Wikipedia talk:Tip of the day/Yearless

This page is used to test Wikipedia:Tip of the day/Yearless tips pages and the related template modifications. Please add any feedback at the Discussion section.

Tips tests

Tips templates

Displaying tips on your userpage

If you would like to display the tip of the day on your userpage, here's how:

Edit your userpage and insert one or more of the following strings:

{{totd-random}} - this is the tip of the moment template, which automatically displays a different tip every time you enter a page it is on (to a maximum of one time per minute). If it doesn't update, try clearing your browser cache.

{{totd}} - the main userspace version of the tip of the day template, with border, centered in the middle of the page. Complete with inspirational lightbulb.

{{totd b}} - a more compact version of the above template. Useful for columns.

{{totd-tomorrow}} - this shows tomorrow's tip, and is used by Wikipedia tipsters to make sure that the tips never run out. If they did run out, a red link would show up on Wikipedia's Community Portal and Help Page, which would be very embarrassing. This template shows the redlink one day in advance, as an early-warning system.

{{Tip of the day}} - the borderless version, with lightbulb.

{{Tip of the day - community portal}} - the underlined-heading version used on the community portal. (No lightbulb).

{{totd2}} - the borderless version used on Wikipedia's Help page (which already has its own borders). (No lightbulb).

{{totd3}} - a purple box version, useful for displaying the tip in columns.

{{totd CP}} - like the help page version, but with a box. Spans the whole field (screen or column) that it is in.

Read more: Wikipedia:Tip of the day

Prior tip - Next tip

totd

This is the Tip of the day: {{totd}}

Tip of the day...

Please read department instructions

Some pages are active departments with their own set of instructions. It may be tempting to skip reading them and go straight to making edits or leaving messages. But this just clutters those pages and creates unnecessary steps for the volunteers of those departments. This happens a lot at the Help desk, the Wikipedia:Reference desk, and at Articles for creation. For example, many users ask general knowledge questions at the Help Desk rather than at the Reference Desk, because they didn't read the instructions at the top of the page. If you visit those pages, please take the time and read the instructions before making use of those helpful departments.

Prior tip – Tips library – Next tip

Read more:

Where to ask questions  

Become a Wikipedia tipster

To add this auto-updating template to your user page, use {{totd}}

This is the yearless Tip of the day: {{totd-y}} It should look the same as the above tip.

Tip of the day... Please read department instructions Some pages are active departments with their own set of instructions. It may be tempting to skip reading them and go straight to making edits or leaving messages. But this just clutters those pages and creates unnecessary steps for the volunteers of those departments. This happens a lot at the Help desk, the Wikipedia:Reference desk, and at Articles for creation. For example, many users ask general knowledge questions at the Help Desk rather than at the Reference Desk, because they didn't read the instructions at the top of the page. If you visit those pages, please take the time and read the instructions before making use of those helpful departments. Prior tip – Tips library – Next tip Read more: Where to ask questions   To add this auto-updating template to your user page, use {{totd}}. Become a Wikipedia tipster

totd b

Compact totd: {{totd b}}

Tip of the day...

Please read department instructions Some pages are active departments with their own set of instructions. It may be tempting to skip reading them and go straight to making edits or leaving messages. But this just clutters those pages and creates unnecessary steps for the volunteers of those departments. This happens a lot at the Help desk, the Wikipedia:Reference desk, and at Articles for creation. For example, many users ask general knowledge questions at the Help Desk rather than at the Reference Desk, because they didn't read the instructions at the top of the page. If you visit those pages, please take the time and read the instructions before making use of those helpful departments. Prior tip – Tips library – Next tip Read more: Where to ask questions

Become a Wikipedia tipster To add this auto-updating template to your user page, use {{totd b}}

Yearless version: {{totd b-y}} It should look the same as the above tip.

Tip of the day...

