Gospel Translations - User contributions [en]

Help:Deleting a page

2008-11-13T16:23:19Z

Harry Wood: remove link Extension:DeletePagePermanently. Dont want links outside the set of help pages (Project:PD help#Editorial guidelines)

{{#ifexist: Template:PD Help Page/{{SUBPAGENAME}}|{{PD Help Page/{{SUBPAGENAME}}}}|{{PD Help Page}}}}

== When not to delete a page ==
Typically you would delete a page if the contents are entirely inappropriate and do not match the purposes of the Wiki. In other situations, you would take a less extreme course of action, for example:

* The page should have a different title -- See [[Help:Moving a page]]
* The contents should have been placed on a different page -- Add the contents to the other page, and then supply a redirect. See [[Help:Redirects]]
* The contents are already on a different page -- Delete the duplicate content and leave a redirect. That way, the page title, which made sense to somebody, will helpfully redirect to the information. See [[Help:Redirects]]
* The page is out-of-date -- Re-word sentences to be in the past tense, to make the page an historical record. Alternatively, label the information as out-of-date, with a warning notice.

An actual delete is generally necessary only if the ''title'' of the page is inappropriate. In other situations, a merge and redirect is more appropriate.

=== Proposing changes ===
Deciding on appropriate content/page titles can be a difficult aspect of Wiki organization, and one which can often provoke debates. If the merge or deletion you have in mind is one which might cause upset, you should propose the change first. Do this by leaving a note to give your reasons on the [[Help:Talk pages|talk page]]. You might also establish a system for labeling the page with a delete/merge proposal template, to make everybody aware of your intentions.

=== Unlinking a page ===
The 'What links here' toolbox feature (bottom of left sidebar) will tell you which other Wiki pages link to the current page. Always use this feature to check before proceeding with deleting. These related pages will need to be edited for their links to reflect the change.

== Deletion itself ==
'''Normal users cannot permanently delete a Wiki page'''. This is a deliberate design feature, and is an important part of why wikis work. Every kind of editing operation can be reverted by any other user, and that includes resurrecting deleted content. It doesn't cause significant wasted space; and with nothing but a 'delete' label, the page is effectively deleted anyway.

'[[Help:Sysops and permissions|Sysop]]' users ''are'' able to delete a page semi-permanently. See [[Help:Sysop deleting and undeleting]]. Typically 'sysops' might look for delete labels, and do a proper delete on these pages, after a period of time. If for some reason you need a page to be deleted more quickly than that, you will need to contact a 'sysop' to request this.

==See also==
* [[Help:Sysops and permissions]]

{{Languages|Help:Deleting a page}}

{{Help/Category|Help}}

Help:Blocking users

2008-10-30T16:12:51Z

Harry Wood: moving configuration section to Manual:Block and unblock

{{PD Help Page}}
'''Blocking users''' is an action that [[Help:Sysops and permissions|sysops]] can perform upon users or IP addresses to prevent them from editing the wiki.

==Blocking==
Blocking users is fairly straightforward, visit [[Special:BlockIP]] and follow these steps:

