Help:New User Guide
From Math and Art
This page contains explanations of how to create an account, edit pages, and do some basic formatting. If you have further questions that aren't answered here, check out the resources at the bottom of this page.
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[edit] Creating an Account
Creating an account is as simple as can be. Click on the text Log in/Create an account in the very top of the page, and then again on Create an account. Choose a unique username and password. Once your account is created you can begin contributing immediately. Since we're hoping to build a community it would be nice if your username was close enough to your real name so folks could recognize you.
[edit] — and becoming a community member
When you've created an account you'll see your user name at the top left in red and on this list of community members. If you click on it you arrive at YOUR page. Please use it to tell us what you wish about your interests, background, and activities in mathematics and art. Putting pictures and links to your work (both here and in the proper categories in the general wiki) is warmly encouraged.
[edit] Creating Pages
The simplest way to create a new page is to first create a link to it on an existing page. To do so, first click "edit" on the page where you want to place it, then simply type [[New Page Name]] on the existing page and save it. You will see your link showing up in red: New Page Name. Clicking on the red link will take you to a page from which you can edit and save the new page.
[edit] Editing
If you want to edit a particular page (say, to add your website to a list of online galleries, or even just to correct a typo), you should first log in. Then click on the edit tab along the top of the article. You'll be taken to a page displaying the text of the article in its MediaWiki form, and you can just go in and make whatever changes you like. When you are done, click Show preview at the bottom to make sure it looks the way you want. If it does, click Save page.
Experimenting: If you need a place to mess around and try things out, go to Sandbox. This is on the MediaWiki site and you don't have to clean up after yourself--they send a 'bot around to do it every so often. NOTE: The software on this site is not identical to the software on the MediaWiki site, so occasionally things will work differently in the sandbox than on this site.
[edit] Links
If you want to post a link to a website outside of this Wiki, just type the full url; for example http://www.swarthmore.edu shows up as http://www.swarthmore.edu. If you wish to use text for the link other than the url of the site, put that text after the url inside the brackets; for example, [http://www.swarthmore.edu Swarthmore College] shows up as Swarthmore College.
To link to a page within this Wiki, simply enclose the page name in double square brackets; for example, [[Main Page]] will link to the Main Page.
[edit] Formatting
First of all try the formatting bar at the top of any Edit page!
[edit] How to make lists
To create a bulleted list, or add a new item to one, use asterisks before the items. More asterisks indent the item further. So, for example,
* First item * Second item ** A subcategory of the second item ** Another one *** A deeper subcategory * Back to the main list The end.
...shows up as:
- First item
- Second item
- A subcategory of the second item
- Another one
- A deeper subcategory
- Back to the main list
The end.
For numbered lists, use the pound sign instead of asterisks; so
# Number one # Number two ## Subcategory ## Another subcategory ### Deeper subcategory # Number three The end.
...shows up as:
- Number one
- Number two
- Subcategory
- Another subcategory
- Deeper subcategory
- Number three
The end.
[edit] Indenting Text
To indent a whole paragraph of text, preface it with a colon. More colons indent further. So for example:
:You know, I could corrupt these children. Over the years, I could guide their innocent minds toward a life of wrongdoing--yes! I could mold them in my image, hone them into criminal geniuses, the only ones capable of carrying on my empire! Ah but who's got the time? Toss 'em in.
::~Fat Cat, from Chip 'N' Dale Rescue Rangers
...looks like:
- You know, I could corrupt these children. Over the years, I could guide their innocent minds toward a life of wrongdoing--yes! I could mold them in my image, hone them into criminal geniuses, the only ones capable of carrying on my empire! Ah but who's got the time? Toss 'em in.
- ~Fat Cat, from Chip 'N' Dale Rescue Rangers
[edit] Making boxes by indenting a space
If you want a quick way to make a question, comment, or notice stand out, you can put in in a box simply by beginning the line with a space. NOTE: In these boxes, normal text wrapping does not apply, so if the content of the box does not fit on one line, you need to manually put in the line breaks, and put a space before each new line.
The box will look like this.
[edit] How to make sections and subsections
To create a section or subsection of a page, surround the section name with equals signs. The more equals signs, the smaller the section. The major sections of a page use two equals signs. So the code will look something like...
==Major section==
This is a main section of the page, with several subsections.
===Subsection 1===
This is the first subsection.
===Subsection 2===
Here's the second.
====Sub-subsection====
It has its own subsection!
==Another major section==
And so on.
[edit] Boxes (as on the Main Page)
The code for the main page, or other pages organized into boxes, might look intimidating to edit if you've never used a Wiki before. The boxes are made with a template called Box, which has parameters for HEADING and CONTENT. Hence, to edit the content of a particular box, simply scroll down the edit page until you find something that says "HEADING = heading of box you want to edit", and then make your changes to the text after CONTENT just under that.
[edit] Images
[edit] Permission Needed to Use Images
One way to give your permission to use images and other materials is to send in this statement as you post them on the site: Permission Letter to Accompany Images.
[edit] How to upload an image
To upload an image, click on Upload file in the toolbox on the left. Click on "Browse..." and when you find the image on your computer, make sure you're happy with the filename, and click "Open".
[edit] How to put an image into a page
To embed an image on a page, use the code [[Image:NAME.EXT]]. You can also specify the width of the image; for example, [[Image:Rab4.jpg|200px]] will show up as 
[edit] Need more help?
If you have further questions about using the Wiki, check the following pages:
- Help Editing from WikiMedia
- Basic Usage FAQ from MediaWiki
Keep in mind, however, that not everything described in the general Wiki help guides will work quite the same on this specific site.
[edit] Further questions? Found a bug?
If you have questions not answered here or on those pages or would like to report a bug, you can post them here.
