Rules and guidelines: Difference between revisions
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'''Note that the rules below are in the process of being revised. See [[Talk:Rules]] and [[In-House Style]] for details.''' | '''Note that the rules below are in the process of being revised. See [[Talk:Rules]] and [[In-House Style]] for details.''' | ||
==Before | ==Before creating a new article== | ||
Before you create a new article in the knowledge base, check to see if the topic hasn't already been covered somewhere. Do a search and browse the relevant articles. You don't want to waste time by adding information that already exists. | Before you create a new article in the knowledge base, check to see if the topic hasn't already been covered somewhere. Do a search and browse the relevant articles. You don't want to waste time by adding information that already exists. | ||
==Naming | ==Naming conventions== | ||
In general, try to use [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Naming_conventions Wikipedia's Naming conventions] except when these differ from what is described below. | In general, try to use [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Naming_conventions Wikipedia's Naming conventions] except when these differ from what is described below. | ||
===Specify the | ===Specify the application=== | ||
When you create a new article, specify the application to which the article applies by putting "Firefox", "Thunderbird", or "Mozilla Suite" in parentheses at the end of the name of the article. If the article applies to two or more products, omit the parentheses and do not specify the applications in the title. | When you create a new article, specify the application to which the article applies by putting "Firefox", "Thunderbird", or "Mozilla Suite" in parentheses at the end of the name of the article. If the article applies to two or more products, omit the parentheses and do not specify the applications in the title. | ||
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Note: this is a change from the old naming convention, in which article titles indicated whether articles were "FAQs", "Tips", or "Issues" (e.g., [[Thunderbird : FAQs : Global Inbox]]). Many of the existing articles were created under the old naming system and have not yet been renamed. Please do '''not''' follow this old naming system when creating new articles. | Note: this is a change from the old naming convention, in which article titles indicated whether articles were "FAQs", "Tips", or "Issues" (e.g., [[Thunderbird : FAQs : Global Inbox]]). Many of the existing articles were created under the old naming system and have not yet been renamed. Please do '''not''' follow this old naming system when creating new articles. | ||
===Application | ===Application names=== | ||
Application name links should only use the application name, such as "Firefox" | Application name links should only use the application name, such as "Firefox", "Thunderbird", "Nvu", "Sunbird", or "Camino" and '''not''' "Mozilla Firefox", "Mozilla Thunderbird" or "Linspire Nvu". The exception is the Mozilla Suite, which should be linked to and called "Mozilla Suite", not "Mozilla", "Suite", "Seamonkey", or any other name. | ||
* Bad: <nowiki>[[Bookmarks (Mozilla Firefox)]]</nowiki> | * Bad: <nowiki>[[Bookmarks (Mozilla Firefox)]]</nowiki> | ||
* Bad: <nowiki>[[Profile locked (Suite)]]</nowiki> | * Bad: <nowiki>[[Profile locked (Suite)]]</nowiki> | ||
Layout issues or other things should use Gecko as the application name. | Layout issues or other things should use Gecko as the application name. | ||
===Use | ===Use short titles=== | ||
When possible, use short page titles. There's no need for a link to include the entire grammatically complete form of a question, especially when a few descriptive words would suffice. | When possible, use short page titles. There's no need for a link to include the entire grammatically complete form of a question, especially when a few descriptive words would suffice. | ||
* Good: <nowiki>[[Send page or link (Mozilla Suite)]]</nowiki> | * Good: <nowiki>[[Send page or link (Mozilla Suite)]]</nowiki> | ||
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*Bad: <nowiki>[[Importing and Exporting Your Mail]]</nowiki> | *Bad: <nowiki>[[Importing and Exporting Your Mail]]</nowiki> | ||
This is allowed when the article name is | This is allowed when the article name is (or contains) a term that begins with a capital letter, such as [[Search Bar]] or [[Junk Mail Controls]]. See [[In-House Style]] for the list of common terms. | ||
==Article | ==Article categories== | ||
(Please refer to the discussion at [[Talk:Rules/Categories]] until the guidelines for categories are finalized and written up.) | (Please refer to the discussion at [[Talk:Rules/Categories]] until the guidelines for categories are finalized and written up.) | ||
==Editing | ==Editing courtesy== | ||
* Any time you edit a page, please add a short comment in the "Summary" field about the change you made. This makes it easier for others to see what has changed. Importantly, it can help make it easier for us to distinguish knowledge base spamming/vandalism from legitimate contributions. | * Any time you edit a page, please add a short comment in the "Summary" field about the change you made. This makes it easier for others to see what has changed. Importantly, it can help make it easier for us to distinguish knowledge base spamming/vandalism from legitimate contributions. | ||
* If you find yourself wanting to change an entry back to an earlier revision, ask yourself if the current version had a useful purpose, and whether it really is necessary to change it back. | * If you find yourself wanting to change an entry back to an earlier revision, ask yourself if the current version had a useful purpose, and whether it really is necessary to change it back. | ||