# '''IP Address or username''': Enter in the username, IP address, or [[Help:Range blocks|IP range]] to block in the "User" field. If blocking a username, make sure to check the spelling since nonexistent users can be blocked as well. Instead of typing this information in manually, it is also possible to click on a "block" link in recent changes, contributions pages, or history pages, which will automatically fill in this field with the appropriate username or IP address. A "Block this user" link is also present in the toolbox when viewing User and User talk pages.
# '''Expiration''': Select when the block should expire from the drop-down, or manually type in an expiration time of the block. When manually typing in a time, follow the [http://www.gnu.org/software/tar/manual/html_node/Date-input-formats.html GNU standard format]. The default options in the drop-down may be modified at [[MediaWiki:Ipboptions]].
# '''Reason (optional)''': The reason selected from the drop-down combined with the other/additional reason specified will be used as the message displayed to the blocked user when they try to edit. The default reasons in the drop-down may be modified at [[MediaWiki:Ipbreason-dropdown]].
# '''Select additional block options (optional)''': Depending on if a username or IP is being blocked and other options that may have been enabled, some or all of these options will be displayed on the form. Please see the [[#Configuration|configuration]] section for information of how to enable or disable some of the following options.
#* ''Block anonymous users only'': This option is only available when blocking an IP address. When selected, registered users who try to edit using a blocked IP address will still be able to edit. Otherwise, they will be unable to edit as well.
#* ''Prevent account creation'': Selecting this option will prevent the blocked username or IP address from creating new accounts.
#* ''Automatically block the last IP address used by this user, and any subsequent IPs they try to edit from'': This option is only available when blocking a username. When selected, the user's IP will become "autoblocked" (these show up as numbers such as #17 on [[Special:IPBlockList|the active block list]]) for a short period of time and any other IP addresses that the blocked user tries to edit from will be blocked as well.
#* ''Prevent user from sending e-mail'': This option is only available when blocking a username. When this option is selected, the user will be unable to use the [[Special:EmailUser]] interface.
#* ''Hide username from the block log, active block list and user list'': When selected, the blocked username or IP address will not be added to the [[Special:Log/block|block log]], the [[Special:IPBlockList|active block list]], or the [[Special:ListUsers|user list]]. Other users with the ability to view these hidden entries will still be able to see and unblock the username or IP address. This option is not enabled in a default installation of MediaWiki, see the [[#Configuration|configuration]] section for information on how to enable it if this functionality is desired.
#* ''Watch this user's user and talk pages'': When selected, this adds the blocked user's user page and user talk page to your watchlist.
# Double-check everything you entered and click on '''Block this user'''. A message should appear saying if the block was successful or unsuccessful.

==Unblocking==
To unblock a username or IP address, go to the [[Special:IPBlockList|active block list]] and click on the (unblock) link next to the user or IP you wish to unblock. Then, enter in an optional reason and click on the unblock button. A message should appear saying if the unblock was successful or unsuccessful.

==What it means to be blocked==
Blocked users are unable to [[Help:Editing pages|edit pages]], [[Help:Managing files|upload files]], [[Help:Moving a page|move pages]], and perform other actions that additional {{mediawiki|Manual:User rights|user rights}} would grant. Sysops or others with access to the blocking and unblocking interface may still block and unblock others (including themselves) while blocked.

==See Also==
*{{mediawiki|Manual:Block and unblock}}

{{Languages|Help:Blocking users}}
[[Category:Help|Blocking users]]

Help:Preferences

2008-09-11T12:01:59Z

Harry Wood: /* Watchlist */ change this section to document *preferences* for the watchlist

{{PD Help Page}}

Clicking on the [[Special:preferences|my preferences]] link in the upper right while logged in allows you to change your preferences. You will be presented with the User profile section, as well as a bar of tabs across the top for changing other types of settings.

==User profile==
===User profile===
* ''Username'': Your user name. Only bureaucrats can change your username, and the wiki must also have the {{mediawiki|Extension:Renameuser|Renameuser extension}} installed.
* ''User ID'': A number assigned to your account when you created it (for example, if your number is 42 you are the 42nd user to sign up at this particular wiki). This number is used for internal purposes.
* ''Number of edits'': How many edits you have made. Not all wikis will have this.
* ''Real name'': If provided, this will be used for attribution (rather than using your username). Providing your real name is entirely optional. Some wikis do not have this option.
* ''E-mail'': Your email address, if you have supplied one. You can also change or remove your address here.
* ''Nickname'': When you sign your name (using <code><nowiki>~~~~</nowiki></code>), what you enter here will be used at the start instead of a simple link to your user page. By default, anything you enter here will be wrapped with <code><nowiki>[[ ]]</nowiki></code>; if you want to use special linking, enable ''Raw signatures (without automatic link)''.
* ''Language'': This controls what language the interface is displayed in. MediaWiki's default interface includes localisations for all supported languages, but this is not necessarily the case with extensions or custom skins. Page text will '''not''' be translated, nor will templates (unless the templates integrate text localisation).

===Change password===
To change your password, enter your old password in the first box and your new password in the last two. If you want this site to remember your login, check ''Remember my login on this computer''. Note that this function requires you to have cookies enabled in your browser, and if your cookie is cleared or expires you will no longer be remembered.

===E-mail===
If you have supplied an email address, you will need to click the ''verify address'' button in order to use these functions. You will receive an email; simply open it and follow the link to enable the following functions.

