9 things you need to know about the Crankshaft Coalition wiki
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Anyone, especially you, can edit any of the articles on the Crankshaft Coalition Wiki. Just click the "edit" tab at the top of the page. Once you do that, you'll see the text of the page in a posting box on the resulting screen. From there, you can just add, remove, or edit the text in the box accordingly, and click the "Save page" button at the bottom of the screen. Don't worry about screwing anything up; every time a wiki page is edited, the previous version is saved. It's very easy to roll back to a previous version. In fact, you can see the editing history of a wiki page by clicking the "history" tab at the top of the page. | Anyone, especially you, can edit any of the articles on the Crankshaft Coalition Wiki. Just click the "edit" tab at the top of the page. Once you do that, you'll see the text of the page in a posting box on the resulting screen. From there, you can just add, remove, or edit the text in the box accordingly, and click the "Save page" button at the bottom of the screen. Don't worry about screwing anything up; every time a wiki page is edited, the previous version is saved. It's very easy to roll back to a previous version. In fact, you can see the editing history of a wiki page by clicking the "history" tab at the top of the page. | ||
| − | + | ==How do I add links or formatted text like bold or italic?== | |
You can use the buttons at the top of the posting box to format your text, insert headlines, and add links. For more information see Wikipedia.org's article on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:How_to_edit_a_page How to Edit a Page]. | You can use the buttons at the top of the posting box to format your text, insert headlines, and add links. For more information see Wikipedia.org's article on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:How_to_edit_a_page How to Edit a Page]. | ||
| − | + | ==What about vandalism and trolls?== | |
Certain wiki pages can be "protected" by having their editing privileges restricted. Also, vandalous IP addresses can be blocked. However, bear in mind that the power of the wiki method lies in its openness. Ideally, articles are only "protected" from open editing after they have fully exhausted the selected topic. | Certain wiki pages can be "protected" by having their editing privileges restricted. Also, vandalous IP addresses can be blocked. However, bear in mind that the power of the wiki method lies in its openness. Ideally, articles are only "protected" from open editing after they have fully exhausted the selected topic. | ||
| − | + | ==How can I discuss a specific article?== | |
At the top of each wiki article is a "discussion" tab. You can use the discussion page to discuss any article. You may want to ask the opinion of some other wiki editors regarding a specific change, or you may want to start a discussion about future additions to the article, etc. Also, the discussion page leaves a written record of the thought process that went into each article. To discuss an article, simply click the discussion tab. If a discussion about that article is already in place, simply edit its page. If not, you'll be directed to a posting box. Start the discussion for that page by typing in the box and clicking the "Save page" button, just like you were editing an article. | At the top of each wiki article is a "discussion" tab. You can use the discussion page to discuss any article. You may want to ask the opinion of some other wiki editors regarding a specific change, or you may want to start a discussion about future additions to the article, etc. Also, the discussion page leaves a written record of the thought process that went into each article. To discuss an article, simply click the discussion tab. If a discussion about that article is already in place, simply edit its page. If not, you'll be directed to a posting box. Start the discussion for that page by typing in the box and clicking the "Save page" button, just like you were editing an article. | ||
| − | + | ==Can I copy-paste information into the Crankshaft Coalition Wiki?== | |
Don't copy-paste information into the wiki posting box. In most cases, it will be covered by copyright, and it's illegal to copy it. Any text entered into the Crankshaft Coalition Wiki must be accompanied by a promise that you wrote it yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource. Fortunately, once your original writing is entered into the Crankshaft Coalition Wiki, it's covered under a special "Creative Commons" license that allows it to be freely shared and copied. For more information on this, see [[Project:Copyrights]]. | Don't copy-paste information into the wiki posting box. In most cases, it will be covered by copyright, and it's illegal to copy it. Any text entered into the Crankshaft Coalition Wiki must be accompanied by a promise that you wrote it yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource. Fortunately, once your original writing is entered into the Crankshaft Coalition Wiki, it's covered under a special "Creative Commons" license that allows it to be freely shared and copied. For more information on this, see [[Project:Copyrights]]. | ||
| − | + | ==Should I sign my name on wiki pages?== | |
On a wiki article page, don't sign your name. Since everyone edits everyone else's work, this would ultimately result in hundreds of signatures interspersed throughout a page. However, on a discussion page, please sign your name. If you're logged in, you can just type 4 tilde characters for your signature, like this: <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>. The tilde character will probably be located in the top-left corner of your keyboard. Alternatively, you can click the "signature" button on the posting screen (second button from the right). | On a wiki article page, don't sign your name. Since everyone edits everyone else's work, this would ultimately result in hundreds of signatures interspersed throughout a page. However, on a discussion page, please sign your name. If you're logged in, you can just type 4 tilde characters for your signature, like this: <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>. The tilde character will probably be located in the top-left corner of your keyboard. Alternatively, you can click the "signature" button on the posting screen (second button from the right). | ||
| − | + | ==What's the most important thing I need to know about wikis?== | |
The unofficial wiki motto is "Be '''bold'''". When editing wiki pages, don't hold back. If you have information that can be added to a page, add it. If you see a spelling or grammatical error, fix it. On a wiki, the best articles come from a large group of people making small additions and adjustments to a single document. Don't worry that you're going to offend anyone. Don't hesitate to improve an article, even if it just means adding a comma to one sentence. | The unofficial wiki motto is "Be '''bold'''". When editing wiki pages, don't hold back. If you have information that can be added to a page, add it. If you see a spelling or grammatical error, fix it. On a wiki, the best articles come from a large group of people making small additions and adjustments to a single document. Don't worry that you're going to offend anyone. Don't hesitate to improve an article, even if it just means adding a comma to one sentence. | ||
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