Wiki style guide (READ BEFORE STARTING ARTICLES)

[DannyTheNinja]

This is an example of an article that needs a bit of love. To help out those who might not be familiar with the format for wiki articles, I'm going to highlight some things that need to be fixed in this article as an example for how to do an article right.

General layout

Wrong

Many articles end up as one gigantic paragraph of text. This makes the article difficult to read and not very organized. The example here also has some extraneous and unnecessary content.

Originally Posted by Wrong article

First off: I am not the writer, Darkfinn is

Abri Super. I will say this is my favorite diaper of the bunch. They are a bit longer than both Assurance and Attends, and the padding comes up very high... especially in the rear.. which is good for those who like to wet while laying down, or those that like to make a mess in their diapers. The padding in the front is relatively narrow compared to Attends... but this didn't seem to cause any problems. The rear padding is very generously sized and makes the diaper quite comfortable for long periods of time. The outer plastic covering is soft yet strong... providing a more durable feel than the Attends while not being as harsh as the Assurances. The Abris have four two-ply tapes that are standard throughout their product line, allowing for once instance of refastening should it be needed. I didn't encounter any problems with the tapes coming seperated or undone. Even after vigorous activity the diaper was snug and secure... even when thoroughly wet... which is more than I could say for either of the others. Overall the Abris are very impressive... they absorb a bit more than the Attends and the padding doesn't clump or sag. Don't let this diaper's lack of thickness sway you... it really is a top notch product. I ordered these from XP as well... they charge $81 for 96 diapers... which calculates out to $0.84 each... more than Attends, but definately worth it IMHO.

Darkfinn if you are mad send me a neutral rep about it and ill take it off

Right

The article needs to have a short introductory section (1-5 sentences) followed by the magic word __TOC__, which inserts the table of contents. Paragraphs should be no longer than perhaps 15 sentences each with an average of 6-8 sentences, but these guidelines are very loose so adapt them to your needs and what information is available.

Originally Posted by Corrected article

Abena Super is a diaper type that is generally favored on ADISC due to its thick padding, especially in the rear, and its slightly longer length.

__TOC__

Sections

Wrong

Many articles are broken up into sections, but our usage of them on the wiki is inconsistent. For example:

Originally Posted by Wrong article

== Abri Super ==

=== About the diaper ===

The Abena Super is popular on ADISC because its padding is extremely thick and it is longer in length than many other briefs.

Right

Major sections of articles should be separated by level-2 (== heading ==) headings, minor sections with level-3 (=== heading ===), and minor subsections with level-4 headings (==== heading ====). This helps keep the table of contents organized and neat-looking.

Many people have also been using a level-1 or level-2 heading at the top of the page. This creates the odd effect of using two titles in a row, which looks awkward. The article should begin immediately with an introduction paragraph. Wherever possible, do not use two headings in a row, and never use two headings of the same size in a row.

Originally Posted by Corrected article

Abena Super is a diaper type that is generally favored on ADISC due to its thick padding, especially in the rear, and its slightly longer length.

__TOC__

== About the diaper ==

Abena Super is longer than some of the more common brands such as Assurances and Attends. The high padding in the rear allows for considerably higher capacity if it is wet while the wearer is laying down. This extra padding also makes this diaper stronger for those that enjoy messing their diapers. The boost in rear padding also makes the diaper much more comfortable than some others if you are sitting for long periods of time. The padding in the front lacks slightly but this has not been found to affect the performance of this diaper.

== Durability ==

The outer plastic cover is soft, yet strong, making the Abena Super more durable than Attends but not quite as rough as Assurances. The tapes are durable as well, and can handle significant wetting and bulging of the diaper without becoming loose or undone.

== Pricing and availability ==

The Abena Super costs approximately US$81 for 96 diapers, amounting to a unit price of $0.84. They are available in several different online stores, most in the United States and Canada.
[[Categoryiaper reviews]]

Stop giving yourself credit

The wiki is a place where collaborative knowledge comes together to form a work that nobody could compose on their own. We have a lot of people that contribute to articles and many people also help out with editing for grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. As such, I believe it is unfair for anyone to sign any part of an article with their name (yes, I am guilty of this in the past).

That said, you should always sign comments on noticeboards using four tildes (~~~~). This makes it easier for us to get back to you personally if we need to, and it helps people to understand who something comes from.

Avoid self-references

When you're composing an article you must remember that, in accordance with the no-signature rule, people will not know who they are reading about when you make references to "I", "me", "my", etc. Second-person (you, your, etc.) terms can be used in diaper reviews but are discouraged elsewhere. Whenever possible, articles should be written in third-party view.

The discussion page is for discussion

I've noticed that many people are leaving comments on the articles themselves. Discussion is not what people should be reading when they browse our wiki - they should be reading content. Please try to keep discussions to the "discussion" tab. Still keep wary of creating accidental threads in this forum though.

--Danny

[Lukie]

Originally Posted by DannyTheNinja

Avoid self-references

When you're composing an article you must remember that, in accordance with the no-signature rule, people will not know who they are reading about when you make references to "I", "me", "my", etc. Second-person (you, your, etc.) terms can be used in diaper reviews but are discouraged elsewhere. Whenever possible, articles should be written in third-party view.

On that note, can I just point out the concept of Article Neutrality.

That's to say, articles should be written as objectively as possible, with no bias or bigotry whatsoever. Regardless of whether you like/dislike or agree/disagree with something, the information provided should be accurate and remain without the influence of personal opinion.

Ever wonder why teachers don't like you referencing/sourcing Wikipedia?

[chevre]

Aye. I have to say, this is one of my biggest pet peeves: when an article is written in the first/second person. Personally I think even diaper reviews should stick to the third person, but I can see the logic in allowing a more informal tone there.