HRWiki:FAQ

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This article is about frequently asked questions regarding the wiki itself. For the list of frequently asked questions on the official site, see FAQ.
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HRW:FAQ

If you don't find your question here, feel free to ask it on the discussion page for this .html document.

Contents

Wiki questions

I know some information that should be added to a page. How do I submit it?

Believe it or not, there's no need to submit your suggestion to anyone. This site is a "wiki." That's a silly-sounding word that simply means anyone can add anything to any page. To find out more, check out the Intro. Since you can edit pages, we'd prefer that you go ahead and add the new information to the appropriate page yourself. Go ahead, be bold!

I think I've found some defacement on the wiki. What can I do?

Defacement comes with the territory on every wiki site. Happily, it's quite easy to fix. The wiki keeps track of every revision to each article, making it very easy to roll back to a previous version.

Simply click "history" at the top of the page you wish to roll back. Then click on the time and date of the archived version you want to revert back to. The page will appear with the version indicated at the top of the page, just underneath the page title. Next, click "edit" at the top of the page. Add a note in the Summary box that you are reverting the page because of a troll, and then click "Save page".

After repeated instances of defacing the wiki, an offender's IP address can be blocked by several users who have sysop rights. These admins pay careful attention to the recent changes page, and will block IP addresses where/when appropriate.

How do I delete an article or image?

Only sysops can delete articles and images, but there's an easy way for you to alert the sysops to pages you think should be deleted. Simply edit the article and add {{delete}} or {{tobediscussed}} at the top (the two templates are for different situations; see this page). If you've done it right, you should see a box like this one at the top of the page:

The code also adds the article to a special "Articles for Discussion" category. The sysops check this category regularly and will delete articles and images they agree should be deleted.

How do I start a new article?

The easiest way to start a new page is to create a link to it from the sandbox (alternatively, you could create the link from the most appropriate list page). When you first create the link, it will be red, indicating that the page it points to doesn't exist, yet. Just click on the link and you'll be taken to the edit page for the new article.

How do I upload an image?

Before you can upload images, your user account must be autoconfirmed. This is a special account confirmation process that usually takes 24 to 48 hours. After autoconfirm finishes, you can upload images using the "Upload file" link in the toolbox on the left sidebar. Keep in mind, however, that our wiki standards allow only two personal images. All other images should be uploaded for use on article pages. If images aren't being used on the wiki, the sysops may delete them.

How do I become an admin or sysop?

The Homestar Runner Wiki does not take on new administrators, or sysops, very often. Nevertheless, it is a major goal for many users, so the question above has been asked time and time again. The best way to break it down is into ten main points:

  1. Have a large number of meaningful main namespace contributions.
    Edit the real articles, the Homestar Runner information. Gnome work is an invaluable part of any wiki, but what we're talking about here is the addition of substantial content. The more you do this, the more you'll find yourself delving into discussion, and taking on projects. As a corollary to the above, you should not overdo your user namespace edits.
  2. Have a large number of main talk and HRWiki talk namespace edits.
    Communicate with other users. Be open and have valid input, and be able to receive feedback. Other users can get to know you better the more you talk to them. In addition, use the user talk namespace as a resource to share ideas and encouragement about project-related topics. Idle chit-chat is perfectly okay from time to time, but, again, don't overdo it.
  3. Take on a big project.
    Look under HRWiki:Projects or Category:Stubs to find a page or a project that you can take on. Or see if there is an important niche that needs to be filled. Plan your project well ahead of time, and get approval and feedback.
  4. Be able to handle stress and abuse in stride.
    Not everyone is perfect. Sometimes, other users will say things to you that may make you very angry, but self-control is essential. Know when to say what and how to say it. Likewise, do your absolute best never to be part of the problem.
  5. Be technologically knowledgeable.
    Learn MediaWiki syntax and be able to write in it fairly well. Also, it wouldn't hurt to learn HTML and other programming languages, especially PHP.
  6. Help maintain the site.
    Most of a sysop's job is not very glamorous. In fact, it's a lot of work, and the pay isn't that great. Sysops are expected to fight vandalism, fix formatting, give aid to those who need it, and perform housekeeping duties, all the while trying to contribute actual content to the project. Some of the things a sysop is expected to do, like reverting vandalism, can also be done by users. You should spend at least a portion of your energy on such site maintenance.
  7. Stay active.
    Seniority is important. Everything else being equal, the user with the most experience is the one we turn to, and there could be several deserving users ahead of you. It is extremely unlikely that we would promote a relative newcomer.
  8. Stay positive.
    We're making an encyclopedia about dumb animal characters. Remember to keep your sense of humor about you.
  9. Don't call us. We'll call you.
    Don't ask to be made a sysop. On some wikis, like Wikipedia, it's acceptable to nominate yourself for sysophood at any time. On this wiki, however, openly asking is usually met with suspicion and resentment from regular users. Don't worry though—if you're taking care of these other points, we've already noticed you.
  10. Be trustworthy.
    This is the most important piece of advice we can give. Being made a sysop is like being given the keys to the wiki, and we only turn them over to people when we know they're in good hands.

Please note that fulfilling these criteria does not automatically make you a sysop. It will, however, make you a better user. Bear in mind that it is the choice of the Admin Team who will and won't become a sysop, or whether there even will be an open floor for nominations.

How do I join a committee?

To join one of the committees of the wiki, simply add your name to the list and help out where you can. Be sure that you know enough about the committee's purpose before joining.

More questions

My question isn't here. What can I do?

Feel free to ask your question on the talk page. We'll try to answer it as soon as possible.

Is there an email address where I can send questions?

Posting your question on the talk page is usually the fastest way to get an answer. However, if you think your question is better asked in a private email to the administrators, you can send it to support@hrwiki.org. Emails to this address are monitored by all six admins (AgentSeethroo, InterruptorJones, It's dot com, JoeyDay, Stu, and Tom) so you're likely to get a quick response.

How does Strong Bad type with boxing gloves on?

We don't know. Why don't you ask him?

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