Edit summaries

From binaryoption
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Баннер1
  1. Edit Summaries: A Beginner's Guide

Edit summaries are short descriptions accompanying your edits to a wiki page, like this one. They are a crucial part of collaborative editing, allowing other users to understand *why* you made the changes you did. This article will cover everything a beginner needs to know about edit summaries in MediaWiki, including their purpose, how to write effective summaries, best practices, and common pitfalls to avoid. This guide is tailored for MediaWiki version 1.40, but the principles apply to most MediaWiki installations.

Why Are Edit Summaries Important?

Imagine a team working on a large document. Without notes about who changed what and why, it's incredibly difficult to track progress, understand the rationale behind decisions, and resolve conflicts. Edit summaries serve the same purpose for a wiki. They provide a record of changes and facilitate collaboration. Here’s a breakdown of their significance:

  • History Tracking: The History page of any wiki article displays a list of all revisions, each with its corresponding edit summary. This allows anyone to see the evolution of the page and understand how it reached its current state.
  • Collaboration: Clear edit summaries help other editors understand your intent. If someone disagrees with your changes, a good summary provides a starting point for discussion. Without a summary, it’s harder to understand the context of the edit, potentially leading to misunderstandings and edit wars.
  • Reverting Changes: If a problematic edit is made, a descriptive summary can help administrators and other users quickly identify and revert it. A summary like "Fixed typo" is far less helpful than "Reverted vandalism - added irrelevant external link."
  • Auditing: Edit summaries contribute to an audit trail, making it possible to track down the source of errors or problematic content. This is particularly important on wikis with a large number of contributors.
  • Community Standards: Consistently providing good edit summaries demonstrates respect for the wiki community and contributes to a positive collaborative environment. It shows you’re not just making changes arbitrarily, but are actively working to improve the wiki.
  • Understanding Complex Edits: For complicated edits, like those involving significant restructuring or content addition, a detailed summary is invaluable for others to grasp the scope and reasoning behind the changes. Think about edits involving Templates, for example.

How to Write an Effective Edit Summary

The edit summary box appears beneath the edit window in MediaWiki. Here's how to make the most of it:

  • Be Concise: Edit summaries are typically limited to a certain number of characters (usually around 255). Get straight to the point. Avoid rambling or including unnecessary details.
  • Be Specific: Instead of "Fixed errors," write "Corrected grammatical errors in the introduction" or "Fixed broken link to Example Website". Specificity is key.
  • Use Active Voice: Instead of "Changes were made," write "Added section on market Volatility" or "Removed redundant information about Fibonacci retracement".
  • Focus on *Why*, Not *What* : The diff shows *what* you changed. The edit summary should explain *why* you made those changes. For example, instead of "Added information," write "Added information to clarify the definition of Support and Resistance levels."
  • Use Standard Abbreviations (Sparingly): Some common abbreviations are acceptable, such as:
   * fix: For correcting typos or minor errors.
   * rm: For removing content.
   * add: For adding content.
   * revert: For reverting a previous edit.
   * src: For adding a citation or source.
   * fmt: For formatting changes.
   * style: For stylistic improvements.
   However, avoid using excessive or obscure abbreviations.
  • Link to Relevant Pages: If your edit relates to a specific wiki page, link to it in your summary using double square brackets (Page Name). This provides context and allows others to easily access related information.
  • Mention Relevant Discussions: If your edit is based on a discussion on a Talk page, mention it in the summary. For example, "Implemented change as discussed on the Talk page regarding Moving Averages."
  • For Reverts, Explain Why: Simply writing "Revert" is unhelpful. Explain *why* you are reverting the edit. For example, "Reverted vandalism – added spam link" or "Reverted edit – unsupported claim about Elliott Wave Theory."

