How To Use Howtopedia

You are a Visitor?

When you first visit howtopedia.org, you might just want to browse through the articles. The main page allows you to see all the main chapters at one glance. Click on the articles that are underlined in black and you will be directly linked. If you look for something specific, enter a keyword in the search bar on the left side of the window:

If you have questions or need more information about a technology, join the discussion by clicking on the discussion button above the article title. If you have comments, corrections or ideas concerning the articles, then become an Editor!

What will you find on Howtopedia?

Howtopedia is meant to gather practical knowledge and to become a lively knowledge exchange platform.

• We are convinced that many of the most important technologies for survival, emergency and empowerment are possible to explain and to exchange.
• We believe that good ideas should not be restricted to a specific geographical area, but shared to reach all areas where these ideas are needed.
• We believe that people are able to recognise solutions to their problems if they get a chance to be informed about solutions.

Howtopedia is not a link directory, nor a database of bibliographical references, nor an announcement place for international policy conferences or regulation texts.

Why become an editor?

Howtopedia is a collaborative work, and the examples of Wikipedia, Linux and others prove the incredible strength that collaborative works can develop. The risk of such a collaborative project is vandalism and amateurism. But both of the weaknesses can be countered by even more involvement and professionalism.

How to Become an Editor?

It is very simple. You need to log in, link top right and give in a name and password. If you feel like it you can enter your email address. That's it, you can begin editing.

You Are an Editor

Once you've logged in, you can start editing, correcting or creating articles on Howtopedia. Howtopedia is based on the same interface as Wikipedia.org. This means that most of the functionalities and rules to edit Wikipedia will work in Howtopedia, and if you need help on a very specific topic to edit Howtopedia, you are very likely to find it in the help section of www.wikipedia.org. Because we want this site full of how-tos about life and not about editing Howtopedia, we advise you to refer to the help provided by Wikipedia if the information provided here comes to be insufficient for your purpose. Wikipedia:How to edit a page.

First: take a look at how it is made

The first time you want to edit an article, please read the editing and syntax rules. You will need them to present your text the way you want. Then take look at the model and at the empty page . You might want to do some trials in the sandbox.

You want to correct an error in an existing article?

Just click on the article title from the main page. It links you to the article. Go to the edit button and look for the error you want to correct. To save your changes, click on the Save page button.

You want to write the text of an existing but empty article

Go to the edit button of the empty page and copy the text from the text field. You will paste this structure in the edit window of the article you want to write. Use the structure as a template and start sharing your knowledge. You can also format your text by using the icons above the text box.

You want to create a new article

Before you can write the text, you will have to create the link to it! To do so, start with editing the summary on the main page. Localise where you want to place your article and edit the paragraph by adding the title of you future article. Then save the change and click on the newly created title to start writing the article. Don't forget to link your article to a category by writing at the end of the text:

 [[category: Example|Example]]

More about categories: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Categorization#When_to_use_categories

You want to add illustrations

Go to the Special pages section from the toolbox on the left side. There you will find the Upload file page. You can find extensive information and guidelines for the images under http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Wikipedia_image_help

You want to request a deletion

Add the sign {{rdf}} at the top of the article. See the list of requested deletions:Category:Pages listed for deletion

You want to do more

howtopedia administration

Don't forget to respect the copyrights: You are also promising us that you write the text and make the illustration yourself, or copy it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Project:Copyrights for details). DO NOT SUBMIT COPYRIGHTED WORK WITHOUT PERMISSION!