Help:Contents
"Help" redirects here. For the tag used in the Lonelygirl5 video blogs, see Help (tag).
For those users who are new to the wiki concept or need a little help, this page has been created. This page format was based off of Wikia's help page, but contains original information.
Registering and Logging In
Registering and logging in is not required, but recommended. You may view and edit pages without an account, but your IP address will be displayed instead of your username. Registering has many benefits: you are part of the community, you have created your identity, you can easy monitor your contributations, you can set preferences and customizations which non-logged in members cannot.
To register or log in, click the link at the top right corner of the page which reads "Log in / create account." From there, follow the instructions and you will have a working account in no time!
Editing
Because this is a wiki, anyone can edit it. This provides the most useful, accurate, complete, and up-to-date information avalible. If you don't feel comfortable making big changes, you are free to make small changes such as fixing typos or correcting mistakes.
There are two ways to edit a page by default. The first way is to click the edit tab at the top of the page. This will bring you to a page where you can enter your information. The second method is to click the link which reads "[edit]" at the end of each section in the actual article.
Once you are done editing the article, write a description of your edit in the summary box. This description will show up on the Recent changes page and makes it easier on members who wish to know what kind of edit you made. If the change you made was minor (such as fixing a typo, etc.), then select the "This is a minor edit" box.
All editors are encouraged to use the preview button before they safe their page! This will show a preview of your new page without actually saving it, and provides a place for you to make changes. Through this, you can notice any mistakes or errors before the page is actually edited.
For a quick guide to editing, please see Help:Editing.
Formatting
Wikis use a special type of formatting used in articles. This makes it even easier to apply affects such as bold, italics, underline, etc. or to add links, create subheadings, and more.
To see a full guide on editing, we recommend reading Wikipedia's formatting cheat sheet. It provides an easy-to-read, in-depth list of all the formatting codes used.
Adding New Pages
Because this is a new wiki, many pages have not been created that need to be. If you come across a subject that you would like to contribute to, but there is no existing article to place this information in, then you should add a new page.
Before you add a new page, preform a search to see if another page exists which is same topic with a different title. Simply type in the subject you are looking for in the search box to the left, and articles that contain the searched term will be listed.
One method of creating a page is to use the red links in existing articles. While blue links mean that the page it is linking to does exist, red links symbolize pages that do not exist. By clicking on one of these red links, you will be taken directly to a page to create the article.
The second method of creating a page is to preform a search for your new article's title. After the search results load, you should see something at the top that says "There is no page titled "your article". You can create this page." By clicking on "create this page," you will be taken to a page to edit your new article.
Asking for Help
If you need any additional help, feel free to ask another member. Most people here are more than happy to help you. If you are looking at an article at the time, you can click on the "history" tab at the top of the page, which will provide a list of members that have made edits. By clicking on their username, you will be taken to their userpage. Click on the "discussion" tab at the top where you can ask for their help. If you've looked everywhere, but still can't figure out the answer to your question, feel free to ask at the general talk board: Lucy's Balcony.
