Thelemapedia:How to Contribute

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Current revision

This page is written to help you make great contributions to Thelemapedia. It really is a snap, and we encourage new editors to jump right in. There is one thing that needs to be said right up front:

The perfect Thelemapedia article does not exist. 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.

This page focuses on content, and does not give much in the way of wiki markup (the code that formats text). You can find out the basics of wiki markup in the Really Simple Tutorial or on the full Wiki Markup page which lists everything in detail.

Table of contents

1 Step 1: What to cook

1.1 Adding a topic that does not yet exist on Thelemapedia
1.2 Adding to an existing topic

2 Step 2: Finding the ingredients

2.1 Sources of information

2.1.1 Online sources for Crowley
2.1.2 Other online sources

3 Step 3: Boiling it down

3.1 What TO include
3.2 What NOT to include
3.3 Test your contribution

4 Step 4: Serve it up

4.1 The introduction
4.2 Detailed sections
4.3 Other sections
4.4 Categories
4.5 Formatting

-==Key Policies==
+This page is written to help you make great contributions to Thelemapedia. It really is a snap, and we encourage new editors to jump right in. There is one thing that needs to be said right up front:
-Thelemapedia is a collaborative [http://meta.wikipedia.org/ Wiki] project with a central purpose:
+<center><div style="padding:10px;border:1px solid #666;width:80%;text-align:left;">''The perfect Thelemapedia article does not exist. 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.''</div></center>
-<b><i>To create the largest and most reliable source of information relating to Thelema.</i></b>
+This page focuses on content, and does not give much in the way of wiki markup (the code that formats text). You can find out the basics of wiki markup in the [[Thelemapedia:Really_Simple_Tutorial|Really Simple Tutorial]] or on the full [[Thelemapedia:Wiki_Markup|Wiki Markup]] page which lists everything in detail.
-Thelemapedia is an open source project, meaning that no entry has copyright protection. This leads to the first two Prime Directives:
+==Step 1: What to cook==
-Prime Directive #1: '''Only post material that you own or that is in the public domain.'''<BR>
+There are two basic places to start:
-Prime Directive #2: '''Everyone has the right to edit your entries'''
+#Creating a new topic
+#Adding to an existing topic
-You are a Thelemapedia editor. Although we do have Executive Editors, their main function is to help expand the site and monitor entries that might be inappropriate for the intended context. The vast majority of the editing will be done by the active participants. Because of the volatile nature of many in the Thelemic community, we have instituted:
+===Adding a topic that does not yet exist on Thelemapedia===
-Prime Directive #3: '''Content wars are completely forbidden.'''
+Okay, you want to add a whole new article. Great! Here are the basic flavors of adding a new topic:
-Entering into a content war is a fast way to getting banned from contributing to Thelemapedia. This is an encyclopedia, not a platform for individual agendas. If a serious disagreement about content occurs, you may make a '''[[Mediation Request]]'''.
+# '''You already know what you want to write about.''' Just do a search on the site to make sure it isn't already there. Then go on to [[#Step 2: Finding the ingrediants|step two]].
+# '''You have no idea what to write about.''' No problem! Here are some choices:
+::*'''[[Thelemapedia:Projects|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 more info).
+::*'''[[Special:Wantedpages|List of all empty pages.]]''' These are pages that have links to them but don't contain any information (I'm sure you've noticed by now that links to empty pages are red). 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.
-Read the '''[[Thelemapedia Editorial Policy]]''' for more information about editing and contributing to Thelemapedia.
+===Adding to an existing  topic===
-===General Principles===
+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:
-'''Avoid bias.''' Articles should be written from a neutral point of view, representing differing views on a subject fairly and sympathetically. If something is a general opinion, state it as such.
+#'''[[Thelemapedia:Projects|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.
+#'''[[Special:Shortpages|Stubs.]]''' Stubs are pages that have a really really short entry. These pages need your help!
+#'''[http://www.thelemapedia.org/index.php?title=Special:Whatlinkshere&target=Template%3AThelema Articles that need Thelemic info.]''' 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.
-'''Don't infringe copyrights.''' Thelemapedia is a free encyclopedia licensed under the terms of the [http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html GNU Free Documentation License]. Submitting work which infringes copyrights threatens our objective to build a truly free encyclopedia that anyone can redistribute, and could lead to legal problems.
+==Step 2: Finding the ingredients==
