CupertinoGuide/YourFirstArticle
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| Recommended skill level | |
| Intermediate | |
| Some experience within MicroWiki editing and writing may be required for this lesson. |
- See also: w:Help:Your first article
Ready to make your first article? Go to this link and create your first page.
Should I create this article?
Video
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| Video by fellow CA delegate Isaiah David covers this topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXGvg2XGEas |
Before creating your first article, consider these questions:
- Does this article have enough information to dedicate its own MicroWiki page?
- Does this article just repeat information from another MicroWiki page?
- Does this article fit within micronationalism, or involve micronationalists?
If you can't answer these questions, it might be better to incorporate your page into another article or make the article in another wiki more suitable for it.
Important: licensing
Everything on here and on MicroWiki is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. Anyone can change your page to add content if it follows the site rules. Do not go complaining to the staff that someone touched your page unless it is vandalism and/or the accused continue doing it after being warned.
As a wiki, MicroWiki is maintained by a team of Administrative staff, but the actual content of the website is created and edited by ordinary users. All of our articles have been contributed to the wiki by our users, who work together collaboratively. All of our content is provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. This means that you can change any of the content on this wiki unless otherwise specified, and take content off this wiki and use it for any purpose. Your right to do this however is conditional - you need to attribute the work to MicroWiki or to its specific creators, and you can only share it under the same license that we offer it to you.
Do not add information on MicroWiki that you don't want online. This may include personal information, identity, and address. Though MicroWiki does its best in removing personal information, anything on the internet stays on there and could get saved on the Wayback Machine and other similar web-saving services. As these services are out of MicroWiki's jurisdiction, we can not assist you further if it happens.
Page title
There are certain rules regarding the title of your article. Do not use the word "The" in your title, unless it is a part of the name of a piece of work.
- The Abeldane
- The Cupertino Alliance
- The Abeldane
In the case presented above, The Abeldane is a newspaper, which has the word "The" in its name. Furthermore, there are certain types of titles used in MicroWiki that were covered back in What is MicroWiki. For page names that both have the same name, consider adding parameters that can include the last name of the subject, title of the person, or subdivision/country of the place. However, if there are 2 names but one of them is more well known, keep the name of the more well-known one, and add parameters to the lesser-known one. Consider these examples below.
- For Adam I,
- Adam I, Emperor of Adammia refers to Adam Belcher
- Adam I of Überstadt refers to Adam von Friedeck
- For Calgary,
- Calgary refers to the more well known Canadian city
- Calgary, Mull refers to the lesser-known town in Scotland
The introductory paragraph
- See also: w:Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section
The introductory paragraph should insight the reader into a general description of this topic. The title of your article is usually present (but not always) and should always be bolded. Things that should be included are:
- When this person was born
- When did this incident happen
- Brief overview of this person's occupation
- Brief overview of what happened during this event and its aftermath
- How does this organization contribute to the public, its parent company, etc.
- Other significant information
- etc.
You are not writing a news article. Do not ask questions/tease stuff to the reader- this is not a persuasive essay nor tabloid. Consider this introductory paragraph from the Wikipedia article, Ashford v Thornton retrieved on 6 February 2021.
Ashford v Thornton (1818) 106 ER 149 is an English law case in the Court of King's Bench which upheld the right of the defendant to w:trial by battle on a private appeal from an acquittal for murder.
In 1817, Abraham Thornton was charged with the murder of Mary Ashford. Thornton had met Ashford at a dance and had walked with her from the event. The next morning, she was found drowned in a pit with little evidence of violence. Public opinion was heavily against Thornton, but the jury quickly acquitted him and found him not guilty of rape.
Mary's brother William Ashford launched an appeal, and Thornton was rearrested. Thornton claimed the right to trial by battle, a medieval usage that had never been repealed by Parliament. Ashford argued that the evidence against Thornton was overwhelming and that he was thus ineligible to wage battle.
