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<!DOCTYPE html> <html class="client-nojs" lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"/> <title>RationalWiki:Newcomers - RationalWiki</title> <script>document.documentElement.className="client-js";RLCONF={"wgBreakFrames":!1,"wgSeparatorTransformTable":["",""],"wgDigitTransformTable":["",""],"wgDefaultDateFormat":"dmy","wgMonthNames":["","January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","September","October","November","December"],"wgRequestId":"Z0amTBMja7Oou8l6bNO_GQAAAUA","wgCSPNonce":!1,"wgCanonicalNamespace":"Project","wgCanonicalSpecialPageName":!1,"wgNamespaceNumber":4,"wgPageName":"RationalWiki:Newcomers","wgTitle":"Newcomers","wgCurRevisionId":2474099,"wgRevisionId":2474099,"wgArticleId":68434,"wgIsArticle":!0,"wgIsRedirect":!1,"wgAction":"view","wgUserName":null,"wgUserGroups":["*"],"wgCategories":["Help"],"wgPageContentLanguage":"en","wgPageContentModel":"wikitext","wgRelevantPageName":"RationalWiki:Newcomers","wgRelevantArticleId":68434,"wgIsProbablyEditable":!1,"wgRelevantPageIsProbablyEditable":!1,"wgRestrictionEdit":["autoconfirmed"],"wgRestrictionMove":["autoconfirmed"], "wgMediaViewerOnClick":!0,"wgMediaViewerEnabledByDefault":!0};RLSTATE={"site.styles":"ready","noscript":"ready","user.styles":"ready","user":"ready","user.options":"loading","skins.vector.styles.legacy":"ready","mediawiki.toc.styles":"ready"};RLPAGEMODULES=["site","mediawiki.page.startup","mediawiki.page.ready","mediawiki.toc","skins.vector.legacy.js","ext.gadget.ReferenceTooltips","mmv.head","mmv.bootstrap.autostart"];</script> <script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.loader.implement("user.options@1hzgi",function($,jQuery,require,module){/*@nomin*/mw.user.tokens.set({"patrolToken":"+\\","watchToken":"+\\","csrfToken":"+\\"}); });});</script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=mediawiki.toc.styles%7Cskins.vector.styles.legacy&only=styles&skin=vector"/> <script async="" src="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=startup&only=scripts&raw=1&skin=vector"></script> <meta name="ResourceLoaderDynamicStyles" content=""/> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=site.styles&only=styles&skin=vector"/> <meta name="generator" content="MediaWiki 1.35.6"/> <meta name="description" content="These are responses to frequently asked questions (FAQ) by very new users. They may be useful to you if you are either:"/> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico"/> <link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="/w/opensearch_desc.php" title="RationalWiki (en)"/> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" href="https://rationalwiki.org/w/api.php?action=rsd"/> <link rel="license" href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Copyrights"/> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="RationalWiki Atom feed" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&feed=atom"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:site_name" content="RationalWiki"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Newcomers"/> <meta property="og:description" content="These are responses to frequently asked questions (FAQ) by very new users. They may be useful to you if you are either:"/> <meta property="og:url" content="https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/RationalWiki:Newcomers"/>  </head> <body class="mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-4 ns-subject page-RationalWiki_Newcomers rootpage-RationalWiki_Newcomers skin-vector action-view minerva--history-page-action-enabled skin-vector-legacy"> <div id="mw-page-base" class="noprint"></div> <div id="mw-head-base" class="noprint"></div> <div id="content" class="mw-body" role="main"> <a id="top"></a> <div id="siteNotice" class="mw-body-content"><div id="localNotice" lang="en" dir="ltr"><table class="messagebox mb-brainwatermark-light mb-info" style=""> <tbody><tr> <td class="mb-image"><a href="/wiki/File:Information_icon.svg" class="image"><img alt="Information icon.svg" src="/w/images/thumb/3/35/Information_icon.svg/50px-Information_icon.svg.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="50" srcset="/w/images/thumb/3/35/Information_icon.svg/75px-Information_icon.svg.png 1.5x, /w/images/thumb/3/35/Information_icon.svg/100px-Information_icon.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="620" data-file-height="620" /></a> </td> <td class="mb-text"><b><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Moderator_elections/Nominations" title="RationalWiki:Moderator elections/Nominations">Nominations</a></b> and <b><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Moderator_elections/Campaigning" title="RationalWiki:Moderator elections/Campaigning">Campaigning</a></b> for the <b><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Moderator_elections" title="RationalWiki:Moderator elections">2024 RationalWiki Moderator Election</a></b> are now open </td></tr></tbody></table></div></div> <div class="mw-indicators mw-body-content"> </div> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading" lang="en">RationalWiki:Newcomers</h1> <div id="bodyContent" class="mw-body-content"> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From RationalWiki</div> <div id="contentSub"></div> <div id="contentSub2"></div> <div id="jump-to-nav"></div> <a class="mw-jump-link" href="#mw-head">Jump to navigation</a> <a class="mw-jump-link" href="#searchInput">Jump to search</a> <div id="mw-content-text" lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"><div class="mw-parser-output"><table class="infobox" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 0.5em 0.5em; text-align:left; border: 1px solid #5f497a; width:175px;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center; color:White; background-color:#5f497a"><b><a href="/wiki/Essay:I_thought_this_was_supposed_to_be_RATIONALWiki" title="Essay:I thought this was supposed to be RATIONALWiki"><font color="white">I thought this<br />was supposed to be</font></a></b><br /><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki" title="RationalWiki"><font size="5" color="White"><b>RationalWiki</b></font></a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="background-color:#d8cfe2;" align="center"><a href="/wiki/Category:RationalWiki" title="Category:RationalWiki"><img alt="Wigorw.svg" src="/w/images/thumb/f/f6/Wigorw.svg/100px-Wigorw.svg.png" decoding="async" width="100" height="100" srcset="/w/images/thumb/f/f6/Wigorw.svg/150px-Wigorw.svg.png 1.5x, /w/images/thumb/f/f6/Wigorw.svg/200px-Wigorw.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="200" data-file-height="200" /></a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; color:White; background-color:#5f497a; text-align:center;"><b><font color="white">About</font></b> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; background-color:#d8cfe2;"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Mission" title="RationalWiki:Mission">Mission</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Timeline" title="RationalWiki:Timeline">History</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:What_is_a_RationalWiki_article%3F" title="RationalWiki:What is a RationalWiki article?">What is a RW article?