PhoenixHistory:How to start a page

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Starting a page is the fundamental way that PhoenixHistory.com grows. Editing is important, but someone had to create that page in the first place. Luckily, the software used by PhoenixHistory makes both starting and editing pages simple. This page will explain the steps to accomplish this and lead you to other pages that will assist you in contributing.

Steps

  1. Verify that there's not another page on your subject that you could edit.
  2. Come up with a good name for your page.
  3. Make a link and edit the blank page.
  4. Write up your content and run it through a spell checker.
  5. Preview, preview, preview.
  6. Save the page.

Let's take each in turn:

Verify

Other people have spent a lot of time creating pages and the foundation that they have provided could surely benefit from a once-over by your unique perspective. Do a search on your subject using a few common terms and see if anything pops up worthy of your editing time. If you want to write an article but can't think of a good topic, feel free to choose one from other user's suggestions.

Forge a link

Linking is the coin of the realm at PhoenixHistory, just as it is on the Web. Orphaned pages are seldom visited and miss out on the value achieved through cross references. It's therefore important that you create your page by linking it to an existing page.

There are two ways that you can do that:

  • Click on a red link (they look like this) and edit the blank page
  • Find a page relevant to your own, edit it, and add a link using your good name, making it a red link

Write your article

Now it's time to write your article. This step's really up to you, but we do have some general advice to offer. It's probably best that you run your article through a spell checker of some sort or have someone proofread it. If you're taking the time to contribute a new article, you'll definitely want it to be as professional and helpful as you can make it.

Preview

After you've done all the previous steps and put your text into the text box on the page you're creating, take an extra second and press the "Show Preview" button. It will show you what your page will look like after it's been wikified and it'll be your last chance to make sure that your article is up to our (and your) standards. Sure, you (and others) can edit the article after this, but there will be a permanent record of its inauspicious beginnings that you may not like.

Save it for posterity

Write up a brief summary like "Created" or "Started" and press the "Save Page" button. It will now show up in the Recent Changes page and other people will start reading, editing, and revising your precious offspring. As your knowledge expands, feel free to revisit its content. If you're a registered user, you can even set up a watchlist so you'll be notified of any changes.