User:Web wonder/Adoption

This is your adoption subpage, where I will teach and test you about Wikipedia. It is split into 4 parts - and I will add a short summary upon completion of each. The parts are as follows:
 * 1) [[Image:Ledred.png|20px]] Editing
 * 2) [[Image:Ledgreen.png|20px]] Policies and editing patterns
 * 3) [[Image:Ledblue.png|20px]] Miscellany - a lesson on whatever I think you need to learn.
 * 4) [[Image:Ledyellow.png|20px]] User rights

= Part 1 =

Basic Checklist
This is just quick, should take you about a minute, and shows me what you know so I can sculpt future lessons accordingly, just put  next to the ones you know, and   next to those you don't.  If you know, give the answer alongside the   or   - if you don't, guess...

When you're done, give me a quick nudge on my talk page. Once I've marked those, we'll go into a bit more detail before we move on.
 * 1) How to edit the whole page Y, click the button at the top that says "edit this page, then type the edit and click "save page""
 * 2) [[Image:Ledgreen.png|20px]] Yes, perfect.
 * 3) How to edit a section Y, click the "edit" button at the top of the appropriate section, then type the edit and click "save page"
 * 4) [[Image:Ledgreen.png|20px]] Yes, perfect.
 * 5) How to insert a table N, I'm guessing you click an edit button and one of the buttons on the edit page puts in the table
 * 6) [[Image:Ledblue.png|20px]] Yes, you got it right - even though you guessed. It's the button on the left side of the edit bar (the one that looks like a table)
 * 7) How to create a page N, I'm guessing you type in "WP: Make a page" then follow the instructions on that page
 * 8) [[Image:Ledred.png|20px]] There's a lot of ways to do it, and One is to go to WP:Your first article, and follow the instructions there.
 * 9) How to list a page for deletion N
 * 10) [[Image:Ledred.png|20px]] We'll cover this later. See WP:DP if you want to know now.
 * 11) The role of administrators N, I'm guessing they decide who may and may not edit, block accounts if need be, and try to keep as many pages as possible as accurate as possible
 * 12) [[Image:Ledblue.png|20px]] We'll cover this later. See WP:ADMIN if you want to know more, but they basically block accounts (like you said), protect pages (keeping pages accurate, like you said), and delete pages which do not warrant inclusion in Wikipedia.
 * 13) The role of bureaucrats N, I'm guessing they make sure wikipedia is running properly and manage donations
 * 14) [[Image:Ledred.png|20px]] We'll cover this later. See WP:CRAT if you want to know more, but they are like administrators except with the power to modify user rights.
 * 15) Who founded Wikipedia Y, Jimbo Wales
 * 16) [[Image:Ledgreen.png|20px]] Yes, perfect.
 * 17) ...And when N
 * 18) [[Image:Ledred.png|20px]] 2001
 * 19) The Neutral Point of View policy Y, articles should just present the facts and not try to promote any point of view on the topic
 * 20) [[Image:Ledgreen.png|20px]] Yes, almost perfect.
 * 21) What is notable N, I'm guessing it's what is fairly well known
 * 22) [[Image:Ledred.png|20px]] Close - we'll cover this later, but it would do you good to read WP:N.
 * 23) How to sign your posts Y, put 4 of the symbol ~, which will result in your username being put at the end
 * 24) [[Image:Ledgreen.png|20px]] Yes, perfect.
 * 25) How to preview an edit before saving it Y, just click the "show preview" button right next to the "save page" button
 * 26) [[Image:Ledgreen.png|20px]] Yes, perfect - remember to do it before saving any edits.
 * 27) How to mark an edit as minor N, I'm guessing there's a button for that too on the edit page
 * 28) [[Image:Ledblue.png|20px]] Below the save page button is a checkbox that reads 'This is a minor edit'. Check that box to mark an edit as minor.  For more information, see Help:Minor edit.
 * 29) How to link text Y, put 2 brackets on each side of it on the edit page, like this
 * 30) [[Image:Ledgreen.png|20px]] Yes, perfect.
 * 31) How to insert images N
 * 32) [[Image:Ledred.png|20px]] We'll look at this later - see Help:Imaes if you want to know now.
 * 33) How to ask for help N, I'm guessing you post a message on someone's talk page
 * 34) [[Image:Ledblue.png|20px]] You can always ask me - but you'd getter a better response at WP:HD, WP:NCHP or by placing the tag on your talk page, followed by a question.  If it's non-wikipedia help, use WP:RD instead.
 * I've marked them. I'll give you a day or two to read through the pages I linked and to practice your editing.  I'll nudge you when I set your second assignment. Den dodge  Talk Contribs 08:04, 26 October 2008 (UTC)

The basics
Wikipedia's syntax can appear incredibly complicated at first, but it's actually incredibly simple. (Most of the time - one template I coded contains, but we won't cover that until a lot later - don't worry).

One of the things you will need to use most often is links, and you already know how to do those. Another thing you will often use is templates, which are included in a page very similarly to links, but you replace the square brackets with braces. For example, produces. If you don't want the text of a template to change along with it, or otherwise want to include the text of the template in a page directly, simply prefix  - for example, {{subst:Fact}} makes  - it looks no different until you click "edit".

Your assignment is to work out how you use parameters in templates (there is a clue in my mass of complex code above, and I have used template parameters in a slightly different way within the text of this assignment). I won't give you a help page to visit, but its name shouldn't be too hard to guess. Leave a quick note on my talk page when you've worked it out, and we can move on. Den dodge  Talk Contribs 21:38, 23 February 2009 (UTC)

Now for something very similar - images.

To include an image, you include the text. Some of these aren't needed - for example, there is a default size, the default position is right (left and center are also available), and omitting thumb changes the method of display but isn't required to display it. Captions are completely optional, but try to use them for every image.

Try visiting the sandbox and fiddling with these settings. Place  (or similar) there and simply change the settings. Alternatives t thumb are frame or leaving it blank - the rest you can just guess. When you feel confident, poke me. Den dodge  Talk Contribs 22:25, 23 February 2009 (UTC)