Wikipedia talk:Tip of the day

How you can help[edit]

To view and check the TOTD a day before it goes live, place {{Totd-tomorrow}} on your user talk page.

To suggest a new tip or report a problem with a tip, create a new section below, and let us know. (Feel free to make corrections directly to tip pages, and please let us know below when you do). Other ideas and comments are also welcome.

If you'd like to join this department, please add yourself to the participants list below.

Participants[edit]

There is a bot automatically generated list of active editors.

If you'd like to be kept up-to-date on what is going on with TOTD, and receive task assignments, please add your name below:

JoeHebda (talk) 17:32, 22 September 2015 (UTC)
Tortle
The Transhumanist
Sachinmtk Hope for life. 09:35, 19 November 2013 (UTC) (inactive on WP since May 2015)
Fdizile (developer) 22:27, 19 April 2014 (UTC)
AmRit GhiMire "Ranjit" 12:12, 28 October 2014 (UTC)
- Kiwuser (talk) 19:18, 31 October 2014 (UTC)
Learnerktm 08:47, 6 December 2014 (UTC)
blackhat999
{{u|Checkingfax}} {Talk} 12:04, 5 November 2015 (UTC)

Welcome message[edit]

Below is a plain wikitable Welcome message for posting to new participant's talk page. Remember to sign the message with the four tilde (~~~~).

	* Welcome! Thank you for your recent edits for Wikipedia Tip of the day and for joining the Tip of the day. Thank you for your contributions.

Instructions[edit]

Since most tips are shorter length, new tips should be proposed within a New section here on this page.

Minor updates and copy-edits to existing tips can be done directly at that tip's sub-page on the tip schedule queue. Major changes and re-writes of existing tips should be discussed within a New section here on this page.

The 366 slots (one for each day of the yearless calendar, including February 29 for leap year) are setup on Wikipedia:Tip of the day so whenever any new tip is added, or an obsolete tip removed, one of the 366 days needs to be chosen.

General workflow checklist[edit]

Place the updated tip into the tip schedule queue at one of the 366 subpages.
Update the tip's description at Wikipedia:Tip of the day#Tip of the day scheduling queue.
Update Wikipedia:Tips, the complete library of tips arranged by subject.

Tip library maintenance[edit]

As of October 2, 2015, the count of tips (from the scheduling queue) contained within the Tip library:

January - 31 tips Done
February - 29 tips Done
March - 29 tips Done
April - 28 tips Done
May - 30 tips Done
June - 28 tips Done
July - 19 tips Done
August - 9 tips Done
September - 11 tips Done
October - 29 tips Done
November - 27 tips Done
December - 30 tips Done

From the above list, it appears that there are not 366 unique individual tips, which opens the door for new tips to be added to the schedule as well as removal of duplicate tips.

To keep the Tip library in step with the scheduling queue, additional editors may help by reviewing the Tip library and performing cleanup. When each month is completed, please add the {{Done}} template to that month's line in the list above.

Until we reach 366 tips, new tips can be placed into the TOTD Schedule Queue by replacing a duplicate entry from the monthly maintenance lists below.

January maintenance[edit]

TOTD Schedule Queue	Tip	Tips library
January 1	Where to begin?	January 1
January 2	Article development	January 2
January 3	Are your hands full? (Use search box as a small but convenient clipboard)	January 3
January 4	How to make your watchlist easier to read	January 4
January 5	How to improve Wikipedia's reliability	January 5
January 6	How to send a message to other editors	January 6
January 7	Image processing tools	January 7
January 8 February 29 March 12 August 17 October 7	Jan. 8 - Please sign your name on talk pages Feb. 29 - Please sign your name on talk pages March 12 - Please sign your name on talk pages Aug. 17 - Please sign your name on talk pages Oct. 7 - Please sign your name on talk pages	January 8 - - - -
January 9	Digital audio editors	January 9
January 10	WikiDefcon (vandalism level indicator)	January 10
January 11	Captions	January 11
January 12	Avoiding common mistakes	January 12
January 13	A self-guided tutorial	January 13
January 14	Article quality assessments	January 14
January 15	Archives for lengthy pages	January 15
January 16	Searching Wikipedia from any website	January 16
January 17 July 17	Join the fight against vandalism	January 17
January 18 July 18	Short link pipe trick	January 18
January 19 July 19	Preview tomorrow's featured article	January 19
January 20	User scripts examples	January 20
January 21	Good article nominations	January 21
January 22 July 22	What did he say? (Wikijargon)	January 22
January 23	Search and replace while editing an article.	January 23
January 24	Search & replace in thousands of articles with AWB	January 24
January 25	Ask for help at Wikipedia's Help Desk	January 25
January 26 July 26	Wikipedia's dozen most essential tips	January 26
January 27 July 27	Wikipedia's ten most powerful tips	January 27
January 28	Change text size quickly (with Ctrl-mouse wheel)	January 28
January 29	Intruder alert! Intruder alert! (Vandalism-level warning).	January 29
January 30 July 30	Create links faster	January 30
January 31 July 31	How to link to a category (without categorizing the page)	January 31

February maintenance[edit]