Please read department instructions Some pages are active departments with their own set of instructions. It may be tempting to skip reading them and go straight to making edits or leaving messages. But this just clutters those pages and creates unnecessary steps for the volunteers of those departments. This happens a lot at the Help desk, the Wikipedia:Reference desk, and at Articles for creation. For example, many users ask general knowledge questions at the Help Desk rather than at the Reference Desk, because they didn't read the instructions at the top of the page. If you visit those pages, please take the time and read the instructions before making use of those helpful departments. Prior tip – Tips library – Next tip Read more: Where to ask questions

Become a Wikipedia tipster To add this box to your user page, use {{totd b}}.

totd-tomorrow

Tomorrow's totd: {{totd-tomorrow}}

Please proofread the daily tip... It's displayed below one day early. Some tips are obsolete. So we need new tips too. Please share your best tips and tip ideas at the Tip of the day department. edit Tomorrow's tip of the day... When not to use links It is possible to create links to every word in an article. But providing too many defeats their purpose by obscuring the most relevant links. Here's an example of overlinking: Wikipedia's greatness stems from being able to link articles together easily, but don't overdo it. It can get really annoying and does not help the reader. The above passage hides the relevant link. Compare that with this: Wikipedia's greatness stems from being able to link articles together easily, but don't overdo it. It can get really annoying and does not help the reader. For notices that can be added to articles, see Template:Overlinked and Template:Underlinked. Prior tip – Tips library – Next tip Read more: Only make links that are relevant to the context   How to create a link   Become a Wikipedia tipster To add this auto-updating template to your user page, use {{totd-tomorrow}}

Yearless version: {{totd-tomorrow-y}} It should look the same as the above tip.

edit Hello there (totd announcements and task list)... A tip library is under construction at Wikipedia:Tips, and needs your help to complete. The unsorted tips at the bottom of that page need to be moved to the various subheadings, and the tips under each subheading need to be placed in the best logical order. Tomorrow's tip of the day... When not to use links It is possible to create links to every word in an article. But providing too many defeats their purpose by obscuring the most relevant links. Here's an example of overlinking: Wikipedia's greatness stems from being able to link articles together easily, but don't overdo it. It can get really annoying and does not help the reader. The above passage hides the relevant link. Compare that with this: Wikipedia's greatness stems from being able to link articles together easily, but don't overdo it. It can get really annoying and does not help the reader. For notices that can be added to articles, see Template:Overlinked and Template:Underlinked. Prior tip – Tips library – Next tip Read more: Only make links that are relevant to the context   How to create a link   To add this auto-updating template to your user page, use {{totd-tomorrow}}. Become a Wikipedia tipster

Tip of the day

Borderless totd: {{Tip of the day}}

Tip of the day... Please read department instructions Some pages are active departments with their own set of instructions. It may be tempting to skip reading them and go straight to making edits or leaving messages. But this just clutters those pages and creates unnecessary steps for the volunteers of those departments. This happens a lot at the Help desk, the Wikipedia:Reference desk, and at Articles for creation. For example, many users ask general knowledge questions at the Help Desk rather than at the Reference Desk, because they didn't read the instructions at the top of the page. If you visit those pages, please take the time and read the instructions before making use of those helpful departments. Prior tip – Tips library – Next tip Read more: Where to ask questions   Become a Wikipedia tipster To add this auto-updating template to your user page, use {{tip of the day}}

Yearless version: {{Tip of the day-y}} It should look the same as the above tip.

Tip of the day... Please read department instructions Some pages are active departments with their own set of instructions. It may be tempting to skip reading them and go straight to making edits or leaving messages. But this just clutters those pages and creates unnecessary steps for the volunteers of those departments. This happens a lot at the Help desk, the Wikipedia:Reference desk, and at Articles for creation. For example, many users ask general knowledge questions at the Help Desk rather than at the Reference Desk, because they didn't read the instructions at the top of the page. If you visit those pages, please take the time and read the instructions before making use of those helpful departments. Prior tip – Tips library – Next tip Read more: Where to ask questions   To add this auto-updating template to your user page, use {{Tip of the day}}. Become a Wikipedia tipster

Tip of the day - community portal

Community Portal totd (This version includes section heading.): {{Tip of the day - community portal}}

Tip of the day

Please read department instructions

Some pages are active departments with their own set of instructions. It may be tempting to skip reading them and go straight to making edits or leaving messages. But this just clutters those pages and creates unnecessary steps for the volunteers of those departments. This happens a lot at the Help desk, the Wikipedia:Reference desk, and at Articles for creation. For example, many users ask general knowledge questions at the Help Desk rather than at the Reference Desk, because they didn't read the instructions at the top of the page. If you visit those pages, please take the time and read the instructions before making use of those helpful departments.