</a></li></ul> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; color:White; background-color:#5f497a; text-align:center;"><b><font color="white">Help</font></b> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; background-color:#d8cfe2;"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Help:Contents" title="Help:Contents">Main help page</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Newcomer information</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Community_Standards" title="RationalWiki:Community Standards">Community Standards</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:How_I_found_RationalWiki" title="RationalWiki:How I found RationalWiki">How I found RW</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Sysop_guide" title="RationalWiki:Sysop guide">Sysop guide</a></li></ul> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; color:White; background-color:#5f497a; text-align:center;"><b><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:RationalMedia_Foundation" title="RationalWiki:RationalMedia Foundation"><font color="white">RationalMedia Foundation (RMF)</font></a></b> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; background-color:#d8cfe2;"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:RationalMedia_Foundation/List_of_board_members" title="RationalWiki:RationalMedia Foundation/List of board members">List of trustees</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:2024_board_of_trustees_election" title="RationalWiki:2024 board of trustees election">RMF elections</a> (<a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Guide_for_board_of_trustees_election" title="RationalWiki:Guide for board of trustees election">Guide</a>)</li> <li><span class="plainlinks"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://rationalweb.org/publications/foundation/rmfs-role-in-rationalwiki-jan-2011/">Role (and lack of) in RW</a></span></li> <li><span class="plainlinks"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://rationalweb.org/about/">RMF about page</a></span></li> <li><span class="plainlinks"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://rationalweb.org/publications/board-of-trustees/minutes/">RMF minutes</a></span></li> <li><span class="plainlinks"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://rationalweb.org/publications/financial/">RMF financial reports</a></span></li></ul> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; color:White; background-color:#5f497a; text-align:center;"><b><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Moderators" title="RationalWiki:Moderators"><font color="white">Moderation</font></a></b> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; background-color:#d8cfe2;"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki_talk:All_things_in_moderation" title="RationalWiki talk:All things in moderation">Mod noticeboard</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Chicken_coop" title="RationalWiki:Chicken coop">Chicken coop</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Special:ListUsers/moderator" title="Special:ListUsers/moderator">List of mods</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Moderator_elections" title="RationalWiki:Moderator elections">Mod elections</a></li></ul> <div class="center"><div class="floatnone"><a href="/wiki/Category:RationalWiki_moderation" title="Category:RationalWiki moderation"><img alt="Future.gif" src="/w/images/3/3e/Future.gif" decoding="async" width="100" height="75" data-file-width="100" data-file-height="75" /></a></div></div> <div class="vte plainlinks" style="font-size:smaller; text-align:center;"><a href="/wiki/Template:Rwnav" title="Template:Rwnav">v</a> - <a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Rwnav" title="Template talk:Rwnav">t</a> - <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Rwnav&action=edit">e</a></div> </td></tr></tbody></table><div id="RW:NEW" style="position: relative; top: -3em;"></div> <div role="note" aria-labelledby="shortcut-label" class="shortcutbox plainlist noprint" style="float: right; clear: right; border: 1px solid #aaa; background: #fff; margin: .35em .35em .35em 1.2em; padding: 0.75em 0.5em; font-size: 84%; text-align: center; font-weight: bold;"><span id="shortcut-label"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Shortcuts" title="RationalWiki:Shortcuts">Shortcut</a></span>:<ul> <li> <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:NEW" class="mw-redirect" title="RationalWiki:NEW">RW:NEW</a></li></ul></div> <p>These are <b>responses to frequently asked questions</b> (<b>FAQ</b>) by very new users. They may be useful to you if you are either: </p> <ul><li>New to Wikis in general, or</li> <li>New to <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki" title="RationalWiki">RationalWiki</a></li></ul> <p>If you can't find what you are looking for here you should also try <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Help" class="mw-redirect" title="RationalWiki:Help">RationalWiki:Help</a> — or <a href="/wiki/Saloon_Bar" class="mw-redirect" title="Saloon Bar">just ask somebody</a>. </p><p>Before reading this guide, new users may wish to read <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:What_is_a_RationalWiki_article%3F" title="RationalWiki:What is a RationalWiki article?"><i>What is a RationalWiki article?</i></a>, which explains what a RationalWiki article is; it will also be referred to repeatedly in this FAQ. </p><p>Of course, in reality, we realize that <s>no one</s> only some people Read The Fucking Manual. But remember, down the road, when you are perplexed, there will be a marginally useful instruction somewhere in this page that might help. </p> <div id="toc" class="toc" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="mw-toc-heading"><input type="checkbox" role="button" id="toctogglecheckbox" class="toctogglecheckbox" style="display:none" /><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr"><h2 id="mw-toc-heading">Contents</h2><span class="toctogglespan"><label class="toctogglelabel" for="toctogglecheckbox"></label></span></div> <ul> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="#About_RationalWiki"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">About RationalWiki</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2"><a href="#.22All_RationalWiki_articles_seem_to_have_a_specific_point_of_view_.28POV.29.2C_why_is_this.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">1.1</span> <span class="toctext">"All RationalWiki articles seem to have a specific point of view (POV), why is this?"</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3"><a href="#.22Who_writes_these_articles.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">1.2</span> <span class="toctext">"Who writes these articles?"</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4"><a href="#.22I_have_read_one_of_your_articles_and_I_totally_disagree_with_it._What_should_I_do.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">1.3</span> <span class="toctext">"I have read one of your articles and I totally disagree with it. What should I do?"</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5"><a href="#.22Doesn.27t_RationalWiki_just_exist_to_promote_vandalism_at_Conservapedia.