User:Missionedit/Adoption/Molly's Mind

I have a few questions for you to start off:

1) Would you prefer to be called Molly's Mind, Molly, or something else? 2) What is your goal in contributing to Wikipedia? 3) What time zone do you live in? 4) What do you expect to get out of this mentorship? 5) What picture would you like me put on this page to represent you? By represent you, I mean like the flower I've chosen on my userpage. Your photo can have meaning about your personality, or just be a picture that you like.

Don't forget to sign all your posts on this page with 4 tildes. Have you figured that out yet? ~ Anastasia &#91;Missionedit&#93; (talk) 21:29, 19 August 2014 (UTC)


 * Thank you so much for doing this. It means a great deal to me to have someone interested in helping me reach my goals here. To answer your questions:


 * 1) You may call me Molly; How shall I address you?


 * 2) My contribution goals are many! I'd like to put to use my experience in writing and editing by reviewing existing pages (grammar,          proper links, correcting outdated/false information, and bring new and interesting articles to the site). I'd like to do my part in         helping Wikipedia become viewed as a more reliable source of information for the consumer.


 * 3) I live in the Eastern time Zone but travel often, I work all hours with no set schedule unless otherwise notified.


 * 4) From this mentor-ship, I hope to gain a better understanding of Wikipeidia rules and guidelines, how to make the best use of my time      (and yours!)by using Wiki tools and tips. Since you are a stickler for grammar, I hope to refresh my grammar skills (I am also a           stickler for grammar but, have forgotten proper usage of some items). I would also like to create new pages and hone my research and       writing skills to become a top Wikipedia contributor/editor; maybe I will be able to adopt people someday and help them through your       example. Paying it forward~


 * 5) I don't have any perfect pics to use and I don't think I can upload pics yet so, maybe the pic on this link? I am a shoe addict who        works from home and/or hotel rooms, which I find ironic! Shoes-Cheap-In-Zk-Styles.jpg


 * I have been using the tildes "Ask Molly 16:14, 20 August 2014 (UTC)" four of them just as typed here (minus the quotation marks). I do see my signature/name on my responses now, are you able to see them? <<<Great example of something I need to learn. The blue text in this area is carried over from the link above (I assume), and I cannot find a way to change the text color other than doing it in Word and pasting.


 * Thank you again for adopting me and for sharing your time and experience with me. :-) Four tildes coming next...


 * Ask Molly 16:14, 20 August 2014 (UTC)


 * My answers to your answers:
 * 1) I prefer to be called Anastasia, but shortened versions of my name such as Ana or Stasia are fine, too.
 * 2) To help Wikipedia become a more reliable source is an important goal of mine as well--good to see that we have something in common :)
 * 3) I also live in the EST time zone, but I don't get around much and usually just stick to the East Coast.
 * 4) I'm glad to know what you expect of me :) Of you as my adoptee, I pretty much just expect a willingness to learn, common courtesy, and for you to notify me if you will be taking a long break from Wikipedia. I promise I will never just leave without notifying you first.
 * 5) Sorry; to clarify, it doesn't have to be a picture of your own. It can be any picture at commons.wikimedia.org. If you tell me what you would like a picture of, I can find one for you. The picture of the shoe that you gave the link to is copyrighted work and can't be used on Wikipedia.


 * Since we're on the topic, how about we do the first lesson on images? They're an integral part of Wikipedia, and are simple enough to start with. We can do the next one after that on copyright, also very important. I fixed the zkstyles.com link for you, I believe the problem was that there was a bunch of spaces in the middle of the link, and there was no space separating the title of the image from the link.


 * I can see your signature, good job! Now that I look at it, your signature should, on default, contain a link to your user and talk pages, but it doesn't. Did you edit your signature on your Preferences page to make it say "Ask Molly" instead of "Molly's Mind"? Just so you know, I blanked the talk page because we won't need to use it--we can do everything on this "user" page. ~ Anastasia &#91;Missionedit&#93; (talk) 19:58, 20 August 2014 (UTC)


 * This is an example of a ping :) ~ Anastasia &#91;Missionedit&#93; (talk) 16:13, 21 August 2014 (UTC)


 * Anastasia, thank you for the response and information. I think this is going to be a fun experience and hope I don't tap your energy too much! I have been trying new things on Wikipedia and learning as I go. Your suggestion about starting with images is perfect. I would also like to get my Talk Page up to speed so it is more informative and looks like I know SOMETHING about what I am doing. :-)