TOTD Schedule Queue	Tip	Tips library
February 1	Automatic page loader.	February 1
February 2	Redirect synonymous topic names	February 2
February 3 August 3	The lead section	February 3
February 4	Join a WikiProject.	February 4
February 5 August 5	In conflicts, reach consensus	February 5
February 6 August 6	How to add an article to a category	February 6
February 7	How to provide a link to a specific Google Search	February 7
February 8 August 8	How to watch for pages that don't exist yet	February 8
February 9 March 7 April 7 August 9 September 7	Please summarize your work using the Edit summary box March 7-Please fill-in edit summaries April 7-Automatic edit summary reminder Aug. 9-Abbreviating edit summaries Sept. 7-Please fill-in edit summaries	February 9 March 7 April 7 Aug. 9 -
February 10 August 10	How to create a category	February 10
February 11 August 18	Another way to search Wikipedia with Google	February 11
February 12 August 12	How to create reusable boilerplates	February 12
February 13 August 13	Acronyms and initialisms	February 13
February 14 August 14	To see everything on Wikipedia about a subject area...	February 14
February 15 August 15	Explaining Wiki markup to other users	February 15
February 16 August 16	How to create a subcategory	February 16
February 17	How to plant a CategoryTree!	February 17
February 18 October 6	Wikipedia-specific searching with Google	February 18
February 19 August 19	When to use subpages	February 19
February 20 August 20	What the world knows about us	February 20
February 21 August 21	How reliable is Wikipedia?	February 21
February 22 August 22	When and how to exclude Wikipedia from your Google search	February 22
February 23 August 23	How to link to a category	February 23
February 24 August 24	Power-editing with AutoWikiBrowser	February 24
February 25 August 25	Are you looking for help?	February 25
February 26 August 26	How to link to a section of an article	February 26
February 27 August 27	Join the Recent Changes Patrol!	February 27
February 28 August 28	Where did that fact come from?!	February 28
February 29 see January 8	Please sign your name on talk pages	-

March maintenance[edit]

TOTD Schedule Queue	Tip	Tips library
March 1 September 1	Wikipedia's top ten essential tips	March 1
March 2	How to turn redirects green	March 2
March 3	Become clairvoyant with Navigation Popups	March 3
March 4 September 4	Supercharge your browser	March 4
March 5 September 5	How to create a link to another article	March 5
March 6 September 6	Use the Article Wizard to easily create new articles	March 6
March 7 September 7 see February 9	Please fill-in edit summaries	March 7
March 8 April 28 September 8	March 8-How to get a list of a page's subpages April 28-Getting a subpage listing Sept.8-How to get a list of a page's subpages	March 8
March 9 September 9	Becoming an Administrator	March 9
March 10 September 10	Where to post requests	March 10
March 11 September 11	How to make links look the way you want	March 11
March 12 see January 8	Please sign your name on talk pages	-
March 13 September 13	Are you lost?	March 13
March 14 September 14	How to create a new page	March 14
March 15 September 15	Wikipedia's top ten power tips	March 15
March 16 September 16	Do you need administrator assistance?	March 16
March 17	Test-drive your edits using a sandbox	March 17
March 18 April 10 September 18	Cite your sources	March 18
March 19 September 19	Link tricks	March 19
March 20	Running MediaWiki on your own computer	March 20
March 21 September 21	Navigate faster using Wikipedia shortcuts	March 21
March 22	Searching Wikipedia with regular expressions (regex)	March 22
March 23	Getting your edit count	March 23
March 24 September 24	Transclusion vs. Substitution	March 24
March 25	Link to Wiktionary word definitions using Wikt:	March 25
March 26 April 17 September 26	March 26 - SuggestBot is a fun way to pick pages to edit April 17 - A fun way to pick pages to edit September 26 - SuggestBot is a fun way to pick pages to edit	March 26
March 27 September 27	Work faster with keyboard shortcuts	March 27
March 28 May 2	Time-saving links: the pipe trick	March 28
March 29 June 16	Ask intelligent questions	March 29
March 30 May 30 July 25	Working on the Main page	March 30
March 31	Toolbar links to access the WP pages you use the most	March 31

April maintenance[edit]

TOTD Schedule Queue	Tip	Tips library
April 1	Don't believe everything you read	April 1
April 2	Visit the Village Pump for technical issues	April 2
April 3	Stop by the Reference Desk	April 3
April 4	Where to upload images and media files	April 4
April 5	How to fix unsigned comments	April 5
April 6	Don't use forums or emails as sources	April 6
April 7	Automatic edit summary reminder	April 7
April 8	Collaborations	April 8
April 9	Search box bookmarklet for your browser	April 9
April 10 September 18	Cite your sources	March 18
April 11	Edit Wikipedia faster with AutoWikiBrowser	April 11
April 12	Help Wikipedia help you	April 12
April 13	Motto of the day...	April 13
April 14	Create a user account	April 14
April 15	Copyrights? Copyleft	April 15
April 16	Uploading Free Images	April 16
April 17	A fun way to pick pages to edit	April 17
April 18	How to change your username	April 18
April 19	Setting Wikipedia time to your time zone	April 19
April 20	Explore Wikipedia's contents	April 20
April 21	Featured article candidates	April 21
April 22	Wikipedia search box focus	April 22
April 23	How to move/rename a page	April 23
April 24	The Wikipedia Adventure!	April 24
April 25	Super-customize your account with gadgets	April 25
April 26	Keyboard shortcuts	April 26
April 27	Now what? (Are you lost, and do not know what to do?)	April 27
April 28	Getting a subpage listing	April 28
April 29 June 28	How to help prepare the Main page	April 29
April 30	How to make links to articles	April 30

May maintenance[edit]