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">1.4</span> <span class="toctext">"Doesn't RationalWiki just exist to promote vandalism at Conservapedia?"</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6"><a href="#Etiquette"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Etiquette</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7"><a href="#.22What_standards_of_behavior_are_expected.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">2.1</span> <span class="toctext">"What standards of behavior are expected?"</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-8"><a href="#.22I.27ve_seen_what_looks_like_an_in-joke._What_does_it_mean.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">2.2</span> <span class="toctext">"I've seen what looks like an in-joke. What does it mean?"</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-9"><a href="#.22How_can_I_tell_when_you_are_being_serious_and_when_you_are_joking.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">2.3</span> <span class="toctext">"How can I tell when you are being serious and when you are joking?"</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-10"><a href="#Articles_and_talk_pages"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Articles and talk pages</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-11"><a href="#.22What_are_articles_and_talk_pages.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">3.1</span> <span class="toctext">"What are articles and talk pages?"</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-12"><a href="#.22I_created_some_red_links_and_they_were_removed_-_why.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">3.2</span> <span class="toctext">"I created some red links and they were removed - why?"</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-13"><a href="#.22Somebody_has_covered_my_article_with_.5Bcitation_needed.5D.21.22"><span class="tocnumber">3.3</span> <span class="toctext">"Somebody has covered my article with [citation needed]!"</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-14"><a href="#User_pages"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">User pages</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-15"><a href="#.22What_can_I_do_with_my_user_page.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">4.1</span> <span class="toctext">"What can I do with my user page?"</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-16"><a href="#.22Why_does_my_name_always_come_up_in_red.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">4.2</span> <span class="toctext">"Why does my name always come up in red?"</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-17"><a href="#.22How_do_I_put_those_cool_userboxes_on_my_page.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">4.3</span> <span class="toctext">"How do I put those cool userboxes on my page?"</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-18"><a href="#Recent_changes"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">Recent changes</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-19"><a href="#.22Is_there_some_way_I_can_see_what.27s_live_at_the_moment.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">5.1</span> <span class="toctext">"Is there some way I can see what's live at the moment?"</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-20"><a href="#.22How_can_I_keep_an_eye_on_articles_that_interest_me.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">5.2</span> <span class="toctext">"How can I keep an eye on articles that interest me?"</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-21"><a href="#Formatting"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">Formatting</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-22"><a href="#.22How_do_I_format_everything.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">6.1</span> <span class="toctext">"How do I format everything?"</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-23"><a href="#.22Can_I_link_to_Wikipedia.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">6.2</span> <span class="toctext">"Can I link to Wikipedia?"</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-24"><a href="#.22Where_can_I_test_something_to_see_how_it_works.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">6.3</span> <span class="toctext">"Where can I test something to see how it works?"</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-25"><a href="#Chatting"><span class="tocnumber">7</span> <span class="toctext">Chatting</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-26"><a href="#.22Is_there_a_.27talk_about_anything.2Feverything.27_page.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">7.1</span> <span class="toctext">"Is there a 'talk about anything/everything' page?"</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-27"><a href="#.22How_do_I_sign_my_posts_to_talk_pages.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">7.2</span> <span class="toctext">"How do I sign my posts to talk pages?"</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-28"><a href="#.22How_do_I_indent_talk_pages.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">7.3</span> <span class="toctext">"How do I indent talk pages?"</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-29"><a href="#Editing"><span class="tocnumber">8</span> <span class="toctext">Editing</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-30"><a href="#.22What_is_an_.27edit_conflict.3F.27.22"><span class="tocnumber">8.1</span> <span class="toctext">"What is an 'edit conflict?'"</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-31"><a href="#.22I_am_not_a_vandal.2C_but_I_keep_running_into_this_message_when_trying_to_edit.21.22"><span class="tocnumber">8.2</span> <span class="toctext">"I am not a vandal, but I keep running into this message when trying to edit!"</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-32"><a href="#.22What_does_.27Autopatrolled.27_mean.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">8.3</span> <span class="toctext">"What does 'Autopatrolled' mean?"</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-33"><a href="#Blocking"><span class="tocnumber">9</span> <span class="toctext">Blocking</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-34"><a href="#.22I_was_just_blocked_for_a_short_period_of_time_for_no_apparent_reason._Why.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">9.1</span> <span class="toctext">"I was just blocked for a short period of time for no apparent reason. Why?"</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-35"><a href="#.22A_bunch_of_sysops_are_banning_each_other._Should_I_be_worried.3F.22"><span class="tocnumber">9.2</span> <span class="toctext">"A bunch of sysops are banning each other. Should I be worried?"</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-36"><a href="#See_also"><span class="tocnumber">10</span> <span class="toctext">See also</span></a></li> </ul> </div> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="About_RationalWiki">About RationalWiki</span></h2> <h3><span id=""All_RationalWiki_articles_seem_to_have_a_specific_point_of_view_(POV),_why_is_this?