Thelemapedia:Tutorial (Wrap-up)
From Thelemapedia
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Intro |
| See Also Help & How-to docs |
You now know the basics for contributing here. Any comments or feedback on this tutorial? Feel like something wasn't explained well enough, or want to know about something that isn't here? Let us know by dropping a comment on this page's discussion page. You can also introduce yourself at The Lounge (http://www.scarletwoman.org/lounge/index.php?showforum=35). Below are some final notes and some links that you might find useful as you continue your work on the wiki.
| Table of contents |
The Zen of Wiki
Being a Thelemapedia editor is an exercise in emotional detachment. Always keep in mind that everything you add is open to editing, changing, mangling, and even deletion. This is the nature of a wiki, and if you take too much ownership of what you write here, you will end up angry or disappointed. However, if you can get into the groove of knowledge evolution as you watch articles take on a life of their own, then you can expect to be quite happy here.
Basic article structure
Although every topic is different, and some articles will have unique information structures, most will follow this general pattern:
- Brief intro—a lead section which is brief but sufficient to summarize the entire topic
- Overview—focusing more on the core of the subject, rather than the complete range
- 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, but not too many
Remember, it is okay to let other voices speak for you. If you find a quote by Crowley that explains something perfectly, use it verbatim. Just make sure you indent and cite it!
Write something in your user page
Let others know who you are, or at least what you are like and what interests you have. Just click on your name in the top right box, and start editing (now that you know how!).
Use images
Images can really spice up an article. Remember, don't use pictures that are copyrighted by someone else, unless you get their permission. Also, don't make the images too big, or they dominate the page...less is more, in this case. To learn about using images, see our detailed tutorial.
You don't have to write a complete article
Don't wait to contribute until you've written an entire article. It is completely acceptable, and even expected, that editors will add materials in a piecemeal fashion. If there is only one thing you know about a topic, then write about that one thing.
Using templates
A template is simple code that allows you to print out boilerplate text. For example, the line at the top of this page that lists all the tutorial links uses a template, in this case: {{tutorial}}. There are three templates you really need to know about and use:
- {{stub}}—used for very short articles (a paragraph or less).
- {{thelema}}—when there is an existing article that needs information relating to Thelema.
- {{partial}}—put at the top of articles that have substantial chunks missing, but is longer than a stub.
For a full list of existing templates, see this Help page.
Help files
If you need to know more, you can probably find it in one of these Help documents:
- 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
It's okay to ask for assistance
No one expects you to be a perfect Thelemapedia editor on day one. Just get in there and start adding quality material...just be open to suggestions for how to improve your encyclopedic writing. Remember, it's all about the end user—if one comes away confused, or even worse, in error, then we have failed. If you have any questions at all about adding to Thelemapedia, you can come by The Lounge (http://www.scarletwoman.org/lounge/index.php?showforum=35) or just email the Managing Editor (mailto:admin@thelemapedia.org), Ash.
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