-'''Thelemapedia is an encyclopedia.''' It is not a dictionary, soapbox, discussion forum, site mirror, or link repository. It is not a place to bash other people or groups.
+Now that you know what you want to write about, you need to go about finding good information. But first, here are some important principles to keep in mind:
+*'''Thelemapedia is an encyclopedia.''' It is NOT a journal, blog, or personal website (for more, see [[Thelemapedia:What_Thelemapedia_is_not|what Thelemapedia is not]]). Articles SHOULD reflect knowledge that is generally accepted in the Thelemic community, drawing from EXPERT SOURCES or COMMON KNOWLEDGE. Articles should NOT advocate your personal beliefs or report on your subjective experiences.
+*'''Crowley comes first.''' At Thelemapedia, [[Aleister Crowley]] is considered to be the primary source of information regarding Thelema and magick. He is by no means the ''only'' source, of course, but Thelemic information should most often come from him before anyone else.
-'''Respect other contributors.''' Thelemapedia contributors have widely different views. Treating others with respect is key to collaborating effectively in building an encyclopedia. For some guidelines, see the Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikiquette Etiquette Guide], and our [[Dispute Resolution]] page.
+For other important Thelemapedia policies, see the [[Thelemapedia:Editorial_Policy|Editorial Policies]] page.
-Other than what you see here, we subscribe to the general <B>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Policies_and_guidelines MediaWiki policies]</B>, which we highly recommend reading.
+===Sources of information===
+On Thelemapedia, information should come from the ''knowledge base'', meaning books and other publications (and the Web in rare instances). The idea is to reference material in a concise, neutral way. Think of Thelemapedia articles as short high school research papers.
+Since Thelemapedia is a reference site, information needs to come from verifiable sources, especially books and peer-reviewed journals (and the Web in some cases). As was said above, Crowley is considered to be the best source for Thelemic information. Other excellent writers include: [[Israel Regardie]], Lon Milo DuQuette, [[Kenneth Grant]], Gerald Del Campo, Rodney Orpheus, Martin Starr, Lawrence Sutin, Richard Kaczynski, [[Sabazius]], Dionysos Thriambos, [[Hymenaeus Beta]], [[Jack Parsons]], and [[J.F.C. Fuller]]. If writing on topics that are not explicitly Thelemic in nature, other expert writers should be referenced.
-==How to Edit a Page==
+====Online sources for Crowley====
-It is very easy to edit a Thelemapedia page. Simply click on the "Edit this page" link at the top or bottom (also on the sidebar) of a Wiki page to change the page itself, or click on "Discuss this page" link and then on "Edit this page" to write on the corresponding talk page. This will bring you to a page with a text box containing the editable text of that Wiki page.
+'''Useful research tip:''' Google is your friend. One way to get lots of information quickly is to do detailed searches on specific sites. For example, if you wanted to know what Crowley said about "Baphomet", you could do a search on [http://www.google.com Google] with the following in the search box: "Crowley Baphomet site:hermetic.com" which would return all hits for Crowley and Baphomet on the site Hermetic.com.
-Then type away, write a short edit summary on the small field below the edit-box and when finished press "Save"! You can also preview your changes before saving if you like. Besure to check out the formatting markup commands below...they are very easy to use and can make your entry much easier to read and use.
+Some excellent online sources for Crowley (and some other Thelemic writers) are:
+*[http://www.hermetic.com/ The Hermetic Library]
+*[http://mysteria.com/liber/ One Stop Libri Shop]
+*[http://www.the-equinox.org/ The Equinox]
+*[http://larabell.org/Hanuman/ The Ape of Thoth]
+*[http://pturing.firehead.org/occult/thelema/ A.'.A.'. Collection]
+*[http://altreligion.about.com/library/texts/bl_thoth.htm The Book of Thoth]
+*[http://mysteria.com/liber/L_418.txt The Vision and the Voice]
+*[http://billheidrick.com Thelema Lodge Calendar]
-When editing a page, a logged-in user has the option of flagging the edit as a "minor edit". When to use this is somewhat a matter of personal preference. The rule of thumb is that an edit of a page that is spelling corrections, formatting, and minor rearranging of text should be flagged as a "minor edit". A major edit is basically something that makes the entry worth relooking at for somebody who wants to watch the article rather closely, so any "real" change, even if it is a single word.
+====Other online sources====
-==Thelemapedia Markup==
+'''Esoteric References'''
+*'''[http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm Sacred Texts Archive]''' (this site it too awesome!)
+*[http://www.bulfinch.org/ Bulfinch’s Mythology]
+*[http://www.esotericarchives.com/ Twilit Grotto: Archives of Western Esoterica]