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22All_RationalWiki_articles_seem_to_have_a_specific_point_of_view_.28POV.29.2C_why_is_this.3F.22">"All RationalWiki articles seem to have a specific point of view (POV), why is this?"</span></h3> <p>Yes, RationalWiki has a <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki" title="RationalWiki"> rationalist point of view</a>. We create our articles from this <a href="/wiki/Rationalist" class="mw-redirect" title="Rationalist">rationalist</a> perspective, and we attempt to demonstrate the strength of <a href="/wiki/Science" title="Science">science</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Scientific_method" title="Scientific method">scientific method</a>, and the folly of <a href="/wiki/Crank" title="Crank">cranks</a> and <a href="/wiki/Deceit" title="Deceit">deceit</a>. This rationalist point of view <a href="/wiki/Essay:I_thought_this_was_supposed_to_be_RATIONALWiki#Perfection_incarnate" title="Essay:I thought this was supposed to be RATIONALWiki">is how we got our name</a>. If you create an article yourself, please remember that we are <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:What_is_a_RationalWiki_article%3F" title="RationalWiki:What is a RationalWiki article?"> not an encyclopedia</a> and follow our mission statements: </p> <ol><li>Analyzing and refuting <a href="/wiki/Pseudoscience" title="Pseudoscience">pseudoscience</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Anti-science" class="mw-redirect" title="Anti-science">anti-science</a> movement;</li> <li>Documenting the full range of <a href="/wiki/Crank" title="Crank">crank</a> ideas;</li> <li>Explorations of <a href="/wiki/Authoritarianism" title="Authoritarianism">authoritarianism</a> and <a href="/wiki/Fundamentalism" title="Fundamentalism">fundamentalism</a>;</li> <li>Analysis and criticism of how these subjects are handled in the <a href="/wiki/Media" title="Media">media</a>.</li></ol> <h3><span id=""Who_writes_these_articles?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22Who_writes_these_articles.3F.22">"Who writes these articles?"</span></h3> <p>They are written by our international and mostly English-speaking community. No single author "owns" any RationalWiki article, although some may have (or have had) primary authors. A primary author has no more say in an article once it is in the community than any other member of the community. A member of this community has as much right to edit an article as anybody else. </p><p>However, before editing you might wish to read our description of a <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:What_is_a_RationalWiki_article%3F" title="RationalWiki:What is a RationalWiki article?"> RationalWiki article</a>, and read about our <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki" title="RationalWiki"> point of view</a>, as following these guidelines may help your prose to stay in the article. If you feel that you may be making a contentious edit, you might wish to raise the issue on the article's talk page first. </p><p>Instructions for starting your own article may be found here: <a href="/wiki/Help:New_Article" title="Help:New Article">Help:New Article</a>. </p> <h3><span id=""I_have_read_one_of_your_articles_and_I_totally_disagree_with_it._What_should_I_do?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22I_have_read_one_of_your_articles_and_I_totally_disagree_with_it._What_should_I_do.3F.22">"I have read one of your articles and I totally disagree with it. What should I do?"</span></h3> <p>First, please check out our page on what is a <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:What_is_a_RationalWiki_article%3F" title="RationalWiki:What is a RationalWiki article?"> RationalWiki article</a> and read our <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki" title="RationalWiki"> mission statement</a> as this may help you to understand where the article is coming from. </p><p>If you still have objections, then you should raise them on the article's talk page. It is better to point out specific errors in the article than it is to post something like "This is all wrong!!!!" or even more tritely, "<b>This is <a href="/wiki/Ratwiki" class="mw-redirect" title="Ratwiki">IrrationalWiki/RatWiki</a>1111SHIFT!!!oneone11SHIFT!!1elventy11oneSHIFT!!111one!!!11!!</b>". Please remember that, if you are trying to change a controversial article, then your objective is to <i>persuade</i> people using reason and logic. If you adopt a condescending or aggressive tone, then you are significantly reducing your chances of persuading others (even if your arguments make sense rationally). </p><p>Under no circumstances should you simply write a new article atop an existing article or <a href="/wiki/Disagreeing_by_deleting" class="mw-redirect" title="Disagreeing by deleting"> delete the article</a>. Such silliness will be speedily reverted as <i>unfunny vandalism</i>, and you will have reduced your opportunities to make a reasoned case for being a "good faith" editor. There are more suggestions about polite editing here: <a href="/wiki/Help:Etiquette" title="Help:Etiquette">Help:Etiquette</a>. </p><p>If you wish to make an argument, then you should present it <i>in your own words</i>. If you simply post a link to another website or blogpost claiming that the answer can be found there, you probably won't be taken seriously. An even worse mistake is posting links to YouTube videos, as it is highly unlikely that people will spend, say, half an hour listening to them. Remember: make the point <i>yourself</i>. </p><p>Our notes on <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Constructive_dialogue" title="RationalWiki:Constructive dialogue"> constructive dialogue</a> may also help you if you feel that you may be entering a controversial area. </p> <h3><span id=""Doesn't_RationalWiki_just_exist_to_promote_vandalism_at_Conservapedia?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22Doesn.27t_RationalWiki_just_exist_to_promote_vandalism_at_Conservapedia.3F.22">"Doesn't RationalWiki just exist to promote vandalism at Conservapedia?"</span></h3> <div id="RW:CP" style="position: relative; top: -3em;"></div> <div role="note" aria-labelledby="shortcut-label" class="shortcutbox plainlist noprint" style="float: right; clear: right; border: 1px solid #aaa; background: #fff; margin: .35em .35em .35em 1.2em; padding: 0.75em 0.5em; font-size: 84%; text-align: center; font-weight: bold;"><span id="shortcut-label"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Shortcuts" title="RationalWiki:Shortcuts">Shortcut</a></span>:<ul> <li> <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:CP" class="mw-redirect" title="RationalWiki:CP">RW:CP</a></li></ul></div> <p>Although analysing <a href="/wiki/Conservapedia" title="Conservapedia">Conservapedia</a> still falls well within our <a href="/wiki/Rationalwiki" class="mw-redirect" title="Rationalwiki"> mission statements</a> due to its promotion of <a href="/wiki/Fundamentalism" title="Fundamentalism">religious fundamentalism</a>, <a href="/wiki/Conservapedia:Atheism_and_Obesity" title="Conservapedia:Atheism and Obesity">junk</a> <a href="/wiki/Creationism" title="Creationism">sciences</a> and <a href="/wiki/Conservapedia:Examples_of_bias_in_Conservapedia" title="Conservapedia:Examples of bias in Conservapedia">deceit</a>, we mock and refer to it much less than we used to. <b>We do not condone <a href="/wiki/Wandalism" class="mw-redirect" title="Wandalism">vandalism</a> of other wikis, and most of us feel quite strongly on that point.