Help:Introductory guide - Revision history

Mike: /* Style Do's */ Added "Prefer spelled-out phrases to abbreviations"

2009-09-17T09:29:35Z

Style Do's: Added "Prefer spelled-out phrases to abbreviations"

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:29, 17 September 2009
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	;Do things the Wikipedia way		;Do things the Wikipedia way
	:Readers of Wikipedia should feel familiar with the look and navigation of NDWiki. This way we keep the threshold low for newcomers who probably used Wikipedia before visiting this wiki.		:Readers of Wikipedia should feel familiar with the look and navigation of NDWiki. This way we keep the threshold low for newcomers who probably used Wikipedia before visiting this wiki.

			;Prefer spelled-out phrases to abbreviations
			:Avoid the use of abbreviations, including acronyms, in page naming unless the term you are naming is almost exclusively known by its abbreviation.

	== Style Don'ts ==		== Style Don'ts ==

Mike: /* Style Do's */ Be consistent, Prefer singular nouns, Use the same terms and structure as in the ND-documentation and Do things the Wikipedia way

2009-09-17T09:28:01Z

Style Do's: Be consistent, Prefer singular nouns, Use the same terms and structure as in the ND-documentation and Do things the Wikipedia way

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:28, 17 September 2009
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	== Style Do's ==		== Style Do's ==
	~~{{Missing}}~~		;Be consistent
			:An overriding principle is that style and formatting should be consistent within a NDWiki article. Being consistent within an article promotes clarity and cohesion.

			;Prefer singular nouns
			:Article titles are generally singular in form. Exceptions include nouns that are always in a plural form in English (like scissors or trousers), and names of classes of objects that require a plural.

			;Use the same terms and structure as in the ND-documentation
			:This makes it easier to use this Wiki together with the documentation. It also make it easier to keep the cohesion when transferring knowledge from documentation to the wiki.

			;Do things the Wikipedia way
			:Readers of Wikipedia should feel familiar with the look and navigation of NDWiki. This way we keep the threshold low for newcomers who probably used Wikipedia before visiting this wiki.

	== Style Don'ts ==		== Style Don'ts ==

Mike: /* Namespaces */ NDWiki:List of namespaces -> Help:Namespaces

2009-08-31T17:07:38Z

Namespaces: NDWiki:List of namespaces -> Help:Namespaces

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:07, 31 August 2009
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	== Namespaces ==		== Namespaces ==
	Page titles in are composed of two parts: an optional namespace name, and the remainder of the title. For example, this page has the title <code>{{NAMESPACE}}:{{PAGENAME}}</code>, so it is in the ''{{NAMESPACE}} namespace''. A title without a colon, for example <code>[[Norsk Data]]</code>, is in the ''main namespace''. For a full description of the NDWiki namespaces, see [[~~NDWiki~~:~~List of namespaces~~]].		Page titles in are composed of two parts: an optional namespace name, and the remainder of the title. For example, this page has the title <code>{{NAMESPACE}}:{{PAGENAME}}</code>, so it is in the ''{{NAMESPACE}} namespace''. A title without a colon, for example <code>[[Norsk Data]]</code>, is in the ''main namespace''. For a full description of the NDWiki namespaces, see [[Help:Namespaces]].

	== Style Do's ==		== Style Do's ==

Mike: Replaced some "stuff" with "systems"

2009-01-05T21:05:25Z

Replaced some "stuff" with "systems"

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:05, 5 January 2009
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	That said, never expect anything you write on the Wiki to remain as you wrote it - it completely defeats the purpose of the Wiki if there is anything that can't be rewritten, expanded upon, and improved. By the same token, you should feel free to edit anything you see here.		That said, never expect anything you write on the Wiki to remain as you wrote it - it completely defeats the purpose of the Wiki if there is anything that can't be rewritten, expanded upon, and improved. By the same token, you should feel free to edit anything you see here.

