Wikipedia:Mascot

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wikipedia had voted for a mascot late in 2002, before the new logo contest. While many people supported the notion of a mascot, others also argued against it, and the idea stayed where it was. The "contest" for the mascot continues; people can still list their votes at meta:Mascot.

Only two ideas have been consistently at the top — both neck-and neck for over two years now. The "Wikipede" (centipede) and the "Miwiki" (ant) are distinct designs with very different characters. The Wikipede (needs a personal name: Kip?) is male, bookish, and individualist, while the Miwiki ant is innocent, wide-eyed, androgynous, and collectivist. All that said, they seem to be essentially the same creature, both having six legs (unfaithful to the centipede), wide eyes, round head and torso, and antennae. People liked the character of the Wikipede, but disliked the idea of a centipede as "too creepy". The ant was likewise popular since it presented numerous design alternatives, but it lacked the individualist character.