</b> Conservapedia is not really relevant to RationalWiki's current mission, although there is nostalgia for it from some of our longer-term editors. Some new editors may also occasionally reference it to try and preserve the last vestiges of this ancient tradition of ours. </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Etiquette">Etiquette</span></h2> <h3><span id=""What_standards_of_behavior_are_expected?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22What_standards_of_behavior_are_expected.3F.22">"What standards of behavior are expected?"</span></h3> <p>Please read our <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Community_Standards" title="RationalWiki:Community Standards"> Community Standards</a>. </p> <h3><span id=""I've_seen_what_looks_like_an_in-joke._What_does_it_mean?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22I.27ve_seen_what_looks_like_an_in-joke._What_does_it_mean.3F.22">"I've seen what looks like an in-joke. What does it mean?"</span></h3> <p>Have a look at our special <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:DysLexicon" title="RationalWiki:DysLexicon"> RationalWiki DysLexicon</a>. It defines many of the terms we use. You can also <a href="/wiki/Saloon_Bar" class="mw-redirect" title="Saloon Bar">just ask somebody</a>, again. </p> <h3><span id=""How_can_I_tell_when_you_are_being_serious_and_when_you_are_joking?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22How_can_I_tell_when_you_are_being_serious_and_when_you_are_joking.3F.22">"How can I tell when you are being serious and when you are joking?"</span></h3> <p>The vast majority of our articles are trying to make a serious point. We often use humour to help make that point. In some cases, an article may have a banner at the top making it absolutely clear that the article is serious — this is sometimes needed in articles about Conservapedia, where our point of view is <i>almost always</i> snarky. But, in general, just go with the flow. </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Articles_and_talk_pages">Articles and talk pages</span></h2> <h3><span id=""What_are_articles_and_talk_pages?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22What_are_articles_and_talk_pages.3F.22">"What are articles and talk pages?"</span></h3> <p>Every article has an <i>article page</i> (in some namespaces called other things, like "projects page", etc.) and a <i>talk page</i>; the <i>content of the article</i> goes on the <i>article page</i> and <i>debates and comments on the article</i> should go on the <i>talk page</i>. Please <b>do not</b> put commentaries on the article pages; they will probably be deleted and (hopefully) moved to the talk page for further comments. For more information, see <a href="/wiki/Help:Namespace" title="Help:Namespace">Help:Namespace</a>. </p> <h3><span id=""I_created_some_red_links_and_they_were_removed_-_why?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22I_created_some_red_links_and_they_were_removed_-_why.3F.22">"I created some red links and they were removed - why?"</span></h3> <p>Please remember that RationalWiki <b>is not</b> an encyclopaedia; we have a <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki" title="RationalWiki"> specific mission</a> and somebody probably felt that your links did not contribute to this mission. </p><p>If you create a <span style="color:crimson">red link</span>, it is a good idea to also create a corresponding stub article. This is easily done by clicking on the <span style="color:crimson">red link</span> and entering a short paragraph or a few sentences on the subject and adding the stub template. If in doubt, raise the issue on a relevant talk page to see what the community in general thinks about it. The odds are that the article will be kept and expanded upon in the fullness of time by the many editors on this site; however, please don't feel offended if the consensus is that the article/link doesn't have a place on the site. </p><p>See our full <span style="color:crimson">red links</span> policy here: <a href="/wiki/Help:Red_links" title="Help:Red links">Help:Red links</a>. </p> <h3><span id=""Somebody_has_covered_my_article_with_[citation_needed]!""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22Somebody_has_covered_my_article_with_.5Bcitation_needed.5D.21.22">"Somebody has covered my article with [citation needed]!"</span></h3> <p>Assume good faith. They probably are not going after you, but are looking for citations for certain statements. See <a href="/wiki/Help:References" title="Help:References">Help:References</a> for more information. </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="User_pages">User pages</span></h2> <h3><span id=""What_can_I_do_with_my_user_page?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22What_can_I_do_with_my_user_page.3F.22">"What can I do with my user page?"</span></h3> <p>You can put whatever you like on <i>your user page</i>, with some obvious restrictions like: obscenity, slander or racism. <i>Only you</i> should be able to edit <i>your user page</i> - unless you are arbitrarily convicted of <a href="/wiki/Help:How_to_handle_vandalism" title="Help:How to handle vandalism">vandalism</a> in which case you will be put in the vandal category and your user page may be edited accordingly. You may appeal this conviction by contacting any <a href="/wiki/Special:ListUsers/sysop" title="Special:ListUsers/sysop"> RationalWiki sysop</a>. Apart from these exceptions, <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Community_Standards#User_pages" title="RationalWiki:Community Standards"> nobody else should edit that page</a>. </p><p>Your <i>talk page</i>, however, can be edited by anyone and you <i>may not</i> delete items from this page, except for obvious trolling, spam or harassment; although you may archive them periodically. The reason for this rule is to prevent the <i>retrospective re-writing of history</i> which has been known to happen at <a href="/wiki/Conservapedia" title="Conservapedia"> other Wiki projects</a>. </p><p>Most RationalWiki members reply to comments on the same page on which they originated. In other words: if somebody writes on your talk page, you may freely reply there. In other, other words, we don't usually engage in ping-pong conversations. </p> <h3><span id=""Why_does_my_name_always_come_up_in_red?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22Why_does_my_name_always_come_up_in_red.3F.22">"Why does my name always come up in red?"</span></h3> <p>Your name will continue to come up in <span style="color:crimson">red</span> until you (or someone else) put something on your user page. Writing anything on that page will stop your name being shown in red. For more information: <a href="/wiki/Help:Red_links" title="Help:Red links">Help:Red links</a>. </p> <h3><span id=""How_do_I_put_those_cool_userboxes_on_my_page?