User:Pi72/Essays/Introduction to Wikipedia for the new editor

 Workpage

Outline and aims of this draft
This essay pretends to be a more in-depth introduction to some absolutely basic concepts of Wikipedia, such as what Wikipedia is and what's not, the five pillars, principal policies and guidelines, etc. It's mainly aimed at new editors who might have a wrong idea of Wikipedia or about its aims, but who might at the same time be lacking the knowledge of where to look exactly to learn more about Wikipedia. The essay will be a condensed, but comprehensive compendium of several important articles and facts about Wikipedia, to avoid these wrong ideas. Since this might be just a personal interpretation, a full grid of further reading links is offered both to new editors and to more experienced ones.

The essay is divided into several sections:
 * Why new editors should read and learn about Wikipedia.
 * Basics of what Wikipedia is, and the five pillars.
 * Common misconceptions about Wikipedia.
 * Important policies and guidelines.
 * Further reading.