There are several areas of interest for me and I have an interest in general "clean up" of existing pages. I started with the Jesse James Dupree page for a few reasons, I know him so I have a wealth of knowledge at the ready (as long as I can cite it), he is involved in so many things that I can (and have) gone off onto other pages that have nothing to do with him and did a little clean up work. I also know what he DOESN'T want on there! :-) I can't help if others put things on there about him but, certain things I just won't as he is a neighbor and I do respect him. Going from there, we have bands, record labels, television shows, adult beverages, touring, jewelry, festivals, just about anything "Southern", it goes on and on. That being said, I am sort of using his page as my test page which is why you will see so many changes on it; but this is not the only page I intend to work on. I hope that makes sense! I think I fixed my signature and I am ready to learn! Thank you again, Anastasia. I hope to make you a proud "Wiki Mom." hehe Ask Molly (talk) 17:54, 21 August 2014 (UTC)

Lesson 1: Pictures
This is basically a very shortened version of Manual of Style/Images, so for more information about pictures, you can also take a look there.

Adding pictures
Adding a picture to a Wikipedia page is relatively simple. To get just a plain image, you simply place two brackets (a bracket looks like this: [ ) to either side of a file name with the prefix "File:". If the picture you wanted was called "At the Piano.jpg", this is what the coding would look like:

When adding an infobox (which you will learn more about when we go over templates; it's a box in an article that contains general information and, most of the time, an image) and you want to put a picture in, you find where it says "image=" and add it there, but without brackets or the prefix "File:" or "Image:". You do, however, add the suffix ".jpg", ".png", etc.

Thumbnails and adding a caption
Most pictures you see in articles won't be plain. They will usually have a "thumbnail" on them, which just enables you to add a caption. To add a thumbnail to a picture, simply add "|thumb" after the file name and before the right brackets. For example, if I were to make the High-heeled shoes picture a thumbnail, I would put. This would put a light gray box around the picture and a double rectangle icon to the bottom right. You can add a caption by putting another pipe ( | ) after "|thumb" and before the right brackets and then putting what you want to caption it after the pipe. For example, to achieve the appearance to the right, you would put.

Do not add a thumbnail to a picture in an infobox. To add a caption, there will generally be something that says "image caption=" underneath where it says "image=". That would, as it suggests, be where you put the caption.

Placement
When you add a thumbnail to an image, it automatically aligns to the right. If you do not add a thumbnail to it, you will have to put "|right" after the file name and before the right brackets. If you want it to align to the left, whether or not it is a thumbnailed image, you will add "|left" right before the right brackets. This will generally put it either right after the file name or right after "|thumb" depending on if you use it or not. It's important to make sure that not every image in an article is aligned to the right, as if they all are it can lead to a stack of images messing up the text placement.

Size
If you add a thumbnail to an image, it will automatically be 220 pixels. The pixels count is the number of picture width, not length. To change the size, you put "|(# of pixels)px" before the right bracket and then set it to whatever size you want. It's always a good idea to use "show preview" button before saving to see how large the image is going to be. This button shows how your changes will look when you save them, and will help you figure out which pixel size that you would like to set the image to.

Sometimes an infobox will have a separate area for image size for you to type in the amount of pixels, e.g. 250px. Most don't, however. They will generally default to a certain size, but if you're unhappy with the default, you can always add "|250px" or whichever amount of pixels you want it to be, after the file name in the "image=" portion. For example,.

End of lesson 1
Have you decided what kind of picture you want yet? I know it's hard to choose. Thank you for deciding to become my ""WikiDaughter"! I'm having fun already ;) Do you have any questions? ~ Anastasia &#91;Missionedit&#93; (talk) 17:18, 22 August 2014 (UTC)


 * I will find a picture to use asap, and I'd like to read through this lesson once more before giving it a try. I did add an image awhile ago, before my adoption, and noticed a message about it today. What would you recommend to fix this issue? This picture was taken by a Jesse James Company rep and is owned by Jesse James Spirits Company/Jesse James Dupree but this person is saying the attribution is wrong. Help? I looked again through the lesson to see what the issue might be, but I do not see what I did wrong on this image. Help me "Momma"? and thanks for taking me on! :-)  Image info here http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Jesse_James_America%27s_Out  Ask Molly (talk) 20:59, 4 September 2014 (UTC)


 * Read over this again and I do have a question. When naming an image with the extension, is this pulling the image from my computer or do I have to upload the image to Wikipedia first and then use the name from there? 24.99.49.178 (talk) 22:28, 4 September 2014 (UTC)


 * As an answer to the latter question, I don't believe it's possible to pull an image straight from your computer onto Wikipedia. You first have to upload the picture to Wikimedia Commons, and then you can use the file on Wikipedia.
 * The link you put to the Jesse James image with wrong attribution is non-existent, and I'm having trouble finding the image/anything related to it. Can you give me another link to it and/or the page where someone said that its attribution is wrong? Sounds like the next lesson coming up will be with copyright problems ;). ~ Anastasia &#91;Missionedit&#93; (talk) 02:07, 5 September 2014 (UTC)