	Always remember that this Wiki is about Norsk Data ~~related stuff~~ - all the information here should be about Norsk Data ~~related stuff~~, and all information on Norsk Data ~~related stuff~~ should be here. Keep contributions relevant, and contribute everything relevant that you know and we don't. That way, we can create the ultimate Norsk Data resource possible!		Always remember that this Wiki is about Norsk Data systems - all the information here should be about Norsk Data systems, and all information on Norsk Data systems should be here. Keep contributions relevant, and contribute everything relevant that you know and we don't. That way, we can create the ultimate Norsk Data resource possible!

	== Wiki Etiquette & Style ==		== Wiki Etiquette & Style ==
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	=== Collaboration ===		=== Collaboration ===
	Finally, the single most important aspect of a Wiki is that it brings together the knowledge of all so that everyone can learn everything about Norsk Data ~~related stuff~~. Without contributions from everyone, the Wiki cannot be all it could be - this is your official invitation to contribute to the Wiki in every way you can!		Finally, the single most important aspect of a Wiki is that it brings together the knowledge of all so that everyone can learn everything about Norsk Data systems. Without contributions from everyone, the Wiki cannot be all it could be - this is your official invitation to contribute to the Wiki in every way you can!

	== The Community Here at NDWiki ==		== The Community Here at NDWiki ==

Mike: You need to create an account to be able to edit this wiki

2008-12-06T21:32:21Z

You need to create an account to be able to edit this wiki

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:32, 6 December 2008
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	This is an introductory guide to contributing to the Wiki. It will describe what should be Wiki'd, how to do so, and what a good Wiki article should contain. This is a very important thing to read, if you aren't familiar with the Wiki concept. Also of note is the [[Help:Wiki Editing Syntax Guide\|Wiki Editing Syntax Guide]], which is all about how you do different things in a Wiki.		This is an introductory guide to contributing to the Wiki. It will describe what should be Wiki'd, how to do so, and what a good Wiki article should contain. This is a very important thing to read, if you aren't familiar with the Wiki concept. Also of note is the [[Help:Wiki Editing Syntax Guide\|Wiki Editing Syntax Guide]], which is all about how you do different things in a Wiki.

	First of all, ~~know that~~ you are very strongly encouraged to contribute to the Wiki - this resource is only as useful as we make it! There is no reason for anyone to be shy about editing a page and sharing some insights - this is very helpful to us all.		First of all, you need to [[Help:Creating an account\|create an account]] to be able to edit this wiki. You are very strongly encouraged to contribute to the Wiki - this resource is only as useful as we make it! There is no reason for anyone to be shy about editing a page and sharing some insights - this is very helpful to us all.

	Never worry about "breaking" the Wiki - there's nothing you can do that can't easily be fixed. There are several people who check the [[Special:Recentchanges\|Recent Changes]] page regularly, and they'll fix any mistakes you've made.		Never worry about "breaking" the Wiki - there's nothing you can do that can't easily be fixed. There are several people who check the [[Special:Recentchanges\|Recent Changes]] page regularly, and they'll fix any mistakes you've made.
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	== Style Don'ts ==		== Style Don'ts ==
	Some specific rules on style (how to write ~~pages~~):		Some specific rules on style (how to write articles):
	;Don't use colons in page titles.		;Don't use colons in page titles.
	:Colons are used in wiki to designate namespaces (e.g. User:, Template:, etc.). While the article will generally behave correctly, it's best not to tempt fate.		:Colons are used in wiki to designate namespaces (e.g. User:, Template:, etc.). While the article will generally behave correctly, it's best not to tempt fate.
Line 68:		Line 68:
	:The page title is automatically displayed at the top of the page (effectively as a level one header). Hence the title should not be repeated at the beginning of the page text.		:The page title is automatically displayed at the top of the page (effectively as a level one header). Hence the title should not be repeated at the beginning of the page text.

	;Don't use First or Second Person		;Don't use First or Second Person in articles
	:Don't be chatty. Don't talk about "I" or "you". Just present the info straightforward.		:Don't be chatty. Don't talk about "I" or "you". Just present the info straightforward.

