Book description
Want to be part of the largest group-writing project in human history? Learn how to contribute to Wikipedia, the user-generated online reference for the 21st century. Considered more popular than eBay, Microsoft.com, and Amazon.com, Wikipedia servers respond to approximately 30,000 requests per second, or about 2.5 billion per day. It's become the first point of reference for people the world over who need a fact fast.
If you want to jump on board and add to the content, Wikipedia: The Missing Manual is your first-class ticket. Wikipedia has more than 9 million entries in 250 languages, over 2 million articles in the English language alone. Each one is written and edited by an ever-changing cast of volunteer editors. You can be one of them. With the tips in this book, you'll quickly learn how to get more out of -- and put more into -- this valuable online resource.
Wikipedia: The Missing Manual gives you practical advice on creating articles and collaborating with fellow editors, improving existing articles, and working with the Wikipedia community to review new articles, mediate disputes, and maintain the site. Up to the challenge? This one-of-a-kind book includes:
- Basic editing techniques, including the right and wrong ways to edit
- Pinpoint advice about which types of articles do and do not belong on Wikipedia
- Ways to learn from other editors and communicate with them via the site's talk pages
- Tricks for using templates and timesaving automated editing tools
- Recommended procedures for fighting spam and vandalism
- Guidance on adding citations, links, and images to your articles
Table of contents
-
Wikipedia: The Missing Manual
- SPECIAL OFFER: Upgrade this ebook with OâReilly
- A Note Regarding Supplemental Files
- The Missing Credits
- Introduction
-
I. Editing, Creating, and Maintaining Articles
- 1. Editing for the First Time
- 2. Documenting Your Sources
- 3. Setting Up Your Account and Personal Workspace
- 4. Creating a New Article
- 5. Who Did What: Page Histories and Reverting
-
6. Monitoring Changes
- The User Contributions Page
- Wikipediaâs Standard Watchlist
- Multiple Watchlists
- Real-Time Monitoring Alternatives
- 7. Dealing with Vandalism and Spam
-
II. Collaborating with Other Editors
- 8. Communicating with Your Fellow Editors
- 9. WikiProjects and Other Group Efforts
- 10. Resolving Content Disputes
-
11. Handling Incivility and Personal Attacks
- Enforcing Norms of Conduct
-
Dealing with Incivility and Personal Attacks
-
Initial Responses
- Donât respond until you can respond unemotionally
- Donât attack back
- Decide if you even need to respond
- Donât comment about problematical behavior on article talk pages
- If you respond, be factual, not emotional
- Your response should depend on the editor
- Donât argue about warnings
- Read other editorsâ essays about civility
- Explore Less Formal Solutions
- Use Formal Processes
-
Initial Responses
- When You Get Irritated (or Worse)
- 12. Lending Other Editors a Hand
-
III. Formatting and Illustrating Articles
- 13. Article Sections and Tables of Contents
- 14. Creating Lists and Tables
- 15. Adding Images
-
IV. Building a Stronger Encyclopedia
- 16. Getting Readers to the Right Article: Naming, Redirects, and Disambiguation
- 17. Categorizing Articles
-
18. Better Articles: A Systematic Approach
- Avoid Surprises
- Donât Suppress or Separate Controversy
- Reorganize and Edit Existing Content
- Donât Take Article Scope as a Given
- Improve the Citation of Sources
- Build the Web
- Look for Guidance and Examples
- Add Sourced Content
- Remove Cruft and Duplication
- Get the Wording Right
- Make the Article Look Appealing
- 19. Deleting Existing Articles
- V. Customizing Wikipedia
-
VI. Appendixes
- A. A Tour of the Wikipedia Page
- B. Readerâs Guide to Wikipedia
- C. Learning More
- Index
- About the Author
- Colophon
- SPECIAL OFFER: Upgrade this ebook with OâReilly
Product information
- Title: Wikipedia: The Missing Manual
- Author(s):
- Release date: January 2008
- Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
- ISBN: 9780596553777
You might also like
book
Generative Deep Learning, 2nd Edition
Generative AI is the hottest topic in tech. This practical book teaches machine learning engineers and …
book
Designing Data-Intensive Applications
Data is at the center of many challenges in system design today. Difficult issues need to …
book
Kerberos: The Definitive Guide
Kerberos, the single sign-on authentication system originally developed at MIT, deserves its name. It's a faithful …
book
Seriously Good Software
Seriously Good Software is a handbook for any professional developer serious about improving application quality. It …