Powerbase:How to Start a Page
This is a help article on how to start a new page in SpinProfiles. It covers both the technical procedure and guidelines for dealing with new articles.
Contents
Before you create a new page
Familiarise yourself with SpinProfiles policies and guidelines
Before you create a new page, make sure you are familiar with SpinProfiles policies and guidelines in relation to:
- How to edit a page
- Tips on contributing to SpinProfiles
- Layout conventions at the Manual of Style
- Naming Conventions for articles themselves
- A Guide to Referencing
- A Guide to Sourcing
- A Guide to the use of Tone
- Copyrights
- Some important things to consider in relation to Libel
- Some pointers on Etiquette
Check to see if a similar page already exists
If you want to create a new page on a topic, probably the first thing to do is to use the "search" form (on the left hand side of the window or at this link) and plug in the tentative title of your new page to see whether someone has already created a page on that topic or something very similar.
A similar page may show up under "Article title matches" or "Page text matches" on the search results screen. It's obviously better that we combine pages (and efforts) on very similar or identical topics. For example, you may be trying to create a page on "Jonathan Baron," but a search for "Jonathan Baron" shows that there is already an page on "Jonathan M. Baron," the same guy. Similarly, you may want to create a page on "Dispelling the silicosis scandal," which would be about the PR efforts to dispel public scandal surrounding the deaths of thousands of workers from silicosis in the 1930s. However, a search for "silicosis" shows that there is already an article on the Air Hygiene Foundation, a front group set up by the employers of the dead workers, which covers basically the same topic. In both cases, rather create a new page, you should put a redirect in on the uncreated page that will reroute readers to the already existing page. This will also take any red links to that similar page (in this case, "Dispelling the silicosis scandal") and turn them purplish, letting readers know that a page already exists on that topic, which is nice.
See the help page "how to redirect a page" for instructions on how to create a redirect.
Naming conventions for page titles
Make sure to abide by SpinProfiles naming conventions when titling your new article. This helps keep the encyclopedia tidy and makes adding links to articles easier.
Procedure: How to create a new page
There are three ways to create a new page:
- Using an internal link on a page/article to a non-existent page (using the Red links).
- From the search results page.
- Using the standard layout from the Article Submission page.
Tip: Internal links in SpinProfiles generally point to an article of the same name. For example, this link - Transnational power networks - points to an article named "Transnational power networks". You can create a link anywhere on SpinProfiles by simply putting two brackets around a word or phrase [[like this]]. If the link has the same name as an existing article it will show up in blue (with Transnational power networks, for example), where links that do not correspond to an existing article show up in red like this.
Creating a new page using an internal link to a non-existent page
If you're creating a new page because you saw one of those red links somewhere, just click on the red link. If you've registered with SpinProfiles (which is required in order to edit) and are logged-in, you'll usually get a page that says:
"You've followed a link to a page that doesn't exist yet. To create the page, start typing in the box below"
It really is that simple! Simply type some text into the box and click "save." (Remember to jot a note in the smaller "Summary" box below the big box - this helps other editors keep track of what's happening on SpinProfiles. In this case something like "starting a new page" will suffice.)
If you want to create a new page but haven't seen a red link, you simply need to create one. Following SpinProfiles naming conventions, the simplest way is to type the title you wish to use into the search box as described in the 'Creating a new page from the search results page' section below.
Before you save your new page, remember that all new pages/articles on SpinProfiles should be given a category
Creating a new page from the search results page
A simple way to create a new page is to simply input the name of the page you want to create into the search box (following SpinProfiles naming conventions). If no such article exists, you'll get a page saying:
There is no page titled "[the name of your page]". You can create this page.
When you get there, click that red create this page link and it will open an editing window on the new blank page. Simply type in your text, click save and you're done.
Using Article Submission standard layout
The page relating to Article Submission enables you to quickly and easily start a new page. This is the prefered method for starting a new page on people or organisations as it contains a standard layout which keeps SpinProfiles articles tidy (as well as aiding the decisions of what the content of the page should be).
Tips and guidelines for creating good new articles
Make sure you introduce your subject
When starting a new article, remember to establish context at the start of a new page. Each article should begin with a brief (one- or two-sentence) general description of the individual, organization or topic.
More guidance:
Give the new page a category
Before you save your new page, remember that all new pages/articles on SpinProfiles should be included in a category. This makes using Spinprofiles easier, makes it possible to find all pages on a topic from one place and helps to avoid problems with duplicate pages being created.
Remember to add a summary when saving
When you're ready to save your new page, remember to jot a note in the small "Summary" box below the larger editing box to help other editors keep track of what's happening on SpinProfiles. In this case something like "starting a new page" will suffice.
Stub pages
Stub pages are articles with little content, but that through the ongoing work of their creator and the collaboration process grow over time into longer articles. Stub pages are noticed and picked up by search engines, and thus attract new readers and thus new contributors. Please show tolerance for stub page creation and feel free to add to, edit and generally enrich the stub page. Today's stub page acorn is tomorrow's big oak (or next month or next year's big oak).
Remember that all content added to SpinProfiles may be used by others
Bear in mind that Spinprofiles is an open content encyclopedia. You are contributing to a free, publicly-usable database of information. You automatically license everything you contribute under the GNU Free Documentation License; you can only do that if you own the copyright to the material (which you do if you created it), or if the material is in the public domain. See Spinprofiles:Copyrights for details.