Mike: /* Namespaces */ Moving "list of namespaces" to it's own page

2008-12-02T18:05:09Z

Namespaces: Moving "list of namespaces" to it's own page

@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
 == Namespaces ==
-Page titles in are composed of two parts: an optional namespace name, and the remainder of the title. For example, this page has the title <code>{{NAMESPACE}}:{{PAGENAME}}</code>, so it is in the ''{{NAMESPACE}} namespace''. A title without a colon, for example <code>[[Norsk Data]]</code>, is in the ''main namespace''.
+Page titles in are composed of two parts: an optional namespace name, and the remainder of the title. For example, this page has the title <code>{{NAMESPACE}}:{{PAGENAME}}</code>, so it is in the ''{{NAMESPACE}} namespace''. A title without a colon, for example <code>[[Norsk Data]]</code>, is in the ''main namespace''. For a full description of the NDWiki namespaces, see [[NDWiki:List of namespaces]].
 == Style Do's ==

Mike: Help:Contributing moved to Help:Introductory guide: A better name that describe the page

2008-12-02T11:20:40Z

Help:Contributing moved to Help:Introductory guide: A better name that describe the page

← Older revision	Revision as of 11:20, 2 December 2008
(No difference)

Mike: Added "Namespaces" section. Change to Missing template

2008-11-13T11:11:53Z

Added "Namespaces" section. Change to Missing template

@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 Finally, the single most important aspect of a Wiki is that it brings together the knowledge of all so that everyone can learn everything about Norsk Data related stuff. Without contributions from everyone, the Wiki cannot be all it could be - this is your official invitation to contribute to the Wiki in every way you can!
-== The Community Here at ND Wiki ==
+== The Community Here at NDWiki ==
 The people here are friendly, helpful, and absolutely want '''you''' to join us! If you would like to join here, contribute, and help maintain the Wiki, then you'll get along just fine. If you just want to learn something, that's OK too! It is, after all, what we are here for. But we encourage everyone to sign up, to create a User Page, and to check out the [[Special:Recentchanges|Recent Changes]] - to see what's happening! Add your opinion to discussions, make some articles better, and have a good time - that's what this Wiki is about.
@@ Line 53: / Line 53: @@
 Also, when responding to someone, use :'s at the beginning of each paragraph to indent the paragraph, so it's easier to see who said what. Take a look at a few Talk pages, and this will make sense.
 == Style Do's ==
-''(Here we need some text)''
+{{Missing}}
@@ Line 78: / Line 124: @@
 ''(This text is initially a (partial) copy from [http://baronsbazaar.invisionzone.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=User:DragoonWraith/Help:Wiki_Editing_Style_Guide&oldid=2231 Baron's Bazaar Diablopedia Help:Wiki Editing Style Guide])''
 [[Category:Help pages|{{PAGENAME}}]]

Mike: Fixing copy and paste error, adding category

2008-11-11T06:36:34Z

Fixing copy and paste error, adding category

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:36, 11 November 2008
Line 40:		Line 40:
	Finally, the single most important aspect of a Wiki is that it brings together the knowledge of all so that everyone can learn everything about Norsk Data related stuff. Without contributions from everyone, the Wiki cannot be all it could be - this is your official invitation to contribute to the Wiki in every way you can!		Finally, the single most important aspect of a Wiki is that it brings together the knowledge of all so that everyone can learn everything about Norsk Data related stuff. Without contributions from everyone, the Wiki cannot be all it could be - this is your official invitation to contribute to the Wiki in every way you can!

	== The Community Here at ~~TESCS~~ Wiki ==		== The Community Here at ND Wiki ==
	The people here are friendly, helpful, and absolutely want '''you''' to join us! If you would like to join here, contribute, and help maintain the Wiki, then you'll get along just fine. If you just want to learn something, that's OK too! It is, after all, what we are here for. But we encourage everyone to sign up, to create a User Page, and to check out the [[Special:Recentchanges\|Recent Changes]] - to see what's happening! Add your opinion to discussions, make some articles better, and have a good time - that's what this Wiki is about.		The people here are friendly, helpful, and absolutely want '''you''' to join us! If you would like to join here, contribute, and help maintain the Wiki, then you'll get along just fine. If you just want to learn something, that's OK too! It is, after all, what we are here for. But we encourage everyone to sign up, to create a User Page, and to check out the [[Special:Recentchanges\|Recent Changes]] - to see what's happening! Add your opinion to discussions, make some articles better, and have a good time - that's what this Wiki is about.

