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Contributing to the FreeBSD Wiki

Introduction

This page outlines easy things that anyone can do to improve the wiki. If you have any questions or ideas for this page, get in touch with WikiAdmin.

Incorrect and Better Markup

1. Remove (replace) absolute Wiki links with standard wiki links. Here are pages containing 'wiki.freebsd.org'

2. Remove (replace) hard-coded (unprotected) email addresses with <<MailTo(email)>> macro. Here are pages containing mailto: links or email addresses

3. Remove spurious horizontal rules. Here are pages containing horizontal rules (with some false positives, like those in {{{ }}} codeblocks).

4. Replace manual or hardcoded references or footnotes ([X]) with <<FootNote(text)>> macro.

Content Accessibility & Readability

1. Add Table of Contents to the top of pages where appropriate, such as long and or complex pages with deeply-nested section hierarchies.

2. Format text that references file contents or system commands using codeblocks or monospace markup. Use monospace for single-line or inline, and codeblocks for multi-line content.

3. Format (prefix) system commands that don't require root $, and # commands that require root.

4. Add linktext to bare URLs, unless it doesn't make sense to do so. Helps readability, and search engines.

   • Example: [[http://example.net/|example site]] not http://example.net/.

5. Spell-check and proof-read articles. See Menu: More Actions -> Check Spelling.

6. Review a RandomPage and improve it.

7. Standardize page organisation.
   1. Use "standard" titles and section names like "Introduction", "Contacts" or "Resources"
   2. Add a Table of Contents after an Introduction section.

Content Structure and Discoverability

1. Review OrphanedPages for linking and/or categorisation opportunities.

2. Review AbandonedPages for categorisation (eg: CategoryStale) or deletion opportunities.

3. Review WantedPages for new page, removing accidental linking opportunities.

4. Review CategoryStale pages for content refresh or deletion opportunities.

5. Review CategoryNeedsContent pages for opportunities to "flesh out" pages to add more value.

6. Move pages that appear predominantly personal projects, work or references, to that person's Personal/namespace (Fix referent links after doing this).

Duplicate, Redundant or Outdated Content

Information that is duplicated, redundant (provided elsewhere), or otherwise requires updating in multiple places if the name or reference changes, should be removed, and replaced with a link to the 'canonical reference'.

1. Replace username@ FreeBSD login (committer) references with a link to the committers home page. If the home page does not contain username/login reference, add it.

2. Everything in this wiki is FreeBSD related. Remove references to FreeBSD or FreeBSD Project unless required to maintain meaning or context.

   1. This includes page names.
3. Remove references to attachments / URLs that no longer exist.
   1. Try to find replacements/alternatives if possible.

Content Language

1. Remove or replace you, your, his, her language unless required to maintain meaning or context.

2. Use singular they for 3rd-person pronouns unless a specific pronoun is requested by someone.

Potential Things

Don't do these things yet. If you'd like to, discuss on #freebsd-wiki (Libera.Chat IRC).

1. Rename pages with titles in abbreviated/acronym form to their FullNotAcronymName.

   1. Example: ASLR -> AddressSpaceLayoutRandomization.

   2. NOTE: Check for and update all referents when renaming pages. If referents exist in Google/Search Engine, create a redirect at the old name pointing to the new one.

2. Add link text (|link text) to bare URLs. Search: Pages containing bare URLs (test regex, has false positives)

3. Replace links to external documents (PDF, images, etc) with attachments.

4. Add width and height to image attachments so they're rendered nicely.

5. Creates HomePage's for People without them (See WantedPages). Need to figure out how to subscribe those people to their pages before we do that.

CategoryWiki CategoryContributing