Maintenance script: Removed example.com placeholder links and replaced with real examples (NYTimes, SEC.gov)

2025-10-20T20:17:23Z

Removed example.com placeholder links and replaced with real examples (NYTimes, SEC.gov)

SuperAdmin1: Initial creation of Editing help page

2025-10-19T08:22:32Z

Initial creation of Editing help page

New page

This guide provides technical help for editing articles on '''CEO.wiki'''. For policy guidelines, see [[CEO.wiki:How to contribute|How to contribute]] and [[CEO.wiki:Manual of Style|Manual of Style]].

== Getting started ==

=== Creating an account ===

To edit CEO.wiki, you need an account. See [[CEO.wiki:Request an account|Request an account]] for information.

=== Making your first edit ===

# Navigate to the article you want to edit
# Click the "Edit" tab at the top of the page
# Make your changes in the text box
# Write a brief summary of your changes in the "Summary" field
# Click "Show preview" to see how your changes will look
# Click "Save changes" when satisfied

=== Edit summary ===

Always provide an edit summary:
* Briefly describe what you changed
* Help other editors understand your edits
* Examples: "Fixed typo", "Added citation", "Updated revenue figures"

== Text formatting ==

=== Basic formatting ===

{| class="wikitable"
! You type
! You get
|-
| <code><nowiki>''italic''</nowiki></code>
| ''italic''
|-
| <code><nowiki>'''bold'''</nowiki></code>
| '''bold'''
|-
| <code><nowiki>'''''bold italic'''''</nowiki></code>
| '''''bold italic'''''
|}

=== Headings ===

<source lang="wikitext">
== Level 2 heading ==
=== Level 3 heading ===
==== Level 4 heading ====
</source>

Rules:
* Don't use level 1 headings (=) - reserved for page title
* Use sentence case: "Early life" not "Early Life"
* Don't skip levels (== to ==== skips ===)

=== Lists ===

'''Bulleted lists:'''
<source lang="wikitext">
* Item one
* Item two
** Sub-item
* Item three
</source>

Result:
* Item one
* Item two
** Sub-item
* Item three

'''Numbered lists:'''
<source lang="wikitext">
# First item
# Second item
## Sub-item
# Third item
</source>

Result:
# First item
# Second item
## Sub-item
# Third item

=== Links ===

'''Internal links''' (to other CEO.wiki pages):
<source lang="wikitext">
[[Article title]]
[[Article title|Display text]]
</source>

Examples:
* <code><nowiki>[[Apple Inc.]]</nowiki></code> → [[Apple Inc.]]
* <code><nowiki>[[Apple Inc.|Apple]]</nowiki></code> → [[Apple Inc.|Apple]]

'''External links''' (to websites):
<source lang="wikitext">
[https://www.example.com Link text]
https://www.example.com (bare URL)
</source>

Examples:
* <code><nowiki>[https://www.sec.gov SEC Website]</nowiki></code> → [https://www.sec.gov SEC Website]

== Citations and references ==

=== Adding citations ===

Citations use the <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code> tag:

<source lang="wikitext">
This is a statement that needs a citation.<ref>Citation goes here</ref>
</source>

=== Citation templates ===

'''News articles:'''
<source lang="wikitext">
<ref>{{cite news
|last=Smith
|first=John
|date=January 15, 2024
|title=Article Title
|url=https://www.example.com/article
|newspaper=The Business Times
|access-date=January 20, 2024
}}</ref>
</source>

'''Websites:'''
<source lang="wikitext">
<ref>{{cite web
|last=Johnson
|first=Sarah
|date=March 1, 2024
|title=Page Title
|url=https://www.example.com/page
|website=Website Name
|access-date=March 5, 2024
}}</ref>
</source>

'''Books:'''
<source lang="wikitext">
<ref>{{cite book
|last=Author
|first=Name
|date=2024
|title=Book Title
|publisher=Publisher Name
|isbn=978-0-12-345678-9
|pages=123-125
}}</ref>
</source>

=== Reference section ===

At the end of every article, add:

<source lang="wikitext">
== References ==
{{reflist}}
</source>

This displays all citations in a formatted list.

