Wiki Editors PLEASE READ

[stem]

If you are editing the wiki, then your time and effort are so very much appreaciated, as this IS a community effort and benefits everyone.

So I have some important observations to share with the editors so PLEASE take the time to read this thoroughly even though it rambles a bit.

Editors Notes

For editing, I would suggest you install a good text editor such as Notepad++ and a multiple copy/paste utility like Ditto to ease the pain of editing.
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/
https://ditto-cp.sourceforge.io/
Once you put the wiki page into edit mode, CTRL-A to select all and CTRL-C to copy the wiki markup from the editor window then CTRL-V paste it into your editor rather than working in the tiny window on the wiki. When done in the Notepad editor, CTRL-A, CTRL-C, then in the wiki window, CTRL-A, CTRL-V and then hit preview to make sure you got it right. Ditto can also help record and repeat previous copy/pastes so you always revert.

The wiki is edited using "wiki markup" scripting.
Helps is in the help section and lots of it!

Remember that everything you add or enter is actually a database entry. Properly linking new information to existing information is how the "tree" grows. Without categorizing or linking, it gets lost. If you check the page links immediately below you will see we already have too much information that wasn't categorized and perhaps just linked but is essentially "lost" so to speak.
See the maintenance section here: http://dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?title=S ... ecialPages
Click on the links in there and look at all the files that have been uploaded that weren't categorized. Now they may have been linked to a page (you can see that at the bottom of any page under "file Usage") but they should have been linked to a photographer or collection as well so that even if the link is removed, it can still be found.
http://dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?title=S ... rizedFiles

Taking the time to check that your information is referenced properly is what the wiki is all about. With over 3000 pages and images, keeping organized is of the utmost importance.

Research the wiki first to see how many existing categories you can link your edit to. Especially important are photo categories, like making sure steam locomotives get put into all possible categories. Photos (files) belong in categories for collections and galleries. Railway asset pages belong in categories for builders, stations and the like. Check existing pages for examples of categories you can add your pages and file to.

[[Categories:]] statements go at the end of articles/pages.
If you are making a reference/link in the body of the article to a category then [[:Category:Gypsum Trains|gypsum train]] otherwise if you [[Category:Gypsum Trains|gypsum train]] without the colon then that links the article into that category instead of just making a link TO that category, which you probably didn't want to do.

Photos need to reveal source even if nothing is known of origin. Where did you get it from?
Categorize all photos, otherwise they get lost and won't list anywhere except the upload log or the linked page if it was linked.
Of particular importance are photos from other museums to which we have a sharing agreement; for example CSTM (see an existing one as an example) and categories for unknown locations or photographers (so we identify areas we can improve on by going to those categories. Don't forget the galleries either. Check the galleries page to see where you can also put photos into. If it's a new photographer though, there's more work to be done by creating a bibliography page first to credit the photographer and indicate his permission to use the photo. Photographers are also most often collectors too so create the whole structure for the photographer based on the way my (Steven Meredith) bibliography entry is done as an example. Museums and such need only one entry so use another museum as an example of how to do it.

Templates in various categories are for copying and pasting. You can't do a "save as" after filling in a template page. You just end up modifying the template.

Unless you specifically have a reason, please include at the top of all pages you create:
__NOTOC__ __NOTITLE__
That means it won't show the the table of contents or the full database title.
You of course will put the subject title of the page in the body like so:
=PAGE TITLE= (Only 1 Equal SIgn)
and after that any further headers will be
==Next level header==
and if you want further sub headers then its
===under next level header===

If you are entering changes because you have new information, you need to reference that information to keep our wiki authoritative. Otherwise, it's hearsay. Learn to use the reference function and how to cite. Citing format is Chicago style and you can find help for that and a link to help build cites
http://dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?title=Help:Contents
to put into the cite function that you can also find in the help section. See existing pages for lots of great examples.

Quite realistically, if you're not spending at least 5 minutes and often 10 to 20 minutes per edit or page creation, you're probably missing one of the above points.

So again if you made it to the bottom then I thank you again! If you have any questions about how to edit or organize our wiki please please email me either through the forum or the site contact page.

[Sarah Taylor]

How do we post pictures of trains that are at locations between towns and not at bridges? Maybe we don't even know the Subdivision. If it's a steam train we have the steam gallery but things in rural areas can get "lost".

[stem]

I think we have done the best in that regard by posting them to the nearest known feature including milepost if known.

[Dan Conlin]

That is a good question about location. It is sometimes a tough call, but there were so many small flag stop stations and sidings listed on the timetables that I can usually pick the nearest station that is pretty close to it. Even if it is outside yard limits, it is close enough withing a mile or to anchor the image geographically. Dan