Difference between revisions of "Help:Style Guide"
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(Reworked into sections; added minor edits and edit summaries sections) |
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Use this guide whenever creating or editing content on this wiki. | Use this guide whenever creating or editing content on this wiki. | ||
| − | + | == Heading and Subheadings == | |
| + | |||
* This is MediaWiki, so the highest subheading level should be H2. (H1 is reserved for the article title.) | * This is MediaWiki, so the highest subheading level should be H2. (H1 is reserved for the article title.) | ||
* Heading and subheadings should be hierarchical. | * Heading and subheadings should be hierarchical. | ||
| − | + | ||
| − | + | == Categories == | |
| + | |||
* Make sure every article belongs to at least one category. It is permissible (and in some cases, preferred) for some articles to belong to multiple categories. | * Make sure every article belongs to at least one category. It is permissible (and in some cases, preferred) for some articles to belong to multiple categories. | ||
| − | * If a header block template exists for a category, be sure to use it on every article in that category. | + | * If a header block template exists for a category, be sure to use it on every article in that category. (You can find a list of templates [[http://wiki.kjodle.net/Special:AllPages?from=&to=&namespace=10|here]]. |
* This is MediaWiki, so categories can (and in many cases, should) be hierarchical. | * This is MediaWiki, so categories can (and in many cases, should) be hierarchical. | ||
| − | * If you have questions about an article, feel free to discuss them on that article's talk page. If no talk page exists for an article, feel free to create one. | + | |
| + | == Capitalization == | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Titles of articles, subheadings, etc., should always be in Title Case. That is, capitalize important words. | ||
| + | * For titles of referenced works, use MLA-style capitalization rules. (See [http://srjcstaff.santarosa.edu/~kthornle/30/CapitalizationMLAStyle.pdf this article].) | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Links == | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Add links generously when they are appropriate. | ||
| + | * Use link labels. Avoid the use of bare URLs. In other words, prefer [https://www.google.com Google] not https://www.google.com. | ||
| + | * Only add an internal link to another article on the first instance in an article, not throughout the entire article. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Copyright == | ||
| + | |||
| + | * All contributions you make should be your own writing. Anything copied from another source should be in quotation marks or a blockquote and properly attributed. | ||
| + | * All images should be free of copyright issues and properly credited in a caption. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == User Profiles == | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Fill out your user profile. Include links to your own website. Add whatever you like. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Talk Pages == | ||
| + | |||
| + | * If you have questions about an article, feel free to discuss them on that article's talk page. | ||
| + | * If no talk page exists for an article, feel free to create one. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Marking Pages with Templates == | ||
| + | |||
* Feel free to mark pages that need expanding by adding <nowiki>{{Template:Stub}}</nowiki> at the top of the article. | * Feel free to mark pages that need expanding by adding <nowiki>{{Template:Stub}}</nowiki> at the top of the article. | ||
* Feel free to mark orphan pages that need backlins by adding <nowiki>{{Template:Orphan}}</nowiki> at the top of the article. | * Feel free to mark orphan pages that need backlins by adding <nowiki>{{Template:Orphan}}</nowiki> at the top of the article. | ||
| − | * If an article is a hot mess, mark it as needed attention by adding<nowiki>{{Template:Needs Attention}}</nowiki> at the top of the article. | + | * If an article is a hot mess, mark it as needed attention by adding <nowiki>{{Template:Needs Attention}}</nowiki> at the top of the article. |
| − | * | + | |
| + | == Minor Edits == | ||
| + | |||
| + | Be sure to mark minor edits as minor edits. What constitutes a minor edit? Generally, anything that does not significantly change the the content of an article is a minor edit. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The following items '''are''' minor edits: | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Fixing typos | ||
| + | * Correcting misspellings | ||
| + | * Correcting grammar issues | ||
| + | * Correcting broken links | ||
