DOW Rules and Guidelines

Getting Started

Exploring

One of the best things an editor can do to become familiar with how the DOW Wiki runs is to explore. Look at the layout of the different pages and get a feel for how the information is organized. To get a more in depth look at the format of a page, click the “Edit” button and study the wiki code there. Try to note how the code used on the edit page translates into what is seen in the actual article. By doing this, you will already be familiar with how the wiki is organized and so it will be easier to create pages that are consistent with already existing pages.

Know What Is Going On

At any given point there can be many editors working on different projects at the same time. We ask that editors keep each other up to date on these projects and seek help from their fellow editors using the appropriate Current Projects page. This is a great place to find out what projects are currently being worked on and provides editors with lots of things they can do if they are not sure what needs to be done.

Editors should also should try to take a look at the Recent Changes page often and become familiar with what has been done. It is a good idea to review changes made to double check for errors, offer input where necessary, and stay up to date with new pages and projects.

Asking Questions

If you are unsure of how to do something or are wondering why something is done a certain way, all you need to do is ask. The DOW Wiki is a team effort and so open communication is key. There are a variety of ways to get help and feedback from fellow editors. Take advantage of the various Talk pages on the wiki. To post on an article or user's talk page, click on the "Discussion" tab. From here you will be allowed to edit the Talk page. Editors can also post on the forums or send a PM to any of the DOW Wiki Moderators on the forum.

Sandbox

The DOW Wiki Sandboxes are where editors can go to “play” with new ideas for the wiki. If you are unsure of how something will look or work, be sure to test it out here first.

Templates

The DOW Wiki uses a variety of templates to make editing easier and more consistent. Read up on the templates that are currently being used and learn how they work or ask a fellow editor for help.

All DOW templates can be found here.

User Pages

The User Page is where a wiki editor can tell a little bit about themselves. This is also a great place to first start editing and learning. Some useful information you may want to include on your user page are forum user names, wiki contributions, and current projects. User Page content must be appropriate and follow all policies and guidelines. Abuse of the User Page can result in the blocking of an editor’s account.

Basic Help and Editing Etiquette

Editing Already Existing Pages

If you have information to add to an already existing page or corrects to make, simply click the "Edit" tab on the page to begin editing. Remember, nobody "owns" a particular page and therefore all editors are encouraged to help out where they can. Be sure to check out the Current Projects page for ideas of where you can be of assistance. For pages that are already well established, it is often best to bring up questions or potential changes on the Talk page before editing.

Creating a New Page

To start a new page, make a link to the page to create be created. You should use a title that accurately reflects the contents of the page. Next, either by previewing the page using the "Show Preview" option or by saving the page, click on the red linked page title. This will allow you to begin editing the page. When information has been added, save the page as normal. Newly created pages are marked on the Recent Changes page with an N.

Previewing Pages

When editing, it is helpful to use the "preview" button to make sure things look correct before they are saved. This step saves a lot of time as mistakes can be caught. Necessary changes can be made without having to edit, save, re-edit, re-save, and so on.

Uploading Images/Other Files

For consistency in loading and to keep everything "in house" please upload pictures here on the wiki rather than hosting them elsewhere and linking to them. If an editor is adding a picture that they did not capture themselves and that did not come from an official game site they must follow the special guidelines for adding Images/Files from Non-Editors described below.

Make sure the image does not already exist by searching for a similar image in the File List. Also check the Recent Changes and Gallery of New Files. Should an image be uploaded that is already on the DOW Wiki, submit a Deletion Request to have it removed.

To upload a file, click on "Upload file" in the toolbox found on the left hand side of the screen. Make sure the file is in an acceptable format. Currently png, gif, jpg and jpeg files are allowed, however we would prefer that all editor captured images be uploaded in the .png format if possible for highest quality.

Make sure to provide an appropriate name for the file. The name should be as accurate as possible. Also try to maintain consistency within the names of uploaded images.

Images/Files from Non-Editors

Unless otherwise noted, it is expected that editors are using pictures that they have captured themselves. When this is not the case, please give credit to the person who provided the picture in the Summary Box when uploading a file or if adding at a later time, provide credit by editing an already existing file.

Before uploading any images that come from a non-editor, please be sure that you have permission to use the image. Editors should try their best to confirm that the images were indeed captured by the non-editor who submitted them and that they were not "borrowed" from another person. Permission to use images needs to come from the individual who captured the image, and this is the individual that should be credited for the image. If an editor is unsure whether they should be uploading an image submitted by a non-editor, they should check with one of the DOW Moderators before proceeding.

Using the Summary Box

Editors are asked to make an entry in the "Summary" box, which is right above the save button. Providing a summary of the changes made lets other editors know what has been changed without having to compare the two different versions.

For uploading images provided by a non-editor, the "Summary" box is where editors should provide credit to the person who submitted the image.

Minor Edits

Minor edits should be noted as such. To do this, check the box next to "This is a minor edit". By checking this box, the edit is marked with an m on the Recent Changes page and you let other editors know that no major changes were made to the page. Minor edits include things such as spelling or formatting changes.

Giving Credit to Non-Editors

If information on a page was provided by a non-editor, provide credit and thanks to that person on the "discussion" page rather than on the main article page itself. If it was a picture, see the Images/Files from Non-Editors section for guidance.

Editors should not provide credit and thanks to themselves. All articles are stamped with the names of the editors who have worked on them, so this automatically provides credit for the work.

Making Templates

Information coming soon

Deletion Requests

Only sysops have the ability to delete images. If you have an something that needs to be deleted (images, pages, redirects), please post a link and reason for deletion in the Deletion Request thread of the appropriate forum:

Communication

Try to keep in mind that editors work as a team and therefore communication is essential. Editors don't need permission to make changes but sometimes it is good to talk to the people who have edited that page or topic before to find out why they are doing things the way they are. Please keep in mind that it is important to respect your fellow editors. Comments and questions should be posed in a polite and genuine fashion. Editors are not to act like a mod and tell users what they may and may not do, post rude comments, or make accusations.