* ''E-mail me when a page I'm watching is changed''
* ''E-mail me when my user talk page is changed''
* ''E-mail me also for minor edits of pages''
* ''Enable e-mail from other users''
* ''Send me copies of emails I send to other users''

===Languages===

From your preferences you can select what language you would like the interface to be in. Only the buttons like 'edit' and 'talk', in addition to a few pages in the sidebar, will be affected. The main text of the pages will not be changed by this for the vast majority of pages, although there are a few pages where it will, like some in the Wikimedia Meta Wiki.

==Skin==
Here you can choose the skin you want to use (use ''Preview'' if you want to see a skin before you choose it). By default, MediaWiki includes the following skins:
* Chick
* Classic
* Cologne Blue
* MonoBook (default)
* MySkin
* Nostalgia
* Simple
While you can choose whatever skin you like, bear in mind that some wikis will incorporate templates or layout elements that will not display as intended in some of these skins. Generally speaking, sticking with MonoBook (or whatever the wiki's default skin is) will ensure you see pages as intended.

==Math==
Here you can control how mathematical equations described using the <code><nowiki><math></nowiki></code> tag will be displayed. Mathematical formulae uploaded as images or written outside the math tag will not be affected by this setting.
* ''Always render PNG''
* ''HTML if very simple or else PNG''
* ''HTML if possible or else PNG''
* ''Leave it as TeX (for text browsers)''
* ''Recommended for modern browsers''
* ''MathML if possible (experimental)''

==Files==
Here you can determine how images will be displayed. Images displayed by direct pasting of a URL (if the wiki has it enabled) will not be affected by this setting.

* ''Limit images on image description pages to'': This setting lets you choose how big image previews will be on the Image: pages. If you know what your current screen resolution is you may like to set this to one or two sizes smaller than your own screen. If you have a slow connection (such as dial-up) you may want to limit them to 320×240.
* ''Thumbnail size'': Define how big you want thumbnails to appear. This setting will not affect thumbnails with dimensions determined by an editor, nor can it increase images beyond their original dimensions.

==Date and time==
The following is normally rendered depending on preferences:

<pre>
[[2001-01-05]] (or [[2001]]-[[01-05]]) (with leading zeros)
[[2001]] [[January 5]] ([[2001]] [[January 05]])
[[January 5]], [[2001]] ([[January 05]], [[2001]])
[[5 January]] [[2001]] ([[05 January]] [[2001]])
[[January 5]] ([[January 05]])
[[5 January]] ([[05 January]])
</pre>

==Editing==
Settings to control editing pages, including the size of the edit box displayed and whether to watch pages that you have edited or created automatically.

==Recent changes==
* ''Days to show in recent changes'': Here you can specify how far back the [[Help:Tracking changes|recent changes]] pages will go. Note that the list will stop prematurely if the number of edits is exceeded (see below)
* ''Number of edits to show in recent changes'': Here you can specify how many edits should be displayed.
* ''Hide minor edits in recent changes'': This enables you to hide edits marked as minor (see [[Help:Editing pages]]). Since some users will rapidly make a lot of tiny tweaks to update templates or fix spelling errors you may find enabling this to be useful. You can also turn this on temporarily from the recent changes page (see [[Help:Tracking changes]]).
* ''Enhanced recent changes (JavaScript)'': Enhanced recent changes condenses edits into a per-page list. As indicated, this requires JavaScript to be enabled. See [[Help:Tracking changes]] for more information on this feature.

==Watchlist==
Setting to control the behaviour of the watchlist (See [[Help:Watchlist]]) Most of these options are also available on the watchlist display itself, but by setting them in your preferences you control the default behaviour i.e. Every time you visit the watchlist it will do the same.

==Search==
Default settings for searches including how many results to display and how much context to show for each result. Check the boxes next to the namespaces which you want to show up, the first time that you search for something. You can override this when doing an actual search, by checking or unchecking the boxes at the bottom of the search results screen.

''Administrators'': To change the namespace default preferences for new users (or users who haven't changed their preferences yet), see {{mediawiki|Manual:$wgNamespacesToBeSearchedDefault}}

==Misc==
Other settings such as numbering and justification.