TOTD Schedule Queue	Tip	Tips library
May 1	To search a specific namespace, include the prefix in searches	May 1
May 2	Time-saving links: the "pipe trick"	May 2
May 3	Prove it with ProveIt	May 3
May 4	Time-saving links II	May 4
May 5	Browsing Mobile Wikipedia on your big screen	May 5
May 6	Linking to a section of an article	May 6
May 7	Sister projects & interwiki linking	May 7
May 8	Displaying one page within another = Transclusion	May 8
May 9	Using templates	May 9
May 10	General topics lists	May 10
May 11	Userboxes	May 11
May 12	List building	May 12
May 13	When is a Wikipedia project a WikiProject?	May 13
May 14	Centralizing project discussion	May 14
May 15	Redirects	May 15
May 16	Footnotes	May 16
May 17	How to add hidden editor notes in an article	May 17
May 18	How to review user contributions	May 18
May 19	Use your browser's toolbar to navigate Wikipedia	May 19
May 20	Formatting disambiguation pages	May 20
May 21	Featured content	May 21
May 22	Table of contents	May 22
May 23	Transclusion caveat	May 23
May 24	Go to the right desk	May 24
May 25	Please return the favor	May 25
May 26	Check your work before you save, using Preview	May 26
May 27	Where on the page to put images	May 27
May 28	Placing templates	May 28
May 29	Placing "External links" sections	May 29
May 30 March 30 July 25	Working on the Main Page	March 30
May 31	Shortcuts	May 31

June maintenance[edit]

TOTD Schedule Queue	Tip	Tips library
June 1	Placing category tags	June 1
June 2	Page history	June 2
June 3	Tag your image uploads	June 3
June 4	Placing interlanguage links	June 4
June 5	Sorting entries in the categories	June 5
June 6	Look before you leap	June 6
June 7	How to start a new article	June 7
June 8	Talking to Wikipedians	June 8
June 9	Cite the source on all image uploads	June 9
June 10	Preventing markup glitches	June 10
June 11	Use your watchlist	June 11
June 12	Navigation popups	June 12
June 13	How to insert a picture into an article	June 13
June 14	Wikipedia-specific searching within Firefox	June 14
June 15	Section edit button	June 15
June 16 March 29	Ask intelligent questions	March 29
June 17	Beware of instruction creep	June 17
June 18	Fix double redirects	June 18
June 19	Alphabetical list of articles	June 19
June 20	Screenshots	June 20
June 21	Please read department instructions	June 21
June 22	When not to use links	June 22
June 23	A better wiki editor: WikEd	June 23
June 24	Change text size easily when reading a page	June 24
June 25	Portals	June 25
June 26	What are templates used for?	June 26
June 27	Pretty tables	June 27
June 28 April 29	How to help prepare the Main page	April 29
June 29	Wikipedia for your mobile...	June 29
June 30	Custom signatures	June 30

July maintenance[edit]

TOTD Schedule Queue	Tip	Tips library
July 1	Citation Requests	July 1
July 2	Love thy neighbor	July 2
July 3	Posting on the Wikipedia Community Bulletin Board	July 3
July 4	Band articles	July 4
July 5	List the things to do for an article	July 5
July 6	Navigate fast using shortcuts	July 6
July 7	Welcoming Committee	July 7
July 8	The three revert rule	July 8
July 9	Avoid using neologisms	July 9
July 10	The fastest way to end a conflict: walk away	July 10
July 11	Jump to the search box `⇧ Shift`+`Alt`+`F`	July 11
July 12	How to use red links	July 12
July 13	Wikipedia:Today's articles for improvement	July 13
July 14	Using Math	July 14
July 15	Be forgiving to new users	July 15
July 16	Search Wikipedia from any website	July 16
July 17 January 17	Join the fight against vandalism	January 17
July 18 January 18	Short link pipe trick	January 18
July 19 January 19	Preview tomorrow's featured article	January 19
July 20 October 8	User scripts	July 20 October 8
July 21 - October 1	July 21 - Displaying tips on your userpage Note. Don't change this tip. It is a linked tip on displaying tips! :-) Oct. 1 - How to display the Tip of the day on your user page	July 21 - October 1
July 22 January 22	What did he say? (Wikijargon)	January 22
July 23	Wikipedia industrial-powered search	July 23
July 24	Forums and emails are not acceptable sources	July 24
July 25 March 30 May 30	Working on the Main page	March 30
July 26 January 26	Wikipedia's dozen most essential tips	January 26
July 27 January 27	Wikipedia's ten most powerful tips	January 27
July 28	Your very own Wikipedia bookmark page	July 28
July 29	Another way to read or share Wikipedia: Books.	July 29
July 30	Create links faster with link tricks	July 30
July 31	How to link to a category without categorizing the page	July 31

August maintenance[edit]

TOTD Schedule Queue	Tip	Tips library
August 1	Customize appearance of dates	August 1
August 2	Find uncategorized articles	August 2
August 3 February 3	The lead section	February 3
August 4 November 4	Help reduce the Wikipedia backlog	August 4
August 5 February 5	In conflicts, reach consensus	February 5
August 6 February 6	How to add an article to a category	February 6
August 7	Title searches	August 7
August 8 February 8	How to watch for pages that don't exist yet	February 8
August 9	Abbreviating edit summaries	August 9
August 10 February 10	How to create a category	February 10
August 11	How to search Wikipedia with Google	August 11
August 12 February 12	How to create reusable boilerplates	February 12
August 13 February 13	Acronyms and initialisms	February 13
August 14 February 14	To see everything on Wikipedia about a subject area...	February 14
August 15 February 15	Explaining Wiki markup to other users	February 15
August 16 February 16	How to create a subcategory	February 16
August 17 see January 8	Please sign your name on talk pages	-
August 18	How does Wikipedia stack up?	August 18
August 19 February 19	When to use subpages	February 19
August 20 February 20	What the world knows about us	February 20
August 21 February 21	How reliable is Wikipedia?	February 21
August 22 February 22	When and how to exclude Wikipedia from your Google search	February 22
August 23 February 23	How to link to a category	February 23
August 24 February 24	Power-editing with AutoWikiBrowser	February 24
August 25	Where to look for help	August 25
August 26 February 26	How to link to a section of an article	February 26
August 27 February 27	Join the Recent Changes Patrol!	February 27
August 28 February 28	Where did that fact come from?!	February 28
August 29	How popular is Wikipedia?	August 29
August 30	Google search link	August 30
August 31	My link disappeared!	August 31

