MicroWiki:Manual of Style

This page collates and codifies conventions on elements of style used on English MicroWiki. MicroWiki standardises some elements of style because:

• MicroWiki, as the foremost English-language collaborative micronational encyclopædia, should look formal and professional. While it is not expected that our contributors are professional writers, or have even finished secondary education, consistency greatly improves the impression given by writing therein.
• MicroWiki is intended to be accessible and easy to read. Many English MicroWiki contributors and readers are not native speakers of English. It is easier for all English speakers to read MicroWiki if obscure and incorrect language is avoided.

Policy on styles is created by administrators, who formulate policy after discussion among themselves and with the broader community, observing existing trends in article style, and considering style policies used elsewhere that editors may be familiar with.

National varieties of English

MicroWiki attracts an international audience, and so contributions will often be made in different varieties of English (jumper vs. sweater, lift vs. elevator, colour vs. color, etc.). MicroWiki does not prefer one variety over the other, but generally, articles pertaining to aspects of micronationalism in America will use different English than articles pertaining to aspects of micronationalism elsewhere. Essentially, use the variety of English most relevant to the subject of an article. Consistency in varieties of English should be maintained: if an article is rightfully written in British English, do not change it to American English, and vice versa. Take care to avoid American terms uncommon elsewhere, including but not limited to faucet, bodega, and burglarize.

Capitalisation

Do not capitalise:

• Any parts of headings, except the first word and any proper nouns therein. For example:

See also Y

Foreign Relations of Examplestan N

Administrative divisions of Examplestan Y

• Ideologies, except Nazism and ideologies named after a person. For example:

Most party members consider themselves social democrats. Y

He described the policy as "isocratic Thatcherism". Y

The group counter-protested a neo-Nazi demonstration. Y

She became interested in Conservatism around her 22nd birthday. N

• The names of currencies. For example:

Slovenia is home to the largest packaged product display of any country using the euro. Y

The high Australian dollar is making it difficult for Australian steel to compete on the world market. Y

The United States Dollar has the worst graphic design of any first-world currency. N

• Generic academic subjects. For example:

Aaron was interested in Maths from an early age. N

The Duchy surrended after Duke Smith's biology class. Y

Bartholomew left the Kingdom in Smarch 2082, and has now obtained a Bachelor of Arts. Y

• Seasons. For example:

They campaigned all through the Autumn of 1999. N

During winter, they stayed away from the forest. Y

MicroWiki

Ensure MicroWiki is written in the manner used by official site materials, with a capital 'M' and 'W', and no space or hyphen between 'Micro' and 'Wiki'. For example:

MicroWiki was secretly run by a shadowy cabal of TASPAC members. Y

Disgusted with their shoddy treatment at the hands of Wikia, the Microwiki community left for greener pastures. N

The primary aim of micro wiki is to create a micronational encyclopædia. N

Dates and numbers

Dates

MicroWiki attracts an international audience, and content may not be updated for long periods. Therefore, write out dates in the following style:

30 February 2012 Y

February 30, 2012 N

February 30th, 2012 N

31st February 2012 N

It is important that the year always be specified in articlespace for the sake of clarity, but it is unnecessary to repeat the year later on in the same paragraph (e.g., "Mr. Jones announced his candidacy on 1 March 2014 and was elected on 5 April 2014").

In some venues, such as newsfeeds, content will almost certainly be removed before a year has elapsed. In these places only (although their use in tables in articles is also permitted should it aid formatting), a shorter style is preferred, but a dot should not be added to the abbreviated month:

30 Feb. N

30 Feb Y

Remember to always place the day before the month. Never represent the year in two digits, or use ordinal suffixes such as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 19th. Only ever represent the month in numerical form in a chart or list of dates of some form, never within paragraphs or infoboxes.

On 2/7/1996, King Jack came to the throne. N

King Jack: reigned 2/7/1996 - 1/9/2014 Y (within a regnal list)

2nd July 1996 N

Ranges

Simple year–year ranges should be written using an en dash (– or {{subst:ndash}}) with no spaces on either side and the year in full, and not a hyphen, em dash, or slash.

