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GMC Forum _ Wiki Writers _ Wiki Help & Guidelines

Posted by: Andrew Cockburn Dec 2 2007, 04:02 PM

Welcome to the GMC Wiki board!

As an author you have been hand picked to add content to the GMC Wiki - congratulations!

This post is an attempt to give some guidelines for articles - how to approach writing them and what is/is not good practice. It will evolve over time as we learn more about the best ways of using the Wiki. Please feel free to add comments and suggestions, and I will add hem into the guidelines.

The link to the wiki is:

http://guitarmasterclass.net/wiki

Wiki Tutorial started by Maria:

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/wiki/index.php/Wikipedia:Tutorial

Thanks a lot Maria!

Now for the actual guidelines:

1. Appropriate Content.At all times, content of the Wiki must be suitable for its audience - that means adhering to the applicable guidelines in the general GMC forum - the link is http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=5086.

2. Bias/Even handedness. We are writing an encyclopedia here, and should attempt to be even handed in how we present facts. When writing wiki articles it is okay to include opinion based information but only if it meets 3 important criteria.

1.) It should be relevant and important.

2.) It should have general consensus. Which means it shouldn't just be one person's opinion but a an opinion widely held to be true by a larger group of individuals.

3.) State an opinion as such. Often times people will say things like "Tube amps are regarded as better than solid state amps..." But that is misleading. That sentence makes it seem like there may be some study or proof to back that statement up. A better way to write it is "A large portion of musicians have expressed that tube amps have an overall improved tonal quality over their solid state counterparts though different benefits exist for each." Another option is to just use the word 'opinion' like "It is many musicians opinion that Tube amps are better than solid state amps."

3. Stub articles/Links. An important part of a Wiki is its extensibility. You may want to write an argumen about for instance pickups. You want to assume that everyone know what a pickup is and the pros and cons of humbuckers and single coils. that is great for your article, and you go ahead and write it that way. But we can do a little better than that. The first time you mention the word pickup, and you feel that there is a whole level of detail that could be added, make it a link and it will appear in red in the Wiki. This means that the text doesn;t exist but someone can come along later and fill it out. By making the link you are acknowledging the need for an article, and inviting others to fill it in - its a great way of increasing collaboration and providing a program of work for others to pick up. So, as you are writing your article, think a little about the terms you use, and whether or not they are suitable for other articles. Another way of soing this is to actually create the article but leave it mostly blank for someone else to fill in. this is called a Stub Article.

4. Editing. We want the Wiki to have a consistent look and feel. Everyone has a different writing style, many people don't have English as a first language. That isn't important - it is the content we are after. So, take your best shot, and I will edit new articles for language, grammar and consistency.

Posted by: Hardtail Dec 3 2007, 12:56 AM

I would add under the "Bias / Even-handedness" topic to just keep your own opinion out of it. When writing wiki articles it is okay to include opinion based information but only if it meets 3 important criteria.

1.) It should be relevant and important.

2.) It should have general consensus. Which means it shouldn't just be one person's opinion but a an opinion widely held to be true by a larger group of individuals.

3.) State an opinion as such. Often times people will say things like "Tube amps are regarded as better than solid state amps..." But that is misleading. That sentence makes it seem like there may be some study or proof to back that statement up. A better way to write it is "A large portion of musicians have expressed that tube amps have an overall improved tonal quality over their solid state counterparts though different benefits exist for each." Another option is to just use the word 'opinion' like "It is many musicians opinion that Tube amps are better than solid state amps."

Otherwise I like the guidelines! Good job. biggrin.gif

Hardtail

Posted by: Andrew Cockburn Dec 3 2007, 02:07 AM

Thanks - I liked your version a lot better than mine so I replaced it smile.gif

Posted by: mattacuk Dec 4 2007, 08:31 PM

Good work Guys. PS, has Andrew turned into a Teletubbie? dry.gif

Posted by: Andrew Cockburn Dec 5 2007, 12:11 AM

QUOTE (mattacuk @ Dec 4 2007, 02:31 PM) *
Good work Guys. PS, has Andrew turned into a Teletubbie? dry.gif


Matt - its a moderator thing ... I am sworn to secrecy unsure.gif

Posted by: Hardtail Dec 5 2007, 02:36 AM

QUOTE (mattacuk @ Dec 4 2007, 02:31 PM) *
Good work Guys. PS, has Andrew turned into a Teletubbie? dry.gif


Lol Matt I am wondering the same thing laugh.gif

Hardtail

Posted by: mattacuk Dec 5 2007, 08:51 AM

QUOTE (Andrew Cockburn @ Dec 4 2007, 11:11 PM) *
Matt - its a moderator thing ... I am sworn to secrecy unsure.gif

laugh.gif laugh.gif I hope you know that Tinky Winky was the , err "Flamboyant" one ! laugh.gif laugh.gif wink.gif

Posted by: superize May 15 2008, 11:03 PM

How do you i start writing an arcticle??? I hav elooked and looked but i cant find anything

Posted by: Andrew Cockburn May 15 2008, 11:14 PM

Have a look at this - I'll try to write something a little better soon ...

