So you've decided to join the Wanderer's Library! If you haven't, head on over to the join the site page!
If you have, let me be the first to welcome you! This guide is here to give you a basic rundown on what to do, etiquette, and how to succeed. First of all, if you haven't joined the site, here are some basic steps to do so.
1. Create a wikidot account.
2. Go to the join the site page and write an application (keep it short and sweet) [get some stuff from moose about what should go into apps]
3. Viola! You now just have to wait to join. In the meantime, go make a sandbox page and head into chat.
Let's go over some basic guidelines. NOTE: A lot of this stuff is covered in the site rules, this is mostly an elaboration.
1. Be a good person
This is pretty simple, be a decent human being. We all have pretty thick skins and this doesn't mean sugarcoat everything, but it does mean not to be a jerk about stuff. Treat everybody like you would the guy who sits next to you in school. You are stuck with one another, so it pays to be nice.
2. Don't coldpost. Do get feedback in chat or the forums
This is important. If you want to succeed here, or simply don't want your article to tank badly and get deleted, get feedback. I assure you, this will save you a ton of heartache when you post. People are also inclined to be nicer when giving feedback on a draft, as posting on the site IS ASKING FOR JUDGEMENT. Works in progress should not go on the main site. Instead, I will tell you a third time to make a sandbox and get feedback in chat.
3. Don't sass the Senior Staff. Do feel free to disagree with their opinions
There is a tab up there with all the current Senior Staff (commonly referred to as SS). Be sure to know who they are, and treat them with respect. That said, this doesn't mean agree with everything they say, it just means that if they are acting in official authority, don't second guess them. Also, if somebody is doing something wrong (against site rules or just being a jerk in general) it's fine to tell them they are doing something wrong, but please don't backseat mod and jump on their back once (and before) it has been dealt with.
4. Don't make major edits to other people's works. Do help fix smaller problems
It's fine to make a smaller grammatical or spelling edit, and is considered nice to do so (be sure to say what you were fixing in the edit note, or in the comments). Try to avoid making edits that change the story and/or could be argued as deliberate grammatical errors (like using period to break up flow). If you want to make a larger edit be sure to get the author's permission, be it on chat or in the comments.
5. Don't necropost. Do add something to the conversation
Necroposting is defined as posting on a thread or discussion that is at least a month old and not adding anything to the discussion. Also, if it is likely that the person who started the thread no longer looks at it, it's probably not a good idea to post in it. Still, if it is an old thread, but you add something new to it, (be sure to read the rest of the thread to make sure what you are saying hasn't been said before) then you should be fine. NOTE: Necroposting on drafts is not a good idea, even if you add something to the discussion, because it is very likely that the draft has changed since it was first posted.
6. Don't self-upvote. Do vote on stuff based on whether you liked it or not
This is important, don't vote on your own stuff, and make sure you only vote based on the writing of an article. If you don't like the author, that is not a good enough reason to downvote. People will get very angry if you self-upvote.
So you've got an idea for something, or you might not have an idea and you want one. Well this tab is for you!
So you've written an article. You've gotten feedback in chat or in the forums and the general consensus is that you are ready to post. Here's how you do it.
IMPORTANT NOTE: BE SURE TO ADD A RATING MODULE(Just add the below code above your text when you post.)
[[>]]
[[module Rate]]
[[/>]]
1. Cut a hole in the box Look at the sidebar, see that thing that says "Add a new Page"? Fill in the text box with your title, and hit "New Page".
2. Copy paste your content from your sandbox, pastebin, whatever you used, into the edit area. (Be sure to include all formatting syntax)
3. Do a quick once-over for spelling or grammar errors. (Also add the rating module if you haven't, just copy-paste the above code right above your text)
4. Hit "Post".
5. Your article is now for all to see! But you aren't done yet. Announce your article here.
6. If you haven't already, feel free to post the first comment in your page's discussion thread. Something like "Thanks to X and Y for helping me out so much!" or "First post! Finger's crossed" is fine.
7. Get people to read your article in chat. Be polite about it and respect the fact that people are busy, and might not be able to read it right now. Also remember that chat doubles as a social gathering place, so just wait a bit if your article get's passed over. Writing something like "Just posted something guys! Go check it out! [insert link here]" is fine. SHAMELESSLY PIMPING YOUR ARTICLE ALL THE TIME IS NOT OKAY! Don't do it, it will get people angry at you. Remember that people will not always like your article. Respect their opinions and feedback.
8. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT STEP: After your article is up, one of the more senior members of the Wanderer's Library will tag your page. After they do this, you must tag your article with a book. See the tab "Selecting a Book" for selecting the best book for you. To figure out what the book tags are, see the tag guide. If you can't figure out how to do this, ask a senior member for help. It is vital that you do this, otherwise your article will not show up on the listing. (Once tagged with a book tag, it will automatically show up underneath that book)
You have posted an article! Woo! If you have followed the suggestions of this guide, you should be set and all you have to do now is let the upvotes come in! Open up a bottle of champagne, take of your shoes, go scream it to your neighbors naked!
Admins:
Dr. Everett Mann: The awesome owner of the Wanderer's Library, he is the head admin and has the final say on everything. A very nice guy, and arguably and even better writer, he's not in chat often but you should be able to reliably reach him through PMs. He also works as an admin on our sister site, the SCP wiki. He owns the chat, so treat him with respect. He's the distant father figure of our site.
TroyL: A fairly active admin, if you have a problem, feel free to approach him with it. He's also an admin on the SCP wiki. He's the guy who will get stuff done. He's the cranky uncle of the site who nevertheless ends up liking you youngsters.
thedeadlymoose: A very active admin, always willing to help you out with a problem. He reads pretty much everything, and will look at your drafts and gives pretty good critique. He's very nice and very approachable, so if you got a dumb question feel free to ask him. The fussy mother of the site.
Senior Staff:
Roget: The first SS here, Roget is a pretty nice guy and always willing to help you out. He is best at ideas and overall content rather than mechanical errors. He is very active on chat so if you have a draft, be sure to pitch it to him. He's also SS on the SCP wiki as well, so if you have an SCP draft he can review those as well. We don't quite know how he does it, but he always wins at hopscotch. The biggest lover of cabbage on the site. Much like the neighbor's child who your parents want you to be friends with but keeps knocking over your blocks every time he comes over.
Rumetzen: A guy who has tricked people into thinking he's a good writer through the tactical application of pathos. Always willing to look a draft, and fairly good at it. Better at critiquing prose and other technical aspects of writing than overall ideas. Likes to speak in German or something sometimes. Sort of our responsible older brother.
Vivax: A super nice guy, easily the most approachable of the SS. Loves to brainstorm with people and always willing to help with a draft. Willing to help you out with mechanical stuff should you need it. Think of him as your friend who your parents like and is a good influence on you.
