User:Download/Adopt/Axmann8

The following content is preserved as an archive of the question page of a user adopted by download. Please do not modify it.

Please feel free to ask any questions below, Axmann! -down load | sign! 02:19, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Let's get started

I'm trying to think of some fitting questions I could ask. Pretty much everything is a bit overwhelming...

Could you clarify what a Namespace is? I read your "adoptee's classroom" page, but the idea still seems a bit vague.
- A namespace is basically the section of Wikipedia a page is in. For example, my userpage would be in the user namespace. This is shown by having the prefix "User:". An article such as Austrailia would be in the article namespace. Pages in the article namespace have no prefix. Another common namespace is the wikipedia namespace, which includes pages such as WP:AfD and WP:WikiProject Chemistry. These pages have the prefixes "WP:" and "Wikipedia:", which are interchangable. -down load | sign! 23:20, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Could you outline some of the most basic wikipedia policies? As in the ones that are most frequently used or brought up?
- Conduct or editing? For conduct, the main policies are:
  1. stay cool,
  2. don't be a dick,
  3. don't be a drama mama,
  4. and assume good faith.
- For editing, only add notable and important information to articles and do not vandalize. -down load | sign! 23:21, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
- On top of that, I'd add
  1. WP:V - Everything must be verifiable. Not necessarily true, but verifiable.
  2. WP:NPOV - Everything must present a neutral point of view. WP:FRINGE also applies
  3. WP:NOR - Everything must have been published somewhere else first. One notable exception is pictures.
  4. WP:BLP - Biographies about living persons must be held to a higher standard since there are potential significant, real-world consequences for such information
  5. WP:IAR - One of Wikipedia's first rules: Ignore all rules. That doesn't mean to just ignore everything
  6. WP:CONSENSUS - Wikipedia runs, primarily, by consensus, not by majority opinion. Exceptions:
    - policy consensus overrides guideline consensus (a guideline cannot state something that overrides a policy)
    - ArbCom decisions, Wikimedia policy, and edicts from the great and powerful Oz trump Wikipedia policy
    - The law trumps them all

— BQZip01 — ^talk 11:21, 16 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

How do you edit your signature, so it can be formatted when you put the four tildes? Or do you have to do the HTML and then copy the code to somewhere where you can just copy and paste it?
- You can edit your signature by clicking on "my preferences". However, you may not use HTML when directly entering it into the blank. An alternative way is to add something like {{subst:User:Axmann/Signature}} into the blank. This will substitute whatever is in User:Axmann8/Signature whenever you type four tildes. -down load | sign! 23:24, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
  - No, actually you can use HTML, just tick the "raw signature" box. Math Cool 10 ^{Sign here!} 03:10, 26 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
    - Actually, you can't use the <font> tag in your signature. -down load | sign! 03:20, 26 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

How can I make my user page a bit more customized?
- You can look at the userpages of some notable editors and "copy" their design. Be sure to credit them. I give you permission to copy my userpage's design if you like it. :P -down load | sign! 23:24, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

These are all I can think of for now, but I'm sure I'll think of more as time goes on! -Axmann8 (Talk) 06:27, 17 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Linking

Regarding this edit: [1]... Be sure to only use internal links when they are needed; don't use them for common terms such as "teenager". Also be sure to always provide an informative edit summary. -down load | sign! 00:17, 27 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I've been attempting usurpation

Sorry for not putting anything here in a while. I've been fighting tooth and nail to get my original username I wished to have. I've been learning a lot about editing and stuff though, so that's good. -Axmann8 (Talk) 23:20, 1 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I've seen your usurpation request. You don't need to ask for it to be usurped, simply go to WP:CHU. "AxMann" is a different username as "Axmann". You simply don't have the priviliges to create a new account with "Axmann", as the usernames are too close. -down load | sign! 00:57, 2 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, they won't let me do that. I've already asked at WP:CHU, and Anonymous Dissident told me that the usernames are so close that they won't even let me change my username, despite the fact that they are two different names. Apparently, I have to wait until a year of inactivity on the other user's account in order for me to take the username "Axmann". -Axmann8 (Talk) 00:09, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I've seen it. I'm sorry about it - the caps sensitive usernames are very confusing. -down load | sign! 01:18, 4 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Userpage

Nice work on your userpage! You might want to add some content about what you do on Wikipedia, now that you have the design done. -down load | sign! 21:11, 7 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Edit Summaries

I would really recommend adding an informative edit summary on every single one of your edits. Not only does this look good on your edit record, it could prevent your edits from being seen as vandalism. Anything as simple as (adding) or (rmv content) could work. -down load | sign! 19:44, 8 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You need to add edit summaries for every single one of your edits, including ones to talk pages. I can't stress how important this is. -down load | sign! 01:03, 13 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Couldn't agree more. It doesn't need to be anything complex, just make sure it's informative. — BQZip01 — ^talk 11:23, 16 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

WP: areas

Having almost 500 edits now, it might be a good idea to work in more collaborative areas of Wikipedia. You've been doing great with removing irrelevant images; however, you could also work in more collaborative areas. For example, you could always work in WP:XfD, and maybe also voice your opinion in WP:RfA. Just a suggestion. -down load | sign! 18:34, 12 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Collaborative work

That's a good idea. I was considering getting into that kind of stuff, as that's the kind of thing I like. Voting on issues, etc. I'm just not really sure how areas like that work exactly (like the rules, etc. etc.) I think if I had to go anywhere, I might check out RfD.

-Axmann8 (Talk) 00:45, 13 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Are you talking about WP:XfD? If so, the instructions are listed on the page. Just be bold, and step in! -down load | sign! 00:55, 13 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I checked out some of your WP:AfD contributions, and you're doing great! Remember that XfD is not a vote, it's a discussion, so be sure to provide reasoning and not just a simple Delete or Keep. -down load | sign! 04:12, 15 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Voting is nothing more than voicing an opinion. The issue at hand is that we are trying to forment a discussion a simple WP:!vote doesn't really help matters any. — BQZip01 — ^talk 11:24, 16 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Message when new messages are posted here

Is there any possible way that I can do something so when changes are made to this page, either it will say so on my talk page, or it will give me an orange message? I like my notifications lol. -Axmann8 (Talk) 09:33, 16 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Not really, that's not how Wikipedia is set up. There's a little tab at the top that says "Watch". If you click that, it will be added to yoru watchlist (click the little "my watchlist" at the upper right to see your watched pages and recent changes). Personally, I have that set as my homepage and I bypass the main page, my user page, and my talk page unless there have been notable changes. — BQZip01 — ^talk 11:27, 16 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Twinkle

Looking at your contributions, you seem to be using Twinkle well. While doing new page patrol, you might want to patrol pages from the back of the unpatrolled backlog though. Keep it up! -down load | sign! 02:20, 20 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Moving

I would not recommend the moving of stubs to a user subpage. I would recommend simply tagging the article with a {{stub}} template or marking it for deletion under A1 or A3 if there is no context or content. -down load | sign! 22:41, 24 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]