Line 78:		Line 78:


			''(This text is initially a (partial) copy from [http://baronsbazaar.invisionzone.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=User:DragoonWraith/Help:Wiki_Editing_Style_Guide&oldid=2231 Baron's Bazaar Diablopedia Help:Wiki Editing Style Guide])''

	~~''(This text is initially a (partial) copy from~~ [~~http~~:~~//baronsbazaar.invisionzone.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=User:DragoonWraith/~~Help~~:Wiki_Editing_Style_Guide&oldid=2231 Baron's Bazaar Diablopedia Help:Wiki Editing Style Guide~~]~~)''~~		[[Category:Help pages\|{{PAGENAME}}]]

Mike: Partial copy from Baron's Bazaar Diablopedia

2008-11-10T18:12:45Z

Partial copy from Baron's Bazaar Diablopedia

New page

This is an introductory guide to contributing to the Wiki. It will describe what should be Wiki'd, how to do so, and what a good Wiki article should contain. This is a very important thing to read, if you aren't familiar with the Wiki concept. Also of note is the [[Help:Wiki Editing Syntax Guide|Wiki Editing Syntax Guide]], which is all about how you do different things in a Wiki.

First of all, know that you are very strongly encouraged to contribute to the Wiki - this resource is only as useful as we make it! There is no reason for anyone to be shy about editing a page and sharing some insights - this is very helpful to us all.

Never worry about "breaking" the Wiki - there's nothing you can do that can't easily be fixed. There are several people who check the [[Special:Recentchanges|Recent Changes]] page regularly, and they'll fix any mistakes you've made.

That said, never expect anything you write on the Wiki to remain as you wrote it - it completely defeats the purpose of the Wiki if there is anything that can't be rewritten, expanded upon, and improved. By the same token, you should feel free to edit anything you see here.

Always remember that this Wiki is about Norsk Data related stuff - all the information here should be about Norsk Data related stuff, and all information on Norsk Data related stuff should be here. Keep contributions relevant, and contribute everything relevant that you know and we don't. That way, we can create the ultimate Norsk Data resource possible!

== Wiki Etiquette & Style ==
This is a public place, and so we all have to get along here. There are several ways to help that happen.

=== Keeping Things Civil ===
The most important thing is to never take things personally. Your contributions '''will''' be edited, changed, perhaps even removed - it's all for the sake of making this guide as useful as possible, none of it is ever meant personally.

That doesn't mean that you always have to agree with an edit someone else has made. Every page in this Wiki has a Talk page for this purpose - it's a convenient place to discuss possible changes to the page in question. If you think an edit was made that shouldn't have been, bring it up in the Talk page. If you make a particularly large change to an article, start a discussion of it in the Talk page, explaining why you've made the changes you did. Communication makes a community, and if we all discuss things civilised, we'll always be on good terms here.

This also means not signing articles. This is a group effort, and we're working to teach others, not to gain credit for how much effort we put in or to show off how much we know.

On the other hand, it is very important to sign discussions, be they in Talk pages or general discussion pages (such as the [[NDWiki:Community Portal]]. This allows everyone to know who is saying what and makes conversations flow much more smoothly.

=== The Summary Bar, Minor & Major Edits ===
When you edit a page, you will be given a box in which to type a summary - '''please''' make use of it! These summaries appear on the [[Special:Recentchanges|Recent Changes]] page, and allow us to know what you edited.

Under this, there is a checkbox for a Minor edit - Minor edits are typo fixes, formatting changes, and spelling corrections - and all additions or changes to the content of a page should ''never'' be marked Minor. If in doubt, leave it unchecked - it's better for someone to check a Minor edit than for someone to miss a Major edit!

