User talk:Napalmdest55

Welcome!

Hello, Napalmdest55, and welcome to Wikipedia! Thank you for your contributions. I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are some pages that you might find helpful:

I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! Please sign your messages on discussion pages using four tildes (~~~~); this will automatically insert your username and the date. If you need help, check out Wikipedia:Questions, ask me on my talk page, or ask your question on this page and then place {{helpme}} before the question. Again, welcome! Prodego ^talk 05:36, 23 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Welcome and introduction

Hi, Napalmdest55. This is NOT some automated message...it's from a real person. You can talk to me right now. Welcome to Wikipedia! I noticed you've just joined, and wanted to give you a few tips to get you started. If you have any questions, please talk to us. The tips below should help you to get started. Best of luck! Chzz ► 22:34, 25 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You don't need to read anything - anybody can edit; just go to an article and edit it. Be Bold, but please don't put silly stuff in - it will be removed very quickly, and will annoy people.

Ask for help. Talk to us live, or edit this page, put {{helpme}} and describe what help you need. Someone will reply very quickly - usually within a few minutes.

Play in your user area. For example, create User:Napalmdest55/test.

Edit existing articles, before you make your own. Look at some subjects that you know about, and see if you can make them a bit better. For example, Wikipedia:Cleanup#2009.

When you're ready, read about Your first article. It should be about something well-known, and it will need references.

Good luck with editing; please drop me a line some time on my own talk page.

There's lots of information below. Once again, welcome to the fantastic world of Wikipedia!

-- Chzz ► 22:34, 25 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

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Tips on referencing

There are lots of ways to do this, some are simple, some more complex.

Personally, I like using citation templates, and fill in as much as I possibly can; maybe a bit more work, but I think it looks better. You have a <REF> at the start, then a suitable cite tag, then </REF>. An example usage is;

<ref>
{{Citation
 | last = Preston
 | first = Peter
 | title = D. H. Lawrence in the modern world
 | last2 = Hoare
 | first2 = Peter
 | author2-link =
 | publication-date = 1989
 | edition = illustrated
 | place = [[Cambridge]], [England]
 | publisher = [[Cambridge University Press]]
 | page = 125
 | isbn = 0-521-37169-4
 | url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=J5nRoaOwkPMC&printsec=frontcover#PPA125,M1
 | accessdate = 2008-05-11
}}
</ref>

For all the possible things to include, see Template:Citation

Of course, you don't have to put everything in, just whatever you can. The above example is a book, but I've included a 'convenience link' to a website that displays it.

Then, at the end of the document (but before any 'category' tags), you need a references section. You just put,

== References ==

{{reflist}}

Hard work? - help is at hand. There are lots of tools that create cite tags automagically. Personally, I use Zotero for the web links, and the cite book generator for books.

I also recommend you look at other articles and copy from them - especially featured articles, which should have good refs.

Hope this help, cheers, Chzz ► 23:00, 25 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Reply

I have replied to your message, in User talk:Chzz#Thanks for the help. Chzz ► 23:13, 25 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Spotlight newsletter

Hi there. Just a really quick, short note. You're currently listed as a spotlight participant, here, but you are not on the list of people who want to get the newsletter. If you want to receive updates about spotlight, then please add your name on this page. If not, no further action required, and I won't bug you about it again. Thanks, Chzz ► 15:35, 12 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]