Thelemapedia:Where to start
From Thelemapedia
Hold it for a moment . . . . now, release it slooooooowly.
Adding stuff to Thelemapedia is no big deal. Really, it isn't. You don't have to be a Web whiz. You don't have to be a Thelemic scholar, mystic guru, or an initiate of any organization. You only need a web browser, ninth grade writing skills, and a desire to help add to the fastest growing source for knowledge about Thelema and magick.
Still think it's too hard? Okay, let's prove you wrong. Click on this link (in a new window or tab if you can) -> Temp Zone (http://www.thelemapedia.org/index.php?title=Temp_Zone&action=edit). When you get there, you'll see a text box. Type absolutely anything you want and hit the "Save page" button.
There, you have added to the encyclopedia! Basically, that's all there is to it. You can get to that editing box for any article by hitting the "edit" button on the grey bar at the top of every page. You type something and hit "save page". Ta daa!
Okay, you want to try something more "real"? No problem. We have a type of article called a "glossary", which contains a list of technical terms with brief definitions. Why don't you try adding one or two? Check out Glossary of Thelema or Glossary of Magick. Click on the one you are interested in and look around for a blank entry that you want to define. Then, hit the "edit" button on the grey bar. Type in a one or two sentence definition next to your term, and hit "Save page". That's it!
Of course, there is more to adding quality material to Thelemapedia. But what you have just learned is at the core of it all...editing pages. If you are ready to learn more, there are a few pages in the next section that will help you better understand Thelemapedia and how to make significant contributions.
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But first, remember to relax
Here are some things about Thelemapedia that should help you breathe easier about contributing:
- You don't have to write articles based only on what you know. In fact, please don't! Since this is an encyclopedia, it should be based on what published experts say (like Aleister Crowley). Find out what they wrote, and report it here.
- You don't have to write whole articles from scratch. Few do! Most editors add a little bit here and there. Remember, all Thelemapedia articles are open to editing by all other editors, and you are expected and encouraged to go in and add new material to them.
- Thelemapedia has nothing to do with guiding people toward enlightenment. We don't offer spiritual advice, reveal mystical secrets, or act as sages or gurus. Pretty much everything we write here can be found at the library.
- Everyone is qualified! Yes, everyone! If you can write the equivalent of a short high school research paper, you can add great material to Thelemapedia. Actually, scratch that...if you are willing to take on such humble duties as correcting spelling, fact checking, and fixing local links, you will be considered a highly valuable editor! We need all kinds around here.
- There is no such thing as a perfect article. The pathway towards that ideal is travelled by multiple editors adding what information they can and collaborating on things like content, formatting, and grammar. It is far more valuable to add lots of imperfect material than to have a trickle of "perfect" contributions.
Start with these pages
If you only read two things, read these two:
- Thelemapedia policies. Discusses the scope of Thelemapedia and the rules governing behavior. By signing on as members of the site, all editors implicitly agree to abide by these policies.
- The Really Simple Tutorial. A brief and very easy-to-swallow tutorial on working with Thelemapedia.
Other very useful pages:
- How to Contribute. The guide to adding quality content.
- Common Sources. List of common books in reference format, along with another primer on citing sources.
- What Thelemapedia is not. Useful essay explaining the nature of Thelemapedia by explaining what it isn't.
- Thelemapedia Power Structure. Who's in charge (answer: for the most part, you).
But, what should I do?
There are several valuable ways you can contribute to Thelemapedia:
Begin a new topic
Red links go to pages with no content...just click and write. Remember, you only have to start it; you don't have to finish it (other editors will come along). Here are pages to help you figure out new topics to add:
- The Projects page. This page has a list of major projects the site is trying to put together. There will always be empty pages here, and you are welcome to tackle any of them. (There are also blue links to pages that have entries but still need much more info).
- List of all empty pages. These are pages that have links to them but don't contain any information. They are listed in order of number of links. You certainly don't have to start at the top...just scroll though until you find a topic that sounds interesting.
- Start a new article. Just make sure you search first to make sure it doesn't already exist.
Edit existing articles
It is equally as valuable to add to existing pages. Many are incomplete and need more material. Remember, it is acceptable and expected for editors to make changes to articles. You are, of course, free to search and browse the site for any topic that you want to write about. You can also use the following links to find existing articles that need more material:
- The Projects page. This page has a list of major projects the site is trying to put together. The blue links go to pages that have some info already, but probably need much more.
- Stubs. Stubs are pages that have a really really short entry. These pages need your help!
- Editing required. (http://www.thelemapedia.org/index.php?title=Special:Whatlinkshere&target=Template%3AEditing_required) This page has a list of articles that require more copy- and line-editing.
- Articles that need Thelemic info. (http://www.thelemapedia.org/index.php?title=Special:Whatlinkshere&target=Template%3AThelema) Many pages on Thelemapedia have been imported from other GNU-licensed sites (see below) like Wikipedia, and are more or less complete. However, most of these have no information from a Thelemic perspective. It is up to you how much you want to do with these: you can add a single paragraph or rewrite the whole thing.
Fast and easy ways to contribute
The following tasks are actually very important on Thelemapedia, and go a long way towards improving the quality of the site. If you don't want to do research and/or don't have a lot of time, these are right up your alley.
- Correcting spelling and grammar. Pretty self-explanatory, huh?
- Formatting. You don't need to change content to make it more legible. Take what's there, move it around, add headers...do what you must to make it easier to read (please!).
- Fact-checking. Comb through articles and make sure that things stated as facts really are.
- Edit links. Add internal links when there aren't enough and take them out when there are too many. Also, some links are misspelled so that they don't connect to their intended article. Correcting these is very valuable.
- Adding citations and references. If you see quotes or statements that you know come from specific sources, help the article out by putting in a citation and links to relevant materials.
Where to go from here
- Where to start Read this if you are having trouble with getting started
- Really Simple Tutorial A friendly guide to all the basics
- Editorial Policy Basic policies regarding content and behavior on Thelemapedia
- How to Contribute A quick start primer for adding content to Thelemapedia
- Wiki Markup Full list of all the formatting code, including text, images, sections, and links
- Article Basics Find out how to write a great article
- Common Sources How to cite sources (including short libers), and a list of common books in reference format
- Projects Page List of needed articles organized by general topic
- What Thelemapedia is not
- Thelemapedia Power Structure Who's in charge
- Characters How to use Greek and Hebrew letters in your article
- Using Images How to upload and use images in your Thelemapedia articles
- Dispute Resolution What to do when the fighting breaks out
- List of boilerplate templates Automatic text messages, like the "stub" line
- Comprehensive Wikipedia Help Pages (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Contents) Everything there is to know about using a wiki
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