+*[http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/folktexts.html Folklore & Mythology]
+*[http://www.rosslyn.org/library.htm Rosslyn Sanctuary Library]
+*[http://www.astro.com/astrology/in_intro_e.htm Astro.com] (astrology)
+*[http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/ Skeptic's Annotated Bible]
+*[http://www.sacred-magick.com/Main.html Sacred Magick Esoteric Library]
+*[http://www.choronzon.com/tocmirror/tzimon/Magidict/magdic1.html Magick Dictionary]
-Wiki does not use normal HTML for most markup options. Here are the basic methods for formatting your entries. There are a lot of other of <B>[http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_User%27s_Guide:_Editing_overview#The_wiki_markup Wiki formatting options]</B>, so be sure to check those out.
+'''General References'''
+*[http://www.encyclopedia.com Encyclopedia.com]
+*[http://www.about.com About.com]
+*[http://reference.allrefer.com All Reference]
+*[http://www.bartleby.com/ Bartleby]
+*[http://www.loc.gov/ U.S. Library of Congress]
+*[http://www.refdesk.com/ RefDesk.com]
+*[http://www.infoplease.com/almanacs.html InfoPlease]
-If you want to try some of these out, you can play in the '''[[Temp Zone]]'''. There, you can mess around as much as you want without worry...it will get cleaned out every so often.
+'''Open source sites'''
-<table width="100%" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0">
+Open-source sites have material that is openly available, as long as you conform to a few rules. It is possible to take text from these sites ''verbatim'' as long as you properly cite the source. For example, if you copy over the article "Ratchet", then you must put a reference at the bottom of the page, such as:
+*Adapted from: Wikipedia. (2005). ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratchet Ratchet]''. Retrieved on July 7, 2005.
+More on citing and referencing is later in this article. But first, here are some quality open-source encyclopedias with much information on the occult:
-<tr bgcolor="#F3F4E5">
+*[http://en.wikipedia.org/ Wikipedia]
-            <td width="50%" align="center">'''What it looks like'''</td>
+*[http://sourceryforge.org/ SourceryForge]
-            <td width="50%" align="center">'''What you type'''</td>
+*[http://www.acadine.org/w/Main_Page Acadine Archive]
-          </tr>
+*[http://www.internet-encyclopedia.org/ Wikinfo]
+*[http://wikisource.org/ WikiSource]
-<tr valign="top">
+==Step 3: Boiling it down==
-            <td width="50%">
-''Italics'', '''bold''', <em><strong>bold italics</strong></em>.
-            </td>
-            <td width="50%">
-              <pre>
-''Italics'', '''Bold''', ''''Bold Italics''''.
-          </pre>
-*These are double and triple <B><I>apostrophes</i></b>, not double quotes.
-            </td>
-          </tr>
-<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#F3F4E5">
+Once you've gathered your research, it's time to start putting it together.
-            <td width="50%">
-              <p>You can also write <i>italic</i> and <b>bold </b>using HTML. </p>
-            </td>
-            <td width="50%">
-              <pre>
-You can also write &lt;i&gt;italic&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;b&gt;bold&lt;/b&gt;
-using HTML.
-          </pre>
-            </td>
-          </tr>
-<tr  valign="top" bgcolor="#F3F4E5">
+First, organize what you've found into logical chunks (for example, [[Magick]] has the following chunks: Traditional definitions, Modern definitions, Magick as ritual, Systems of magick, etc.).
-            <td width="50%">
-              <p>This is how to [[make a link]].</p>
-              <p>Putting any text in double brackets creates a link to an internal
-                Thelemapedia page. If that page doesn't yet exist, the link will be orange, and clicking the
-                link will create the new page. (This is one way to create new pages). </p>
-            </td>
-            <td width="50%" valign="top">
-              <pre>
-This is how to [[make a link]].
-            </pre>
-            </td>
-          </tr>
-<tr valign="top">
+Gather up some good quotes that support each of the sections. Depending on the nature of the topic, you might end up including it as a verbatim quote, or you might paraphrase it. Either way, you need to cite the source, and include it in the References section ([[#Step 4: Serve it up|see below]]).
-            <td width="50%">
-Same target, different name: [[Billy Boy|Billy]].
-* This will show the link "Billy" but go to a page called "Billy Boy".</td>
-            <td width="50%">
-              <pre>
-Same target, different name: [[Billy Boy|Billy]]
-          </pre>
-            </td>
-          </tr>
-<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#F3F4E5">
+Then start the writing proper. Synthesize the information and use friendly, accessible language. Define technical jargon. Try to take the more complex concepts and boil them down to their basic components.
-            <td width="50%">External link: [http://www.scarletwoman.org Scarlet Woman Lodge]
-</td>
-            <td width="50%">
-              <pre>
-External link: [http://www.scarletwoman.org Scarlet Woman Lodge]