== See also ==
* [[Help:Skins]]

{{Languages|Help:Preferences}}

[[Category:Help|Preferences]]

Help:Talk pages

2008-09-07T23:11:04Z

Harry Wood: /* Editing conventions on talk pages */ see Help:Signatures

{{PD Help Page}}

Every wiki page has an associated talk page which can be used for discussion and communicating with other users. Talk pages can be accessed by clicking the ''Discussion'' tab at the top of the page. Simply edit the page as normal to add your comment.

A talk page is actually very similar to any other wiki page, but it is in the 'talk' namespace, to keep it separate from the articles in the 'main' namespace (See [[Help:namespaces]]) As with any wiki page, you can edit it, link to it, and view the editing history.

== Editing conventions on talk pages ==
Having discussions on a free-form wiki page will seem strange at first. It helps if everyone follows some simple editing conventions:

* Always sign your name after your comments. Use the four tildes '<tt><nowiki>~~~~</nowiki></tt>' wiki syntax (or the toolbar button) For more information see [[Help:Signatures]]
* Start a new discussion with a <tt><nowiki>==level 2 heading==</nowiki></tt> at the bottom of the page (or use the '+' tab)
* Indent replies with colons (':') at the beginning of the line.

== Example ==
Here is an example discussion, following the talk page conventions:

{| align="center" {{Prettytable}}
|-
|{{Hl2}} |'''Wiki text'''
|{{Hl2}} |'''Formatted talk page'''
|-
|

<tt><nowiki>== More spiders information needed ==</nowiki></tt><br/>
<tt><nowiki>This page has a lot of detail about the web, but I really dont understand a single word of it, and it doesn't mention the spider once -- [[User:Bob Smith|Bob Smith]] 18:07, 26 August 1991 (UTC)</nowiki></tt><br/>
<tt><nowiki>: No no. This page is talking about the "world wide web". I have added a clarification at the top - [[User:Simon Brown|Simon Brown]] 11:21, 28 August 1991(UTC)</nowiki></tt><br/>
<tt><nowiki>:: Oh I see... So what's the big deal about hyperlinked documents? Seems like a stupid idea to me. -- [[User:Bob Smith|Bob Smith]] 14:11, 3 September 1991 (UTC)</nowiki></tt><br/>
<tt><nowiki>::: Well I think we should have some information about it here on our wiki, but you're probably right. It'll never catch on. -- [[User:Simon Brown|Simon Brown]] 21:55, 3 September 1991 (UTC)</nowiki></tt>
|
== More spiders information needed ==
This page has a lot of detail about the web, but I really dont understand a single word of it, and it doesn't mention the spider once -- [[User:Bob Smith|Bob Smith]] 18:07, 26 August 1991 (UTC)
: No no. This page is talking about the "world wide web". I have added a clarification at the top - [[User:Simon Brown|Simon Brown]] 11:21, 28 August 1991(UTC)
:: Oh I see... So what's the big deal about hyperlinked documents? Seems like a stupid idea to me. -- [[User:Bob Smith|Bob Smith]] 14:11, 3 September 1991 (UTC)
::: Well I think we should have some information about it here on our wiki, but you're probably right. It'll never catch on. -- [[User:Simon Brown|Simon Brown]] 21:55, 3 September 1991 (UTC)
|}

== Editing discussions ==
Having discussions on a free-form wiki page will seem strange at first. It has some advantages over the conventional rigid forum format, but it can get a little messy. As with other wiki pages, anyone can help with tidying up discussions, to conform to the editing conventions e.g. add signatures and headings where they are missing.

Clearly we also have the opportunity to edit other people's comments. It is generally bad etiquette to modify somebody else's wording (Better to just add your own comment with your corrections) But it can be acceptable to...

;Modify discussion headings
:Change wording or append words to the discussion headings, to better describe the topic of discussion. Note that good descriptive headings become important when many discussions start to fill the page.
;Move discussions to a different page
:If discussions are put in the wrong place on the wiki, and are better associated with different talk page, then you could just move the discussion by cut & paste. This is potentially confusing, for the people posting, but can be important for keeping things tidy. You could leave the discussion in the wrong place for a few days/weeks grace before tidying it. You could leave a link behind explaining that a discussion was moved, or if not, you should link within the edit summary.
;Delete discussions when they are out-of-date
:Discussions can often get left lying around on a talk page long after the issue is no longer relevant. It's usually a good idea to reply to saying "I think this is now resolved", but sooner or later it's time to just blow away the old discussions (they are of course preserved in the editing history)
;Split a post into several discussions
:It may be appropriate to do this, if somebody has raised several points which need to be answered separately. However you should always be respectful to other people's words. Does their post still make sense if you split it up?