=== Reusing references ===

To use the same reference multiple times:

<source lang="wikitext">
First use: <ref name="unique-name">Full citation here</ref>
Subsequent uses: <ref name="unique-name" />
</source>

== Tables ==

=== Basic table ===

<source lang="wikitext">
{| class="wikitable"
! Header 1
! Header 2
|-
| Row 1, Cell 1
| Row 1, Cell 2
|-
| Row 2, Cell 1
| Row 2, Cell 2
|}
</source>

Result:
{| class="wikitable"
! Header 1
! Header 2
|-
| Row 1, Cell 1
| Row 1, Cell 2
|-
| Row 2, Cell 1
| Row 2, Cell 2
|}

=== Table syntax ===

* <code>{|</code> - Start table
* <code>|}</code> - End table
* <code>|-</code> - New row
* <code>!</code> - Header cell
* <code>|</code> - Data cell
* <code>class="wikitable"</code> - Standard table styling

== Images ==

=== Adding images ===

<source lang="wikitext">
[[File:Example.jpg|thumb|Caption text]]
</source>

Options:
* <code>thumb</code> - Display as thumbnail
* <code>left</code>, <code>right</code>, <code>center</code> - Alignment
* <code>200px</code> - Specific size
* Text after last | is the caption

=== Uploading images ===

# Click "Upload file" in the sidebar
# Select your file
# Provide a descriptive filename
# Add a description and source information
# Specify licensing information
# Click "Upload file"

'''Important:''' Only upload images you have the right to use. Copyrighted images require permission.

== Categories ==

Add categories at the end of articles:

<source lang="wikitext">
[[Category:CEOs of technology companies]]
[[Category:American chief executives]]
</source>

Categories help organize related articles.

== Templates ==

Templates are reusable content snippets.

=== Common templates ===

'''Infobox for CEOs:'''
<source lang="wikitext">
{{Infobox person
| name = John Smith
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|1|15}}
| occupation = CEO
| known_for = CEO of TechCorp
}}
</source>

'''Infobox for companies:'''
<source lang="wikitext">
{{Infobox company
| name = TechCorp Inc.
| industry = Technology
| founded = {{Start date|2000|03|15}}
| founder = John Smith
| headquarters = San Francisco, California
}}
</source>

'''Stub tag:'''
<source lang="wikitext">
{{stub}}
</source>

== Advanced formatting ==

=== Blockquotes ===

For long quotes:
<source lang="wikitext">
<blockquote>
This is a long quotation that deserves special formatting.
</blockquote>
</source>

=== Code or preformatted text ===

<source lang="wikitext">
<code>inline code</code>

<pre>
Preformatted text block
Preserves spacing
</pre>
</source>

=== Comments ===

Leave notes for other editors (invisible to readers):
<source lang="wikitext">

</source>

== Talk pages ==

=== Discussing articles ===

Every article has a talk page for discussion:
# Click the "Talk" tab
# Click "Add topic" or "Edit"
# Write your comment
# Sign with four tildes: <code><nowiki>~~~~</nowiki></code>
# Save

=== Signing comments ===

Always sign talk page comments with:
<source lang="wikitext">
[[User:SuperAdmin1|SuperAdmin1]] ([[User talk:SuperAdmin1|talk]]) 03:22, 19 October 2025 (CDT)
</source>

This automatically adds your username and timestamp.

== Common tasks ==

=== Creating a new article ===

# Search for the article title to ensure it doesn't exist
# If the search shows "Create the page [Title]", click that link
# Add content with proper structure and citations
# Preview and save

Before creating:
* Ensure the topic meets [[CEO.wiki:Notability guidelines|notability guidelines]]
* Gather multiple [[CEO.wiki:Reliable sources|reliable sources]]
* Review similar articles for structure

=== Editing sections ===

Click "[edit]" next to any section heading to edit just that section. This reduces conflicts with other editors.

=== Moving/renaming pages ===

To rename an article:
# Click "Move" in the dropdown menu
# Enter the new title
# Provide a reason
# Click "Move page"

Note: You may need certain permissions to move pages.

