NSwiki:User questions
From NSwiki, the NationStates encyclopedia.
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This article has been taken in large part from the Wikipedia Overview FAQ.
What is a Wiki?
- A Wiki is a collection of interlinked web pages, any of which can be visited and edited by anyone at any time. You could even edit this page by clicking the "edit" link on the second tab above, or edit a section by clicking on "[edit]" to the right, editing only that section. If you don't have anything to add or correct on this page and you just want to see that it works, try out the NSwiki:Sandbox! See also NSwiki:Page editing.
What is NSwiki?
- NSwiki is a project to produce a NationStates encyclopedia that is comprehensive and open-content. See NSwiki:About and the mission statement article for more information.
Why is it called NSwiki?
- It's a simple contraction of NS, the abbreviation for NationStates, and wiki. We don't have much creativity.
What are the aims of NSwiki?
- NSwiki's goal is to create a free NationStates-related encyclopedia -- a reliable resource for NationStates players to learn about history, strategies, and more. It's an ambitious goal, and, by nature, can never be finished in the traditional sense of the word. New information is continually being added, and old information is being improved.
Who owns NSwiki?
- The articles hosted on this site are released by their authors under the GNU Free Documentation License, so the articles are open content and may be reproduced freely under the same license. See NSwiki:Copyrights for information on how you can use NSwiki content.
Who is responsible for the articles on NSwiki?
- You. This is a collaborative endeavor. Many people have contributed to different parts of this project, and anyone can do so, including you. All you need is to know how to edit a page, and have some idea of what to contribute.
- You can learn who is responsible for the most recent versions of any given page by clicking on the "Page history" link. But if you spot an error in the latest revision of an article, you are highly encouraged to be bold and correct it. This practice is one of the basic review mechanisms that maintains the reliability of the encyclopedia.
- If you are uncertain or find the wording confusing, quote the material on the associated talk page and leave a question for the next person. This helps eliminate errors, inaccuracies or misleading wording more quickly and is highly appreciated by the community.
How can I contact the project by email?
- Given the collaborative nature of the project, there's no official email address. Your best bet is to check the NSwiki:Administrators user pages, or see User:Goobergunch.
Should I create an account? Can't I just edit articles anonymously?
- Formerly, this was indeed a possibility. Since the overhaul of NSWiki's login procedures, however, it has become impossible to edit or create articles anonymously any more. This has been done to curb the flood of annoying spam which was threatening to overwhelm us all. The valiant anti-spam acts of admins and others keep that particular monster at bay, but the fact of the matter is that if you want to edit and create, you need an account. We welcome any legitimate article creation and editing. Just get an account first.
How do you know if the information is correct?
- As anyone can edit any article, it is of course possible for biased, out of date or incorrect information to be posted. However, because there are so many other people reading the articles and monitoring contributions using the Recent Changes page, incorrect information is usually corrected quickly. Thus the overall accuracy of the encyclopedia is improving all the time as it attracts more and more contributors. You are encouraged to help by correcting articles and passing on your own knowledge.