2011-2012 (hypen) N

2011–2012 (en dash) Y

2011—2012 (em dash) N

2011/2012 (slash) N

Full year notation is preferred but two-digit ending notation (2011–12 but never 2011–2) may be used for two consecutive years in infoboxes or tables where space is limited. Do not use two-digit endings for ranges across centuries or from the first millenium.

1900–00 N

1900–2000 Y

456–57 N

456–457 Y

Numbers

In general article text: Spell out whole integers from zero to nine. For integers greater than nine expressible in one or two words, either numbers or words can be used (22 or twenty-two, 200 or two hundred), but maintain one of the two formats throughout the whole article. Numbers written as words from 22 to 99 are always hyphenated, including if they are a part of a larger number.

No, nine plus ten does not equal twenty-one. Y

Sixty-nine thousand Y

This is literally Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell. N

Scores and vote tallies, just like ranges, should be written using an unspaced en dash.

The polls predicted Peter would beat Quagmire 15–5.

Seasons

Do not ever refer to an event as having happened in a particular season. Roughly 50% of the world by volume would have been experiencing a different season to the one you mention. Exceptions exist when an event has a season in its name, such as the Winter of Discontent and the Arab Spring, as well as if an event is universally seasonal, such as deciduous trees shedding their leaves in autumn.

Saint Crispin’s day is in autumn. N

In the spring of 2008, the first Optiman elections were held. N

The Winter of Discontent was a time of hardship in the end of 1977 and the beginning of 1978. Y

Evergreen trees do not shed their leaves in autumn. Y

Article titles

An article title is the large heading displayed above the article's content. The title indicates what the article is about and distinguishes it from other articles. The title may simply be the name (or a name) of the subject of the article, or it may be a description of the topic. Since no two articles can have the same title, it is sometimes necessary to add distinguishing information, often in the form of a description in parentheses after the name. The ideal article title resembles titles for similar articles, precisely identifies the subject, is no longer than necessary to distinguish the article from others, and is recognisable to those familiar with the subject. Titles should be neutral (i.e., not use loaded terms) where possible, but if a person or event is almost always known by a certain name (e.g. the Liberation of Orly), that name may be used even if it contains non-neutral words. Names not originally in a Latin alphabet, such as Greek, Chinese, or Russian names, must be transliterated. The following is a list of naming conventions for common subjects of article published on MicroWiki.

Do not use "The" at the beginning of an article title, unless it is an inseparable part of a name or it is part of the title of a work, e.g. The Caesar Show and The Motherland is Calling!.

Micronations

• Use the full official name of the micronation, e.g. Empire of Austenasia rather than "Austenasia". Only deviate from this rule should the official name of the micronation be so long that it is rarely used outside of official contexts, in which case the name by which it is most commonly known should be used, e.g. Mercia rather than "Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Council of the Diarchal Crowns of the Disciples".
• Do not use acronyms unless the full name of the micronation is simply not used, and the acronym itself holds official or de facto official status (an example would be POMHB, which at time of writing no longer has its own article). Even if the use of an acronym is very common, use the full name unless the above applies, e.g. Union of South London Soviet Socialist Republics rather than "USLSSR".

