Crew statements are an important part of this wiki, as they can provide further insight into the world of Ben 10 and the production behind it. However, it is imperative that crew statements are ethically obtained. There are several factors to consider when asking questions.
While the wiki staff cannot technically enforce interactions with crew members, as they occur off-site and thus fall outside our jurisdiction, we do not condone the harassment of crew members whatsoever.
Who to Ask
When asking crew members questions, it is important to ask people relevant to your question. For example, do not ask Thomas N. Perkins IV about lore-related questions. He was an artist on the show and had minimal involvement with the story. His expertise is more valued in questions relating to his designs, such as Eye Guy's.
Do not message multiple crew members at once, as to avoid excessive pestering.
What Not to Ask
Do not ask overly specific or overly technical questions. Most Ben 10 crew members are not as familiar with the series as fans are, and very likely have not seen every episode released, never mind the foreign merchandise. Do not ask leading questions or attempt to elicit certain responses from the crew, as to confirm your own headcanons. Furthermore, do not state you are asking "for the wiki" if you have not actually consulted regular editors on the matter.
Examples of Questions to Not Ask
- Can (character) do (action), as was seen in (episode)?
- If an episode showed it, then your question is redundant.
- What is (alien's) species/home world?
- If no merchandise mentioning such has been released, then it was likely never something decided upon.
- Some species and homeworlds have also been named by crew members but have not been publicly released. Given that they have been asked before and no concrete answers were given, asking them again will likely not yield any results.
- When will a new Ben 10 series come out?
- Do not ask when a new Ben 10 show will be released. Due to non-disclosure agreements, even if something was in the works, nobody would be able to speak about it.
- When a new installment in the franchise is made, refrain from asking crew members questions regarding things such as what aliens will appear. They can't exactly spoil things, so you are setting yourself up for disappointment.
- Do not ask when a new Ben 10 show will be released. Due to non-disclosure agreements, even if something was in the works, nobody would be able to speak about it.
- What is (character's) height?
- As a TV show, specifics like these are never set in stone and are subject to change.
- How strong is (character)?
- This is a meaningless question with far too many factors. Generally, avoid asking power-scaling questions.
When to Ask
Do not ask questions under completely unrelated threads, such as under a crew member's artwork. Do not ask too many questions, as you are certainly not the only person asking questions at any given time. Ultimately, remember that the crew members are human and that their lives don't revolve around answering questions about decade-old shows. If the crew member has not responded to your question, do not pursue it further. It is not that important that you get an answer.
Where to Ask
Most crew statements today come from Twitter. Unlike websites such as Ask.fm or crew members' forums, this website is the crew's social media above all else. Please do not treat it as a question-and-answering service.
Do not contact crew members via email to ask questions. Crew members use their emails for personal and professional purposes, not to answer fan questions.
What to Add
It is vital that the statements added are not misconstrued. Do not take someone's opinion and put it on the wiki re-contextualized as a fact. However, it is okay to put an opinionated statement, so long as it is presented as such. Additionally, if a crew member recalls something, but is unsure of if it is true, it should be prefaced with that disclaimer.
Crew members will sometimes make jokes in response to a question - it is important that these are recognized as jokes and not taken literally. For example, Derrick J. Wyatt once stated that Thunderpig obtained his energy flail from Dinobot Island. However, as the show Transformers Animated is part of another franchise, which is owned by a different company, this statement should only be taken as a nod to the flail's design inspiration.
Tips
Grammar
Ben 10 is a property developed in America. Despite this, it has garnered a larger fanbase overseas. As a result, many questions the crew receives tend to be in broken English, which may be difficult to decipher, especially if one isn't deeply familiar with the Ben 10 franchise. This can be prevented by simply asking a fellow Ben 10 fan with a better grasp on English to rephrase the question, or, as Derrick suggested in the image below, ask shorter and simpler questions.
Incorrect Statements
Sometimes, crew statements are flat-out incorrect. In the example provided, Duncan Rouleau erroneously confirmed that Shock Rock could create a planetary storm. However, in The 11th Alien: Part 2, it is shown that Shock Rock's perceived weather-manipulating abilities were actually the work of the Weatherheads. Point being - some statements are born out of misinformation. As the person asking the question, it is on you to double-check the matters you are asking about in case they were already answered, whether that be in the show itself or by another crew member.
Closing
Be responsible when asking crew members various questions. Do not damage any goodwill between the fans and creators of Ben 10 over a question that didn't need to be asked in the first place. If your question gets answered, remember to thank the crew member as a show of gratitude.