Mississippi Wiki:FAQ
From Mississippi Wiki
If you have any questions you would like answered, please post them on the discussion page of this article.
Creating and Editing Articles
Content
Rights Issues
How can I get my info on Mississippi Wiki?
Anybody can create or edit Mississippi Wiki articles. If you want to post content, first make sure it is Mississippi-oriented. Then feel free to create your article and add your information.
How do I create an article?
First use the search box to see if there is already an article on your subject. If the article doesn't exist, you'll see a red link on the results page that says "create this page." Click on that link and you'll be transported to the editor for your new article.
How do I edit an article?
To edit an existing article simply click on the "edit" link at the top of the page. There are also "section edit" links throughout an article that allow you to edit just that section.
How do I format text?
When you're editing an article, be sure to notice the buttons at the top of the edit box. These buttons will allow you to bold or italicize text, create links, or upload pictures. For more detailed information on wiki syntax, go here
How can I make changes to an article that's been protected?
Only system operators can directly change protected pages. But there are several workarounds. If you want to make a change to a protected page, you can submit your changes on the "discussion page" that's connected to your article. We'll make the changes. Or you can create a new, revised page with your changes. And we'll replace the old page with the new. Title the page something like "Articlename - Revision," so that we'll know your intentions.
Why was I sent to a page that asks me to type hard-to-read words when I tried to save my article?
A captcha is a simple test that's designed to distinguish between real persons and bots (automated software) that can post unwanted or malicious information or links on sites. We require captchas from all users who are not logged in when saving articles that have links to other sites. To avoid the hassle, simply register as a Mississippi Wiki user and log-in. We also use captchas to keep spammers from harvesting e-mail addresses from the site. If you plan to post an e-mail address, we highly recommend you do the same by visiting Recaptcha.
What does it mean when text is blue, red, or purple?
Blue text means that you can click that word to go to a Mississippi Wiki article on that subject. Red links mean that that word or phrase has been marked as an appropriate topic for Mississippi Wiki, however the article has not yet been created. Clicking on a red link takes you to an edit page where you can create an article for that topic. Purple text means that you've recently viewed that particular article.
How can I keep people from posting false information on my article?
We have never had any instances of people deliberately posting false information. However, Mississippi Wiki has several tools in place to combat malicious posts and vandalism. All registered users can put any article on a watchlist which will offers e-mail notification when changes are made to that article. (Look for the "watch" button at the top of the page after you've logged in.) Our site also logs the IP address of any user who creates or edits an article, and we can easily roll-back unwanted changes or block IP addresses. We can protect pages from editing when necessary. And we use Capcha software to prevent link spam made by software bots. That said, always keep in mind that when you publish an article on Mississippi Wiki, it's really no longer your article. From that point on, anyone can edit it. And, of course, you can edit it right back.
Why are some pages protected?
Mississippi Wiki's homepage is protected because it's a high visibility page with featured content chosen by the site's administrators. Some of the site's other pages are protected because they contain special code which allows us to link to Amazon.com products. Those pages must be protected for the product links to be visible.
How can I get my article to be featured on the home page?
For an article to be featured on Mississippi Wiki, it must 1) fit within the scope of our project–notable Mississippi people, places, and things, 2) Be reasonably thorough with no red links, and 3) have a picture linked to the article. Other than that, it's subjective. We feature the articles that we believe will be of interest to site visitors, especially if that content is not available in this format elsewhere (eg: on Wikipedia).
Why do some articles have content that's taken from Wikipedia?
According to Wikipedia's GNU license agreement, anybody can freely use their content without permission as long as they maintain the same license. We do this. However, it's our goal to tailor this information to the Mississippi focus of this site, through collaboration, rather than duplicate existing content. Think of the Wikipedia content as a starting point of this process, not the end.
What should I do if my content is being used on the site without permission?
Mississippi Wiki allows anyone to add or edit articles or upload pictures. We try to keep copyrighted material off the site, but we can't eliminate the possibility. If you find your copyrighted works on the site, the easiest remedy is to delete the specific content from the article in question. If a picture needs to be removed, you can post your claim of infringement on the discussion page related to that image for the site's administrators to investigate. As a last resort, you can e-mail us. Keep in mind that ideas cannot be copyrighted, only the specific expression of that idea.