== The Greatness of a Wiki ==
The Wiki format is absolutely perfect for this endeavor! There are three things about Wikis that make them incredibly useful when utilized properly:

=== Links ===
Wiki articles should be '''full''' of links. This is the Internet - nothing should be isolated. Wikis are designed to allow and encourage the use of internal links - an article should link to many other relevant articles. Every time you use a term which has further info on it - link to the article (it is not necessary to link to the same article over and over, of course).

In general, huge articles should be avoided on the Wiki - keep articles short and focussed. This allows people to find information far more quickly, without having to scrounge through a long article. It also makes it easier to link to a given piece of information if it's not part of a huge mega-article.

=== Categories ===
All pages on the Wiki should be in one or more Categories - it makes them much easier to find. Remember, you don't '''just''' want users to find your article - you want them to be able to find all the information they need, and the easiest way for them to do that is if things are categorized together neatly. This is another reason why articles should be short and focused - Categories show the title of an article, and if you have a large article that covers a lot of topics, it's impossible to write a succinct title that will let users know everything you have in that article. If you split up the article into separate articles for each topic, users will be able to find exactly what they are looking for just by reading the titles.

=== Collaboration ===
Finally, the single most important aspect of a Wiki is that it brings together the knowledge of all so that everyone can learn everything about Norsk Data related stuff. Without contributions from everyone, the Wiki cannot be all it could be - this is your official invitation to contribute to the Wiki in every way you can!

== The Community Here at TESCS Wiki ==
The people here are friendly, helpful, and absolutely want '''you''' to join us! If you would like to join here, contribute, and help maintain the Wiki, then you'll get along just fine. If you just want to learn something, that's OK too! It is, after all, what we are here for. But we encourage everyone to sign up, to create a User Page, and to check out the [[Special:Recentchanges|Recent Changes]] - to see what's happening! Add your opinion to discussions, make some articles better, and have a good time - that's what this Wiki is about.

=== User Pages ===
Have a look at your [[Special:MyPage|User Page]] - write something in it! It's great for experimenting with Wiki syntax, and for telling us all a little about yourself. People may also leave you messages in your User Talk page - this is a great way to ask about other people, to ask questions of some of our very experienced modders, or to thank someone for making a great contribution to the Wiki!

=== Talk Pages ===
Talk pages are where all the behind-the-scenes stuff happens in a Wiki. Sometimes you think something should be changed in an article, but aren't sure how - ask in the Talk page, and see what people think!

Always sign your contributions to discussions - it makes it very difficult to Talk if you don't know who you are talking to. Sign your post with <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>, which will insert your name (as a link to your user page), and the date and time you made the edit.

Also, when responding to someone, use :'s at the beginning of each paragraph to indent the paragraph, so it's easier to see who said what. Take a look at a few Talk pages, and this will make sense.

== Style Do's ==
''(Here we need some text)''

== Style Don'ts ==
Some specific rules on style (how to write pages):
;Don't use colons in page titles.
:Colons are used in wiki to designate namespaces (e.g. User:, Template:, etc.). While the article will generally behave correctly, it's best not to tempt fate.

;Don't Repeat the Page Title
:The page title is automatically displayed at the top of the page (effectively as a level one header). Hence the title should not be repeated at the beginning of the page text.

;Don't use First or Second Person
:Don't be chatty. Don't talk about "I" or "you". Just present the info straightforward.

;Don't Submit Useless Information
:Keep in mind that the point of the wiki is to communicate information that is ''likely to be useful'' to readers of the wiki. (Note the "likely".)

== Conclusion ==
Now you have a pretty good idea what the Wiki is all about, and you're ready to start contributing yourself!

But if you don't know Wiki syntax, that can be a pretty daunting task. For that reason, we also have the [[Help:Wiki Editing Syntax Guide|Wiki Editing Syntax Guide]]! Check that out if you have any questions!

''(This text is initially a (partial) copy from [http://baronsbazaar.invisionzone.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=User:DragoonWraith/Help:Wiki_Editing_Style_Guide&oldid=2231 Baron's Bazaar Diablopedia Help:Wiki Editing Style Guide])''