| + | * Changing the order of sentences in a paragraph. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Anything that changes the content of an article such that the meaning of the article or of a portion of an article is changed is '''not''' a minor edit. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The following items are '''not''' minor edits: | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Adding or deleting headings | ||
| + | * Adding or deleting paragraphs | ||
| + | * Adding or deleting links | ||
| + | * Changing the order of paragraphs | ||
| + | * Changing the order of sections or subsections. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Add an Edit Summary == | ||
| + | |||
| + | An edit summary is a short (under 70 characters, generally) of what edits you have made. A good edit summary is both concise and precise. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Using quotation marks in an edit summary refers to a portion of the article with that title. For example, | ||
| + | |||
| + | <pre> | ||
| + | Added "Miscellaneous Links" | ||
| + | </pre> | ||
| + | |||
| + | means that you added a section called "Miscellaneous Links", while | ||
| + | |||
| + | <pre> | ||
| + | Added miscellaneous links | ||
| + | </pre> | ||
| + | |||
| + | means that you added various unspecified links to the article. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Both of these edit summaries could be made more precise, however: | ||
| + | |||
| + | <pre> | ||
| + | Added "Miscellaneous Links" section at end of article | ||
| + | <pre> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <pre> | ||
| + | Added link to ''Rolling Stone'' article | ||
| + | </pre> | ||
Revision as of 17:00, 8 July 2017
Use this guide whenever creating or editing content on this wiki.
Contents
Heading and Subheadings
- This is MediaWiki, so the highest subheading level should be H2. (H1 is reserved for the article title.)
- Heading and subheadings should be hierarchical.
Categories
- Make sure every article belongs to at least one category. It is permissible (and in some cases, preferred) for some articles to belong to multiple categories.
- If a header block template exists for a category, be sure to use it on every article in that category. (You can find a list of templates [[1]].
- This is MediaWiki, so categories can (and in many cases, should) be hierarchical.
Capitalization
- Titles of articles, subheadings, etc., should always be in Title Case. That is, capitalize important words.
- For titles of referenced works, use MLA-style capitalization rules. (See this article.)
Links
- Add links generously when they are appropriate.
- Use link labels. Avoid the use of bare URLs. In other words, prefer Google not https://www.google.com.
- Only add an internal link to another article on the first instance in an article, not throughout the entire article.
Copyright
- All contributions you make should be your own writing. Anything copied from another source should be in quotation marks or a blockquote and properly attributed.
- All images should be free of copyright issues and properly credited in a caption.
User Profiles
- Fill out your user profile. Include links to your own website. Add whatever you like.
Talk Pages
- If you have questions about an article, feel free to discuss them on that article's talk page.
- If no talk page exists for an article, feel free to create one.
Marking Pages with Templates
- Feel free to mark pages that need expanding by adding {{Template:Stub}} at the top of the article.
- Feel free to mark orphan pages that need backlins by adding {{Template:Orphan}} at the top of the article.
- If an article is a hot mess, mark it as needed attention by adding {{Template:Needs Attention}} at the top of the article.
Minor Edits
Be sure to mark minor edits as minor edits. What constitutes a minor edit? Generally, anything that does not significantly change the the content of an article is a minor edit.
The following items are minor edits:
- Fixing typos
- Correcting misspellings
- Correcting grammar issues
- Correcting broken links
- Changing the order of sentences in a paragraph.
Anything that changes the content of an article such that the meaning of the article or of a portion of an article is changed is not a minor edit.
The following items are not minor edits:
- Adding or deleting headings
- Adding or deleting paragraphs
- Adding or deleting links
- Changing the order of paragraphs
- Changing the order of sections or subsections.
Add an Edit Summary
An edit summary is a short (under 70 characters, generally) of what edits you have made. A good edit summary is both concise and precise.
Using quotation marks in an edit summary refers to a portion of the article with that title. For example,
Added "Miscellaneous Links"
means that you added a section called "Miscellaneous Links", while
Added miscellaneous links
means that you added various unspecified links to the article.
Both of these edit summaries could be made more precise, however:
Added "Miscellaneous Links" section at end of article <pre> <pre> Added link to ''Rolling Stone'' article
