First off, welcome to Fossil Wiki! We hope you will enjoy editing here. This page will attempt to answer any questions that new editors may have regarding editing, formatting, and policies.
Let's get started, shall we?
How do I...?[]
Pages[]
How do I create a page?[]
If you see a red link on an existing page and you want to create the page it points to, simply click that link and it will point you to the editing form. Type the content, then save the page. It will be logged in the recent changes with the bold letter N, which stands for "new".
Alternatively, you can type the title of the page in the search box and press Go. If the page already exists, it will take you there, but if it doesn't, you can click the red link with the page title, and it will take you to the editing form.
How do I insert an image into a page?[]
To insert a new image, you should first upload it, this can be done at Special:Upload (please check the policy on the same page first). After that, refer to Help:Editing for instructions.
Please do not recklessly replace images in infoboxes, especially if it's a major and well-known character. These images are usually placed there by consensus, as a result of debates on talk pages, so if you're unsure, search the talk page (and its archives) first.
How do I insert [something] into a page?[]
See Help:Editing.
How do I protect a page?[]
Only an administrator can do that, so if you need a page protected or unprotected, leave a note on Fossil Wiki:Requests for protection. However, before doing so, ask if it's really worth it: protection is a last resort, and for articles, it should always be temporary. If the page is being constantly disrupted by a single vandal, it is probably better to block them instead. However, in case of vandalism by multiple different vandals, or in case of an ongoing revert war, protection could be sometimes the only way to stop disruptive behavior.
Images[]
How do I upload an image?[]
On the sidebar, there should be a section with the name "Toolbox" (located directly under the "Search" box). The third option in that section is "Upload file". Click on that and follow the directions on the screen.
Note that the upload feature is available only to registered users.
How do I link to images?[]
To link to an image, the following format is used: [[Image:(image name).(image extention)]]. You can also set the size in pixels and whether the image appears on the left or right side of the screen (see example below).
You can link to an image in thumbnail format or non-thumbnail format. Usually, the only time non-thumbnails are used are in the lead infobox template.
For this example, I will use a picture of a Cretoxyrhina mantelli shark tooth to illustrate the difference between thumbnail and non-thumbnail pictures.
Example 1 (non-thumbnail): [[Image:Cretoxyrhina1.jpg|150px|left]]
Example 2 (thumbnail picture): [[Image:Cretoxyrhina1.jpg|thumb|200px|''Cretoxyrhina mantelli'' from the [[Niobrara Formation|Niobrara Chalk Formation]] in Trego County, Kansas.]]
Cretoxyrhina mantelli from the Niobrara Chalk Formation in Trego County, Kansas.
How do I link to an image without including it in the page?[]
Simply add a colon to the beginning of the internal link.
For instance:
[[:Image:Cretoxyrhina1.jpg]]
Produces this:
Image:Cretoxyrhina1.jpg
How do I make an image gallery?[]
To make an image gallery, you would use the <gallery> tag, then list the images (one on each line) that you want to display.
- Example (Transitional shark teeth gallery):
<gallery>
Image:Transitional GW 1.jpg|Beginning of the Evolution from [[Cosmopolitodus hastalis|C. hastalis]] to [[Carcharodon carcharias|C. carcharias]].
Image:Transitional GW 2.jpg|Serrations appear more noticeably pronounced.
Image:Transitional GW 3.jpg|Serrations form around nearly the whole crown.
Image:Transitional GW4.jpg|C. carcharias is a new species.
</gallery>
Turns into this:
Signatures[]
How do I sign my name at the end of my posts?[]
To sign your name at the end of your posts, you type four tildes.
- Example: ~~~~ for me, produces Meghunter99Talk to me! 01:53, 30 June 2006 (UTC)
Templates[]
How do I create a template?[]
If you have questions about creating templates, feel free to seek out an administrator and ask for their assistance. If that specific administrator is unable to help you personally, they will most likely know a user with whom they can refer you to.
How do I use a template?[]
See Help:Templates.
Userpages[]
How do I create my userpage?[]
To create your userpage, you first have to have signed up for an account at Fossil Wiki. After you have signed up and logged in, you should see your account name in the upper right hand corner (assuming you are using the default skin). Click on it and you will be taken to a blank page.
Once you are at the blank page, click on the "edit" tab and edit to your heart's content.
How do I make a subpage for my userpage?[]
To make a subpage for your userpage, you add a slash after your username, then add the name of the page you want to create.
- Example: Say I wanted to create a user subpage called FUBAR. On my userpage, I would type: [[User:Meghunter99/FUBAR]], then preview (or save) the page. Once the page is previewed/saved, I would click on the subpage link I just created, and edit it.
Where can I...?[]
Where can I make test edits?[]
If you want to make any test edits, you can do so at the sandbox. Some users also create a subpage of their userpage for this purpose.