The bulk update request #2255 is pending approval.

mass update symbiote -> symbiote_(marvel)

Reason: The wiki page for symbiote says "The Symbiotes (originally known as the Klyntar) are a fictional race of amorphous extraterrestrial symbiotes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Symbiotes bond with their hosts, creating a symbiotic bond through which creates a single entity."

It would make more sense if the tag symbiote was available to use in general for species with symbiotic relationships, and when referring to a Marvel species with this name, it should have (marvel) in the name. This would also help reduce confusion with other symbiote species such as the ones from Star Trek: https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Trill_symbiont

Not all uses of symbiote seem to be for the Marvel species (e.g. post #3210596, post #3075165, and post #3044516, all on the first page of results). It'll need some cleaning up before something like this can go through.

Just bumped into this issue, woo.

The wiki absolutely does not match the actual usage of the tag. Which is absolutely split between tagging the "marvel symbiote", and tagging just plain symbiosis/goo stuff. Both historically, the oldest usage of it, as well as extremely recent pictures.

Notably, the word used in scientific literature for "organisms that are a part of symbiotic relationship" is "symbiont" (funnily, my browser autocorrect says it's not a word and suggests "symbiote" instead, which tells you enough about its popularity lol), though this is a very scientific definition and it covers parasitism and other kinds too.

It would be nice to split this into "symbiote_(marvel)" species tag for both the direct character usage and for things that are directly borrowing visuals and feel of these, and keep "symbiote" as a general tag for stuff that it's used for now.

The biggest problem for me is that the wiki claims "this is for marvel thing only" but there's no replacement for what it is actually used for. But there's no way to untangle the Marvel thing, nor stuff that's directly copying it and never mentions Marvel, from the general usage.