Prior tip – Tips library – Next tip

Read more:

Where to ask questions  

All tips  

Become a Wikipedia tipster

To add this auto-updating template to your user page, use {{tip of the day with h3 heading}}

Yearless version: {{Tip of the day - community portal-y}} It should look the same as the above tip.

Tip of the day

Please read department instructions

Some pages are active departments with their own set of instructions. It may be tempting to skip reading them and go straight to making edits or leaving messages. But this just clutters those pages and creates unnecessary steps for the volunteers of those departments. This happens a lot at the Help desk, the Wikipedia:Reference desk, and at Articles for creation. For example, many users ask general knowledge questions at the Help Desk rather than at the Reference Desk, because they didn't read the instructions at the top of the page. If you visit those pages, please take the time and read the instructions before making use of those helpful departments.

Prior tip – Tips library – Next tip

Read more:

Where to ask questions  

totd2

Help page totd: {{totd2}}

Tip of the day... Please read department instructions Some pages are active departments with their own set of instructions. It may be tempting to skip reading them and go straight to making edits or leaving messages. But this just clutters those pages and creates unnecessary steps for the volunteers of those departments. This happens a lot at the Help desk, the Wikipedia:Reference desk, and at Articles for creation. For example, many users ask general knowledge questions at the Help Desk rather than at the Reference Desk, because they didn't read the instructions at the top of the page. If you visit those pages, please take the time and read the instructions before making use of those helpful departments. Prior tip – Tips library – Next tip Read more: Where to ask questions   Become a Wikipedia tipster To add this auto-updating template to your user page, use {{totd2}}

Yearless version: {{totd2-y}} It should look the same as the above tip.

totd3

Purple box totd: {{totd3}}

Tip of the day... Please read department instructions Some pages are active departments with their own set of instructions. It may be tempting to skip reading them and go straight to making edits or leaving messages. But this just clutters those pages and creates unnecessary steps for the volunteers of those departments. This happens a lot at the Help desk, the Wikipedia:Reference desk, and at Articles for creation. For example, many users ask general knowledge questions at the Help Desk rather than at the Reference Desk, because they didn't read the instructions at the top of the page. If you visit those pages, please take the time and read the instructions before making use of those helpful departments. Prior tip – Tips library – Next tip Read more: Where to ask questions   Become a Wikipedia tipster To add this auto-updating template to your user page, use {{totd3}}

Yearless version: {{totd3-y}} It should look the same as the above tip.

Tip of the day... Please read department instructions Some pages are active departments with their own set of instructions. It may be tempting to skip reading them and go straight to making edits or leaving messages. But this just clutters those pages and creates unnecessary steps for the volunteers of those departments. This happens a lot at the Help desk, the Wikipedia:Reference desk, and at Articles for creation. For example, many users ask general knowledge questions at the Help Desk rather than at the Reference Desk, because they didn't read the instructions at the top of the page. If you visit those pages, please take the time and read the instructions before making use of those helpful departments. Prior tip – Tips library – Next tip Read more: Where to ask questions   Become a Wikipedia tipster

totd CP

Boxed help page totd: {{totd CP}}

Tip of the day... Please read department instructions Some pages are active departments with their own set of instructions. It may be tempting to skip reading them and go straight to making edits or leaving messages. But this just clutters those pages and creates unnecessary steps for the volunteers of those departments. This happens a lot at the Help desk, the Wikipedia:Reference desk, and at Articles for creation. For example, many users ask general knowledge questions at the Help Desk rather than at the Reference Desk, because they didn't read the instructions at the top of the page. If you visit those pages, please take the time and read the instructions before making use of those helpful departments. Prior tip – Tips library – Next tip Read more: Where to ask questions   Become a Wikipedia tipster To add this auto-updating template to your user page, use {{totd CP}}

Yearless version: {{totd CP-y}} It should look the same as the above tip.