There are many different ways to communicate to your fellow editors.

Current Projects Pages

This page provides editors and non-editors with a big picture view of what is going on with the wiki. Listed on this page are things that need to be done and we rely on editors and non-editors alike to do them. Editors are encouraged to seek help on their current projects via these pages. Please limit these pages to things that need to be done and keep discussion of projects to the appropriate Talk Pages.

Talk Pages

The Talk page for an article on the wiki can be accessed by clicking on the "Discussion" tab. Here editors can leave questions or comments pertaining to a particular page to get answers and opinions from their fellow editors.

When editing a Talk page:

Remember to communicate with your fellow editors in an appropriate and respectful manner and keep Talk page entries relevant to the article being discussed.
Please be sure to remember to mark your entries on Talk pages with a timestamp so that editors reading the Talk page will be able to know who the note is from and when it was posted. Either use the "Your signature with timestamp" button on the toolbar, or use 4 tildas (~) to sign and timestamp your entry.
Try to keep Talk pages organized by adding an appropriate heading to your comment and replying within the correct section.

Editors can limit their Recent Changes search to just changes made to Talk pages by changing the "Namespace" to Talk instead of All. This comes in handy when many edits have been made causing changes to Talk pages to get lost in the mix.

Talk pages are also where non-editors are given credit for their contributions to various articles.

User Talk Page

User Talk pages are one of the best ways to contact a fellow editor. They allow you to directly ask another editor a question or give another editor some feedback. Anything you add to a User Talk can be read by all editors and this allows everyone to benefit from the questions or comments you may have.

Please keep content on the User Talk pages appropriate and respectful. These are not pages to scold or reprimand editors, but rather a tool to foster communication and learning. Editors should use these pages to help each other and to better understand the wiki process. Be sure to add a timestamp to your entry so that the editor you are contacting knows who posted something and when it was added. Editors are alerted on the wiki when their talk page has been changed and can change their Preferences to receive and email when their User Talk page has been edited.

Editors shouldn't feel limited or be hesitant to communicate with other editors through their User Talk pages. The talk pages are a great way to discuss things with the rest of the wiki team. We encourage the asking of opinions or posting questions so that everyone is on the same page. Just be sure to keep the idea of teamwork in mind when editing these pages.

IRC Channel

The DOW Wiki has it's own Live Chat/IRC channel, #disneyonlineworlds. Please see Live Chat/IRC Guide for more information regarding accessing the channel and the rules for the channel.

If you need to talk to fellow editors or a DOW Wiki Moderator, you can try checking the channel to see if anyone is available.

Private Messaging

For the most part, concerns regarding the wiki should be brought up on the Talk pages so that everyone on the wiki can be part of the discussion. For cases where the topic is personal such as problems with fellow editors or account concerns, please contact a DOW Wiki Moderator via PM on any of the forums.

Policies

G-Rated

The DOW Wiki is a family site and so all content must adhere to our G-rating. Failure to comply to the G-rating is grounds for permanent loss of editing privileges.

Our G-Rating means that no foul language, inapporpriate pictures or external website links that may be inappropriate for children are allowed to be added to the wiki. If you are uncertain as to whether a certain word, image, or link is allowed, contact DOW Moderator before adding it to this site.

Factual Information

The wiki should contain established facts or well agreed upon guidelines, not rumors or personal opinion. We do not allow editors to make speculations regarding game information. Please do not add anything to the wiki until it has been confirmed and you can provide evidence that your edits are accurate.

External Links

Links to external sites need to be approved prior to adding them to the wiki. The exception to this is links to the Official Game sites or to one of our sister forums. Failure to get approval before adding external links may result in loss of editing privileges.

DOW Wiki Moderators

DOW Moderators are moderators on the forums who specialize in the DOW Wiki. They are responsible for managing and maintaining the wiki along with making sure editors are doing their job and following the guidelines. DOW Moderators also help train the wiki editors and review applications for new editors.

Should you have any further questions you can always contact the DOW Moderators directly via a PM (private message) on any of the fansites.

	Toontown Central	VMK Forums	Pirates Online Forums	Club Penguin Fansite	Pixie Hollow Forums	Cars Online Forums
Mommy 2 Jules	TTC	VMKF	POF	CPF	PHF	COF
OFxZeppers			POF
UpInTheAir	TTC	VMKF	POF	CPF	PHF	COF

Problems with Fellow Editors

If you see an editor violating DOW Editor Guidelines or acting in a questionable fashion, let a DOW Wiki Moderator or one of our sysops know right away. Use the above table to contact a moderator on one of the forums. Provide as much information in your message as you can so that the problem can be taken care of. Do not take matters into your own hands by reprimanding users. Regular editors are not allowed to act like a moderatators, rather they should leave such actions to the mods.

There is a difference between reprimanding a user and helping them or making suggestions. We welcome open communication and strive for editors to work together as a team. Communication between editors should be in the form of lively discussion and never scolding or accusations. If you are unsure why an editor did something, ask them and work with them instead of telling them what you think they did "wrong".

Consequences

Violations of DOW Wiki Policy will be dealt with by the DOW Wiki Moderators. The consequence for breaking the DOW Wiki rules will be determined on a case by case basis and will depend on the severity of the infraction and the editor's history. DOW Wiki Moderators may find it necessary to block the account of an editor. This means they will not be able to edit for a certain amount of time. The duration of the block can vary from only a few hours to indefinitely.

If your account has been blocked and you are unsure why, please contact the DOW Moderator that blocked your account for further details.