Many of you have probably read something on
Wikipedia, but probably none of you know how to write or simply edit an article.
Users who are new to wikis may be a little confused or intimidated as to how new articles are created and edited, but fear not! This is a brief guide in order to acquaint you with the basics. This is by no means, of course, an exhaustive reference guide for using wiki -- if you should need assistance beyond the scope of this guide, you should PM either me or anybody else for that matter whom you know knows what to do or consult a website, such as
Wikipedia's help page. Or you could also use this thread.
What is a wiki?A wiki is a web application that allows users to add content, as on an Internet forum, but also allows others (often completely unrestricted) to edit the content. In essence, it's similar to, say, a forum, but on which only information is posted and any user can edit any other user's posts. In time, a vast collection of useful information is available.
How do I create a new page on the Wiki?There are two principal methods you can use to create new pages:
* Use the Search box, type in a search string and hit "Go". If a page matching the search string (such as "bluenuts") has not yet been created, you will be allowed to create the page.
* Type the address in directly. Articles on RMRKWiki are listed as
wiki.rmrk.net/index.php/articlename, so to create a new page is as easy as replacing "articlename" with the name of the article you're trying to create.
. So if you wanted to create an article on HaloOfTheSun, you'd simply type in
wiki.rmrk.net/index.php/HaloOfTheSun. Make sure you pay attention to any capitalisation.
Once you've done either of the above, you'll be able to edit the page with new content . That is, provided it doesn't exist already. If it does, you can simply click on "Edit Page" at the top to begin editing.
For individual user pages about yourself, they are meant to be edited by other users. Thus, please keep your own additions to a page about yourself to a minimum. Uploading your own photos or filling in info like age/location is cool, but no one wants to read an autobiography.
How do I upload files?To link to images or other files, it's not necessary to upload them first to other sites like imageshack. Instead, you can upload them directly to RWiki. The link itself is located in the toolbox, situated on the left-hand sidebar of RWiki.
IMPORTANT: make sure you format your image so it begins with the article name! So for example if I were going to add an image of Inaru's signature to the article on Inaru, I'd call the image inaru_signature.jpg. Name your images XXXX_imagename - where XXXX is the name of the article you are submitting the image to. If you don't do this then the image will be removed.
How do I link pages or edit text?For the most part, what you type in the edit page is what you'll end up with on the finished page. HTML can be used to some degree (such as making line breaks), but for linking or marking up text, wiki has its own unique language.
To link stuff:
* External Links
[http://www.url.com Link Name]
* Internal Links
[[article_link|link name]]
The article link is simply the portion of the url after .../wiki/index.php/. For example, to link to the Silverline article, it's [[Silverline]]. If you want to link to an article, but want the link name itself to be different from the article you're linking to, insert a bar, then the desired name, then the two end brackets, such as if you wanted the link to say Paul, you'd put [[Silverline|Paul]]. Changing the link name is optional.
To mark up text:
* Italicize
''text to be marked'' * Bold
'''text to be marked''' * Adding a bullet point
*text to be bulleted
There are handy buttons at the top of the edit page box that will do these all for you. You can either select your text that you want formatted and then click the button, or just click the button first and then type your text into the produced tags.
A good way to learn advanced wiki syntax is simply to look at an already made article's source and copying it for your own article.
How do I add my page to a category?RWiki has a number of defined categories, which can be useful for organizing various articles. To add your page to a certain category, simply input the following at the end of your article:
[[Category:category name]]
Replace "category name" with the name of the appropiate category, and wiki will automatically add the category box at the end of your article. You can add an article to any number of categories.
If you want the article to be sorted under a different heading in the category list, such as putting "The Kitchen" under "K" instead of "T", you can use the pipe (|) character, like [[Category:Forums|Kitchen]]. This will sort it according to what alias you put, not according to the article name (although the name remains unchanged when displayed in the category listing). To bump up an article to the top of a category listing, sort it with an asterisk (*).
But wait, how do I link to a category then?You add an extra colon in the beginning, like [[:Category:Tutorials]]. You can also change the link name with the pipe character, e.g. [[:Category:Tutorials|RM tuts]].
How do I delete stuff?You can't! Only sysops (admins) are able to delete articles and images, so you'll need to ask one of them for assistance.
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Every article (and user) also has its own discussion page in which you can discuss the content of the article or add ideas. If you leave a comment in a discussion page, be sure to add your timestamped signature at the end. To do so, simply add "--~~~~" (four tildes) to the end of your statement and it will automatically parse itself.
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General Things to take into account before posting an article:- Make sure you pick a suitable article title. Check if your article has already been posted under a different name (for example there is an article about all moderators so ones on specific moderator types do not need to be made) You can produce a redirect page if you like for synonomous articles.
- When writing your article, be comprehensive. Add all the information you know. Also don't be afriad of adding images to your articles. They could be very useful, so try it!.
- Remember to use clear, correctly spelled formal English. You're writing to what is essentially an encyclopedia of sorts. If you frequently write with bad spelling, slang and grammatical errors, you might eventually have your article creating and editing privelages removed. This doesn't mean you have to always be formal. This wiki is very community orientated and humour is a plus.
- LINKAGE. When mentioning something that has it's own article on RWiki, the first time you use the word, link to that article. So say if I was writing an article and mentioned Crankeye in it, I would make the Crankeye text a clickable link to Crankeye's article. Also link to things off the wiki if you find them relevant. The second time you use something in the same article, you don't have to link it (probably shouldn't). So if I again, mentioned later on in the same article Crankeye again, I wouldn't make that one a link.
- More Linkage. At the end of an article (generally article about things and not tutorials / definitions) include a section at the bottom and put in any related links. Member profiles, their home pages and the like.
-List of category appendices:
[[Category:Members]] -- Feel free to edit other people's entries, that way we get a non-autobiographical perspective on people!
[[Category:Forums]]
[[Category:Events]] -- Anyone remember something about a previous event? Add detail!
[[Category:Threads]]
[[Category:Misc]]
These are the top 5 main categories. Simply paste the above into your article to add it to that category. Viewing them, you will see that some of them have subcategories. You can add articles to more than one category; for example, HaloOfTheSun's article is in both the "Members" category and the "Staff" category.
ADVERTISING:
Don't be pissed if you make an article about your website and it gets removed. The wiki's purpose is not for advertising, it's for information. Sites that have a certain amount of significance are more likely to be left in. If your article about your site is clearly an advertisement and not a collection of intresting information, then it will most probably be deleted. There is, for now, an advertising forum in the forums if you have to advertise.
I think that has everything covered. If you're still unsure about anything, just ask here.
