Wikipedia:Help Project/Overview

There are many different parts to the help system, the purpose of this page is to provide an overview of how they fit together.

First time users

Most first time users will find their way into the help system from the links on the main page:

• The 'about wikipedia', 'contact us' and 'help' links on the sidebar visible on each page.
• The 'anyone can edit' link in the banner
• From the header bar links on the main page.

Other ways new users might end up on a help page:

• Following a link from a tag e.g. 'Citation needed'
• Following a link from a talk page.
• System messages e.g. login window
• Welcome or warning on their talkpage.

Most of the help pages that are directed toward new users have the help header

The Wikipedia:Introduction has four tabs to follow, Introduction/you can edit now, Further editing, Explore Wikipedia and the fourth leading to the tutorial... (No header bar)

Tutorials

The Wikipedia:Tutorial has the header bar and tabs for each of its pages: About Tutorial, editing, formatting, wikilinks, citing, talk pages, policies, create login, and wrap up which points a number of other sources for further information.

Wikipedia:Picture tutorial

other users

Policies Guidelines Essays How-tos to perform tasks Help Index Full Help Index Links from projects or shortcuts placed by user on their own page. If a member of a Project, the projects own help pages / manual of style / guidelines

MediaWiki software reference

A number of pages were copied from MediaWiki to the WP Help system. Some are still soft redirects to the MediaWiki Help, Most of those copied have been updated to be more relevant to WP users. Help pages on specific syntax of the mark-up language. Help pages on the mediawiki software itself, including system messages and default pages.

Index Pages

Help:Contents is aimed to provide a basic topic based navigation to all areas of the help system. Note it is the first link in the help header bar.

Help:Contents/Site map is a full topic based navigation index, it is linked to at the bottom of help:contents in the line 'See the Site Map for all of the help menus on one page.'

Wikipedia:Quick directory is an index to find ones way around the entirety of Wikipedia and as such includes many a help page type pointer.

Areas where questions can be asked

General help

• Wikipedia:Help_desk
• Wikipedia:New contributors' help page

Article construction

• Wikipedia:Requests_for_feedback - light
• Wikipedia:Peer_review - medium
• Wikipedia:Featured_article_review - heavy

For info about policies and operations

• Wikipedia:Village pump (policy)
• Wikipedia:Village pump (technical)
• Wikipedia:Village pump (proposals)
• Wikipedia:Village pump (miscellaneous)

Possible Nav Box

1st draft -

Help Pages

• Getting started
  • Introduction
  • Glossary of Wikipedia terms
  • Advice for parents
• Policies and guidelines
  • The Five Pillars
  • Manual of Style
• Browsing Wikipedia
  • Search for an article
  • Find articles and site functions
• Communication in the project
  • Contact us
  • Village pump
  • Talk pages
• Editing Wikipedia
  • Cheatsheet
  • Contributing to Wikipedia
  • Tutorial
• The Wikipedia community
  • Consensus
  • Deleting pages
  • Dispute resolution
• Links and references
  • How to make links
  • External links
  • Citing sources
• Resources and lists
  • Cleanup resources
  • Types of stub
  • Templates
• Images and media
  • Upload images
  • Add to articles
  • Copyright tags
  • Other media
• Account settings and maintenance
  • Change your preferences
  • Change your signature
• Keeping track of changes'
  • Page history
  • User contributions
  • Vandalism
• Technical information
  • Tools
  • The MediaWiki software
• Where to ask questions
  • Article problem
  • Help desk
  • New contributors' help page
  • Editor assistance/Requests
  • Reference desk
  • Village pump

• Site Map

• • Editor's index
  • The Missing Manual