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22How_do_I_put_those_cool_userboxes_on_my_page.3F.22">"How do I put those cool userboxes on my page?"</span></h3> <p>Full instructions can be found here: <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Userboxes" title="RationalWiki:Userboxes">RationalWiki:Userboxes</a>. </p><p>If you edit (comment) a long talk page, readers will find your words more easily if you edit by clicking on the <code>[edit]</code> link on the section header. This gives a link <i>directly</i> to that section in <code>Recent changes</code> and <code>Watchlists</code>, which is where most will find your contributions. </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Recent_changes">Recent changes</span></h2> <h3><span id=""Is_there_some_way_I_can_see_what's_live_at_the_moment?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22Is_there_some_way_I_can_see_what.27s_live_at_the_moment.3F.22">"Is there some way I can see what's live at the moment?"</span></h3> <p>Clicking on <a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChanges" title="Special:RecentChanges">Recent changes</a> in the navigation box (upper left corner) will take you there. </p> <h3><span id=""How_can_I_keep_an_eye_on_articles_that_interest_me?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22How_can_I_keep_an_eye_on_articles_that_interest_me.3F.22">"How can I keep an eye on articles that interest me?"</span></h3> <p>Click the little star (<code>☆</code>) at the top of the page. They will show up in bold in <code>Recent changes</code>, and you can see what changes have been made to only those article by clicking on <code>My watchlist</code>. You can also edit your <code>Preferences</code> to automatically add any article/talk page you edit to your watchlist (it adds both of them). More instructions can be found in <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Help" class="mw-redirect" title="RationalWiki:Help"> the help files</a>. </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Formatting">Formatting</span></h2> <h3><span id=""How_do_I_format_everything?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22How_do_I_format_everything.3F.22">"How do I format everything?"</span></h3> <p>See <a href="/wiki/Help:Wikitext" title="Help:Wikitext">our page on the topic</a> (or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Cheatsheet" class="extiw" title="wp:Help:Cheatsheet" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia's</a> if you're so inclined), as well as other <a href="/wiki/Help:Contents" title="Help:Contents">help pages</a>. </p><p>If you see that some user or some article has a layout or tweak or indeed <i>anything</i> that you like the look of, don't be afraid to open it in an edit box, copy it and play with it in your own user space or articles. Remember: this is a Wiki and it's <i>all for one & one for all</i> (it's not communist - it's a <i><a href="/wiki/Mobocracy" title="Mobocracy">mobocracy</a></i>). </p> <h3><span id=""Can_I_link_to_Wikipedia?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22Can_I_link_to_Wikipedia.3F.22">"Can I link to Wikipedia?"</span></h3> <p>We link to <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> articles in order to provide useful background information that falls outside the scope of our <a href="/wiki/Rationalwiki" class="mw-redirect" title="Rationalwiki"> mission</a>. </p><p>When you link to Wikipedia, use <code>{{wpl|whatever article you're linking to}}</code>, which will appear like this: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/evolution" class="extiw" title="wp:evolution" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: evolution">evolution</span></a><sup><img alt="Wikipedia" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup>. </p><p>In footnotes, you can use <code>{{wpa|article title}}</code>, which will appear like this: "See the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution" class="extiw" title="wp:Evolution" rel="nofollow">Evolution</a>." However, please remember to only have a few Wikipedia footnotes, so it isn't reliant on them. </p><p>It is possible to link directly to a Wikipedia page by using <code>[[WP:article title|article title]]</code> (e.g. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/evolution" class="extiw" title="wp:evolution" rel="nofollow">evolution</a>) but this should be avoided in articles (unless you make it very clear that you are linking to Wikipedia), as it looks like an internal page link rather than an external one and readers may not realize they are clicking on a link to another website. </p> <h3><span id=""Where_can_I_test_something_to_see_how_it_works?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22Where_can_I_test_something_to_see_how_it_works.3F.22">"Where can I test something to see how it works?"</span></h3> <p>Use the <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Sandbox" title="RationalWiki:Sandbox">sandbox</a>. </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Chatting">Chatting</span></h2> <h3><span id=""Is_there_a_'talk_about_anything/everything'_page?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22Is_there_a_.27talk_about_anything.2Feverything.27_page.3F.22">"Is there a 'talk about anything/everything' page?"</span></h3> <p>If you just want to chat, then you're sure to find a welcome in the <a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Saloon_bar" title="RationalWiki:Saloon bar"> Saloon bar</a>. There's a link in the <code>Community</code> panel on the left on every page. If you wish to raise a subject of general interest to the Wiki and its operation, then <a href="/wiki/Talk:Main_Page" title="Talk:Main Page">Talk:Main Page</a> would be the best place to start. If it turns out that there's a more appropriate place, such as an article relating to the subject or <a href="/wiki/WIGO" title="WIGO"><i>What is going on?</i></a>, someone should point it out and the conversation can move to where it will be more likely to attract interested users. </p><p>If you want to talk about something which mainly affects you, then putting something on your own talk page <i>may</i> generate interest. </p> <h3><span id=""How_do_I_sign_my_posts_to_talk_pages?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22How_do_I_sign_my_posts_to_talk_pages.3F.22">"How do I sign my posts to talk pages?"</span></h3> <p>To sign normally, enter <code>~~~~</code>. If you want to make a fancier signature, full instructions can be found here: <a href="/wiki/Help:Signature" class="mw-redirect" title="Help:Signature">Help:Signature</a>. </p> <h3><span id=""How_do_I_indent_talk_pages?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22How_do_I_indent_talk_pages.3F.22">"How do I indent talk pages?"</span></h3> <p>You will notice that, on talk pages, each comment is <i>indented</i> to the right from the previous comment. This is not an automatic function, but users make it happen by inserting <i>colons</i> (<code>:</code>) before their comments. The first replier inserts one colon (<code>:</code>), the second two colons (<code>::</code>), etc. It makes things a lot easier to read. You may also see <a href="/wiki/Help:Lists" title="Help:Lists">Help:Lists</a> for more information. </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Editing">Editing</span></h2> <h3><span id=""What_is_an_'edit_conflict?'""