Sovereigns, royalty, nobility, etc

• Styles - His Majesty (HM), His Royal Highness (HRH), etc - are never included in article titles.
• Articles on kings and queens should be titled as Adam I of Überstadt, Laura I of Moylurg, Billy of Rushymia, etc.
• Articles on sovereigns of a different title than king or queen should be titled as Jonathan I, Emperor of Austenasia, Andrew I, Prince of Sabovia, etc.
• Where a monarch has reigned over a number of states, use the most commonly associated ordinal and state, e.g. Travis I, Grand Duke of Westarctica. Where this may be problematic, consensus may be reached after taking into account the most commonly used name and ordinal(s), e.g. Declan I, II & V.
• It is possible to combine a numeral with a cognomen or surname should this be the name by which the monarch is most widely known, e.g. Taeglan I Nihilus, Reylan Emperor.
• Some monarchs have a name by which they are clearly most commonly known in English, such as a cognomen or suffix, and which identifies them unambiguously (e.g. Alfred the Great); in such cases this name should be chosen as the article title.
• Do not apply an ordinal in an article title for a pretender, i.e., someone who has not reigned; instead call them a) what they are most commonly known as, b) the official title they hold from the country rule over which they claim, or c) what they were known as before their claim. Discussion and consensus should be used to determine the most appropriate article title, keeping neutrality in mind.
• Former or deposed monarchs should be referred to by their previous monarchical title with the exception of those who are still alive and have become most well-known for a function other than having ruled the country in question.
• Living royal consorts are referred to by their present name and title, e.g. Queen Sofía of Spain and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Living former consorts are referred to by the same name, except where they now have a new title by which they are more commonly referred to, e.g. Emperor Mother Margaret.
• Deceased consorts are referred to by a name by which they are commonly known or (if recently deceased) are expected to become known. This can often differ from the name and title they held as consort or at death.
• For royalty other than monarchs, use {title} {first name} of {country}, e.g. Crown Princess Caroline of Austenasia. If the individual holds a substantive title, use instead {first name}, {title}, e.g. Anne, Princess Royal.
• Articles on nobles should be titled according to the name by which the person in question is most commonly known.

Departments, agencies and officials

• Use official names in article titles, unless an agency is almost always known by an acronym or different title, e.g. DARPA.
• When creating an article with a common title, be sure to disambiguate it properly, e.g. Foreign Office (Austenasia). Disambiguation is unnecessary if the country or other jurisdiction is a natural part of the subject's name (e.g. Zealandian Air Defences) or if a common method of disambiguating in common speech exists (e.g. Prime Minister of Florenia).

Elections

• The article titles on elections should be in {Year} {Micronation demonym} {type of election}, for example, 2021 Austenasian general election.
• If more than one election to elect individuals to the same position or same body are held in a micronation, then specify the month before the year, for example March 2021 Vishwamitran general election and November 2021 Vishwamitran general election.

Events

• If there is an established, universally agreed-upon common name for an event, use that name, e.g. Yablokogate.
• If there is no established name for the event, create a name using these guidelines. In most cases, the title of the article should contain at least where and what happened - if these descriptors are not sufficient to identify the event unambiguously, also add when, e.g. 2014 New South Scotland crisis.
• If there is a particular common name for the event, it should be used even if it implies a possibly controversial or one-sided point of view, e.g. Liberation of Orly. However, language which may seem biased should otherwise be avoided where possible.

Awards

• Prefixes of the awards, especially orders, such as - "The Most Noble", "The Most Honourable", etc. are not be included in the article title and only the name of the award is to be included.

Bilateral

• Pages detailing bilateral relations (relations between two nations) must have the names of the nations separated by an unspaced en dash (–), not a hyphen or em dash, e.g. w:United Kingdom–United States relations.
• The order of the names of the two nations is determined alphabetically.
• The short name of the nation must be used unless doing so may cause confusion.

Bilateral

• Pages detailing bilateral relations (relations between two nations) must have the names of the nations separated by an unspaced en dash (–), not a hyphen or em dash, e.g. w:United Kingdom–United States relations.
• The order of the names of the two nations is determined alphabetically.
• The short names of the nation must be used unless doing so may cause confusion.

Portraits

Having a portrait is not a requirement for a MicroWiki page; leaving the portrait parameter of an infobox blank is perfectly acceptable. However, if you would like to use a portrait, please abide by the following guidelines.

