". SciFi.com. Archived from the original on December 13, 2005. Retrieved November 30, 2005.
  10. ^ Richardson, Will (2006). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press. p. 62. ISBN 1-4129-2767-6.
  11. ^ Michelle (October 5, 2006). "Memory Alpha Surpasses 20,000 Articles". TrekToday. Christian Höhne Sparborth. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  12. ^ ""Memory Alpha," the Online Star Trek Encyclopedia, Surpasses 25,000 Article Mark". PRWeb. Cision. June 20, 2007. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  13. ^ ABV. "25 Essential Fansites". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  14. ^ "Simon Pegg: "Memory Alpha Has Been So Helpful" During STAR TREK BEYOND Writing Process". TrekCore. July 23, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  15. ^ Martinelli, Marissa (September 21, 2017). "The Keepers of the Canon". Slate. The Slate Group LLC. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
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