Examples of Good and Bad Edit Summaries

Let's illustrate with some examples:

Bad Edit Summaries:

  • "Updated page" (Too vague)
  • "Changes" (Completely unhelpful)
  • "Fixed it" (Doesn't say *what* was fixed)
  • "rm junk" (Unprofessional and uninformative)
  • "Added stuff" (Lacks specificity)

Good Edit Summaries:

  • "Corrected typo in the introduction – 'teh' to 'the'" (Specific and concise)
  • "Added section on Bollinger Bands to explain their use in identifying volatility." (Informative and links to a relevant page)
  • "Removed redundant information about Japanese Candlesticks as it was already covered in the previous section." (Explains the rationale for the removal)
  • "Reverted vandalism – added link to unrelated commercial website." (Clearly explains the revert reason)
  • "Updated the example code to reflect the latest version of the Technical Indicator library." (Specific and technical)
  • "Improved formatting of the Head and Shoulders pattern section for better readability." (Focuses on the improvement made)
  • "Added citation to support the claim about Relative Strength Index (RSI) divergence." (Provides a source for the added information)
  • "Implemented changes based on discussion on Talk:Article Name regarding the use of MACD." (Links to the relevant discussion)
  • "Restructured the article for better flow and clarity, focusing on the core principles of Trend Following." (Explains a larger-scale change).
  • "Clarified the definition of Bearish Engulfing Pattern and added an example chart." (Describes both the clarification and the addition).

Best Practices and Common Pitfalls

  • Always Provide a Summary: Even for minor edits, a brief summary is helpful. Leaving the summary box blank is generally discouraged. Most wikis now *require* edit summaries for certain actions (like deleting pages or protecting them).
  • Don't Use Edit Summaries for Discussion: Edit summaries are not the place for lengthy debates. If you need to discuss an edit with another user, do so on the Talk page.
  • Avoid Personal Attacks: Keep your edit summaries professional and respectful. Avoid making personal attacks or engaging in inflammatory language.
  • Don't Overuse Jargon: While specificity is important, avoid using overly technical jargon that other users might not understand. Consider your audience.
  • Don't Edit Summary After the Fact: While some wikis allow you to edit your edit summary, it’s generally best to write it accurately the first time. Changing it later can create confusion.
  • Be Mindful of Length Limits: Pay attention to the character limit for edit summaries and make sure your summary fits within it.
  • Use Descriptive Language: Avoid vague terms like "improved" or "fixed." Instead, describe *how* you improved the page or *what* you fixed.
  • Consider the Scope of the Edit: The level of detail in your edit summary should match the scope of the edit. For a small typo fix, a simple "fix: typo" is sufficient. For a major content addition, a more detailed summary is necessary.
  • Understand Wiki-Specific Conventions: Some wikis have specific conventions for writing edit summaries. Familiarize yourself with these conventions to ensure your summaries are consistent with the rest of the wiki.
  • Learn From Others: Pay attention to the edit summaries written by experienced editors on the wiki. This can help you learn best practices and improve your own summaries.


Advanced Techniques

  • Using Templates for Edit Summaries: Some wikis allow the creation of templates for commonly used edit summaries. This can save time and ensure consistency. For example, a template might be created for adding citations.
  • Automated Edit Summaries: Some tools and bots can automatically generate edit summaries for certain types of edits, such as those made by automated scripts or bots.
  • Edit Summary Tools: Several browser extensions and tools can help you write better edit summaries, such as those that provide suggestions or check for common errors. These can be particularly helpful when dealing with complex edits related to Chart Patterns or Trading Psychology.
  • Utilizing the 'Watchlist': Regularly checking your Watchlist allows you to quickly review edits made by others and provide feedback, including suggestions for improving their edit summaries.

Resources for Further Learning

Start Trading Now

Sign up at IQ Option (Minimum deposit $10) Open an account at Pocket Option (Minimum deposit $5)

Join Our Community

Subscribe to our Telegram channel @strategybin to receive: ✓ Daily trading signals ✓ Exclusive strategy analysis ✓ Market trend alerts ✓ Educational materials for beginners

Баннер
Retrieved from "https://binaryoption.wiki/index.php?title=Edit_summaries&oldid=40397"