September maintenance[edit]

TOTD Schedule Queue	Tip	Tips library
September 1 March 1	Wikipedia's top ten essential tips	March 1
September 2	Spell Checkers	September 2
September 3	Install your first javascript	September 3
September 4 March 4	Supercharge your browser	March 4
September 5 March 5	How to create a link to another article	March 5
September 6 March 6	Use the Article Wizard to easily create new articles	March 6
September 7 see Feb. 9	Please fill-in edit summaries	March 7
September 8 March 8	How to get a list of a page's subpages	March 8
September 9 March 9	Becoming an Administrator	March 9
September 10 March 10	Where to post requests	March 10
September 11 March 11	How to make links look the way you want	March 11
September 12	Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)	September 12
September 13 March 13	Are you lost?	March 13
September 14 March 14	How to create a new page	March 14
September 15 March 15	Wikipedia's top ten power tips	March 15
September 16 March 16	Do you need administrator assistance?	March 16
September 17	Highlight text on any website, then search Wikipedia for it with a single click	September 17
September 18 March 18 April 10	Cite your sources	March 18
September 19 March 19	Link tricks	March 19
September 20	Wikipedia toolbar for Firefox	September 20
September 21 March 21	Navigate faster using Wikipedia shortcuts	March 21
September 22	External links	September 22
September 23	Counting your edits	September 23
September 24 March 24	Transclusion vs. Substitution	March 24
September 25	How to link to word definitions	September 25
September 26 March 26	SuggestBot is a fun way to pick pages to edit	March 26
September 27 March 27	Work faster with keyboard shortcuts	March 27
September 28	Your customizable Wikipedia navigation hub	September 28
September 29	Topic lists	September 29
September 30	Interwiki links and shortcuts	September 30

October maintenance[edit]

TOTD Schedule Queue	Tip	Tips library
October 1 see July 21	How to display the Tip of the day on your user page	October 1
October 2	Wikimedia-wide issues	October 2
October 3	Editcountitis	October 3
October 4	Category tips	October 4
October 5	Avoid trademarks	October 5
October 6 February 18	Wikipedia-specific searching with Google	February 18
October 7 see January 8	Please sign your name on talk pages	-
October 8 July 20	User scripts	October 8 July 20
October 9	Linking articles: the internal link	October 9
October 10	How to find legal photographs and graphics	October 10
October 11	Keep track of your questions	October 11
October 12	How to transclude a page into the page you are editing	October 12
October 13	Why have lists when there are categories?	October 13
October 14	Wikipedia Search Box for Firefox	October 14
October 15	Use Wikipedia shortcuts to navigate faster	October 15
October 16	Power tool: Navigation Popups	October 16
October 17	Power search Wikipedia using AutoWikiBrowser	October 17
October 18	Six of one, half-a-dozen of the other	October 18
October 19	Speed up your learning curve...	October 19
October 20	The five pillars	October 20
October 21	Using Special:MyPage to make private links	October 21
October 22	Double click editing	October 22
October 23	Be neutral, like Wikipedia	October 23
October 24	Wikipedia has 22 sections, called namespaces	October 24
October 25	How to see a list of the pages in a namespace	October 25
October 26	A plain & simple introduction	October 26
October 27	Basic copyediting	October 27
October 28	S.W.A.T., T.I.M, & the U.S.D.A	October 28
October 29	How to enhance Recent changes Note: twice at Tips library	October 29 October 29
October 30	Namespace entry points	October 30
October 31	How to catch admin attention fast	October 31

November maintenance[edit]

TOTD Schedule Queue	Tip	Tips library
November 1	How to enable right-click section editing Note: twice at Tips library	November 1 November 1
November 2	Report problems on noticeboards	November 2
November 3	Wikipedia's alphabetical index of articles	November 3
November 4 August 4	Help reduce the Wikipedia backlog	August 4
November 5	Wikimedia links and shortcuts Note: twice at Tips library	November 5 November 5
November 6	Advanced signatures	November 6
November 7	Be neutral when editing Wikipedia	November 7
November 8	Linking to non-Wikimedia wikis Note: twice at Tips library	November 8 November 8
November 9	"Where do I begin?"	November 9
November 10	Editing articles for web accessibility	November 10
November 11	The Wikipedia Curriculum	November 11
November 12	Giving editor awards	November 12
November 13	Spoken Wikipedia	November 13
November 14	Mediation	November 14
November 15	Wiki-exploration: beyond Wikipedia...	November 15
November 16	Google Toolbar Current Site Search Button	November 16
November 17	Fansites, Forums, & other Webpage Articles	November 17
November 18	How to provide a Google search in a link	November 18
November 19	User Sub Pages	November 19
November 20	A comprehensive index for editors	November 20
November 21	Welcome to Wikipedia!	November 21
November 22	Making the editbox more visually pleasing	November 22
November 23	Permission Requests	November 23
November 24	Lead Section Size	November 24
November 25	Try to see it my way!	November 25
November 26	Pick from a list of template parameter choices	November 26
November 27	World of fiction	November 27
November 28	Same titles, different meanings	November 28
November 29	Brilliant pictures	November 29
November 30	Undoing edits	November 30

