CZ:Quick Start

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Revision as of 12:54, 25 July 2014 by imported>John Stephenson (Merged questions)
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If you're new to the Citizendium, we'd love you to dive "write" in.

What is the first thing you should do after you join? While you can do whatever you like (it's a wiki!), we recommend two things:

  1. Start an article. Pick a topic. Then think of a good title for an encyclopedia article about that topic. Then go to Start Article, linked on your left—and do it the Easy Way™! Just write a paragraph or two introducing the topic, beginning with a definition, or a description of what a thing is notable for. We don't mind short articles. They'll be expanded later. Then...
  2. Edit someone else's article. How? Find an article on a topic you are interested in. You can use the search box, check recent changes, navigate alphabetically, enter via workgroups or browse the list of new things below. When you've found an article you want to edit, press the "edit" tab. Add a few sentences. It's OK. They just have to be a helpful addition.

Still worried?

Don't I have to know a lot more to get involved? No. All you have to do is write and collaborate on articles. That is what it's all about.
I am a non-technical person - I'll never be able to figure out all the special code on the pages. Complicated wiki "markup" is generally not needed, but you can pick it up by looking at what other people do. If you want the basics, look at the top of this page. It's not hard; much of the time, you can just type normal text.
"Subpages", "metadata"...I'll never figure it out. You don't have to. Do what you like to do: write. Start with baby steps, and others will help you along the way. That's why we have an Easy Way™!
There are so many instruction and policy pages! How can I ever read all that? Don't! Seriously, you're not neglecting any duties if you fail to read all that. The only way to really mess up is to do something that gets you banned from the project.
I'm no expert, and this is an expert project, right? I won't fit in. All levels of knowledge are welcome. Experts and the general public work well together, shoulder-to-shoulder.

For more introductory material see Getting Started for good links.


New pages

You are encouraged to get involved with the development of these pages - click on the links to make your edits.

New files

You may find these useful in new and existing articles, but check for any copyright issues first by clicking on the images.



Citizendium Getting Started
Join | Quick Start | About us | Help system | How to start a new article | For Wikipedians
How to Edit
Getting Started Organization Technical Help
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Welcome Page