WikiProject SpongeBob SquarePants was a project on Wikipedia that was a precursor to Encyclopedia SpongeBobia.
SpongeBob SquarePants first aired on May 1, 1999. Gradually, as the show become more popular, fan sites popped up and provided discussion for fans. They also provided bits of information, such as episode guides, character biographies, among other pieces of information. In 2001, Wikipedia was launched on the Internet. The first articles pertaining to SpongeBob SquarePants were created in 2002.
Since the creation of the first SpongeBob SquarePants-related articles at Wikipedia, the information gradually grew from 2002 to 2006. However, in the beginning stages, there was never any organized effort to work on the articles until 2006.
Encyclopedia SpongeBobia has its roots in the WikiProject SpongeBob SquarePants at Wikipedia, formed on June 6, 2006 by ForestH2, and developed by the latter and ESB bureaucrat and administrator AMK152. The WikiProject grew, and was able to keep track of and improve all SpongeBob-related articles on Wikipedia. The WikiProject grew to over 100 members within a year. The project focused on reverting vandalism, formatting, and expanding articles.