Please read department instructions Some pages are active departments with their own set of instructions. It may be tempting to skip reading them and go straight to making edits or leaving messages. But this just clutters those pages and creates unnecessary steps for the volunteers of those departments. This happens a lot at the Help desk, the Wikipedia:Reference desk, and at Articles for creation. For example, many users ask general knowledge questions at the Help Desk rather than at the Reference Desk, because they didn't read the instructions at the top of the page. If you visit those pages, please take the time and read the instructions before making use of those helpful departments. Prior tip – Tips library – Next tip Read more: Where to ask questions   Become a Wikipedia tipster

totd-random

Randomized totd: {{totd-random}}

Tip of the moment... How to create a category Let us say you have thought of a new category you want to place some articles in. To create this new category, go to one of the pages that you wish to put there, and add a category tag naming the new category to the end of the article, like this: [[Category:Category name]] ...where in place of category name you type the actual name of the category. When you save the page, the category should appear on the bottom line of the page. If it is indeed a new category, it will turn up in red. But this does not mean there is no such category: it might exist but with a slight difference in naming. Before you create a new category, make sure it does not already exist. In a new browser window, click on Special pages in the toolbox menu on the left side of your screen. Then click on All pages. Pick Category from the Namespace dropdown menu, and then enter the name of the category. Look over the index for synonymous categories. Once you are sure your new name is good to go: Click on the redlink, and then click on the article creation link provided in the instructions that appear on your screen. You will need to put a parent category on the new page, and then save the page. Going forward you can put your newly named category at the bottom of pages that you wish to add your new category to. Categories with too few pages in them are usually nominated for deletion. Prior tip – Tips library – Next tip Read more: Wikipedia:Categorization   Meta:MediaWiki User's Guide: Using Categories   Become a Wikipedia tipster To add this auto-randomizing template to your user page, use {{totd-random}}

Yearless version: {{totd-random-y}} It might or might not look the same as the above tip.

Tip of the moment... When to use external links While Wikipedia is not a web directory, external links are allowed where appropriate. They generally are listed under a == level 2 heading == called "External links", even if there is only one link. The best way to create external links is to type "[URL link title]". For example, [http://www.wikibooks.org Wikibooks] will become Wikibooks. However, such short link titles generally are frowned upon. Try to describe your external links, so that the reader has a pretty good idea where it will take them before clicking on it. In the body of articles, do not use external links where Wikipedia links exist. For example, in an article about Wikimedia, a link to Wikibooks (the Wikipedia article about the project) would be more appropriate than a direct link to Wikibooks.org. Prior tip – Tips library – Next tip Read more: Wikipedia:External links   To add this template to your user page, use {{Totd-random}}. Become a Wikipedia tipster

Discussion

This will definitely save a lot of work, or at least provide a default in case no one bothers to write new tips. They'll need to be monitored for relevance and be updated in cases in which they no longer apply, but that's pretty obvious.

So the tips will be displayed in the same order, year after year? That'll create some deja vu! . Is there any way to randomize the tips so that on any particular day the same tip is displayed for everybody throughout the whole day?  The Transhumanist   23:50, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Anything is possible. My first thought was to do something like that - daily randomization - but a concern for high profile pages is reviewability. That's why I went with a more simple and predictable approach. It's also always possible to mix up - switch around - content if anyone want to do that. Rfrisbie^talk 00:37, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

All looks good to me. --Quiddity 03:17, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

If I see no objections by the weekend, I'm going to convert the templates over to use the yearless pages. Rfrisbie^talk 05:25, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Done. Rfrisbie^talk 05:51, 11 November 2006 (UTC)