December maintenance[edit]

TOTD Schedule Queue	Tip	Tips library
December 1	No copies of primary sources	December 1
December 2	Dates in Wikipedia articles	December 2
December 3	Find stubs and expand them	December 3
December 4	How to look at the changes to an article	December 4
December 5	How to customize your signature	December 5
December 6	When to use external links	December 6
December 7	How to adjust the height of your edit window	December 7
December 8	How to add a picture to an article	December 8
December 9	How to skip scrolling and clicking	December 9
December 10	Wikipedia etiquette = Wikiquette	December 10
December 11	Section editing	December 11
December 12	What writing style to use	December 12
December 13	Where to write about current events	December 13
December 14	Link articles to their foreign-language counterparts	December 14
December 15	Advice for parents	December 15
December 16	Automating tasks on Wikipedia	December 16
December 17	Wikipedia needs pictures. How you can help...	December 17
December 18	Accuracy, quality and peer review	December 18
December 19	What can be included in Wikipedia?	December 19
December 20	Freedom of speech and profanity	December 20
December 21	Can't find what you are looking for?	December 21
December 22	Why create an account?	December 22
December 23	Your user page	December 23
December 24	Wikimedia has mailing lists	December 24
December 25	Upgrade Recent Changes in my preferences	December 25
December 26	Watching for changes	December 26
December 27	If you have privileged access to web pages...	December 27
December 28	Help test the MediaWiki software	December 28
December 29	Troubleshooting Wikipedia's look and feel with skins	December 29
December 30	Come visit the Teahouse	December 30
December 31	Not everything that's true is verifiable	December 31

What Wikipedia-related resources are there out there on the Web?[edit]

Here's an example: http://wikimindmap.com/viewmap.php?wiki=en.wikipedia.org&topic=&Submit=Search

Third-party WP resources can make good tips. Do you know of any Wikipedia-enhancement tools or websites out there? The Transhumanist 23:27, 10 July 2013 (UTC)

I've discovered that the example above does not work anymore. The Transhumanist 06:33, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

Daily tips kind of obsolite[edit]

I'd like to design a template that spits out one of the tips. Is there a list of them? In my design the template will take a parameter of how often the tip should change which /can/ be daily and it won't suffer from problems such as leap year. -- A Certain White Cat ^chi? 03:01, 15 August 2013 (UTC)

I'm in the process of revising the tips. If there are any tips that you know are obsolete, please let me know.

Note that {{Totd-random}} presents a random tip, each time the page it is displayed upon is accessed or purged. It's the tip of the moment. It's source text might be worth copying and modifying to make a new template.

For all the various TOTD template formats available, see Wikipedia:Tip of the day/October 1 (How to display the tip-of-the-day on your user page). The Transhumanist 04:27, 19 August 2013 (UTC)

I'm not aware of a leap year problem. There's a tip for February 29. The Transhumanist 16:09, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

New tip[edit]

How to create redirects (title)

A redirect is a page made to "redirect" a reader to who searches for the redirect's title, for example, when a reader searches for "X" and a redirect that points to the article "Y" is named X, the reader will instead arrive at the page Y, one can click at a small link which says (Redirected from "Title"), note that only the title of the is linked, not the redirected from. A redirect's purpose is to redirect to similar words, nouns to verbs, synonyms, nicknames, common names to scientific names or vice versa, etc. Also, just make sure there isn't already a redirect

How to create

First search a the title or create a redlink to it, click the redlink, and add #REDIRECT [[Target page]] to it on the edit window that appears, And your redirect is finished. Example: I want to create a redirect from foo to oof, I click a redlink like this, foo and type in #REDIRECT [[oof]] and a redirect will be created when I save the page that takes those who type foo to oof, to redirect to a specific section, add #Section name to the end of target page, within the brackets.

June 29 / Wapedia[edit]

@The Transhumanist: The tip for Wikipedia:Tip of the day/June 29 is about Wapedia, a service that is now defunct (it folded under shortly after you made it a yearless tip). Should be moved out of rotation as well. -- dsprc ^[talk] 09:34, 29 June 2014 (UTC)

Done changed in Jan 2015 to "Wikipedia for your mobile" The Transhumanist 06:46, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

Updated August 25 tip[edit]

Greetings, For August 25, on the list of Help articles, I added Teahouse wikilink to improve this tip. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 14:06, 19 January 2015 (UTC)

Nice. The Transhumanist 23:26, 23 January 2015 (UTC)

Are these the 10 most powerful tips?[edit]

A tip that will be displayed on January 27th presents the following 10 tips as the most powerful tips (for using or editing Wikipedia):

My question for you is, are these the most powerful tips?

If not, what are?