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22What_is_an_.27edit_conflict.3F.27.22">"What is an 'edit conflict?'"</span></h3> <p>As a wiki works by you editing a page and then saving the new version, if you take a long time to work, someone might get there before you! This means that the page — or sub-section — that you're looking at and editing will be out of date and it will produce an <b>edit conflict</b> (EC) when you try and save your work. You will then get a screen with <i>two</i> edit boxes - the top one will be the current version as saved by the other person (who was faster than you), and the bottom one will contain your edit version. </p><p>"Recovering" your efforts has to be handled differently on talk pages and on articles. </p> <ul><li><b>Talk Pages</b>: Since usually people write discrete "chunks" of text, it's not that hard to copy <i>your</i> text from the bottom box and paste in the top one, remembering to add an extra indent if appropriate — if you are placing it after the new comment one more colon (<code>:</code>) is usually appropriate. If you are placing your comment <i>before</i> the new comment, one more colon (<code>:</code>) than the following comment makes the discussion easier to read. On busy talk pages, you might get another EC, so the best bet then is to return to the page without saving and just try editing the section you were commenting in again, pasting in your text as before. Don't just copy <i>all</i> the text from the lower box and place in the top box as you will remove the new comments.</li></ul> <p>Often on talk pages, people state that there's been an edit conflict, commonly by putting "(ec)" before their post to indicate that they probably haven't taken the previous post into account yet. Of course, in light of the new post, you might want to rewrite or add something new. If there is a heated discussion going on, you may add <code>{{<a href="/wiki/Template:Ec" class="mw-redirect" title="Template:Ec">ec</a>}}</code> to your comment, to notify readers that you encountered an <i>edit conflict</i>, which may dispel confusion (or it may create more). </p> <ul><li><b>Articles</b>: In the case of edit conflicts on articles, you need to be a little more careful and make sure you're not inserting information that hasn't just been put in, or possibly erasing or contradicting it, or generally making the article more of a mess. So, when editing articles, it's best not to edit entire articles at once, and instead go for multiple smaller and shorter edits of sub-sections (this also makes the individual edit history more concise and easier to follow). Don't worry too much, as edits to articles are more spread out in time, and usually less rapid than talk edits like at the <a href="/wiki/Saloon_Bar" class="mw-redirect" title="Saloon Bar">Saloon Bar</a>, edit conflicts tend to be very rare. The occasional exception is when someone drags in some wonderful pile of steaming woo to refute, and everyone jumps in to help out.</li></ul> <h3><span id=""I_am_not_a_vandal,_but_I_keep_running_into_this_message_when_trying_to_edit!""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22I_am_not_a_vandal.2C_but_I_keep_running_into_this_message_when_trying_to_edit.21.22">"I am not a vandal, but I keep running into this message when trying to edit!"</span></h3> <pre>You are seeing this message because you are a newly registered user and attempted to make two quick edits in a row. In order to make vandalism less fun newly registered users can only make one edit every 15 seconds. This limitation will automatically be taken away from your account very soon.</pre> <p>What this is? This is an anti-vandal measure called the "Vandal Brake" applied to all new accounts. It should go away in two or three days. </p> <h3><span id=""What_does_'Autopatrolled'_mean?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22What_does_.27Autopatrolled.27_mean.3F.22">"What does 'Autopatrolled' mean?"</span></h3> <p>Put simply, when you make edits from an account that isn't autopatrolled (i.e. an account that is new or from an unregistered IP address), the changes you make appear to a RationalWiki sysop or moderator in the page's history and in <a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChanges" title="Special:RecentChanges">Recent changes</a> with a red exclamation point (<code><span style="color:crimson">!</span></code>) next to them. This means solely that the edit has <i>not</i> been reviewed and approved as acceptable by an administrator, but does <i>not</i> otherwise indicate the quality of the edit. When you are given "autopatrolled" status, it means that you have a consistent pattern of good edits to the point that either a sysop or moderator feels that, generally speaking, nobody needs to keep an eye on your edits anymore; that you have been affirmed to be editing the Wiki in good faith. </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Blocking">Blocking</span></h2> <h3><span id=""I_was_just_blocked_for_a_short_period_of_time_for_no_apparent_reason._Why?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22I_was_just_blocked_for_a_short_period_of_time_for_no_apparent_reason._Why.3F.22">"I was just blocked for a short period of time for no apparent reason. Why?"</span></h3> <p>The concept of a "friendly" or "welcome" block is perhaps unique to RationalWiki. New users and especially new sysops are likely to receive a short "friendly block", this is simply our strange way of saying hello. Unblock yourself and give a short block to the person who blocked you. If you've never blocked anybody before, it's good practice. </p> <h3><span id=""A_bunch_of_sysops_are_banning_each_other._Should_I_be_worried?""></span><span class="mw-headline" id=".22A_bunch_of_sysops_are_banning_each_other._Should_I_be_worried.3F.22">"A bunch of sysops are banning each other. Should I be worried?"</span></h3> <p>Not at all. Sometimes, for no good reason at all, sysops will take up their banhammers and wildly attack everyone within range. These fun blocks last for a short period of time, and as the block war <i>usually</i> remains between sysops, no harm is really done, as sysops can unblock themselves. Don't worry, this wiki won't fall apart over the next block war <a href="/wiki/File:Nods.gif" class="image"><img alt="Nods.gif" src="/w/images/3/38/Nods.gif" decoding="async" width="15" height="15" data-file-width="15" data-file-height="15" /></a> </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="See_also">See also</span></h2> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki" title="RationalWiki">RationalWiki</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:What_is_a_RationalWiki_article%3F" title="RationalWiki:What is a RationalWiki article?">RationalWiki:What is a RationalWiki article?