User:Xando/New User Information
Intro
Hello YourUsername, and welcome to this resource created to help support out newbie editors, specifically to help them learn to navigate with the wiki and engage with the tools provided to them. Please provide any feedback you think is necessary, and have a nice day.
Policies
Here on Inkipedia, we have policies to help maximize everyone's fun and internet safety on the website, and these rules are strictly enforced. Although you should read through all of them, some very important ones, including being over 13 years of age and not revealing any personal information. If you abide by the policies set for you, you should be good to go and not have any problems with staff!
Signing your Name
When you edit the wiki, you won't have to sign your name. However, when having discussions on talk pages or voting on proposals, for example, you will have to sign your name to show it's you. To do this, type out four tildes (~) when you want to sign, and the site will automatically turn them into your signature. Later on, there's actually ways you can make your own custom signature, but there's no need to worry about that now.
Recent Changes
One of the buttons you will use the most on the wiki is the Recent Changes button. This button will take you to a page that will show you the most recent edits made by everyone on the site. You can even change how many edits you see and if edits will update live on the page. Plus, at the top of the page is an ultra-handy table that shows anything from requests for rights to articles under construction that you can fix It's super convenient and can let you know if someone is vandalising a page or if someone is editing something you're interested in.
Projects
Here on the wiki, we need to keep up with everything that the game provides for us, and sometimes that can be a bit hard. While we work on the upkeep or overhaul of information, we sometimes have projects that have an outline of what we're doing. Projects would be a great way for a new user to get involved and expand their wiki knowledge. Feel free to pick one you might like and help out!
Uploading Files
When naming files, it's a good idea to start them with an abbreviation of the game or mode (excluding Anarchy/Ranked modes). This includes "S" for Splatoon, "S2" for Splatoon 2, "OV" for Octo Valley, "OE" for Octo Expansion, etc. Hyphens should never replace spaces unless the hyphen is part of the image's subject, for example, Mahi-Mahi Resort. Good examples of file names are S Inkopolis Out Of Bounds.png and OE Cubular Station Rotating.png. Some bad examples are TC-Walleye-Warehouse.jpg (Ranked mode abbreviated but not game; hyphens in between words) and S2 OC Final Boss Kettle.jpg (having both game and mode abbreviations is unnecessary, since Octo Canyon is only in Splatoon 2). The naming guidance section of the image guidelines can help more with naming your files.
When uploading a file, make sure you utilize the file template provided. If the screenshot is taken in a mode such as Salmon Run, list the game as "Salmon Run" instead of Splatoon 2. The abbreviation tips in the previous paragraph can help with what to list the game as. Remember that if you took the image, list the source as "self" and not things like "Nintendo Switch" or "in-game screenshot"!
The Ink Pump
If you're trying to suggest something that would affect multiple pages, the Ink Pump is your go-to spot for talking about them. It's a simple way of reaching tons of people for an idea that you might have. Please note that you should not be messaging on the main page talk for questions about the wiki, the page is strictly for talking about the main page.
Proposals
Proposals are a great way of getting everyone on board before making a hefty change on the wiki. Proposals are voted on by everyone for a month, and they get voted on by anyone that wants to. No matter what, everyone's vote is one vote - even for staff (keep in mind that bureaucrats do have a "final say" on some matters). Proposals might include wanting to make a change to a policy or editing a current one.
Templates
Templates are yet another vital part of running what we do behind the scenes? So how do they work? Well, templates are instructions written on a page, which then get run when typed into a normal page when surrounded by brackets. Now, lets explore. Type into the search bar Template: Delete. If you look at the page, it has a little box that explains how to use the template and the notification template itself. So now when a person types Template: Delete onto a page, the little notification will show up.
Staff
If you've poked your head around a bit, you may have seen some staff helping run the show behind the scenes. Staff are trusted members of the community with some experience behind their belt that do stuff like double-checking some user's edits, deleting spam or ads, and even changing what the site looks like. However, if you're a new user, you aren't ready for a staff position. Although the requirement is much less, you most likely need a couple months of good edits and be a trusted, regular editor. The staff around here are all good people and will almost always be there to help you with any questions.
Discord
While Inkipedia is a great place to expand your knowledge on Splatoon, meet some new people, and help others through the wiki, why not talk with those people off wiki as well? Over on the Discord we have a welcoming community, where we have discussions about wiki stuff, but also splatoon, fanon, and so much more! You can join here! Please note, however, that the same rules that apply to the wiki also apply to the discord.