Thank you. The Transhumanist 10:42, 20 January 2015 (UTC)

3 and 6 (keyboard shortcuts) can go to "esoteric" from my very not-neutral POV, pick what you like better and be BOLD. –Be..anyone (talk) 11:09, 20 January 2015 (UTC)

User:Be..anyone, what's the most powerful trick or technique that you use? The Transhumanist 11:15, 20 January 2015 (UTC)

I like mw:Help:Magic words, mw:Help:Parser functions, {{Cite web}} (excl. the bogus YYYY-MM "error"), the new mw:Help:TemplateData, I hope to grok more of d: (wikidata) soon, and I link to SoFixIt often, unless I'm busy fixing something. –Be..anyone (talk) 12:14, 20 January 2015 (UTC)

I would extend "Wikipedia shortcuts" to interwiki prefixes as well. For example, you can type "mw:LUAREF" into the search bar to go to the Lua reference manual on mediawiki.org, or just "mw:" to go to its main page. Also, for beginners, turning on VisualEditor is probably going to be the most powerful tip out there. I'm guessing that quite a few people give up when they first set eyes on the raw wikitext of a properly formatted article. And I hear that many editors swear by WP:REFLINKS. — Mr. Stradivarius ^{♪ talk ♪} 05:03, 21 January 2015 (UTC)

Just the other day, found Wikipedia:Tip of the day/August 25 list of 4 help articles that clarifies where to look for help. Don't know if it would qualify to be one of the most powerful though. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 14:40, 21 January 2015 (UTC)

@JoeHebda: Maybe this can be included in a "10 most useful tips for beginners". The Transhumanist 06:58, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

Here's an example of the type of things I'm looking for[edit]

Throughout your activities on Wikipedia, no doubt you've picked up a useful trick or two that few other people know about.

Here's an example of such a trick:

You've just grabbed the page's title to place a link on another page, but now you want to add a section title to it to create a section link, but the copy cache is already full. Instead of making two trips back and forth to the page you wish to add the link to, try this...

...use the search box as a quick-and-dirty edit window:

Copy/paste the title into the search box, followed by a "#"
Copy/paste the section title after the "#"
Enclose in double square brackets and copy/paste the whole string to the page you wish to edit.

The search box is also a handy place to store copy text while you copy/paste something else.

Do you use any interesting or useful tricks or little known but cool tools (for navigating, editing, anything to do with using or improving WP)? If so, please tell... The Transhumanist 23:01, 23 January 2015 (UTC)

@The Transhumanist: I would do it this way:

Scroll up to the table of contents, and click on the section you wanted
Copy the article title and section from the browser's URL
Paste the string in the page you wish to edit, and add the double square brackets

Hope this helps! GoingBatty (talk) 00:24, 24 January 2015 (UTC)

@GoingBatty: Cool, I hadn't thought of that. What other cool tricks do you know? The Transhumanist 00:32, 24 January 2015 (UTC)

@The Transhumanist: You can use CTRL+C and CTRL+V to do the copy and paste. I also have a list of tools I use on my talk page. GoingBatty (talk) 01:37, 24 January 2015 (UTC)

@GoingBatty: I amended your post - {{button}} is for marking up clickable buttons, keystrokes are marked up with {{keypress}}. --Redrose64 (talk) 12:40, 24 January 2015 (UTC)

@The Transhumanist: You can also use User:Bility/copySectionLink to generate sections links directly. I've made a prettier version on User:Zhaofeng Li/common.js along with other tools I use. Zhaofeng Li [talk... contribs...] 14:41, 24 January 2015 (UTC)

Speaking of little-known shortcuts, you may have a need to convert a full URL into a wikilink. See User:Js/urldecoder for that. If you have the script installed, you place the cursor at the end of the URL (in your edit window) and click a button. It converts the URL into a proper wikilink, with square brackets and everything. EdJohnston (talk) 18:19, 24 January 2015 (UTC)

You can also use my very own Template:Urltowiki for that if you don't feel like installing a script. — Mr. Stradivarius ^{♪ talk ♪} 00:07, 26 January 2015 (UTC)

Tips that need to be tested to see if they still work[edit]

Wikipedia:Tip of the day/January 13 (Strikeout button)

(eom) The Transhumanist 15:03, 24 January 2015 (UTC)

There is no strikeout button script! Eman235/talk 23:26, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

Today I changed Jan. 13, July 13 - Strikeout button to Today's articles for improvement tip. Also added to Wikipedia:Tips, Other ways to contribute section.

Done JoeHebda (talk) 12:41, 17 September 2015 (UTC)

TOTD[edit]

I'm in the process of updating the WP:TOTD department's tip collection, as some of the tips have gone obsolete. So I'm looking for useful techniques and tools, that is, tips, to replace them with.

Any leads on the latest and greatest wiki-related programs, extensions, plug-ins, scripts, commands, or methods, would be most appreciated.

So far, I've added the following new tips:

If you spot any errors in them, please let me know. Or edit them directly. Thank you. The Transhumanist 08:16, 24 January 2015 (UTC)

Some 2007 stuff might be seriously obsolete. You can ask Help desk or Teahouse regulars what new users would want to see, if they add the TotD-template to their page. Some tricks for the Visual Editor (I don't use it and therefore can't judge it) or the Media Viewer, maybe, because that certainly didn't exist eight years ago. New ways to archive talk pages could be interesting. Or something about user boxes, #babel:-extension, and scribunto. How to get Tech News or Signpost, what's a Village Pump, where are the real help pages, the works. –Be..anyone (talk) 10:21, 24 January 2015 (UTC)

Yes, some things to do with VisualEditor might be nice. It is very useful for basic to intermediate editing, and especially for editing tables. However, any tips relating to VE would have to include information about turning it on, and would also need to be updated in the future when VisualEditor becomes available by default for all users. — This, that and the other (talk) 11:43, 24 January 2015 (UTC)

To summparize:

Visual editor
Media viewer
Archiving talk pages
User boxes (see Wikipedia:Tip of the day/May 11)
#babel:-extension
Scibunto
Tech news
Signpost
Village Pump
"Real" help pages (MediaWiki manual, etc.)

