Q:
What is this? (What is the Encyclopedia of Nizhny Novgorod?)
A: This is a free encyclopedia on [1] that provides descriptions of life in Nizhny Novgorod and the world around it.
Q:
What can you find here?
A: Detailed information about the events, phenomena, and processes that are currently shaping everything that Nizhny Novgorod residents and visitors to our region see around them. That’s why, in addition to well-known, factual, and documented information, you’ll find analysis, imaginative takes, and jokes here. Unlike Wikipedia, we are a regional encyclopedia, so we are interested in any news from public figures, businesses, communities, and unique experts that shed light on local social life.
Q: Why are you doing this?
A: News agencies report on the state of affairs in the region. But we want to know all the details. At the very least, this is useful. And overall, it helps accelerate the flow of information in the region and, consequently, its progress.
Q:
Is it an encyclopedia?
A: Hmm. Opinions are divided on this one. An informal encyclopedia. Encyclopaedia Dramatica [2]. A collection of folklore. Come up with your own.
Q:
You use so much slang here!
A:
We try to use the living language that real people speak today, rather than the formal version of Russian. But we’re not proud of it. Anything that can be expressed unambiguously in standard Russian without using slang should be written without slang.
Q: There has long been a city website [3] and plenty of other places online in Nizhny Novgorod where people discuss the news. Why do we need another one?
A: The Encyclopedia is not a website, but a collaborative project between the Encyclopedia Initiative Group and the administration of the WWW.NNOV.RU portal [4]. We are creating a unified public reference guide that quickly highlights connections between events, while the NNOV.RU portal provides technical support and forums for discussing the content of the Nizhny Novgorod Encyclopedia and developing recommendations for adding new material. That’s how it works.
Q: There's always Wikipedia!
A: We have our own unique characteristics.
We are not in opposition to Wikipedia, nor do we duplicate its content. Rather, our encyclopedia offers an alternative perspective on many things, concepts, phenomena, and people. Our articles do not always meet the criteria for encyclopedic inclusion—that is, they may not always be of interest to 95% of the population— but they will certainly contain some useful information for anyone interested in the subject—whether it’s a list of delicious beer brands, a brief grammar guide, or an explanation of the nuances of the correct use of a particular Meme.
What’s more, our facts are selected and presented in a much more reader-friendly format, and we guarantee our readers that the content of jokes and humor in the articles does not exceed 50%, making them (theoretically) completely safe to consume.
Q:
I can't keep quiet!
A: You can say anything you want on the talk page. Every page on this project has one. Do you see that tab at the top that says “Talk”? That’s it.
You don't have to register to do this.