Help:FAQ
From YoYo Wiki
Frequently asked questions (FAQ), here to make things clearer.
[edit] What's a wiki?
A wiki is a website that anyone can edit. The most well-known example of a wiki is Wikipedia, and the yo-yo wiki has a lot in common with it.
You can see an edit button above every page, this allows you to change anything on that page. If you want to experiment with editing, you can use the sandbox.
[edit] Great, how do I get started?
Looking at the get involved page is the best place to start. If you're not sure what things like [[Main Page]] or *1 *2 *3 mean you can always look at the editing guide.
[edit] What's so good about wikis?
Most online yo-yo information is found on yo-yo forums, which are not ideal for guides or general information. On a wiki, one person can add the content, someone else can improve the layout, and others can expand or correct the article. This means that over time the articles improve. No-one knows everything there is to know about yo-yoing, but the yo-yo wiki allows us to share our expertise in one place.
[edit] Why do I have to log in?
You don't anymore! Following us changing our host to wikia, we have enabled anonymous editing. If we get hit badly by spam this may change, but it's been working fine so far.
There are still lots of benefits of registering though; you can enter competitions, people know who you are (although you don't have to use your real name) and you can edit from any computer.
[edit] Isn't a wiki open to abuse?
Yes and no. Any page can be vandalised, but every page has a 'history' tab which allows you to see every single previous version of the page so vandalism can be easily removed and we can always see who contributed what.
[edit] What does the yo-yo wiki cover?
Anything yo-yo related! We don't limit it to anything specific, so if you're sure something isn't already covered you can start pages on it. Some yo-yo topics have more information than others, but it is always being added to.
More recently, we have started a spin top section. Whilst it is younger and less polished, we would like the spin top area to grow and become useful to top throwers.
[edit] Who's in charge?
Theoretically, a wiki is a democracy so we try to go with things that the majority approve. However, there are some exceptions to this, such as only allowing administrators to ban users (read more about administrators here). Ultimately, Josh and Wilfred have final say on issues such as deletions as they act as administrators.
[edit] Can I write an article on anything?
Since this is a yo-yo wiki, we only cover yo-yo related topics and spin tops. It is also worth avoiding writing an article about yourself for the people section as we only want notable yo-yoers. If you are a notable yo-yoer then someone else will think it worth starting an article. To talk about yourself we recommend you use your user page.
[edit] My links don't work!
Wiki links are case sensitive so links to pages must have the same capitalisation. If you're not sure, search for the article then copy-paste the article title to ensure your links work. You can also use the 'show preview' button when you edit to check your links go where you want them to.
[edit] What does wikify mean?
Wikifying is the removal of HTML or external formatting from an article and replacing it with wiki markup and laying it out so it fits in with the other articles here. We like to keep everything clear and well laid out, with articles categorised in a manner that makes it convenient to browse.
[edit] I have more questions!
Leave a message on the talk page and someone will answer at some point. If it's a big issue it's probably better to say it at the Coffee Machine.