Help:Editing

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Editing

When you're signed in with a verified and approved account, you can edit most articles and create new articles in PLN.

Contributing indirectly

If you prefer, you can contribute new articles indirectly:

• Send your contribution as a Word (.doc or .rtf) or plain-text (.txt) attachment to crawford@palinet.org or waltcrawford@gmail.com.
• Please include your account name, your full name (if different), the topic, whether you wish to add to an existing article (or talk page) or create a new article, and--for new articles--whether you wish to have the article protected. If you want the article to appear under a pseudonym, let us know.
• All contributions (direct and indirect) are subject to editing.
• If you email a contribution, you'll receive a confirming message when it's been posted to PLN. Indirect contributions won't be edited between May 24 and June 8, 2008; any contributions received during that period will be edited beginning June 9, 2008.

Editing and creating articles

If the page you wish to edit does not exist yet, see Starting a new page

Editing articles

To start editing an article, click the edit tab. This brings you to a page with a text box containing wikitext - editable code from which PLN produces the finished page.

• Respect other writers when you make changes to signed content. You can always add an alternate viewpoint on a talk page or as a separate article. You can also use talk pages to ask questions or suggest changes, or send email to Walt Crawford or the PLN account.
• Please note that your contributions can be copied and used freely for noncommercial purposes with attribution (the Creative Commons BY-NC license).

Some articles can't be edited

• Some signed essays are marked as protected either because they are licensed content, they were contributed indirectly, or the author or editor requested that they be protected. You can always add to the talk pages for such essays.
• Some functional pages (e.g., some help pages) can't be edited directly.

Commenting on articles

You're encouraged to comment on articles. Just click the talk tab or the Talk about it link.

1. If you see a "Subject/headline" box along with a row of editing buttons, give your comment a subject heading first. You're already in the editing environment.
2. Otherwise, click the + tab just to the right of the edit tab and give your comment a subject heading. You're now in the editing environment for the talk page.
3. After you have typed in your comment, leave a blank line (hit Enter twice).
4. Then sign your comment: click the signature key (with the scribble on it) or key four tildes (~~~~).
5. If you've used formatting, you may want to "Show preview" before you save the page.

Type your changes

You can just type your text, but using basic markup (described in the table below) to do simple formatting and add links adds value to your contribution.

• If you'd like a printed markup guide, this page--the table below--fits on both sides of one sheet.

Summarize your changes

Write a short edit summary in the small field below the edit-box.

Preview before saving

When you have finished, click Show preview to see how your changes will look before you make them permanent. Repeat the edit/preview process until you are satisfied, then click Save page and your changes will be immediately applied to the article.

Formatting and Other PLN Markup

Leave a space at the 
beginning of the line

HTML

Some HTML tags are allowed in PLN. Use sparingly and carefully.

Images

Should you need to include an image in an article, here's how