The court decided that the evidence against Thornton was not overwhelming, and that trial by battle was a permissible option under law. Ashford declined the offer of battle, however, and therefore Thornton was freed from custody. Appeals such as Ashford's were abolished by statute in 1819, and with them the right to trial by battle. Thornton emigrated to the United States.
— Wikipedia article Ashford v Thornton
This section manages to answer various questions and gives the reader a quick overview of the subject in a short and concise form.
| Quotation from the introductory paragraph in the Wikipedia article | What this quotation answers |
|---|---|
| Ashford v Thornton (1818) 106 ER 149 is an English law case in the Court of King's Bench... | This part of the sentence answers what this article is about. |
| ... which upheld the right of the defendant to trial by battle on a private appeal from an acquittal for murder. | The other part of the sentence answers why this article is significant. Though we don't have a nobility criterion in MicroWiki, it is generally good to have it in your sentence nevertheless. |
| Mary's brother William Ashford launched an appeal, and Thornton was rearrested. Thornton claimed the right to trial by battle, a medieval usage that had never been repealed by Parliament. Ashford argued that the evidence against Thornton was overwhelming and that he was thus ineligible to wage battle.
The court decided that the evidence against Thornton was not overwhelming, and that trial by battle was a permissible option under law. Ashford declined the offer of battle, however, and therefore Thornton was freed from custody. |
A brief overview of the history of the event. |
| Appeals such as Ashford's were abolished by statute in 1819, and with them the right to trial by battle. Thornton emigrated to the United States. | The aftermath of the event. |
It is generally recommended to include the page title or topic, and bolden it. For an English article about something which has a non-English name, use the non-English name. In the introductory sentence, however, it is generally recommended to add an English transition.
The sections
After you're done with your starting paragraph, now it's on to the meat of the article. First, however, is that you must need to divide your long list of words into sections. Common sections include:
| Topic | Section name | Section use |
|---|---|---|
| Micronation | ||
| History | Includes a general overview of the history of the micronation, regarding its founding and significant events all the way until the present day. | |
| Geography | Includes information on where the micronation is located, general description of the terrain and climate of your micronation. | |
| Government and politics | Includes what type of government the micronation uses, its leaders, and political parties. | |
| Economy | Includes what types of currencies are used, what significant industries are present, and any trading legislation or governance. | |
| Culture | Includes a description of the culture of the micronation, usually ranging from food, music, sports, etc. | |
| Population | Includes population data and a general overview of the population, ranging from ethnicity to language. | |
| Event | ||
| Participants | An overview of who participated in this event | |
| Background | An overview of the political, economic, social, or military situation of a nation or participant before the event. | |
| Rising action | An overview of past events or situation which sparked this event | |
| Sparking event | An overview of what happened to spark this event | |
| The event itself | Details regarding the fighting or actions within the event. | |
| Resolution | How this event is resolved. | |
| Aftermath and impact | An overview on how changes towards economics, social, or political life after this event. | |
| Person | ||
| Early life | Includes when they were born, describes their early life before entering micronationalism. | |
| Beginnings | Describes how they entered into micronationalism and their first career posts. | |
| Major micronational offices | Describes their tenure in this office, which may include major events, scandals, or documents. | |
| Other micronational careers | Describes secondary offices all combined into one paragraph. | |
| Personal life | Describes the personal life of the micronationalist, which may include where they live, other hobbies, family, etc. | |
| Honours | Any awards should go here. |
Use ==YOUR HEAD SECTION== for your sections. Use ===YOUR SECONDARY SECTION=== and et cetera for secondary sections. Do not use =SECTION= as those are generally reserved for titles, which you already have anyways on the top of your screen.
Should I make this a section?
Again, like creating your article, consider these questions:
- Does this section have enough information to dedicate its own section? (Generally 3-4+ sentences at minimum)
- Does this section just repeat information from another section?
- Does this section fit within the general scope of your MicroWiki page's topic?
If you can't answer these questions, it might be better to incorporate your section into another section or add the information in another MicroWiki page.
Researching
Recommended resources
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| Recommended resources include the manual of style, as well as Grammarly or other spelling / grammar checking services.