=== Reverting edits ===

If you need to undo an edit:
# Click "View history" tab
# Find the last good version
# Click the date/time
# Click "Edit"
# Save with summary like "Reverted to version by [user] - reason"

Or use the "undo" link next to recent changes.

== Editing toolbar ==

The visual editor toolbar provides buttons for:
* '''B''' - Bold
* ''I'' - Italic
* Link icon - Insert link
* Cite icon - Add citation
* And more

Hover over buttons for descriptions.

== Previewing changes ==

Always preview before saving:
# Click "Show preview" button
# Review your changes
# Check formatting and links
# Make additional edits if needed
# Preview again
# Save when satisfied

== Edit conflicts ==

If someone else edited while you were editing:
# Your version and theirs will both appear
# Manually merge the changes
# Keep improvements from both versions
# Save the combined result

To avoid conflicts:
* Edit specific sections rather than whole pages
* Make edits quickly and save promptly
* Communicate on talk pages about major changes

== Watchlist ==

Add pages to your watchlist to track changes:
* Click the star icon on any page
* Check "My Watchlist" in the navigation to see recent changes

== Sandbox ==

Practice editing in your personal sandbox:
* Create a page called "User:YourUsername/Sandbox"
* Experiment with formatting and features
* Test templates and complex formatting

== Common mistakes ==

=== Don't ===

* Copy content from copyrighted sources
* Use unreliable sources
* Make edits about yourself or your company
* Remove well-sourced content you disagree with
* Engage in edit wars (repeatedly reverting)
* Use all caps or excessive formatting
* Add external links to promotional sites

=== Do ===

* Cite your sources
* Maintain neutral point of view
* Discuss controversial changes on talk pages
* Assume good faith with other editors
* Ask for help when needed
* Preview before saving
* Write clear edit summaries

== Mobile editing ==

Mobile editing has limited features:
* Basic text editing available
* Some advanced features unavailable
* Consider using desktop for complex edits
* Mobile view has simplified interface

== Getting help ==

If you need assistance:
* Check this guide first
* Review [[CEO.wiki:FAQ|Frequently Asked Questions]]
* Visit the [[CEO.wiki:Community portal|Community portal]]
* Ask on article talk pages
* Contact experienced editors

== Keyboard shortcuts ==

Useful shortcuts:
* Alt+Shift+E - Edit page
* Alt+Shift+V - View history
* Alt+Shift+T - Talk page
* Alt+Shift+S - Save changes
* Alt+Shift+P - Preview

(Shortcuts may vary by browser and operating system)

== Visual editor vs. source editor ==

CEO.wiki offers two editing modes:

'''Visual editor:'''
* WYSIWYG interface
* Easier for beginners
* Good for basic formatting
* May have limitations for complex formatting

'''Source editor:'''
* Edit wiki markup directly
* Full control over formatting
* Better for complex tables, templates
* Steeper learning curve

Switch between modes using the editing toolbar.

== Best practices ==

* '''Start small''' - Make minor edits while learning
* '''Preview always''' - Check before saving
* '''Be bold''' - Don't be afraid to make improvements
* '''Ask questions''' - Use talk pages and community portal
* '''Stay neutral''' - Remove bias from writing
* '''Cite sources''' - Add references as you write
* '''Be patient''' - Learning wiki markup takes time

== See also ==

* [[CEO.wiki:How to contribute|How to contribute]] - Policy guidelines
* [[CEO.wiki:Manual of Style|Manual of Style]] - Writing standards
* [[CEO.wiki:Reliable sources|Reliable sources]] - Source guidelines
* [[CEO.wiki:Community portal|Community portal]] - Collaborate with others

== External resources ==

* [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents MediaWiki Help] - Official MediaWiki documentation
* [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting MediaWiki Formatting Help] - Detailed formatting guide

[[Category:CEO.wiki]]

CEO.wiki:Editing help - Revision history

Maintenance script: Removed example.com placeholder links and replaced with real examples (NYTimes, SEC.gov)

SuperAdmin1: Initial creation of Editing help page