Wikimd:How to start a page

How to Start a WikiMD Page

If you're new to the world of WikiMD, here's a guide to start your journey! Additionally, consider exploring:

• Understanding Wiki Markup: wikimd:How to edit a page
• General editing tasks: wikimd:Editing FAQ
• Best practices for contributions: contributing to WikiMD

Note: Portions of this page might be outdated. Updates will be made periodically.

For edits, please direct to Meta-WikiMD version of this page.

General Principles for Starting a Page

• Always Search to avoid duplicating content. Check if a similar topic exists before creating a new one.
• Starting a page from an existing link is advisable. This pertains to "red links" or "ghost links", which are yet-to-be-created article links already mentioned in other content. More on this later.
• Always establish context. Begin with a brief introduction. For instance, avoid statements like "His third novel..." since the context might be unclear to someone unfamiliar with the referred author.
• Consult naming conventions for titling your page. This ensures relevancy and reduces potential for page renaming in the future.
• Your first sentence should be comprehensive and should highlight the title or primary theme of the article.

Methods to Start a New Page

1. From an existing link
2. By manipulating the URL
3. Using the sandbox

Starting from an Existing Link

While browsing WikiMD, you might stumble upon links pointing to unwritten pages. These appear in red, like this: Sample article title (This is a non-functional link for demonstration purposes only).

If you're logged in, these can also appear as a small question mark. Upon clicking, you'll encounter a prompt:

You've clicked on a non-existent page link.

To craft this page, begin typing below:

Then, dive into creating your content. To preview your work, use the "show preview" button. If satisfied, click "Save".

Linking to Other Pages

During your edit, if you feel a particular term or phrase should have its own article, wrap it in double square brackets: [[like this]]. This action is often termed as "wikifying". When saved, such terms either link to existing articles or emerge as red links, which can later evolve into full-fledged articles.

Initiating a Page via URL Editing

Another approach is to directly modify the browser's URL. For instance:

http://www.wikimd.com/wiki/Desired_article_title

Replace "Desired_article_title" with your intended article name. However, a word of caution: this method produces orphaned pages, or pages that aren't linked from any other article, which isn't ideal.

Commencing a Page from the Sandbox

The sandbox is another tool at your disposal.

• Edit the sandbox and create a new link.
• Build your content by clicking on this new link.

Reminder: The sandbox undergoes routine clean-ups. If you've made significant edits or created pages, bookmark them. Registered users can also find them under "My contributions" in the Quickbar. And remember the point about orphans!

Additional Tips

Proofreading is key! Consider using a spell checker before publishing. Some editors prefer to work offline and then paste their refined content back. Creating unique, valuable content is invaluable to enhancing the depth and breadth of WikiMD.

Important: WikiMD is an open-content platform. Contributions are licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. Always respect copyrights. More details can be found at wikimd:Copyrights. Unauthorized copyrighted content is prohibited.

Also Explore

• Naming guidelines: wikimd:Naming conventions
• Page redirection: wikimd:Redirect