Wikipedia:Welcoming committee/Welcome to Wikipedia

• About
• Welcome
• Help menu
• Tutorial
• FAQ
• Where to ask questions
• Ref desk
• Help desk
• Wikicode
• Glossary

edit   Welcome to Wikipedia... Welcome aboard! We're glad you wish to help develop Wikipedia, and hope you enjoy participating in its community as much as we do. As a new contributor however, you may feel a little overwhelmed by the sheer size and scope of this project... but don't worry, it will become easier and clearer as you go, and if you have any problems, there will always be other Wikipedians happy to help. There are some resources set forth below to help you get started. Good luck and have fun! -- The Wikipedia Welcoming Committee One of the best places to get started after reading this page is Wikipedia:Introduction. If you do get stuck, there are volunteers available to answer your questions on the following pages. You can usually expect an answer quickly, often within just a few minutes: Wikipedia:New contributors' help page Wikipedia:Help desk Tip: Sign your name on talk pages by adding four tildes (~~~~) after your question; this will automatically produce your username and the time, aiding the flow of discussion. We also have a copy of a published book, at Help:Wikipedia: The Missing Manual, if you would like to know a bit about how things are done. There is also a tutorial that can guide you step-by-step. edit   Finding your way around To understand Wikipedia, it is easiest to think of this website as having two types of pages: pages that are part of the encyclopedia itself, and pages of the community (used by contributors to help build and operate the encyclopedia). To find your way around the encyclopedia, either enter a term into the search box at the top-right side of the screen, or go to Wikipedia's table of contents. You may also use Wikipedia's category system to browse through the article categories. Wikipedia's community pages include instructions, help pages, policies and guidelines, processes, discussion forums, places to make requests, pages to report problems, and user pages. These are all pages which we use to develop the encyclopedia and to communicate with each other in that mission. Using shortcuts There is a quick and easy way to find community and project pages: Almost all "Wikipedia-space" pages have shortcuts that take you directly to the page you want from whichever page you are currently on. Most of these shortcut redirects are just abbreviated forms of the page's title. To use a shortcut, in the search box simply type WP: followed by the word of what you wish to learn about. For example, if you wish to learn what primary sources are, you would type WP:PRIMARY in the search box and hit enter, or if you want to know what NPOV means, just type WP:NPOV (it doesn't necessarily need to be in capital letters) and it will take you straight to the relevant page. This is also why you sometimes see short notes at the tops of pages saying things like "WP:FOO" redirects here. For <blank>, see <blank>., it's to ensure users arrive at the correct destination. Experienced and established users navigate throughout Wikipedia using this method and it's also a great way for new users to find their way around. Directories Some directories to help you find your way around the community are: Wikipedia:Department directory - what gets done where Wikipedia:Questions - where to go to ask questions Wikipedia:Requests - where to make requests Wikipedia:Community portal - Wikipedia's hub of activity. It includes announcements, news, ongoing projects, and task lists. This is where to find out where your help is needed most. See also Wikipedia:Tips#Finding your way around Wikipedia and beyond edit   Tip of the day Why create an account? Creating a Wikipedia account has many benefits! For example, users with accounts have the ability to start new pages, edit semi-protected pages, rename pages, and upload images. Other benefits include having your own user page, a personal watchlist, and the potential to become an administrator! To create an account, all you have to do is click on the "Sign in / create account" link, click on "Create one", enter a username, a password (twice), then click the "Create account" button. Read more: Wikipedia:Why create an account? Prior tip - Next tip edit   Our "Rules" Five pillars (a summary of our fundamental principles) Policies and guidelines - Help page/Overview List of policies List of guidelines Be sure to read the above pages! They are very important, and they will help you — even if you're not perfect the first second tenth seventeenth 33rd time! edit   If you need help... If you've made a mistake and wish to undo it, revert it. Here's how: click history at the top of the page you made the mistake on. Then click on undo at the end of the first line which is your edit. Then save page. See more detailed instructions at Help:Reverting. There are two main styles of help on Wikipedia: self-help and assistance... Self-help involves reading the help and instruction pages around Wikipedia. Some very informative self-help pages are: Wikipedia:Introduction Wikipedia:Cheatsheet Wikipedia:FAQ Help:Contents Wikipedia:Tips When you get stuck, confused, or befuddled, assistance is available on Wikipedia's "desk" and "request" pages - use these when self-help hasn't provided you with an answer: The New Contributors' Help Page - A place to get help with editing and finding your way around Wikipedia. The Help Desk - For general questions regarding the usage of Wikipedia. Almost anyone on these lists will help you as well: List of Administrators Categorized by Recent Activity Complete uncategorized list of Administrators Members of the Welcoming Committee