Advice To Newcomers
Welcome to Wiki.
- Keep a low profile. Don't try to suggest or to reform anything too fast; understand fully the reasons why some mechanisms which seem odd at first are there in the first place; they usually have a reason to be there.
- There are a lot of mixed signals here, so there could be a little confusion. Try to see clearly what's going on and explain your point of view or ask questions if you don't understand.
- Try to write in DocumentMode to produce signal rather than noise. ThreadMode (conversational) pages can quickly become a real headache. Alternative page styles are PatternMode, ListMode and FaqMode.
- In a ThreadMode page, GoodStyle is to put your comments in italics if the preceding comment was in regular type, in order to clarify who's saying what; or vice versa. You can also UseSignatures if you wish, preceded by two dashes and a space: -- YourName. Leaving a date is optional.
- You could also chose to be a kind and efficient WikiGnome; you'd ReFactor pages, correct spelling mistakes, fix broken formatting and so on. This is known colloquially as FixYourWiki.
- If you are flamed, or in the centre of a flame war, do not answer. Be polite, even when aggressed: no need to aggravate a bad feeling. Read HowToReactToaFlame.
- DeleteInsults anywhere you see them
- Alternatively, leave the site for a couple of weeks - or better, turn your computer off for a while. A little real life never hurts. TheInternetIsNotYourLife
See also: TipsForBeginners.