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* If someone consistently makes certain types of mistakes or formatting quirks, consider placing a message in their User page. | * If someone consistently makes certain types of mistakes or formatting quirks, consider placing a message in their User page. | ||
==Superfluous | ==Superfluous information== | ||
* In knowledge base articles, do not insert signatures, links to sites that are not related to Mozilla products, or other superfluous information. If you want to give a link to your own personal website, for example, then put it in your User page, not in the article. In short, if the information or link is not directly related to the topic of the article, then don't include it in the article. | * In knowledge base articles, do not insert signatures, links to sites that are not related to Mozilla products, or other superfluous information. If you want to give a link to your own personal website, for example, then put it in your User page, not in the article. In short, if the information or link is not directly related to the topic of the article, then don't include it in the article. | ||
* Of course, signatures are welcome (even helpful) in the Talk pages, so do not hesitate to use them there. | * Of course, signatures are welcome (even helpful) in the Talk pages, so do not hesitate to use them there. | ||
==Test | ==Test editing pages== | ||
* A [[sandbox|sandbox]] for showing off the wiki's features. | * A [[sandbox|sandbox]] for showing off the wiki's features. | ||
* Another [[misc:testpage | test page]] - Now with extra markup tests! | * Another [[misc:testpage | test page]] - Now with extra markup tests! | ||
Revision as of 07:45, 27 March 2005
Note that the rules below are in the process of being revised. See Talk:Rules and In-House Style for details.
Before creating a new article
Before you create a new article in the knowledge base, check to see if the topic hasn't already been covered somewhere. Do a search and browse the relevant articles. You don't want to waste time by adding information that already exists.
Naming conventions
In general, try to use Wikipedia's Naming conventions except when these differ from what is described below.
Specify the application
When you create a new article, specify the application to which the article applies by putting "Firefox", "Thunderbird", or "Mozilla Suite" in parentheses at the end of the name of the article. If the article applies to two or more products, omit the parentheses and do not specify the applications in the title.
Examples where the article applies to just one application:
Examples where the article applies to two or more applications:
Note: this is a change from the old naming convention, in which article titles indicated whether articles were "FAQs", "Tips", or "Issues" (e.g., Thunderbird : FAQs : Global Inbox). Many of the existing articles were created under the old naming system and have not yet been renamed. Please do not follow this old naming system when creating new articles.
Application names
Application name links should only use the application name, such as "Firefox", "Thunderbird", "Nvu", "Sunbird", or "Camino" and not "Mozilla Firefox", "Mozilla Thunderbird" or "Linspire Nvu". The exception is the Mozilla Suite, which should be linked to and called "Mozilla Suite", not "Mozilla", "Suite", "Seamonkey", or any other name.
- Bad: [[Bookmarks (Mozilla Firefox)]]
- Bad: [[Profile locked (Suite)]]
Layout issues or other things should use Gecko as the application name.
Use short titles
When possible, use short page titles. There's no need for a link to include the entire grammatically complete form of a question, especially when a few descriptive words would suffice.
- Good: [[Send page or link (Mozilla Suite)]]
- Bad: [[Use Send Page or Send Link to tell your friends about a great webpage (Mozilla Suite)]]
Capitalization
Don't write The Whole Title In Capital Letters.
- Good: [[Importing and exporting your mail]]
- Bad: [[Importing and Exporting Your Mail]]
This is allowed when the article name is (or contains) a term that begins with a capital letter, such as Search Bar or Junk Mail Controls. See In-House Style for the list of common terms.
Article categories
(Please refer to the discussion at Talk:Rules/Categories until the guidelines for categories are finalized and written up.)
Editing courtesy
- Any time you edit a page, please add a short comment in the "Summary" field about the change you made. This makes it easier for others to see what has changed. Importantly, it can help make it easier for us to distinguish knowledge base spamming/vandalism from legitimate contributions.
- If you find yourself wanting to change an entry back to an earlier revision, ask yourself if the current version had a useful purpose, and whether it really is necessary to change it back.
- Document reasons for potentially controversial changes on the Talk pages.
- Accept changes to your entries in a spirit of helpfulness.
- If someone consistently makes certain types of mistakes or formatting quirks, consider placing a message in their User page.
Superfluous information
- In knowledge base articles, do not insert signatures, links to sites that are not related to Mozilla products, or other superfluous information. If you want to give a link to your own personal website, for example, then put it in your User page, not in the article. In short, if the information or link is not directly related to the topic of the article, then don't include it in the article.
- Of course, signatures are welcome (even helpful) in the Talk pages, so do not hesitate to use them there.
Test editing pages
- A sandbox for showing off the wiki's features.
- Another test page - Now with extra markup tests!
- If you want to do some silly tests using a page use this page.