</a></li></ul> <table class="collapsible collapsed" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:94%;line-height:25px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 0.5em; clear:both; border: 1px solid grey; text-align:left;font-size:70%;"> <tbody><tr> <th style="margin:0.5em 2em;line-height:25px;background-color:#ccccff; text-align:center;font-size:150%;" colspan="6"><b><a href="/wiki/Help:Contents" title="Help:Contents">Help pages</a> for RationalWiki<br /></b> </th></tr> <tr style="line-height:5px;"> <td>  </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size:120%;" colspan="6"><b>Getting around</b> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Newcomers' Guide</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:GetAround" title="Help:GetAround">Navigation</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Shortcuts" title="RationalWiki:Shortcuts">Shortcuts</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Wikitalk" class="mw-redirect" title="Help:Wikitalk">Talkpage wiki language</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Namespace" title="Help:Namespace">Namespaces</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size:120%; border-top:1px solid black;" colspan="6"><b>Writing articles</b> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:New_Article" title="Help:New Article">Writing a new article</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Page_title" title="Help:Page title">Titling pages</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Manual_of_style" title="Help:Manual of style">Manual of style</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Bragging" title="Help:Bragging">Listing your creations</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Refs" class="mw-redirect" title="Help:Refs">References</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Categories" title="Help:Categories">Categories</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:What_is_a_RationalWiki_article%3F" title="RationalWiki:What is a RationalWiki article?">What is a RationalWiki article?</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Article_rating" title="RationalWiki:Article rating">Article ratings</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Cover_stories" title="Help:Cover stories">Cover story</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Open_access" title="Help:Open access">Open access papers</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size:120%; border-top:1px solid black;" colspan="6"><b>Editing</b> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Edit_summary" title="Help:Edit summary">Edit summary</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Edit_summary_abbreviations" title="Help:Edit summary abbreviations">Summary abbreviations</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Etiquette" title="Help:Etiquette">Editing etiquette</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Mistakes" title="Help:Mistakes">Common mistakes</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Toolbar" title="Help:Toolbar">Toolbar</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Watch" title="Help:Watch">Watchlist</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size:120%; border-top:1px solid black;" colspan="6"><b>Wiki-fu</b> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Sections" title="Help:Sections">Headers and sections</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:TOC" title="Help:TOC">TOC (table of contents)</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Links" title="Help:Links">Links</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Red_links" title="Help:Red links">Link colors</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:PermaDiff" class="mw-redirect" title="Help:PermaDiff">Permanent links</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Redirects" title="Help:Redirects">Redirects</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Lists" title="Help:Lists">Lists</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Tables" title="Help:Tables">Tables</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Collapsible_Comment_System" title="RationalWiki:Collapsible Comment System">Comments</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Images" title="Help:Images">Images</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Color" title="Help:Color">Colors</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Quotes" title="Help:Quotes">Quotations</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Poetry" title="Help:Poetry">Poetry</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Templates" title="Help:Templates">Templates</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Template_list" title="Help:Template list">Template list</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:How_to_make_a_day_counter" title="Help:How to make a day counter">Day counter</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Side-by-side" title="RationalWiki:Side-by-side">Side by side</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Bots" title="RationalWiki:Bots">Bots</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Scripts" title="Help:Scripts">Useful Scripts</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/User:Archiver" title="User:Archiver">Archiving</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Screenshots" title="Help:Screenshots">Screenshots</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Random_choice" title="Help:Random choice">Random choice</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Poll" title="Help:Poll">Polls</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:How_to_show/hide_a_revision" title="Help:How to show/hide a revision">Revision hiding</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size:120%; border-top:1px solid black;" colspan="6"><b>Community</b> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki" title="RationalWiki">About RationalWiki</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Community_Standards" title="RationalWiki:Community Standards">Community Standards</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Registration" title="Help:Registration">Why register?</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:DysLexicon" title="RationalWiki:DysLexicon">Jargon</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Userboxes" title="RationalWiki:Userboxes">Userboxes</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Sysop_guide" title="RationalWiki:Sysop guide">Sysop guide</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Lurking" title="Help:Lurking">Lurking</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Bored" title="Help:Bored">Bored</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:Copyright_notices" title="Help:Copyright notices">Image copyright</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Blocking_policy" title="RationalWiki:Blocking policy">Blocking</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/Help:How_to_handle_vandalism" title="Help:How to handle vandalism">Vandalism</a> </td> <td style="padding-right:2em; vertical-align:top;"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Requests_for_user_rights" title="RationalWiki:Requests for user rights">Requests for user rights</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size:150%; background-color:#ccccff; text-align:center;line-height:25px;" colspan="3"><a href="/wiki/Help:Index" title="Help:Index">Index by query topic</a> </td> <td style="font-size:150%; 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