Irisado
I am sorry if I broke any rules. My tool is not a paid site. It is simply a tool for 40k fans to create commentary. I am a university professor and literary scholar. I don't spend much time on internet forums. So, again, if this breaks any rules, it was unintentional. The creation of this tool, and its use, has been created to better understand the complexities of 40k.
Killersquid
This is different because it is more of a concordance than an encyclopedia. It asks for commentary on topics that point to sources and, if possible, page numbers. You could then run a search for, say, the 'missing primarchs' and get a list of all sources that reference it. Lexicanum is great, and I use it extensively. But have you ever sat back and just wanted to know how often a topic was mentioned in the written history of 40k? That is what my tool is designed to do.
Alienscar
Yes, an insight is an opinion, but an informed opinion. It goes a bit deeper. And in this particular context it is grounded in some sort of textual reference.
Also, I have asked my web guy to change the site to not require a log in to view the content. And I have edited the homepage to clarify what it is (it should go live in today or tomorrow):
What is this tool?
This tool is an example of how methods in the digital humanities help in understanding the complexities with shared imaginary worlds. It focuses on Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 because its ‘lore’ is a challenge for both newcomers to the setting, as well as those already interested in it. To use this tool, please feel free to add content by focusing on an event within the lore, then add your ‘insight’ as to how best understand it. This should be more than simply an opinion. It should be a well-thought-out piece of information that adds significance to the event. Most critically please point to at least one published text (and add a page number, paragraph number, or ebook location).
My hopes are that certain key conversations will emerge as of interest and that as people add their insights, we will create a canvas of the most important texts that address these elements. Questions over the canon, or references that appear to contradict each other are welcome. But the intention is to find references that clarify the published record of a topic.
I will begin by offering the nature of the Emperor, his divinity, his origins, his fight with Horus, etc., as a starting point. Other conversations might begin by charting all the references to the two lost Primarchs and their legions. Have you ever wondered which published texts reference these Primarchs? Or maybe we might discuss what happened to Dorn, or where Russ might be. The key here is to create a type of online concordance that points to published sources and, if possible, page numbers.
As this tool develops, I will also add techniques for how to better articulate insights, as well as how to respond to the insights of others.