Thank you for the suggestions. The Transhumanist 16:12, 23 September 2015 (UTC)

Updated February 15 TOD[edit]

Greetings, Today I added a third paragraph that gives examples of Nowiki tag uses.

The <nowiki> tag is helpful, for example, when asking questions at the Teahouse and explaining issues at the Village Pump as well as on an article's Talk page. In this case 'the markup code' can be displayed without being actionable.

Since today is Feb. 15th, I don't know how to activate, so this TOD will just roll around again for next year :-)

Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 19:46, 15 February 2015 (UTC)

Tip Suggestion[edit]

Advice For New Editors Don't be nervous about editing Wikipedia. Wikipedia was founded so that everyone can edit and contribute. As long as your are making good-faith edits, you'll be fine. Just be yourself!

Tip Suggestion of May[edit]

Do not worry about your own account's own looks. Everybody can edit almost thousands of articles at once, but don't worry about the looks of your profile, this is not Facebook. Give ideas to yourself at people of those around you so that they can know you more better, understand you even further. Give your own compliments to them, and always contribute to the Wiki itself. :) ~Cry (talk) 10:13, 18 May 2015 (UTC)

Redundant tips[edit]

Wikipedia:Tip of the day/March 23 and Wikipedia:Tip of the day/April 24 have similar tips -- and ones that encourage editcountitis at that. They should be merged into one, possibly with the additional advice of using this script. Another tip to fill the gap is needed of course. Eman235/talk 23:24, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

I think those can be easily merged Eman235/talk so I will begin the process and replace the gap with the wikipedia adventure tip below because I dont think that there will be any issues in merging these two since they are extremely similar and are not good for editcountitis anyway. Thanks Tortle (talk) 19:18, 7 September 2015 (UTC)

Done I merged the pages into March 23rd. I am still in the process of adding a replacement tip for april 24. Thanks Tortle (talk) 19:27, 7 September 2015 (UTC)

Thanks. Eman235/talk 21:26, 7 September 2015 (UTC)

Updated May 12 TOD - List building[edit]

Greetings, for this tip, I added Portal:Contents/Lists to the Read more. The Lists Portal is a good place to look for existing lists as stated this tips opening sentence, search Wikipedia to make sure it doesn't already have a list on the subject. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 10:57, 12 May 2015 (UTC)

@JoeHebda: You can use <br> (which means line break) to display more than one read more recommendation.

Done The Transhumanist 04:39, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

Question for TOTD - December 2[edit]

Greetings, This tip, Dynamic date conversion has a title of Dates in Wikipedia articles and nowhere mentions anything about Dynamic date conversion. Wondering if anything can be done to either clarify the title, or add actual content (and maybe include an example) of Dynamic date conversion? Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 20:25, 12 May 2015 (UTC)

@JoeHebda: Why did you refer to it as the Dynamic date conversion tip? The Transhumanist 00:20, 23 September 2015 (UTC)

@The Transhumanist: At Wikipedia:Tips, These need sorting into the above categories section, that is the name placed there (don't know when or by who) for December 2 tip. Looks to be an error. To resolve this, that line can be removed from Tips library. JoeHebda (talk) 01:10, 23 September 2015 (UTC)

Done Updated Tip description at TOTD Schedule Queue, and cleanup December 2 at WP:Tips library. JoeHebda (talk) 00:32, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

TOTD for User scripts - can 3 be combined?[edit]

The tips for January 20, plus July 20 & October 8 are similar. Wondering if they can be combined? Since I am new to Wikipedia and have not used any of these scripts so asking for help here.

January 20 different from July 20, Oct. 8

User Scripts - January 20

You can install user scripts written in JavaScript to add features to your account, and to automate various tasks.

You could write your own scripts. But many user scripts have already been written by Wikipedians, and are ready for you to make use of. To enable these scripts, simply paste them into your vector.js file. (Only logged-in users can install scripts).

Examples of scripts:

wiktLookup – Double-click a word, and go to its definition on Wiktionary. Watchlist sorter – Sorts your watchlist by namespace, and shows the pages for each namespace in alphabetical order. Also adds spacing for further ease of reading. Some of the most popular scripts have become gadgets, which can be enabled simply by checking an option in your preferences.

These next two, very similar / July 20 - User scripts / October 8 – User scripts

User Scripts - July 20

Many different tasks on Wikipedia can be automated with user scripts. For example, you can create tabs to automate different vandalism warnings or even perform an AfD nomination.

These scripts can also add a Google search link to your toolbox, and display the current time in a place of your choosing.

Many scripts have been written by Wikipedians, and are ready for you to make use of.

To enable these scripts, simply paste them into your monobook.js Afile.

A number of scripts can be activated by checking a box in Preferences, under the Gadgets tab.

User Scripts - October 8

Many different tasks on Wikipedia can be simplified (automated) with user scripts. For example, you can create tabs to automate different vandalism warnings or even perform an AfD nomination.

These scripts can also add a Google search link to your toolbox, and display the current time in a place of your choosing.

Many scripts have been written by Wikipedians, and are ready for you to make use of.

To enable these scripts, simply paste them into your common.js file.

Hoping that an expert editor will be able to solve since this is totally beyond me. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 14:40, 28 May 2015 (UTC)

I think that they could be combined JoeHebda, opening up two new slots for new tips like your wikipedia adventure one and if there are no other proposals, I could come up with one. Again though I just joined and am calling in User:The Transhumanist. Thanks Tortle (talk) 19:13, 7 September 2015 (UTC)

Greetings Tortle and User:The Transhumanist After taking a second look at these three: the tip from January 20 is different, so I retitled it to 'User scripts examples'; and did the updates to TOTD Schedule Queue, Tips library, and above January maintenance wikitable. Remaining now are Tips July 20 and October 8 to be somehow merged together into the same tip. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 15:09, 21 September 2015 (UTC)

Sounds fine.

