Difference between revisions of "Help:FAQ"

Revision as of 16:08, 4 December 2009

This DiabloWiki FAQ should answer most question you might have about the wiki.

How do wikis work?

A wiki is an open source document that anyone can edit or add to. "All of us are smarter than any of us," goes the theory. Wikis are designed to be easy to edit; they are primarily text-based, and you do not need to know HTML or PHP or CSS or any other programming language to edit wiki pages.

For more practical purposes, you can jump right in and edit text on this wiki without knowing anything more than how to click the "edit" button.

How can I help?

If you know anything about any of the Diablo games, you can fill in some pages that aren't yet online, or flesh out existing pages. A wiki is a living document, and with the game constantly evolving, there are always changes, updates, and corrections to be made to existing pages.

You can help out in the wiki by either filling out Wanted Pages and Incomplete Pages (also known as "Stubs"). You can also check out the Community Portal for information on the current wiki focus.

If you're less of a Diablo expert, or aren't comfortable writing original material, you can help improve existing pages. Almost every page on this wiki could be improved by adding links to other related pages, illustrating the information by inserting thumbnails or links to full screenshots, improving the navigation (by adding links or categorization) to help people find the pages they seek, or even just italicizing "Diablo II" as needed.

If you have experience with wikis you can help fix up errors or formatting problems, or work with people who know Diablo II or writing, but aren't wiki experts.

If you don't want to get that involved you can make smaller changes; fix typos, join the "discussion" on a page or in our wiki forums to suggest additions or corrections or different interpretations.

Do I need to know how to code?

No. Wiki markup is very simple, much less complicated and fussy than HTML. Here's a markup page list all the codes you will need. Alternatively, if you see something on a page that you'd like to replicate simply click 'edit' at the top of the page and see what the code is and copy and paste it to the page you're working on.

Tables of Contents (like the one at the top of this page) are created automatically from the headings in a page.

Don't be afraid to make changes if you have the info; there's a handy preview button before you commit :)

• Details of the Wiki Markup you can use.
• Wikipedia.org hosts an extensive help section which will answer every conceivable question you might have about writing a wiki.

Be bold, always edit anything you think is wrong, and the community can sort out any errors later. Better to have it in the wiki than not.

Do I need a Wiki account to contribute?

Yes, but it only takes a moment. You can do so here

Any guidelines to adding content

DiabloWiki prides itself on the high standard of site content and so we encourage everyone to check their updates for simple things like spelling and grammar. Also make sure you double check your info before committing. Accurate Diablo II information is the key!

Do not add copyrighted content from another on or off-line publication to DiabloWiki.

Help, I need advice!

Don't worry, if you haven't found the help you need here there is always the DiabloWiki support forum. Feel free to ask questions about general wiki issues, as well as specific page content.

Can I cut and paste content from DiabloWiki to my own website?

You may not copy sections or pages from DiabloWiki. This wiki is a collaborative effort, and the pages are a result of the efforts of hundreds of fans. Contributors to the DiabloWiki have given permission for their work to appear in this wiki, on this site. But nowhere else.

Short, fair use quotations from DiabloWiki are permitted, (if you want to cite facts to back up your argument in a Diablo II Forum discussion, for instance) providing you clearly cite the source of the quote and provide a link back to the original page on DiabloWiki.

Can I cut and paste content from other websites to DiabloWiki?

No, not unless you have the express permission of the copyright holder. Information submitted to DiabloWiki should be your original writing, and don't lie, or we'll know. Quotations are permitted (and encouraged) to support your info, but they should come from original sources, (such as interviews with Diablo II Team members), and not someone else's summary of the information. Read and research, then write your own material.

If I create a page can I stop others amending it?

No. The whole point of a wiki is that all of us are smarter than one of us, and that as much as you or I know about some topic, someone else knows more. That being said, intentional misinformation, inflammatory or libelous comments are prohibited, and pages that deal with controversial subjects or are victimized by malicious editing may be temporarily locked.

Can I post my strategy guide on DiabloWiki?

At this moment, use the Unofficial Diablo Site Strategy Forums instead, as there is not system in place to handle user-submitted guides as of late 2009. If a system has been put in place when you read this, and this section of the FAQ has not been updated, make sure you update this question and redirect others to the right place in the wiki.