-          </pre>
-            </td>
-          </tr>
-<tr valign="top">
+Also, keep the article in an encyclopedic style. Be objective: avoid personal language or references to yourself. Be concise and clear. Remember, the goal is to educate someone who has minimal knowledge on the topic at hand...do not assume knowledge in the reader. Don't be afraid to state the obvious: not everyone knows that [[Aleister Crowley]] wrote Liber AL, also called ''[[The Book of the Law]]''.
-            <td width="50%">Or just give the URL: http://www.scarletwoman.org
-            </td>
-            <td width="50%">
-              <pre>
-Or just give the URL: http://www.scarletwoman.org
-          </pre>
-            </td>
-          </tr>
-<tr bgcolor="#F3F4E5" valign="top">
+===What TO include===
-            <td width="50%">
+* Material that references the knowledge base, esp. Crowley, as well as other Thelemic writers
-              <p>Start your sections with header lines:</p>
+* Concise writing that is clear and easy for a "beginner" to understand
-              <h2>Section</h2>
+* Lucid summaries of important elements of a topic, divided by headers
-              <h3>Subsection</h3>
+* Neutral, third-person writing (e.g. &quot;Crowley believed...&quot; or "It has been shown that...")
-              <h4>Sub-subsection&lt;/h4&gt;
+* The obvious without being redundant
-            </td>
-            <td width="50%">
-              <pre>
-== Section ==
+===What NOT to include===
+* Verbatim information from copyrighted sources (unless you own the copyright)
+* Essays on your personal theory of magick, symbols, ritual, Thelema, etc.
+* Writing that sound preachy, poetic, or mysterious
+* Lots of technical jargon without definitions or links
+* Rants, personal opinions, or attacks on other people or groups
+* Detailed information or quotes without citations or references
+* First-person writing (e.g. "I believe..." or "I have found that...")
+* Value-oriented statements (e.g. "It is unfortunate that...")
+* Unverified blanket terms (e.g. "Most Thelemites read Liber AL daily.")
+* "Peacock" terms (e.g. an important... one of the best... the greatest...)
+* "Weasel" terms (e.g. Some people say...	...has been called...	It is believed that...)
-=== Subsection ===
+===Test your contribution===
+Here are some thought experiments to help you test whether your contribution fits the needs of Thelemapedia:
-==== Sub-subsection ====
+* Does the article sound like one person's opinion or like an objective report?
-        </pre>
+* Does the article make sense if the reader gets to it as a random page?
-*This is very useful and easy to use. After three top sections are created, a table of contents is automatically generated at the top of the article.
+* Imagine yourself as a layman in another English-speaking country. Can you figure out what the article is about in the first two or three sentences?
-            </td>
+* Would a reader want to follow some of the links?
-          </tr>
+* Does the reader need to have several years of study to understand the terms and concepts?
-<tr valign="top">
+==Step 4: Serve it up==
-            <td width="50%">
-A picture: [[image|http://www.scarletwoman.org/wiki/images/frontpage/crowley.png]]
-*Only images that have been uploaded to Thelemapedia can be used. To upload images, use the [http://www.scarletwoman.org/wiki/index.php/Special:Upload upload page]. You can find the uploaded image on the [[image list]]
-*To learn everything about using images, read the '''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Picture_tutorial Wikipedia Picture Tutorial]'''.
-            </td>
-            <td width="50%">
-              <pre>
-A picture: [[Image:crowley.jpg]]
-          </pre>
-              <p>or, with alternate text (<em>strongly</em> encouraged)</p>
-              <pre>
-[[Image:wiki.png|Thelemapedia]]
-          </pre>
-              <p>Web browsers render alternate text when not displaying an image
-                  -- for example, when the image isn't loaded, or in a text-only
-                  browser, or when spoken aloud.
-            </td>
-          </tr>
-<tr valign="top" bgcolor="#F3F4E5">
+Most articles will have the following basic structure:
-            <td width="50%">
-              <p>Redirect one article title to another by putting text like this in its first line.</p>
-            </td>
-            <td width="50%">
-              <pre>
-#REDIRECT [[United States]]   </pre>
-* This is useful for topics with many referent names, such as The Scarlet Woman, Great Whore, and Mother of Abominations all redirecting to the single entry, Babalon.
-            </td>
-          </tr>
-         </table>
-==Creating a New Entry==
+#'''Brief intro'''—a lead section which is brief but sufficient to define and summarize the topic
+#'''Detailed sections'''—covering the major aspects of the topic (be sure to use headers!)
+#'''See also'''—List of links to other relevant Thelemapedia articles
+#'''External links'''—to relevant sites of interest
+#'''References'''—citing sources used
+#'''Categories'''—add any that fit
-First Things First:<BR>
