Editing Incubator escapee wiki:Help desk/Archive 3 (section)

== Getting started ==

What is the advice that you would give to a person who just found Wikipedia?  This website is so full of information and possibilities, that it's quite overwhelming.  Is there a way to simplify the introductory process?
:Getting started as a contributor? Well, there's the [[Wikipedia:Tutorial|tutorial]] if you don't know wiki syntax yet. But my opinion is - just dive right in and write what you know. [[User:Raul654|→Raul654]] 23:29, Jun 22, 2004 (UTC)

::Yeah, if you're into that whole 'writing articles' thing.  I just watch [[Special:recentchanges]] and see what catches my eye. [[User:Meelar|[[User:Meelar|Meelar]] [[User talk:Meelar|(talk)]]]] 23:36, 22 Jun 2004 (UTC)

: Howdy.  I left a little welcome note on your talk page, which has some ideas (crazy ideas, sometimes, but ideas nonetheless).  Wikipedia is ''always'' short of decent, [[GFDL]] licenced, photos.  One very useful thing to search around for placenames near your home (towns, villages, cities, famous streets etc.) that have a wikipedia article but no photo. Or find landmarks (mountains, bridges, airports, rail systems, rivers, ancient site, important building, historical site, etc.).  Then take some representative photos (digital is easiest, but whatever you can is fine) and upload them.  They don't have to be technically or artistically outstanding (infact, very often the "arty" photo and the "encyclopedic" photo are opposites), just capture something of the feel of the place.  Then upload those and link to them from the appropriate article. No matter how humdrum you thing your town is, I'm ''sure'' this would make a difference. -- [[User:Finlay McWalter|Finlay McWalter]] | [[User talk:Finlay McWalter | Talk]] 23:51, 22 Jun 2004 (UTC)

:You might also check out [[Wikipedia:Contributing to Wikipedia]]. [[User:LuckyWizard|Lucky Wizard]] 23:19, 30 Jun 2004 (UTC)