Team:Purdue/A crash-course in Wiki editing

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The formatting "language" used to edit and add content to a Wiki is designed to be accessible to all skill levels. While maintaining proper style and adding content in a logical way is encouraged, all contributions are appreciated and can be adjusted as need be. However, there are two facts you must consider when editing a page: One, everything you submit is stored permanently. Don't put anything private or embarrassing online. Two, nothing you submit is displayed permanently. Don't be concerned about proper use of templates, or consistent header divisions, or grammar. Anyone on our team can evaluate and fix your work. The only way our Wiki can be successful is if you contribute.

All that said, you may want to put together an attractive page on your own. This guide should help you set up the basics. Feel free to add your own tips, and questions can always be posted on the discussion page.

But I don't know how to program!

You don't need to know how to program. You don't even need to know HTML. If you can handle Microsoft Word, you can edit a Wiki. That said, there are some higher-level topics that involve things like templates, HTML, and content-embedding that will challenge the average user. Work at the level you are comfortable.

Creating and editing pages=

At the top of every page should be a few options. "Page" directs you to the page you are currently viewing. "Discussion is a special page that is associated with every normal page; this is a good place to discuss problems, justify edits, or suggest new content without getting your hands dirty. "Edit" is where you can manipulate the content of the page and then submit your changes. "History" will show you every edit made to the page, sorted by time and annotated with the user that changed the page.

After making your edits, you can include a summary of why you changed the page or what you added. You can also indicate whether it is a minor edit, such as a grammar or spelling fix. It's recommended that you preview your page before submitting it.