Wikipedia:Boot Camp

Square One

Everyone starts on square one. Wikipedia is designed to build and share a knowledge base with the whole world. The idea of a learning curve is fairly well universal, especially around computers and the web. Some folks like to make that curve steep and slippery. Don't let them fool you! The MediaWiki code is easy to use and all you need are some basics. The Bootcamp crew is here for you and the tractor is here to make sure you get some... well Traction!

Your account

If you've managed to register and log in, you have a wonderful set of tools made just for you up there in the upper right-hand corner of every page you visit on the wikipedia. If it says Create account/log in, ya need to make that your first order of business. You will see your own little control panel, but trust me. It's not all that little! Your main tools are going to be "my contributions" and "my watchlist". These are automatic logs of everything you edit and everything you watch.

Keeping track

ALL of your edits are stored in your contributions log and tied to your User name perennially. If you forget where you've edited, you can always go there and backtrack. Your watchlist is a way to see what you and everyone else is doing on pages you're watching. To watch a page, simply click the "watch" button and you're there. That link is "home base"! It is tied to your interests by you!

Your User page

Your user page is how people know you. We at the Bootcamp rely on realtime conversation over Freenode IRC (the best). If your IRC nick is different than your Wikipedia User name be sure to make that clear in both spaces. Your user page is your Home directory. You can use it as a bookmark tool if you like. Check out as many User pages as you can and look at all the diverse ways people here use them!

Your User_talk page

Your talk page is for people to talk to you!. When I first got here, no one talked to me, so I talked to myself on my talk page. It's taken me a year to make even just a few friends. That was before the Welcoming committee was in full swing and the Kindness Campaign was just an idea. Just start editing articles you like and watch! Your user page will start to see some action!.

See also Wikipedia:WikiProject Community

Internet Realtime Confirmation

We give new meaning to Internet Relay Chat - IRC We don't just chit-chat in #wpbootcamp! We get with it! Our sessions are intense and focused. That's why it's called a boot camp! When you come in, be prepared to spend at least an hour or wait till you have the energy. Sure you can pop in and say a word or lurk in the channel. We all appreciate well-formed relaxed quality time. But around noon and midnight Eastern Time (US east coast) we buckle down, especially if there is a victim!

The Wikipedia Bootcamp is a regular group or one-on-one session for introducing new users to Wikipedia. Although we have certain expectations, It is intended to be a friendly, interactive way to quickly introduce new users to the resources and policies of the community. Below is the Sandbox we work in.What is really great is that newbies can quickly become trainers. We hope to institute the Bootcamp Way as a good tradition that will grow in time. So don't worry about the initial shock of being "victimized". It's just a fun way to help you reach your potential :)

If You are New to IRC

You may have heard some strange things about Internet chat rooms that might make you leery, and there's probably a good reason for that. Wikipedia, however uses an IRC network called Freenode IRC that has an international reputation for being friendly, courteous and civil. Much of the open source software you hear about was developed through the Freenode network. An IRC client is a special program that is installed on your computer that connects to an IRC server network like Freenode.

Please see Freenode's website and IRC.org for more information about the Freenode network and IRC in general. Follow the instructions there to get an IRC client installed on your computer.

Once you have a client installed, connect here to connect to the Wikipedia bootcamp. If that doesn't work, you may have to manually direct your client to irc.freenode.net on port 6667. If your client has taken you to a different network, type /server irc.freenode.net and press enter. Once all the connecting is done type /join #wpbootcamp If you still have problems, don't be discouraged! Read the documentation that came with your client and try again. We are confident it will be worth the effort!

Please keep one browser window open to this page and we'll see you there!

Some History

Bootcamps started up in February 2005, and petered out a bit after the first week of enthusiasm. We now have three trainers and are focusing in on at least one of us being there at the zero hours Noon and Midnight seven days a week. It doesn't always work out that way. But as of 07:08, 16 July 2005 (UTC) we've been consistently there for a few weeks and our traditions are gelling.

+sj Sj is the founder and a most experienced Wikipedian. He definitely knows the ropes.

Quinobi talkCQ was himself a victim only back in June of 2005, but is now a mainstay on the channel as tractor.

Talrias just became a Wikipedia administrator and is present in the channel continually.

YOU - This is a tremendous opportunity for you to make friends, share your knowledge and improve your interpersonal skills!

Please add your own suggestions! +sj +

Coverage

1. Editing

Edit this page to add yourself next to the line for your evening's session. Careful of edit conflicts+

Uploading files (Commons, here)

2. Special Pages

RC, VfD, VP

2-1. Useful Portals

WP:FA, WP:FP, Periodic Table, Centuries, List of lists, List of authors...

3. Wikiprojects

ToL, Geo, Ships, Biography, etc.

Automobiles (well categorized)

4. Editing tips and tricks

Template basics

Editing under load, Editing tools, external editors

How to wikify [Style guide note?] - deep links, what to link

How to create a new art, pick art titles [pick namespaces?]

5. Other projects in Wikimedia

'tionary, 'books, 'quote, 'news

6. ... see the list of potential metrics at the end of the talk page.

Ritual

. Present basic discussion topic in the topic on IRC.  Helpers: check your talk pages.
. Ask everyone to add selves to the victims list; make introductions.
. Ask for urgent questions; get to topic.  Include 2 or 3 important reads.
. Finish with a short 3-minute project demonstrating the topic.  Collab if possible.

Tools

Wikipedia!
Bootcamp calendar
cgiirc, X-chat, etc.
some kind of shared text-editing mode online? screenshots? watch-my-pc type of web sharing software?

Bootcamp victims (recruits)

See that 'edit' button over there? Just click it and add the date and your username to the bottom:

1 Feb : Amgine , Sponge! With JEdit!, [[User:Consequencefree|Ardent^†_∈]]

Test de signes bizarres éèàô par -- notafish }<';> 09:01, 2 Feb 2005 (UTC)

2 Feb Margias [AlexTM?, Ardent's revenge]
3 Feb Sponge, CA, ++,
5 Feb Aequo, Aphaea * 05:52, 5 Feb 2005 (UTC)
8-9 Feb (above) and Dbroadwell 05:37, 9 Feb 2005 (UTC)
...
June User:Quinobi, Recnilgiarc, FCYTravis, JimLane (out of curiosity), SPUI
July kmmcoy, phoenix-forgottn, DQuestions, Talrias
16 July greyspace
21 July User:NaibStilgar
27 July (and onwards) Mr.Bip