Help Pages

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  1. Help Pages

Help pages are a crucial component of any successful wiki, and particularly important in a collaborative platform like MediaWiki. They serve as the primary resource for users to learn how to use the wiki's features, understand its policies, and contribute effectively. This article will provide a comprehensive overview of help pages in MediaWiki 1.40, covering their purpose, creation, organization, best practices, and advanced techniques. We will also touch upon how help pages relate to the broader context of user support and community building.

What are Help Pages and Why are They Important?

Help pages are essentially documentation specifically designed for users of a wiki. They differ from the wiki's content itself (the encyclopedia articles, project pages, etc.) in that they focus on *how to use* the wiki, rather than *what the wiki is about*. Their importance stems from several key factors:

  • **Reduced Support Burden:** Well-written help pages drastically reduce the number of repetitive questions asked in forums, on talk pages, or directly to administrators. Users can often find answers to their questions independently.
  • **Onboarding New Users:** Help pages are the first point of contact for new users. A clear and welcoming set of help pages can significantly improve the new user experience and encourage participation. This is particularly important for attracting and retaining contributors.
  • **Consistency and Accuracy:** Centralized help pages ensure that all users receive the same information, promoting consistency in how the wiki is used. They also allow for easier updates and corrections compared to scattered advice on individual talk pages.
  • **Community Empowerment:** By providing readily available information, help pages empower the community to solve its own problems and contribute more effectively. They foster a self-service environment.
  • **Improved Wiki Quality:** Understanding wiki syntax and policies, as explained in help pages, leads to higher-quality contributions and a more professional appearance.
  • **Accessibility:** Good help pages are designed with accessibility in mind, ensuring that users of all abilities can understand and utilize the wiki's features.

Core Help Pages Every Wiki Should Have

While the specific content of help pages will vary depending on the wiki's purpose and complexity, there are some core pages that are essential for most MediaWiki installations. These include:

  • **Help:Contents (or Help:Index):** This is the central hub for all help pages. It should provide a clear and organized overview of the available resources, categorized by topic. Consider using a table of contents with links to each major help page.
  • **Help:Getting Started:** A beginner's guide, covering the basics of creating an account, logging in, navigating the wiki, and making your first edit. This should be exceptionally easy to understand, even for users with no prior wiki experience.
  • **Help:Editing:** A detailed guide to the wiki's editing features. This is arguably the most important help page. It should cover:
   * **WikiText:** The syntax used for formatting text, creating links, adding images, and more.  Include examples of common formatting elements (bold, italics, headings, lists, tables, etc.).  Link to more detailed pages on specific syntax elements.  Consider including a Help:WikiText Cheat Sheet.
   * **Visual Editor:** If enabled, provide instructions on how to use the Visual Editor, which offers a more WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editing experience.
   * **Edit Summary:** Explain the importance of writing clear and concise edit summaries.
  • **Help:Linking:** A guide to creating internal links (links to other pages within the wiki) and external links (links to websites outside the wiki). Explain the difference between the two and how to use the appropriate syntax.
  • **Help:Formatting:** A more in-depth guide to wiki formatting, covering advanced techniques such as templates, categories, and infoboxes.
  • **Help:Images:** Instructions on how to upload and use images, including guidelines on copyright and fair use.
  • **Help:Categories:** Explain how categories are used to organize pages and how to add pages to categories.
  • **Help:Templates:** An introduction to templates and how they can be used to create reusable content. Explain how to create and edit templates.
  • **Help:Policies and Guidelines:** A clear statement of the wiki's policies and guidelines, including rules about copyright, vandalism, neutrality, and acceptable content. This is vital for maintaining a productive and respectful community. Consider separate pages for specific policies (e.g., Help:Copyright, Help:Neutral Point of View).
  • **Help:Search:** Instructions on how to use the wiki's search function effectively. Explain advanced search operators and techniques.

Organization and Structure

The organization of your help pages is critical for usability. Here are some best practices:

Writing Style and Tone

The writing style and tone of your help pages should be:

  • **Clear and Concise:** Use simple language and avoid jargon. Get straight to the point and avoid unnecessary fluff.
  • **Friendly and Welcoming:** Use a positive and encouraging tone. Make users feel welcome and confident in their ability to learn.
  • **Step-by-Step Instructions:** Provide clear, step-by-step instructions for completing common tasks.
  • **Examples:** Include plenty of examples to illustrate how to use the wiki's features.
  • **Avoid Assumptions:** Don't assume that users have prior knowledge of wikis or web technologies. Explain everything in detail.
  • **Target Audience:** Write for the least experienced user you expect to utilize the help pages.

Advanced Techniques

  • **Templates for Help Pages:** Create templates specifically for help pages to ensure consistency in formatting and layout.
  • **Help Page Categories:** Use categories to organize help pages and make them easier to find.
  • **Transclusion:** Transclude common content (e.g., copyright notices, disclaimers) into multiple help pages.
  • **Customization:** Customize the appearance of help pages using CSS (Cascading Style Sheets).
  • **User Feedback:** Solicit feedback from users on the quality and usefulness of the help pages. Use this feedback to improve the pages over time.
  • **Regular Updates:** Keep help pages up-to-date with the latest features and changes to the wiki. Outdated help pages are worse than no help pages at all.
  • **Using the Scribunto Extension:** For complex help pages requiring dynamic content or advanced formatting, consider using the Scribunto extension to write Lua modules. This allows for more sophisticated documentation.

Relationship to User Support and Community Building

Help pages are not a replacement for direct user support, but they can significantly reduce the need for it. A well-maintained set of help pages demonstrates a commitment to user satisfaction and fosters a sense of community. Encourage users to contribute to the help pages by suggesting improvements or creating new pages. This promotes a sense of ownership and shared responsibility. Regularly monitor talk pages associated with help pages to address user questions and concerns.

Technical Analysis and Trading Strategies - A Brief Intersection (For illustrative linking)

While this article focuses on Help Pages, demonstrating internal linking is crucial. Let's briefly connect this to a potential wiki topic – trading. A trading wiki might have Help Pages specific to its features. Here are some relevant internal links and related concepts:


This demonstrates how even a seemingly unrelated topic (Help Pages) can be connected to other areas of a wiki through internal linking and relevant conceptual connections. The key is to make the information accessible and interconnected.

Help:Table of Contents Help:Page Help:User Rights Help:Administering MediaWiki Help:Extension Installation Help:Skin Customization Help:Debugging Help:API Help:Security Help:Privacy Policy

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