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/wiki/index.php/Wikipedia:Tutorial

Posted by: superize May 15 2008, 11:20 PM

I cant edit the page it said that. The action you have requested is limited to users in one of the groups Members, Root Admin, Administrators, GMC Instructor, Wiki-sysops, GMC Senior, GMC Wiki:er.


Posted by: Canis May 15 2008, 11:21 PM

Are you logged in?
Or maybe the Student Instructor group isn't added yet..

Posted by: Nick325 May 15 2008, 11:26 PM

QUOTE (superize @ May 15 2008, 06:20 PM) *
I cant edit the page it said that. The action you have requested is limited to users in one of the groups Members, Root Admin, Administrators, GMC Instructor, Wiki-sysops, GMC Senior, GMC Wiki:er.



that happened to me once but i tried it a little later and it worked fine

Posted by: OrganisedConfusion May 15 2008, 11:51 PM

I'm amazed after today to be honest. It seems like the most confusing thing ever but it actually does it all for you. All you need to do is write the thing. Whoever designed the thing is a genius and I love it.

Posted by: superize May 16 2008, 09:52 AM

I still cant write anything. Gets the same message as before

Posted by: Kristofer Dahl May 16 2008, 10:09 AM

This has been fixed - and works for Superize now! smile.gif

Posted by: superize May 16 2008, 06:21 PM

I need help with the article i am writing now.....

I am writing a dicography and i want the listing to be like this
1.
2.
3.

But even tho i have write like that it shows like this in my article

1. 2. 3.

And how do i edit the page at the top becuase i cant find anything

Posted by: OrganisedConfusion May 16 2008, 06:45 PM

hey. After every item add <br>

So

1. Hop<br>
2. Jump<br>
3. Skip<br>
4. Bounce

etc.

Hope this helps smile.gif

Posted by: superize May 16 2008, 06:53 PM

That helped thanks what about the top of the page how do i edit that

Posted by: Andrew Cockburn May 17 2008, 01:02 PM

QUOTE (OrganisedConfusion @ May 16 2008, 01:45 PM) *
hey. After every item add <br>

So

1. Hop<br>
2. Jump<br>
3. Skip<br>
4. Bounce

etc.

Hope this helps smile.gif


Thats one way, another way is to use a '#' symbol - the wiki interprets this as a numbered list as follows:

# First point
# second point
# 3rd point
## 1st sub point of 3rd point
## 2nd sub point of 3rd point
# 4th point

etc.

Superize, I don;t understand what you mean about editing the top? Do you mean the banner? That can't be changed ...

Posted by: superize May 17 2008, 01:03 PM

QUOTE (Andrew Cockburn @ May 17 2008, 02:02 PM) *
Thats one way, another way is to use a '#' symbol - the wiki interprets this as a numbered list as follows:

# First point
# second point
# 3rd point
## 1st sub point of 3rd point
## 2nd sub point of 3rd point
# 4th point

etc.

Superize, I don;t understand what you mean about editing the top? Do you mean the banner? That can't be changed ...


If you lokk at my artical Andrew on the top i cant get the latin part away

Posted by: superize May 19 2008, 05:00 PM

Just though i should ask is it ok the insert lyrics from a band in a article

Posted by: jer Oct 22 2008, 05:39 PM

Are there recommended "sections" for differnt categories?

For example, Fran suggested these to me after my Judas Priest entry. I can see how they'd fit for a band/artist, but what about other categories? Like albums? Wing it?

==Introduction==

blah blah
blah blah

==History==
blah blah
blah blah

==Discography==
blah blah
blah blah

==Band Members==
blah blah
blah blah

==Related GMC lessons==
blah blah
blah blah




Posted by: Fran Oct 22 2008, 06:16 PM

You can use this template for album reviews:
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/wiki/index.php/Album_Review_Template

It's pretty much the same one used in the forum album reviews. Feel free to add or take any section if don't see it fit for your album.

As for the Gear reviews, you can use this template:
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/wiki/index.php/Guitar_Wiki:Gear_Review_Template

Again, depending on the article you may need to add/change some of the sections, these templates are meant to be a general rule, a guide to help you guys make your own reviews, and they show the desired info to be included, but there are always exceptions.

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