User talk:Will pbs

{{Help me}} I'm trying to add a company with an objective stance, however, I'm new to Wikipedia and do not want to overstep any rules and regulations that might deem it as spam. I have the full intention to have references to credible sources. Would appreciate any help

Welcome!

Hello, Will pbs, 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:

The five pillars of Wikipedia
Tutorial
How to edit a page and How to develop articles
How to create your first article (using the Article Wizard if you wish)
Manual of Style

I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! Please sign your messages on talk 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 {{help me}} before the question. Again, welcome! JohnCD (talk) 18:50, 29 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Welcome, again. Start by looking at the links above, and then read the WP:FAQ/Organizations. More advice in an hour or two. JohnCD (talk) 18:50, 29 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I'm sorry, that promise was over-optimistic, and I have run out of time tonight. Tomorrow, definitely: meanwhile User:JohnCD/Not a noticeboard will give you something to go on with. JohnCD (talk) 22:06, 29 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Advice

The first thing to think about is Notability. Wikipedia is not a business directory or a "list of everything", and does not expect to have articles about every business, any more than about every person. Notability is not a matter of opinion but has to be demonstrated by showing "significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject." Significant means more than just listing-type mentions; reliable excludes Myspace, Facebook, blogs, places where anyone can post anything; independent excludes the subject's own website, affiliated ones and anything based on press releases. The test is, have people unconnected with the subject thought it significant enough to write substantial comment about? More at WP:42 and WP:Notability (organizations and companies). Many perfectly worthy companies, particularly small or local ones, cannot meet that test, which is not at all to their discredit, it just means they are not suitable subjects for a global encyclopedia.

Think hard about whether you can show notability; many people waste endless time and energy trying to prove notability where it doesn't exist, so the essay Wikipedia:No amount of editing can overcome a lack of notability has been written.

Next point: if you are connected with the company you have, from Wikipedia's point of view, a "conflict of interest" and should read that and WP:Best practices for editors with conflicts of interest. Basically, propose rather then posting directly, declaring your interest

In any case, the best way to start is to go to Help:Userspace draft and fill in the name of your proposed article: that will set up a draft page in your user space, with a link to useful advice and a "Submit" button which will send it to WP:Articles for creation, where either it will be accepted or you will be given feedback.

When writing the article, take great care not to be promotional. One reason why COI editing is discouraged is that experience shows that people close to a subject have a very different idea from ours about what is promotional, and Wikipedia's vulnerability to use as a free advertising site has made it extremely resistant to anything of the kind. It is not just a matter of avoiding "peacock terms" like "unique" and "cutting-edge": you should avoid lists of features or products - anything that seems like the company addressing a potential customer. Think of yourself not as writing for the company - you are writing for Wikipedia about the company, and your audience is not a potential customer or client but an outsider who is mildly interested. A reader who wants all the detail can go to the company website - Wikipedia is not a place to reproduce that. Remember that the WP:Verifiability policy applies to everything you write, and imagine a hostile observer looking over your shoulder constantly saying "Who says so? Can you prove that?"

If the article is accepted, neither you nor, still less, the company will "own" it or be able to control its contents - others can and will edit it. Be aware of Wikipedia's Law of Unintended Consequences.

I am sorry to give you so much to read, but it will probably save you time in the end. JohnCD (talk) 15:58, 30 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]