Legal disclaimer: the Cupertino Alliance and MicroWiki have not been paid nor contacted by Grammarly. |
You're now ready to start researching!
Firstly, take your time to research your material and gathering your sources. Though MicroWiki is more relax when it comes to references as opposed to Wikipedia, it is recommended to have them to ensure that your information is correct and that such information is prove-able. Read your reference and copy down the most important points. This may include
- When?
- Why?
- How?
- What?
- Who?
Ensure that you stay on topic on what you're researching. Popular resources for researching may include your nation's Discord server, social media, website, or Google Drive. For more macronational information, look for sources from Britannica, JSTOR, reliable news sources, or your public library.
Writing
- See also: w:Wikipedia:Writing better articles
Recommended resources
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| Recommended resources include the manual of style, as well as Grammarly or other spelling / grammar checking services.
Legal disclaimer: the Cupertino Alliance and MicroWiki have not been paid nor contacted by Grammarly. |
Video
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| Video by fellow CA delegate Isaiah David covers this topic: Notes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxiqTVj1Z-w References: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9OROFy_SEc |
Citations
Ensure that you write facts, not opinions. These can be done through accquring citations, like a book, legislative document, or website. To cite, first, type in <ref>. Next, manually type out the citation. Additionally, you can use templates like
- Template:Cite letter
- Template:Cite journal
- Template:Cite report
- Template:Cite constitution
- Template:Cite tweet
- Template:Cite encyclopedia
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite speech
- Template:Cite news
Then, end the citation with </ref>. For example, a citation may look like this in source editor:
Peanuts are better than almonds. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://austenasiantimes.wordpress.com/2019/03/24/march-sees-territorial-changes-for-austenasia/|title=March sees territorial changes for Austenasia|author=|author-link=|website=Austenasian Times|access-date=24 March 2019}}</ref>
Replace the parameters in the cite web template with your own. After your done, add a reference section, then add {{reflist}}. To reuse reference, add a name to the template. Instead of using <ref>, do <ref name="AustenasianTimes">. Continue the reference and continue ending it with </ref>. For example:
Peanuts are better than almonds. <ref ="AustenasianTimes">{{cite web|url=https://austenasiantimes.wordpress.com/2019/03/24/march-sees-territorial-changes-for-austenasia/|title=March sees territorial changes for Austenasia|author=|author-link=|website=Austenasian Times|access-date=24 March 2019}}</ref>
When you want to reuse it, do:
Peanuts are better than almonds. <ref name="AustenasianTimes"></ref>
Notes
Notes can also be added through template {{efn|<note}}. For example:
Peanuts are better than almonds. {{efn|"Peanuts" does not include almonds}}
Then, add a notes section and add {{notelist}}
Language
Ensure that you remain both formal and neutral. Avoid using unnecessary adjectives / complicated words, certain pronouns like "he/her" (instead, use "they"), "you" (instead, use "one"), contractions (instead, write the full form of the contraction), etc. Remember that you are writing a reference, not talking to the reader. For which type of English to use, if it is already established, continue using it. If you are making the page, feel free to use whatever type of English you want to. Then add a template like:
...on the top of the talk page. For other languages, refer to CupertinoGuide/BeginnersSteps.
Paragraphs
Do not write long and lengthy paragraphs. Those are too hard to read and thus more people are going to ignore them. At the same time, avoid single-sentence paragraphs.
Questions
As we said in the introductory paragraph section, you are writing for an encyclopedia. Don't ask the reader questions unless they are a part of a quote.
Topic
Ensure that your writing relates to the page's topic. For example, do not write about the history of all of micronationalism for a page about your newly founded micronation, or do not go in detail about the aspects of an event in the general page of your micronation (mention it briefly and spilt it into another article).
Adding media
Recommended resources
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| Recommended resources include reviewing MicroWiki:Copyright tags for information regarding licenses present in MicroWiki, as well as MicroWiki:Copyrights for MicroWiki's policy on copyright. |
Video
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| Video by fellow CA delegate Isaiah David covers this topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SYv9T1Mmzw |
Media can be a good way to spice up your article. We will show you how to add common mediums within your MicroWiki page.