• If there is an available photo of the individual, use of that image is preferred.
  • Photos with gimmicky added filters or effects (e.g. artificial grayscale, sepia, grain, paper or film aging, faux painting effects) are prohibited. Digital photographs used as portraits should be as clear and true-to-life as possible.
  • "Retouched" photos, such as blurring of a background to hide identifying elements, AI upscaling, or blemish removal are permitted as long as a note of the change is present on the file's page.
  • While blurring a background is acceptable, do not completely remove or alter backgrounds. A portrait's background should not be left transparent, a gradient or solid color, or be replaced entirely with a different image or pattern. This excludes "studio" photographs taken on a physical backdrop or chroma key screen, such as school, army, and business portraits.
  • Portraits in which an individual's face is blurred or obstructed should not be used as this defeats the purpose of including a portrait.
• Original artworks (including, but not limited to paintings, drawings, or digital art) that depict an individual in a realistic way are permitted.
• Photos and artworks of real individuals other than the subject are prohibited.
  • Photographs and artwork depicting other people that are altered to display the subject (e.g. overlaying one's face on a painting of a monarch) are prohibited.
• Generated content, including but not limited to content made with generative artificial intelligence (such as DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion) or avatar builders like Picrew, is prohibited.

Pronouns

Avoid constructions such as his/her. They is perfectly acceptable to refer to a person of unknown gender, and one can also be used when in the second person.

If the heir to the throne is under sixteen, he/she will need a regent. N

If the heir to the throne is under sixteen, they will need a regent. Y

When referring to a person, use the set of personal pronouns they use to refer to themselves, except where this would result in nonsensical or confusing text.

As a formal venue, MicroWiki never uses the second-person you in articlespace, except in quotations. Substitute one.

You should realise by now that MicroWiki is an encyclopædia. N

One should realise by now that MicroWiki is an encyclopædia. Y

Indeed, it is far preferable to use the third person or the passive voice.

Users should realise by now that MicroWiki is an encyclopædia. Y

It should by now be realised that MicroWiki is an encyclopædia. Y

Punctuation and quotation

For uniformity and to avoid complications with templates, use straight quotation marks and apostrophes ( ' " ) not curved (smart) ones, grave accents or backticks ( ‘ ’ “ ” ` ). It is recommended that editors using mobile devices disable their device's smart quotes feature. Do not use guillemets ( « » ) or CJK brackets (「 」) as quotation marks.

How to disable smart punctuation on iOS

Settings → General → Keyboard → Smart Punctuation

Using punctuation with quotation marks

Proper use of punctuation with quotation marks can be broken down into three simple "rules of two":

1. Periods and commas should always be placed inside of closed quotation marks.
2. Colons and semicolons should always be placed outside of closed quotation marks.
3. Question marks and exclamation points go inside of closed quotations if they apply to the quote itself, and outside of closed quotations if they apply to the whole sentence.

Informal language and common typos

MicroWiki typically uses formal language. Though some linguistic constructions may be acceptable in casual conversation, they are not on MicroWiki:

Contractions

Avoid words like don't, won't, it's, and she's. Write them out in their full forms: do not, will not, it is, she is, etc.

Possesive pronouns and their homophones

• "It's" and "who's" are contractions of "it is" and "who is," respectively. As with other contractions, write them out in their full form.

• "Its" and "whose" are possessive pronouns and are used to indicate belonging to a noun.

Plurals

Plural quantities are never expressed with an apostrophe, and always with a single "s" affixed to the end of the noun.

Many politican's attended the event. N

The early 1900's were a time of great industrial advancement. N

Verbing

She waitressed at a restaurant near Scott Morrison’s office. N

She worked as a waitress at a restaurant near Scott Morrison’s office. Y

Could of, would of, should of

These are always wrong. Use could have, would have, and should have in all written communication.

Apart of vs. a part of

"Apart" indicates separation, and should be written as "apart from." On the other hand, "a part of" indicates belonging.

Profanity

Profanity and other offensive language may only ever be used in one context, and that is when their inclusion within a quote or title is necessary for historical accuracy. If included, either they are to be "starred out" (e.g., "f**k") or {{Obscene}} is to be added to the top of the article or respective section.

Poetic language

MicroWiki articles ought to be written in straightforward, factual, encyclopædic language. Eschew verbosity; plain English is the most elegant writing style. Particularly, avoid poetic devices such as personifying countries. Plain English does not, however, preclude complex sentences, sophisticated vocabulary, and the like, so long as they are only used because they add something to an article. Complex writing is fine, just not for its own sake.

When to ignore this guide

If making a contribution following this guide would clearly reduce its comprehensibility, ignore the parts of this guide which would make it do so. Raise the issue with administrators.