View source for EthoWiki:Contributing to EthoWiki

Thank you for your interest in contributing to EthoWiki! Below are some rough guidelines that can help you get started with your contribution journey. These guidelines might evolve as the wiki progresses, so be sure to read this every so often. 

== Getting Started ==

You don't need to login to read the EthoWiki, but before you can contribute at all, you need to make an account. You can do that on the '''[[Special:CreateAccount|Create account]]''' page. If you feel the inclination, feel free to create your user page and describe yourself! Before you can make any edits, you must verify your email. The email will come from <code>noreply@etho.wiki</code>.

== Creating an Article ==

Before you create an article, ensure the page should exist on this wiki. These are the types of pages we're looking for on the EthoWiki:

* Episodes (videos, like [[It Begins!]])
* Series (like [[Etho Plays Minecraft]])
* Projects

== Working on a Article ==

The type of work to put in depends on the type of article you're writing, but we have some overall guidelines first.

# Make sure your content is grammatically correct.
# Try to prefer Canadian English when it comes to spelling (e.g. "centre" instead of "center"), but do not edit if you see a typo.
# Make sure all content is in English, unless you are quoting the name of an episode, series, or a phrase.
# Avoid swearing at all possible. If you are quoting someone, and Etho did not censor it in his video, it is fine to include it as is. This goes along with being as professional as possible, as well.

=== Episode Guidelines ===

* All episodes should have a properly filled out [[Template:Infobox episode|episode infobox]]. 
* The title of the page should be the name of the episode (or video, if not a series). If there is a conflict with another episode title, include the series name in the title, e.g. "Finale (''Canopy Carnage'' episode)." If you are creating a page, add a disambiguation page (like [[World Tour (disambiguation)]] with a link to both episode titles, and a redirect page from the title to the disambiguation page.
* For mainline series like [[Etho Plays Minecraft]] or [[Hermitcraft]], include a "Projects Involved" section with links to project pages (it's okay if they don't exist yet) and their involvement. (See [[Chaos to Order]] as an example)
* If applicable, add a Comment of the Day section with the comment included.
* The start of the page should be the episode title, the xth episode of the season (then series if they don't match), and a brief description of the episode. The summary should include the description from the YouTube video.
* Each episode should have a plot. The plot must be written by you. It shouldn't describe every single thing of the episode, but merely give summaries of certain parts of the video. You should be able to summarize each section of a video into a paragraph. Examples: [[ERROR: Missing]], [[It Begins!]]. If you feel like the writing is mundane, it's fine! Anyone is able to improve it.
* The link to the YouTube video should be in the "External Links" section at the bottom.

Categories should be added as follows:
* <code>Episode</code> - Always
* <code>Episodes where only Etho is present</code> - If only Etho is present
* <code>Episodes where [person] is present</code> - If another person is present. Replace [person] with the username.
* <code>Episodes where Team Canada is present</code> - If [[Team Canada]] is present.
* <code>[year] episodes</code> - Always, replace [year] with the release year.
* <code>[series] episodes</code> - If applicable, replace [series] with the name of the series.

=== Series Guidelines ===

* Series articles should briefly describe the series and seasons, if applicable.
* If the entire series has less than 100 videos, the list should go on the page. Otherwise, make a separate page that lists the episodes. Example: [[List of Etho Plays Minecraft episodes]]
* To make episode tables, use a script like [https://gist.github.com/Chew/b6c3273355aaac8cdaac50776d782018 Chew's playlist scraper]. If you are unable to make one, add a <code>Missing list table</code> category tag, and someone will come in to update the list.
* The link to the YouTube playlist, if applicable, should be in the "External Links" section at the bottom.

Categories should be added as follows:
* <code>Series</code> - Always
* <code>Ongoing series</code> - If the series is ongoing.
* <code>Finished series</code> - If the series is concluded.
* <code>Multiplayer series</code> - If the series in on a multiplayer server, like Hermitcraft. This does not include series with other people, like [[Captive Minecraft 4]].
* <code>Episode lists</code> - On episode list articles.

=== Project Guidelines ===

What constitutes as a project is currently up to the user. Usually, Etho mentions when a project is a project or not, and even lists some at times, but it's ultimately up to the user to document what they please. If they can prove the page should exist, then it will.

* The article should describe the project in as much detail as provided by Etho.
* The history section should list every time the project was worked on. If the project has lore mentioned in a different episode, that should be included in the description and cited with a link to the episode at the timestamp. For example, in [[Chaos to Order]], Etho brought up some lore about his realistic Mineshaft storing all his arrows. That should be mentioned 
on the realistic Mineshaft project page in the description, or trivia, with a link to the video at the mentioned timestamp.
* If the project name has the same name as an episode name, the project title tales priority, and the episode title should have (episode) appended to it. At the top of the page, mention where people can find the episode. See [[Endless Storage Room]] as an example.

Categories should be added as follows:
* <code>Projects</code> - Always
* <code>Ongoing projects</code> - If the series is ongoing.
* <code>Finished projects</code> - If the series is concluded.
* <code>Cancelled projects</code> - If the project was never finished, and can never be finished. E.g., the season ends before it can be completed.

If the project category is ambiguous, go with your best assumption. If Etho clearly states the status of the project, cite it and mention it in the summary. E.g. "[project] is a completed project (link to where Etho says this)"