Help talk:Editing

This is the content from User:AaronPeterson's old WikiHowto page. I'll integrate some of it into Help:Editing and critique some of it here.

A wiki as an excellent web based content management system relying on conventions to provide collaborative functionality. Wiki is reported to mean quick.

This is a wiki
Depending on the theme but by default to the upper right hand of the page, there are sets of controls that will allow authenticated users the ability to edit the web page.

One of the ways a wiki can save a developer time is by having basic functionality without complicating markup. Please visit

For Instructions on how to use a MediaWiki (the software that runs this site and Wikipedia), and Go to: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents

Conventions for this wiki
Content
 * Website -- should be restricted to vetted volunteers

''The wiki is a free-for-all by design- vetting is done in the sign-up process. In time all wiki accounts will belong to registered volunteers. In the meantime we'll edit what needs editing. If someone is making egregious trouble on the wiki, let me know and I can ban them.'' Koanhead (talk)


 * Event Listing -- should be restricted to vetted volunteers
 * Hardware database -- should be allowed to any volunteer

''The Volunteer and Hardware databases, when they are up and operational, will rely on a special role (like Bureaucrat, but not the same) for logins. There will be more than one such role. In my dreams the wiki's user and permissions database will be re-usable for FGSEA's Kerberos SSO.'' Koanhead (talk)


 * class content -- should be allowed to any volunteer

Attitude ''Communication is key. The page's Talk: page is a good place to move stuff if it really can't be on the regular page.'' Koanhead (talk)
 * Respect the work of others
 * This means don't just delete their work. Try to figure out what they were trying to do, and if you can't figure that out, move the content to a new page or leave it on the bottom for a few days or months.

Structure And Style
 * Please be factually accurate if at all possible
 * Please test stuff before making it live. You may use a sub page on your use page by creating a link /ThatStartsWithASlash
 * Please start stuff. It's ok to leave a thing unfinished. What is NOT ok, is breaking someone else's work and leaving it in a broken state.
 * Fix grammar or logic errors that are obvious. If there is any doubt you can use the discussion page, or ask someone in person.
 * Use WikiNames when possible ?? Should we?
 * Definately use the full name of the article, avoid doing things like Schedule of Events, just include Event Schedule
 * If you make a typo, go ahead and make #REDIRECT s
 * Use divs when possible
 * Use classes when possible.
 * Use FGS namespace for officially sanctioned board approved content, like news and event schedule, rules, limit edits to be by board or specifically authorized users.
 * Keep everything else in the main namespace.
 * Don't ask people to do stuff, make the WikiLinks as part of your brainstorming. If you have an idea for the Purpose and Plan of the web page, please go ahead and write it.

Users
 * People
 * Board Members
 * LeadVolunteers
 * Volunteers
 * Community Members

Technology This wiki uses(will use) templates to help us manage content pages. There could/(should?!) be a content page for every single computer received, and sent out. If a computer is broken down into component parts, there could be a page for every component for quality assurance and support purposes.

Template use
In general, you will say on a new page... This will create the page with new content so you don't have to recreate all of the formats.

Then there are templates that are like this:  and that basically just includes the content of that wiki page into the current one, but fills out a few tricky wiki specific things... Why wants to deal with syntax like ?