How to upload things
Head over to Special:Upload or Special:UploadWizard and select a file to upload. The following guide will be divided amongst both upload wizards. Both wizards have their pros and cons. The benefits of using UploadWizard include:
- You can upload multiple images
- More user-friendly
The benefits of using Upload include:
- Much quicker
Special:UploadWizard
After selecting an approved file type, it should upload. After uploading, it should look like this.
You must select the copyright of your work. If this file is your own work, you must declare your license. Most files use the Creative Commons license, but variations of this license exist. If you do not want to use the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 4.0.
Select your perferred Creative Commons license.
If this photo is not your work, add the source and author.
Declare the license. If you are not sure, select the last option.
If you are uploading multiple items, you can also declare each item individually.
As this work is my work, I'll be using a Creative Commons license. Now, name the file. Though it is generally recommended to name your files with a unique name, MicroWiki users are generally too lazy to do it as evident by whoever uploaded these photos. Add a description detailing the file.
Though optional, you can add categories to your photos. Type a word and select one of the categories to add it. Alternatively, you can also add a category by pressing the enter key.
You can also add location and other information regarding your file.
Seeing this screen means you're finished uploading. Two texts are provided which are useful for adding this file to your website or in your wikipage.
Special:Upload
Select your file.
Add a summary describing your file.
Declare your license. NOTE: If you do not select a license, it will default under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. The Creative Commons license only provides the Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License. Refer later on how to change it.
You can watch this file and / or ignore any warnings. Watching this file gives you notifications on when certain changes to this file are made and ignoring any warnings forces the wizard to upload your file.
If you fail to add the file extension (e.g. .png, .jpg, etc.), it will automatically do it for you. Click "Submit modified file description" to finish uploading your file. After your image upload is finished, it should redirect you to the page file.
Changing the license
If you selected the incorrect license, follow these steps.
Go to the "Licensing" section and select "edit source". This will bring you up to the source editor.
Replace the highlighted with any tag from MicroWiki:Copyright tags. Ensure that you have reviewed and agreed to the guidelines in your selected license.
You can optionally add a summary. Select "save changes" and it should redirect you back to your filepage with your new license.
Assignment
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| Completion of this assignment will be required to attain a barnstar and certificate. Feel free to complete it if you are not interested in attaining it, but if you are not interested in it this is optional.
Upload a photo per one of these steps above. |
Images
Common image formats include .png, .gif, .jpg/.jpeg, and .svg, with the latter being a vector format. To add an image, first insert the file as what you would towards a link, e.g. [[File:AmityDrawing.png]]. Ensure that "File:" is present. Parameters including captions and size can be added like this:
[[File:AmityDrawing.png|thumb|right|Photo caption goes here]]; for photos placed on the right with a caption[[File:AmityDrawing.png|180px|Photo caption goes here]]; for photos with a size of 180px with a caption[[File:AmityDrawing.png|border|link=URLGoeshere]]; for photos with a border and a link that directs them when clicked
Parameters can be swapped in or out depending on your needs. Refer to MicroWiki:Helpsheet for all placements.
Audio
Recommended resources
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| MicroWiki does not support .mp3. Use a converter like https://convertio.co/mp3-ogg/.
Legal disclaimer: the Cupertino Alliance and MicroWiki have not been paid nor contacted by Convert.co. |
Due to licensing conflicts on MicroWiki, you will have to convert any audio file to .ogg. Uploading audio is the like same as uploading an image, however the size parameter does not apply to these files.
[[File:AnthemOfExample.ogg]]
Video
Recommended resources
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| MicroWiki does not support .mp3. Use a converter like https://convertio.co/mp4-ogv/.
Legal disclaimer: the Cupertino Alliance and MicroWiki have not been paid nor contacted by Convert.co. |
Due to licensing conflicts on MicroWiki, you will have to convert any audio file to .ogv. Uploading video is the exact same as uploading an image.