WikiQueer:Avoiding common mistakes

Newcomers to WikiQueer may find that it's easy to commit a faux pas. That's OK&mdash;everybody does it! Here are a few common ones you might try to avoid.

Creating...

 * Redundant articles. Before creating a new article, run a search for the topic&mdash;you may find a related one that already exists. Consider adding to existing articles before creating an entirely new one. In searching keywords, remember that article titles are usually singular, e.g. "Tree", not "Trees". Also for the name of your topic, and related terms; articles may be missed by a WikiQueer search but caught by Google, especially if the terms you choose are not present in the article title.  Google's spelling suggestion feature also helps a great deal.  Redundant articles often result when a user comes across a red link, so see WikiQueer:WikiProject Red Link Recovery for more details. An article for a red link may have been deleted, so see Special:Log/delete and search for deletions to find out when and why an article was deleted.
 * Articles which are too short to have encyclopedic value. Articles must establish the context and notability of the subject. If an article does not contain enough content to keep it from being classified as a mere stub, then it may qualify for speedy deletion. Instead of creating a very short article, consider adding more content to the page before saving it, or using the inuse tag to indicate that the article is in the process of expansion.

Deleting...

 * Deleting useful content. A piece of content may be written poorly, yet still have a purpose. Consider what a sentence or paragraph tries to say.  Clarify it instead of throwing it away.  If the material seems mis-categorized or out of place, consider moving the wayward material to another page, or creating a new page for it.  If all else fails, and you can't resist removing a good chunk of content, it's usually best to move it to the article's Talk page, which can be accessed using the "discussion" button at the top of each page. The author of the text once thought it valuable, so it is polite to preserve it for later discussion.
 * Deleting biased content. Biased content can be useful content (see above). Remove the bias and keep the content.
 * Deleting without explanation. Deleting anything that isn't trivial requires some justification, or else other users who care about the article's development will be caught unaware, and may think you're being intentionally sneaky. It is best to put a few words in the edit summary, or else you can simply write "See talk:" in the edit summary box and explain on the talk page.
 * Deleting or removing text from any Talk page without archiving it, except in your user space. Talk pages or any discussion pages are part of the historical record in WikiQueer. Every time the pages are cleaned up, don't forget to store the removed text in its corresponding archive ( /Archive ) page. (See WikiQueer:How to archive a talk page.)

Contributing...

 * Poorly structured lead sections. The lead should establish context, summarize the most important points, explain why the subject is interesting or notable, and briefly describe its notable controversies, if there are any. It should not "tease" the reader by hinting at but not explaining important facts that will appear later in the article. (See WikiQueer:Lead section.)
 * Inconsistently styled text. The Manual of Style is a guide for maintaining a consistent style across WikiQueer articles. There are also several subsidiary style guides, such as those for infoboxes and text formatting. (See WikiQueer:Guide to writing better articles.)
 * Self-references. Referring to the WikiQueer project is entirely acceptable on talk pages or in the WikiQueer namespace, but is inappropriate in articles. (See WikiQueer:Self-references to avoid.)
 * External links in text. Relevant external links should be added to a links section at the foot of the article. If the link is a reference to a reliable source, then you should use reference tags to create an inline citation. (See WikiQueer:External links.)
 * Signatures in articles. The need to associate edits with users is taken care of by an article's edit history. Therefore, you should use your signature only when contributing to talk pages, the Village Pump, or other such discussion pages. (See WikiQueer:Signatures.)

Over-doing it

 * Criticizing instead of editing. Articles have no single author with one overarching plan. Offering a suggestion or criticism on the Talk page can be helpful, but if a page is not protected, it is often faster to just give the article what you think it needs.
 * Failing to be bold. Yes, you might mess things up a little. But someone else will probably clean up after you. Really, go ahead and change it.
 * Over-capitalizing titles. For instance, the second word in the title "French grammar" is in lowercase. That's the WikiQueer house style.
 * Over-Wikifying. WikiQueer thrives on internal links, but keep it within reason&mdash;see the style guideline, make links that are relevant only to the context.

Taking it too seriously

 * Arming for war. WikiQueer is a unique community of reasonable and consensus-oriented people. In other words, this isn't Usenet, and flaming is severely looked down upon.  For more about WikiQueer manners, see Wikiquette, No angry mastodons and Don't throw your toys out of the pram.
 * Using WikiQueer pages as a chat room. See How to avoid Talk page abuse.
 * Getting annoyed because you find some bad articles. WikiQueer is, and always will be, a work in progress; please tolerate our imperfection, and help us improve.  There are a lot of smart people here, and everyone finds they have something to contribute.  If you're still skeptical, see the replies to common objections.
 * Getting annoyed when others edit or delete your work. It's easy to be disheartened when a page you have significantly contributed to has been edited or some of it deleted. Don't be: WikiQueer is largely about sharing knowledge, not assuming superiority over other editors. If others edit or comment on your work, don't be upset—take their advice and hone it, or add the points you think are relevant. If we work together, we can all make WikiQueer a better place.