== Building articles - Discussing articles ==
It is usually best to keep focused on the task of building a wiki article, and use discussion pages only to support this process. The topic of conversation should generally revolve around what needs to be done to make the associated article better. Remember that editing the article itself is often a more effective means of communicating. It can be more difficult, requiring you to balance your views alongside those of others, but it can also be more rewarding. This is how the community of wiki editors will make progress. Often it will feel more natural to engage in heated debate on a talk page (or indeed any other contact channel) but in fact the wiki article itself can offer a powerful means of reaching middle-ground. Think about how to portray both sides of the argument (e.g. listing advantages and disadvantages) and you may find the debate evaporates.

== User Talk pages ==
A "user talk page" is a talk page associated with somebody's "user page" (See [[Help:User page]]) This is a place to leave messages for a particular wiki user.

This can function as a kind of messaging system. Users receive a prominent notification when new messages have been left on their talk page. They may be notified by email as well, although this cannot always be relied upon (since the email notification feature must be activated by supplying a valid email address, and clicking a confirmation link). If you don't get a response to your user talk page message, try looking for other contact details which they may have supplied on their user page.

Note that the messages are not private, and others can join in the conversation.

{{Languages|Help:Talk pages}}

[[Category:Help|Talk pages]]

Help:User page

2008-08-13T10:52:06Z

Harry Wood: Undo revision 206021 by 84.239.218.213 (Talk) I dont see the relevance of the link in that paragraph

{{PD Help Page}}

A '''user page''' is a page about a wiki user; someone who registered on the wiki, and is (most probably) a contributor. If you have registered, you can create your own user page. Your user page is linked in the top right. More importantly, others will see links to your user page from various places which assist wiki collaboration. This includes the 'Recent changes' and page 'history' displays (See [[Help:Tracking changes]]). You can also link to your user page within text of a wiki page, which is mainly useful on [[Help:Talk pages|talk pages]] when you sign your name.

== What to put on your user page ==
User pages are just as flexible as any other wiki page, and it's a page all about you, so generally people will leave you to freely write your user page in whatever format you like. Think of it as a 'profile' page. It's a feature to help other people know who you are, and to bring the online community closer together. You might like to mention where you are from and what your job is. You can also state what your main areas of interest are in relation to the topic of the wiki, and describe contributions you have made or are areas where you are interested in contributing.

=== User scratchpad / development area ===
You can use your user page as a scratchpad. An area for developing ideas without cluttering the main namespace (see [[Help:Namespaces]]). If subpages are enabled (see [[Help:Subpages]]), you may find them useful for creating sub pages under your user page. However you should avoid expending too much effort within your own area of the wiki. Be bold! Edit the main wiki articles! You can also use a shared [[Sandbox]] page for quick (non-permanent) wiki experimentation.

== Other people's user pages ==

As mentioned above, you will see links to other people's user pages, in various places throughout the wiki.

=== User Contributions ===
When viewing another person's user page, an additional link "''user contributions''" appears in the 'toolbox' area (bottom left). This takes you to a list of all of this user's wiki edits. Use this to get an idea of how prolific a contributor somebody is, or to track down edits made by a user who is causing trouble/making bad wiki edits.

=== Editing someone else's page ===
It's generally considered bad etiquette to rewrite or reword another person's user page. Editing is not disallowed, but you should avoid adding information (or especially opinions) which might be misinterpreted as coming from that user, in situations where this could potentially cause upset. Some types of edit are widely acceptable, and unlikely to cause upset:

* Fixing wiki links, when a page has been [[Help:Moving a page|moved]] or [[Help:Deleting a page|deleted]]
* Fixing broken external links
* Categorizing or fixing categories of user pages.

=== User talk pages ===
Every user page has an associated talk page; a "user talk page". This is a special kind of talk page, for leaving messages directed at a particular user. See [[Help:Talk pages#User Talk pages]].

{{Languages|Help:User page}}

[[Category:Help|{{PAGENAME}}]]