View source for Help:Contributing to WikiAnimal

== What is WikiAnimal? ==
WikiAnimal is a wiki about animals. All of them!

It's purpose is to create a free content knowledge base of all branches of the animal kingdom in an atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation. 

Have a question? [[Special:Contact|Ask a question]] 

== Contributing to WikiAnimal ==
You do not need to create an account to edit WikiAnimal however your IP address will be recorded and publicly visible to the public (same as Wikipedia). You can avoid this by creating an account.

'''You can create an account''' '''without using your real name''' '''or''' '''supplying an email address'''. However, by supplying your real name you can be credited for your contributions.

To minimize spam and wiki vandalism a CAPTCHA system is in place and there is 2 levels of account:

* Newbie account: will need to enter a CAPTCHA for each edit until the account is 3 days old and has made 5 edits. Contributions will be moderated. Automated spamming is a real issue for wiki sites and this is the first level defense against spam.
* Confirmed account: 
** Once the account is 3 days old and has made 5 edits you will no longer need to enter a CAPTCHA when contributing to the wiki.
** You can bypass the CAPTCHA immediately by adding and confirming an email address on your account.
The reason for this is that WikiAnimal does not have a large team of people to monitor edits 24 hours a day like Wikipedia does. The goal is to keep the wiki free from spam, vandalism and any abuse. The CAPTCHA and moderation means that anyone who is intent on spamming or vandalism has to put some considerable effort into doing it. Unfortunately, as a result, this may be frustrating for genuine authors until their account is either confirmed by age or email. However, we hope that if you are a genuine author you will understand the need to do this and stick with it.

'''If you are a known expert / notable in an animal related field''' and are willing provide details please [[Special:Contact|contact WikiAnimal]] to skip CAPTCHA and moderation.

'''Before making a contribution...'''

* Please check if it already exists; is there a pages for it already that you can add to? Or does the information already exist on a page that can just be updated?

WikiAnimal is based on MediaWiki which is the same framework as Wikipedia therefore the same principles apply. For help on using and editing WikiAnimal start here: [[wikipedia:Category:Wikipedia_how-to|Wikipedia how to]].

Never edited a wiki before? Practice in the [[mediawikiwiki:Project:Sandbox|Mediawiki sandbox]].

Have a question? [[Special:Contact|Ask a question]].

=== Do I need to create a new page? ===
Check that the page you want does not already exist, or that the information doesn't already exist on another page. Do a search for the name of your proposed new page, and see what is returned.

=== How to start a new page ===
The best way to start a new page, then, is to create a link to that page from an existing page, and then follow that link to edit the page. We prefer that you start at the Main Page and browse around, or use the search functionality, to find a related topic. For example, if you're going to write about a city, you might search for the guide for the country or province where that city is, and make your link there.

If there's really just nothing related to link from, just enter the page name into the search box, you will get an option to create the page.

To create a new link using Wiki markup, type the title of the new page -- preferably conforming to our article naming conventions -- somewhere on the screen, placing it between double square brackets. This will create a link to a new blank page with the title you specified between the brackets.

=== Something is better than nothing ===
Don't feel like you have to cover your entire subject in one go. It's OK to just get started even with just a small amount of information.

If you make a stub to start the article, other people will follow your lead and add more information. Something is better than nothing, so plunge forward and start that page!

=== Wikimedia Commons ===
Commons is a handy source for maps and pictures which may be used on WikiAnimal. Those images are available for re-use here.
== Author content guidelines ==
WikiAnimal is a collective knowledge base made by people who are fascinated by animals. Any topic or contribution is welcomed by the WikiAnimal community providing it represents animals in a positive way and this may include information pertaining to animal welfare and protection. 

Contributions should:

* be truthful and cited when applicable,
* not be offensive or derogatory,
* be your own work or credit given to the original content creator (for copyright claims please contact [[Special:Contact|WikiAnimal]])
* not be written in an emotive tone; the facts should speak for themselves,
* written so that external links do not appear in the main body of the text.

Have a question? [[Special:Contact|Ask a question]] or [[Special:CreateAccount|create an account]].

=== Page title naming convention ===

* Brackets '( )' should not be used in titles as this cause complications when sharing a page to other sites. For example, use 'Animal name - elephant' not 'Animal name (elephant).
[[Category:Help index]]