+===The introduction===
-#'''SEARCH Thelemapedia''' to see whether someone has written a similar page before you start one yourself.<BR>
-#Review the '''naming conventions''' of the project you are working in before naming a new page or setting up a new index page.
-#Read '''[[Thelemapedia Article Basics]]''' and the '''[[Thelemapedia Editorial Policy]]'''.
-===Ways to start a new page===
+Please, write a brief summary at the beginning of your article (if you are writing a new one). It should include a definition of the topic (if a definition makes sense), set the context, and establish significances, large implications, and ''why we should care.'' The title should be highlighted in bold the first time it appears in an article, but not thereafter.
-'''1) Start a page from an existing link'''. If the link is <font color="#FF9933">orange</font>, that means that nothing has been written for that topic yet. Simply click on that link and begin typing in the text box.
+===Detailed sections===
-'''2) Create a link from an existing page'''. While you are editing some existing page, if a word or phrase strikes you as if it ought to have an encyclopedia article of its own, just put it in double square brackets, <pre>[[like this]]</pre>When you save the present page, that word will magically link to the Thelemapedia article by the same name.
+After the introduction should come the various topical sections. These should be concise, and written with short sentences and friendly language. Divide them up with [[Thelemapedia:Wiki_Markup#Section_Headings|headers]].
-'''3) Start a page from the [[Temp Zone]]'''. Edit the Temp Zone, then create a new link. Then create/edit your new page by clicking on the link and writing new text. Note: The Temp Zone is periodically erased, so remember to bookmark the page(s) you have created, in order to edit them again in the future. If you are a registered user, it will also appear under "My contributions" in the Quickbar.
+===Other sections===
-'''4) Starting a page by editing the URL.''' Simply enter something like the following into your browser as a page address:
+* '''See also.''' This section contains a list of links to relevant Thelemapedia articles.
-<pre>http://www.scarletwoman.org/wiki/Sample_page_title</pre>
+* '''External sites.''' Links to webpages that present information relevant to the topic
-Replacing "Sample_page_title" with whatever you want the page to be called.
+* '''References.''' VERY IMPORTANT...please list your sources. [[Thelemapedia:Really_Simple_Tutorial_(content)#Citing_sources|Please review how]].
-This will bring up a template page that informs you that there is currently no text in the page yet. So, click on the "Edit" link at the top of that page, and presto! you are now editing your brand new page.
+===Categories===
-==Links of Interest==
+Thelemapedia has a neat function that makes creating categories very easy. To add any page to a category, simply type <nowiki>[[Category:Category name]]</nowiki> at the very bottom of the article. This will automatically add that page to the category listing and a link will be created at the bottom of the article.
-[[Thelemapedia Editorial Policy]]
+Pages can belong to multiple categories. For example, the article [[Thelema]] belongs to [[:Category:Thelema]] and [[:Category:Numbers]]. The code looks like this:<BR/><nowiki>[[Category:Thelema]] [[Category:Numbers]]</nowiki>
-[[Thelemapedia Article Basics]]
+Here is a list of all [[Special:Categories|Thelemapedia categories]]. If there isn't an existing category for an article, when you add the category code at the bottom, it automatically creates that category. Note that, although "uncreated" categories will correctly list articles that have been assigned to them, the category page itself does not exist until it is manually created. The easiest way to create the category page is to follow the edit link from an article and add a parent category and a category description.
-[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Avoiding_common_mistakes Avoiding Common Mistakes] (from Wikipedia)
+===Formatting===
-[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Policies_and_guidelines#Content_guidelines Content Guidelines] (from Wikipedia)
+Add formatting to your articles, such as italics, bolds, indented paragraphs, bulleted lists, etc.
-[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style Manual of Style] (from Wikipedia)
+Again, if you want to find out how to format your text, you can find out the basics of wiki markup in the [[Thelemapedia:Really_Simple_Tutorial|Really Simple Tutorial]] or on the full [[Thelemapedia:Wiki_Markup|Wiki Markup]] page which lists everything in detail.
-[http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_User%27s_Guide MediaWiki User's Guide]
+Also, be sure to add links to other Thelemapedia articles. When you do create links, link only one or a few instances of the same term; don't link all instances of it. You can also find out about linking in the [[Thelemapedia:Really_Simple_Tutorial (the basics)#Links|Really Simple Tutorial]].
+==Where to go from here==
+{{help}}
+[[Category:Thelemapedia]]