View source for Wiki143:Tutorial (historical)

{{Hatnote|For an up-to-date introduction to editing Wikipedia, see [[Help:Introduction]].}}
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{{short description|Tutorial on how to edit Wikipedia}}
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{{Wikipedia:Introduction/Tab2|[[Wikipedia:Introduction (historical)|Introduction]]}}
{{Wikipedia:Introduction/Tab2|[[Wikipedia:Introduction (historical)/2|Learn&nbsp;more&nbsp;about&nbsp;editing]]}}
{{Wikipedia:Introduction/Tab2|[[Wikipedia:Introduction (historical)/3|Explore&nbsp;Wikipedia]]}}
{{Wikipedia:Introduction/Tab1|[[Wikipedia:Tutorial (historical)|Tutorial]]}}
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The following pages (tabs above) offer guidance on the style and content of Wikipedia articles, and explain the Wikipedia community and important policies and conventions. This is a basic ''tutorial'', not [[Help:Wikipedia: The Missing Manual|an extensive manual]] or [[WP:TWA|interactive learning environment]]. For more details on any information in the tutorial, you can click on the links to other resource pages as you read, opening them in a separate browser window or tab. 

[[File:Edit Button.ogv|thumb|thumbtime=0:42|A short video about that "Edit" button and what it can do when '''you are bold!''']]
As a new contributor, you may feel a little overwhelmed by the sheer size and scope of [[Wikipedia:About|this site]]. No new user can understand everything at first, and it's acceptable to [[WP:COMMONSENSE|use common sense]] as you go about your editing. Wikipedia not only allows you to create, revise, and edit articles—it ''wants'' you to do so (see [[WP:Bold|be bold]])! You just need to remember that while there are many protocols, [[WP:PERFECTION|perfection is not required]], since [[WP:WIP|Wikipedia is a work in progress]]. Collaborative editing means that incomplete or poorly written first drafts can [[Wikipedia:Article development|evolve]] over time into excellent articles.

The goal of a Wikipedia article is to create a comprehensive and [[WP:NPOV|neutrally written]] summary of existing mainstream knowledge about a topic. Wikipedia does not publish [[WP:NOR|original research]]: an encyclopedia is, by its nature, a [[tertiary source]] that provides a survey of information already published in the wider world. So we require that information be [[WP:Verify|verifiable]] in [[Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources|reliable external sources]]. Ideally, all information should refer to reliable outside sources, using ''[[WP:REFB|citations]]''. When adding content and creating new articles, an [[Wikipedia:Encyclopedic style|encyclopedic style]] with a [[WP:TONE|formal tone]] is important. Instead of essay-like, argumentative, or opinionated writing, Wikipedia articles should have a straightforward, [[Wikipedia:Summary style|just-the-facts style]].

Wikipedia [[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not a bureaucracy|does not have many hard-and-fast rules]]; but [[Wikipedia:List of policies|policies]], [[Wikipedia:List of guidelines|guidelines]], and [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Contents|formatting norms]] are developed by the community to describe best practices, clarify principles, resolve conflicts, and otherwise further our goals. All editors are expected to follow general [[Wikipedia:Etiquette|social norms]]. The [[Wikipedia community]] comprises people from many countries and cultures, with different views, perspectives, opinions, and backgrounds; in some cases these vary widely. Editors should treat each other [[WP:Civility|respectfully]], [[WP:AGF|work together collegially]], and avoid behaviour that is regarded as [[Wikipedia:Here to build an encyclopedia|unacceptable]], [[Wikipedia:Disruptive editing|disruptive]], [[Wikipedia:Tendentious editing|controversially one-sided]], or [[Wikipedia:Gaming the system|cheating the system]]. 
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<div style="float: right; background-color:#f5faff; color: #000; padding: .2em .6em; font-size: 100%; border: 1px solid #cedff2; margin-bottom:3px;">'''For more information, see [[Wikipedia:Simplified ruleset]]'''</div>
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<small>'''Note:''' ''To view this information in an article style format, see [[Wikipedia:Contributing to Wikipedia|contributing to Wikipedia]]. Wikipedia also has "[[Help:Getting started|topic specific  tutorials]]"; and [[Wikipedia:The Wikipedia Adventure|The Wikipedia Adventure]]  a comprehensive and fun 7-mission interactive guided tour, which covers all the essentials about editing and the [[Wikipedia:Expectations and norms of the Wikipedia community|expectations and norms of the Wikipedia community]].''</small>
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<div style="float:right; margin-top: 0.0em; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #cee0f2; padding: .2em .6em; font-size: 130%; border:1px solid #A3B1BF;">'''Continue the tutorial with''' '''[[Wikipedia:Tutorial (historical)/Editing| How to
edit]]''' <span style="font-size: larger; font-weight: bold;">→</span>
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[[Category:Wikipedia tutorials| ]]
[[Category:Wikipedia basic information]]
[[Category:Wikipedia quick introductions]]
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[[Category:Wikipedia tutorials| ]]
[[Category:Wikipedia basic information]]
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[[Category:Wikipedia help|Tutorial]]