Forum Guide to Editing Wiki
This obviously isn't intended to stay here (would belong in Q & S) but I thought we could refine a version here first, please add / remove bit and make anything you can clearer...
GUIDE TO EDITING THE TWC WIKI
Anyone can edit existing pages on the TWC Wiki, add new pages and add or amend categories. Any subject relating to the whole TW Community, the entire Total War series of games, the people, mods and modding may be included. Tangential topics could also be included for instance articles on history, geography and archaeology which might be useful in modding or understanding games. Articles relating to useful software, links to other useful sites and reference material would also be suitable.
The success of the Wiki in fact depends on as many people as possible lending a hand to add content and refine the existing articles. You can edit the Wiki without even logging in (in which case your IP address will be recorded against your changes). It is preferable though that you do log in; you can make new account on the Wiki very easily with just a user-name and password, you don't have to use same name as on TWC but it is helpful.
Editing Existing Pages
When you visit any page which isn't protected (most pages except front page) you will see an edit tab at the top and edit links by each subsection on the right hand side. Click on any of these and you will see the text of that part of the page as it was written by previous user. Editing that text is very similar to posting reply or editing your post on the forum. You have box where you actually change text, a few handy commands at the top (bold, italic etc) and a preview button. Do use the preview function to check you have desired result before saving your changes.
The way the Wiki formatting works is slightly different from forum reply format, for more detailed advice see here. Examples of common things you may want to use in Wiki format:
Bold: '''Three apostrophes around text'''
Italic: ''Two apostrophes around text''
Headings: headings are set by using equals sign around name, adding a new heading to an article automatically adds it to that pages content list:
==Main Page Heading==
===Subsection Heading===
====Smaller Subsection Heading====
Link to other Wiki Page: [[page name]]
Link to other Wiki Page but with different description visible in link: [[page name| description]]
Link to external page: [http://www.twcenter.net click here] that gives link saying "click here" which takes you to http://www.twcenter.net, note the space between the URL address and link text.
Image: if you already have image hosted elsewhere you can use a direct link to your image in which case just paste in the whole URL without any formatting around it. It is preferable though to upload image directly to the Wiki so that images aren't lost if hosting expires. To upload click on "upload file" on left hand side of page; for source filename browse for your image on your hard disk; for destination filename use some descriptive name ending with file extension. eg: File_name.jpg to include that in page use [[Image:File_name.jpg]]
If you already have a forum page you wish to convert you can try using automated formatting converter here.
Making New Pages
If you add an internal link to a page name that doesn't exist yet, then click on that link it takes you to page that will have that name and gives you option of 'editing' e.g. adding text to it. Add text and save page and you will have created new page. Typing in an address in the Url bar of your browser to a page that does not exist e.g.
http://www.twcenter.net/wiki/New_page
will give you same option.
Before adding new page, please do have a look around relevant categories and check with search function that page doesn't already exist with slightly different spelling of name etc.
Categories
You can add new or existing page to a category by adding
[[Category:RTWModding]] to the bottom of the page (where RTWModding is category you want to add page to). If you want to add page to a category that doesn't exist yet type http://www.twcenter.net/wiki/Category:New_Category_Name
in your browser Url bar, when you get to to category page add some text and save (basically same procedure as making new page). You can then add [[Category:New_Category_Name]] to the pages you want to appear in that category. Note that one page can appear in as many different categories as you want, just use one category after another, eg:
[[Category:TWC Hosted Modifications]][[Category:RTW Mods]]
Before doing any radical changes to category system it might be as well to check with other users. Leave message in the talk section of page / category you want to amend, or post here.
Security of Wiki and ownership of information.
Please don't worry about accidentally damaging the Wiki or about other people vandalising information you have added. Each page also has a history attached to it, in the event of any problem the changes made previously can be viewed and original state of article restored if necessary.
Unlike forum tutorials etc. your name may not remain associated with information you post (though if you edit whilst logged in your name is forever associated with the history of the article) and others can edit information afterwards. The success of the Wiki does rely on a generosity of spirit from content providers, the 'problem' with others being able to edit your information is also the Wiki's greatest claim to success. If original poster loses interest in updating information - or does not have time to do so - other users can take over, so any information displayed has greatest chance of remaining up-to-date.
If you want to add information posted by another user on a TW forum or other website, please do seek their permission first. Apart from any agreement with them it would also be courteous to include "based on post by Fred on blah.com" at beginning of article.
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aargh, could someone else take on from there please.... I know I'm a bit confused on calling things articles / pages - but think pages might be easier to visualise?! shorter would be good too - but I'm not good at condensing. Also I made up bit about topics in first para. according to my feelings - is that actually right?
Also starting to wonder if putting that much info in actually makes it scarier - maybe need much shorter version with link to scary version and the in wiki guide.
