Many users are looking for ways to help out the DSP Wiki... here are some of the best ways you can pitch in, no matter what your experience level with editing Wiki articles!
For a quick guide on MediaWiki Editing Basics, check out Help:Formatting.
If you'd like to tackle a more difficult type of edit that is outside your comfort zone, we'd like to provide one tip:
- You cannot "break" the wiki with an edit - we can always fix anything that was done wrong.
So don't worry - go ahead and give it a try, and if it doesn't look right or "breaks" something, reach out to another experienced user or an admin, and we can either fix it, or roll it back.
Minor Changes
Minor changes rarely need any experience or knowledge of Wiki Markup. They are things you typically stumble upon while just reading an article, that catch your eye. They also take very little time, often only a couple of minutes.
- Spelling or Grammar changes
- If you notice a spelling or grammar error, you are more than welcome to just jump in and correct it. However, please do not create "spelling wars" between American and British spellings of the same word - both are acceptable to DSP Wiki. See the Style Guide for more on what standards we do have in place.
- Flagging a page for update
- You may notice that a page has incorrect or unclear information, but be uncomfortable with editing it yourself. That's fine, you can still help! Edit the page, and add an appropriate Template to indicate what needs to be updated, and a more experienced editor will take a look soon.
- These are pages which redirect to another page, but the target page no longer exists. This could be because the target was deleted, or moved elsewhere. If you can find a more appropriate page to point the redirect to, then edit the page to change the target. (Tip: It's good practice to visit the deleted or moved page, and then click "What Links Here" in the toolbox, to see if any other pages need to be updated)
- These are pages which redirect to another page, which in turn redirects to yet another. This can delay page loading for users when the Wiki is busy. To fix these, make a note of the final destination, and then edit the first page to change the redirect to that final destination. (Tip: It's good practice to visit each of the other redirects in the chain to make sure they are also updated correctly)
Medium Changes
These changes take a little bit more time to accomplish and may require some knowledge of either the topic of the page, or common Mediawiki Markup syntax.
- These pages have been flagged as needing changes to grammar, organization or readability. Typically they do not require a detailed knowledge of the subject area to fix, just a keen eye for language and formatting. When you are finished, don't forget to remove the {{Cleanup}} template.
- These are pages which contain a link to a file (e.g. an image) that does not exist. This may be because the file has been deleted, or because it never existed. If the file is useful and you can provide it, then upload it using the 'Upload file' link in the Toolbox section of the left sidebar. If the file is not useful, then remove the link from the page. It is good practice to check whether the same file is linked elsewhere (using 'What Links Here') and to remove the links on those pages also.
- These pages do not link to any other pages on DSP Wiki. Sometimes they are on a stand-alone subject, but often they reference other areas of the game which are described in other DSP Wiki pages. Have a read through and add links to any relevant pages.
- These pages are not linked to from any other pages on DSP Wiki. There may be a good reason for this (such as user pages) but often it is a page with useful content that would be difficult for users to find without the right search terms. If you can think of other pages that make good candidates to link to these, then please add those links.
- These are pages which are not currently within any of our Categories. If you can find an existing category they would fit in, then add the page to that category. If there is not an existing category, but there are several pages on the same theme, consider creating a new category for them.
- These are categories which already exist, but have not pages within them. If there are relevant pages then add them to the category. If there are no relevant pages for that category, then flag the category for deletion with the {{Deletion}} template. Be sure to give a reason! (See the delete template's documentation for how)
- These are templates which already exist, but are not used anywhere in the wiki. This might be because common usage of the template moved to another one, or because someone started to create the template but never implemented it. If it doesn't look useful, then mark it for deletion with the {{Deletion}} template. If you can find pages to use it, however, then go ahead and put it into use.
- These are categories which have members, but do not yet exist. Creating it is as simple as giving it a short summary, like any other page. Find a common theme among the pages in the category, give it a summary, and it'll be cleared off this list!
Major Changes
Major changes involve more work, and may need to spread out over many editing sessions. In general, when working on changes in this category, it is advised to copy the page to a User Sandbox page, do all the editing there, and then copy it back when done. If you do this and it may take a while, consider adding a {{WIP}} Template to the page so others don't change the page while you're working on it elsewhere.
- These are pages which are either not yet completed, or are too short and need more information to be of use. Feel free to add to these pages to make them into a full page. Don't forget to remove the Stub template when you are finished.
- Work in Progress (working on the page)
- These are pages which are flagged as presently being worked on by someone. If the subject is something you know about, perhaps you can work together on it. Remember to remove the {{WIP}} template when the page is finished. If a page has had this flag on it for more than 30 days, then it might be ok to go ahead and edit anyway.
- Wanted Pages (building new pages)
- These are pages which have been linked to from somewhere in DSP Wiki, but do not currently exist. If the subject is not already covered in sufficient detail on an existing page, and if you have knowledge on the subject area then build a new page on the subject.
- Wanted Templates (building new templates)
- These are templates which have been linked to from somewhere in DSP Wiki, but do not currently exist. If the template would be useful for this and other pages, then build a new template. Note that template syntax can be quite daunting at first. There are several references on the Mediawiki website that can help.
Protected Pages
Some pages are Protected so that only admins can edit them. This is usually for the protection of the Wiki, not because of some sort of desire to own the content. For example, the Main Page is protected to prevent vandalism, and because it is complex in its layout and difficult to get it right. For any Protected page that needs an edit, there are two ways to go about it:
- For minor changes, reach out to an admin and tell them what page it's on and what needs to be changed.
- For more substantial changes, first copy the page (from View Source) to a User Sandbox page, and make the edits there. Then reach out to an admin and tell them what page needs the changes, and where to find the proposed, updated page on your sandbox so they can copy it.
Personal To-Do Lists
Some curators and admins maintain their own to-do lists, of pages they would like to (or plan to) update. This does not mean that they are reserving the page! You can still go ahead and edit any page you'd like (unless it's protected), but if you know that it's on someone's to-do list, it might be nice to reach out and see if you can work with them to implement their desired changes as well.
Below are links to some of our to-do lists