Wikipedia:Welcome, newcomers
Welcome to Wikipedia!
Wikipedia is an encyclopedia written collaboratively by its readers. The site is a wiki, meaning that anyone, including you, can edit almost any article right now by clicking on the edit this page link that appears at the top of the page. The following is a brief introduction to Wikipedia.
Browsing Wikipedia
Wikipedia contains a huge amount of information on all sorts of subjects ranging from politics, science, history, music, religion, pop culture, and sports to everything and anything in between. Try browsing the various subjects right now, on the Wikipedia browsebar:
<a href="www.dixiehollins.com">Dixie Hollins</A>
You can also search for text in articles. Just go to the "search" field to the left, enter your search term and click "search". Note that the built-in search function may be disabled in times of server overload; in these cases you will be redirected to a Google-based search of the Wikipedia database. There are also other ways to search Wikipedia.
If you read something that you really like, then why not drop a note on the article's talk page? First select the discussion link (look for it in the tabs above the page) to get to the talk page. Then select edit this page on the talk page, or click the + to the right of edit this page to simply add a new comment.
If there's something we don't cover, or you're having difficulty finding what you're looking for, and you need to ask somebody, go to Wikipedia:Questions for a list of our departments where volunteers answer all kinds of questions - any question you could possibly think of really. Or, if you notice a topic missing from Wikipedia you could add it to our list of requested articles. Find other ways to explore Wikipedia or... write an article yourself.
Editing
Everyone and anyone can edit pages in Wikipedia — even this page! Just click the edit this page link at the top of any page (except for protected pages) if you think it needs any improvement or new information. You don't need anything special; you don't even need to be logged in. You may want to experiment first; this way, you avoid the risk of "messing up" a real article. Head over to the sandbox, where you can try out editing till your heart's content. To test edit an existing page like this one, just copy and paste it from the article's edit page into the sandbox. Check out the Wikipedia Tutorial to learn more about the basic info you should know as a member of our project.
You may find this a bit intimidating at first, but see replies to common objections for an explanation of why the system still works.
You can become a Wikipedia editor in stages similar to this:
- Begin with the Introduction.
- Get yourself an account if you wish (find out the benefits).
- Gain skills with the Tutorial.
- Read the five policy pillars that make Wikipedia work. Make sure to obey them.
- For further help, see Help:Contents or Wikipedia:Where to ask a question.
- There are many tasks available at the Wikipedia:Community portal.
- Good luck, happy editing!
Don't be discouraged
If you run into conflicts in your first forays into editing, don't let them get you down. In any collaborative project there are clashes. Have a look at the writers' rules of engagement page as well as the other articles in the tutorial wing below. Use them to help you resolve the problems and learn how to become an active and productive contributor.
And if there's anything you don't understand — be it technical or social — and you're not sure where to look, look here: Wikipedia:Questions to find out where to go for some personal assistance.
Enjoy!
Want to join?
Anyone can edit, but there are advantages to creating an account if you want to contribute regularly. To join, create an account and then introduce yourself to the community at the new user log.
See also
General information, guides & help
- About the project
- Help pages — help on editing, starting new articles, and many other topics.
- Wikipedia FAQs — frequently asked questions about the site.
- Glossary — a glossary of common Wikipedia terms.
- Where to ask questions - a list of departments where volunteers answer questions, any question you can imagine.
- What is Wikipedia
- What Wikipedia is not
- Policies and guidelines for contributors
- Manual of Style
Wikipedia behavior
Tutorials
Overarching principles
The Wikipedia community
- Contact us
- Wikipedians — different listings of regular contributors; you may add yourself if you wish.
- Wikipedia:Community Portal is a gateway to the community. It lists a number of open tasks and group projects such as Wikipedia:Collaboration of the Week.