User talk:MichaelMD

Welcome to Wikipedia!

I noticed you were new, or at least that nobody has officially welcomed you yet, so let me be the first to say hello, give you some tips, and share a few useful links.

One thing we like to tell newcomers is to be bold. By this we mean don't be afraid to join the rest of us in improving the articles you see here. Most Wikipedians are friendly and patient, willing to give you the same respect you give them, no matter who they are or how long they've been here.

It looks like you're the type who isn't afraid to dive right in, which can be great as long as you understand the ground rules. Since being bold does not include being reckless, many new editors feel that it's good to be somewhat cautious at first. It certainly helps to avoid conflicts with other users if you learn the ins and outs before making major changes. If it's a big edit or a controversial issue, you may want to look at the article's talk page to see if the issue has been discussed in the past, or to post a message to see what other editors think about your proposed change before you make it. It's important to cite references and set personal points of view aside.

Here are some links you might find helpful:
 * User tutorial
 * Help desk
 * Policy on maintaining a neutral point of view
 * Policy for content when editing articles and creating new ones
 * Tips for settling disputes

Now that you have your own user name, you can sign your discussions by typing four tildes (~&#126;). This will automatically stamp your user name, the time, and the date. That will help other users reply to your posts.

I hope this information is useful to you, and I'm looking forward to seeing your contributions. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me for help. Kafziel 16:14, 3 August 2006 (UTC)