 * This is the link to where the message was regarding the attribution of the image. The image might be located on the Bourbon page. Once we address this, can you show me how to archive messages please? https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Jesse_James_America%27s_Outlaw_bourbon_display.jpg&diff=next&oldid=622118246 Ask Molly (talk) 21:26, 5 September 2014 (UTC)

Lesson One Homework
Hopefully you don't mind the new subheading here, this is starting to make my eyes boggle! :-)

Mission #1 - Find an image to put to use! I have chosen an image from the link you sent. This is one to use on my talk page, maybe I can practice on some things there and use other pages as you see fit (thoughts on that?) Image link here, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kyrie.png Ask Molly (talk) 21:52, 5 September 2014 (UTC)


 * I added the image you chose to the top of the page. If you ever want to change it, feel free.
 * Looking at Jesse_James_America%27s_Outlaw_bourbon_display.jpg, I see what you mean about the tag. Copyright work is definitely not my forte, so I'm going to look around for some help :)
 * Archiving talk pages is fairly simple, once you get it set up. Full instructions on how to set up automated archiving are at User:MiszaBot/Archive HowTo. Try following those to see if you can get it to work on your own, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. ~ Anastasia &#91;Missionedit&#93; (talk) 18:48, 8 September 2014 (UTC)


 * Anastasia, I am so sorry for my sudden and lengthy absence. I came home from the hospital on Saturday and have not been able to do much of anything for a couple of weeks (unexpected, of course or I would have let you know). I'm ready to resume if you are still out there. I am going to add an image to my page and to a public Wikipedia page, probably Jesse James Dupree or something related. After I get that down ok and check out the archiving thing I'll be ready to move forward. Thanks and so sorry! Ask Molly (talk) 17:48, 22 September 2014 (UTC)


 * That's totally fine! I'm so sorry you haven't been doing well :( I'm still here and glad that you're willing to pick back up.
 * I tried contacting the person who placed the license tag on the Jesse_James_America%27s_Outlaw_bourbon_display.jpg image, but it doesn't look like they're going to respond, so you can probably just go ahead and remove the tag. ~ Anastasia &#91;Missionedit&#93; (talk) 22:21, 22 September 2014 (UTC)
 * I'm going to post a new lesson which you can read when you're ready. ~ Anastasia &#91;Missionedit&#93; (talk) 22:38, 24 January 2015 (UTC)

Lesson 2: The Five Pillars of Wikipedia
These are the five "pillars", or fundamental principles, of Wikipedia. I've reworded them a little from the original to further explain/simplify.
 * BluePillar.svg Wikipedia is an encyclopedia.
 * Wikipedia incorporates various elements of reference materials such as encyclopedias, almanacs, and gazetteers. Wikipedia is not for advertising, propaganda, or social networking. It is also not a dictionary, newspaper, or collection of source documents; there are sister projects for this. The goal of Wikipedia is to form a comprehensive online encyclopedia.


 * GreenPillar.svg Wikipedia is written from a neutral point of view.
 * Wikipedia strives for articles that document and explain the major points of view, giving due weight with respect to their prominence in an impartial tone. We present no such opinion as being "the truth" or "the right position" (in theory). Every allegation must be backed up by references, especially when concerning a controversial topic or a living person. Editors' personal experiences, interpretations, or opinions do not belong here.


 * YellowPillar.svg Wikipedia is free content that anyone can use, edit, and distribute.
 * Wikipedia is free for others to edit, use, modify, and distribute. No editor owns an article, so everything you write is free to be mercilessly edited and redistributed at will. Respect copyright laws, and never plagiarize from sources.


 * OrangePillar.svg Editors should treat each other with respect and civility.
 * Wikipedia has millions of editors who are bound to disagree on some topics. If a conflict arises, you should discuss your disagreement on the nearest talk page and remain level-headed without accusing. Just because another editor may be attacking you does not mean that you should to engage in similar behavior.


 * RedPillar.svg Wikipedia has no firm rules.
 * Wikipedia has policies and guidelines, but their content and interpretation can evolve over time. Their principles and spirit matter more than their literal wording, and nothing is carved in stone. Sometimes improving Wikipedia means making an exception to the rule. Be bold in your edits (but not reckless) and don't worry about making a mistake, as you can always fix it.

Any questions? ~ Anastasia &#91;Missionedit&#93; (talk) 22:41, 24 January 2015 (UTC)