Joe, the TOTD department is fairly simple. There are 366 tip pages that get displayed year after year (except the leap year day). Just make sure something good is on each of them, and keep the lists (scheduling queue, library) up to date (like you have been).

You guys are doing good. The Transhumanist 04:25, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

Updated June 19 TOD - Alphabetical list of articles[edit]

Greetings, Today I updated this tip to clarify the navigation instructions. JoeHebda (talk) 09:59, 19 June 2015 (UTC)

Asking for help to write a New tip - The Wikipedia Adventure[edit]

Greetings, At Wikipedia_talk:TWA/Portal#What_to_do_next I added a line for WP:TIPS library. After that I noticed there is not tip here for TWA. If one of our tipsters could write this tip to be included on the scheduling queue. I have not done the Adventure, so I'm not qualified to create a WPA tip & am looking for help. Thanks. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 02:54, 23 June 2015 (UTC)

I have done the adventure JoeHebda and I could write the tip but we have to find a tip that is obsolete in order to replace it. User:The Transhumanist directed me here and knows whats going on so hopefully, we can team up and figure this out. Thanks Tortle (talk) 19:10, 7 September 2015 (UTC)

Done I merged two other tips complained about above and added your tip into the gap. It can be seen here

Additional tasks - Added The Wikipedia Adventure at Tips library at Tips about Wikipedia as a whole section.

Removed old April 24 entry from Watchdogging (monitoring) Wikipedia section.

At Wikipedia:Tip of the day changed April 24 description from To count your edits, use the Soxred93 Edit Counter to The Wikipedia Adventure!

Thanks Tortle. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 21:36, 7 September 2015 (UTC)

Thanks JoeHebda and sorry for the slow response, more people need to get involved wih this project. Tortle (talk) 21:51, 7 September 2015 (UTC)

All of us editors are volunteers; some with more time, some with less, so I understand perfectly well about timelags. That's why I have this article & others on my personal watchlist so when updates pop-up, I can respond if need be. Also keeps certain things from being forgotten (easy to do)... Cheers! JoeHebda (talk) 23:32, 7 September 2015 (UTC)

Quickly checking the minor edit box[edit]

Here's an idea for a tip: when filling in the edit summary, press Tab ↹+Space to check the minor edit box quickly. —George8211 / T 09:06, 22 July 2015 (UTC)

New section - Instructions[edit]

Greetings, Today I added the Instructions section above to clarify TOTD maintenance, both for the schedule queue and the Tips library. I intentionally did not sign that new section with the usual tilde as I'm placing the explanation here, and inviting discussion & comments from interested editors. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 14:55, 8 September 2015 (UTC)

One possible way to go about this is to work on one tip per day, to make sure the tip that goes live each day is accurate and up to date. This chore could include properly placing the tip in the library. The Transhumanist 13:34, 11 September 2015 (UTC)

Like with the other "of the day" departments, it's nice to have a buffer of entries prepared in advance, so that if you need to take a few days off, plenty of days are still prepped. Then when you get back, you can build the buffer back up again. Thirty days of tips checked and ready for the spotlight makes for a pretty good buffer. The Transhumanist 15:40, 23 September 2015 (UTC)

Lightbulb Update[edit]

Hi User:JoeHebda and User:The Transhumanist. You guys seem like the only active users involved in the project so I figured I would consult you. I think it is time to update the lightbulb icon and I have two proposals of the template do you like the original,:

Tip of the day...

Lead Section Size

The lead section of a Wikipedia article is the section before the first heading. The table of contents, if displayed, generally appears between the lead section and the first subheading.

The lead section should contain up to four paragraphs, depending on the length of the article, and should provide a preview of the main points the article will make, summarizing the primary reasons the subject matter is interesting or notable. The lead should be capable of standing alone as a concise overview of the article, should be written in a clear and accessible style, should be carefully sourced like the rest of the text, and should encourage the reader to want to read more. The following table has some general guidelines for the length of the lead section:

< 15,000 characters	medium size	> 30,000 characters
one or two paragraphs	two or three paragraphs	three or four paragraphs

Summary essay: WP:CREATELEAD

Read more: Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section

Prior tip - Next tip

To add this auto-updating template to your user page, use {{totd}}

Become a Wikipedia tipster - Tips library, by subject

Number 1,:

Tip of the day...

Lead Section Size

The lead section of a Wikipedia article is the section before the first heading. The table of contents, if displayed, generally appears between the lead section and the first subheading.

The lead section should contain up to four paragraphs, depending on the length of the article, and should provide a preview of the main points the article will make, summarizing the primary reasons the subject matter is interesting or notable. The lead should be capable of standing alone as a concise overview of the article, should be written in a clear and accessible style, should be carefully sourced like the rest of the text, and should encourage the reader to want to read more. The following table has some general guidelines for the length of the lead section:

< 15,000 characters	medium size	> 30,000 characters
one or two paragraphs	two or three paragraphs	three or four paragraphs

Summary essay: WP:CREATELEAD

Read more: Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section

Prior tip - Next tip

To add this auto-updating template to your user page, use {{totd}}.

Become a Wikipedia tipster

Or Number 2 more:

Tip of the day...

Lead Section Size

The lead section of a Wikipedia article is the section before the first heading. The table of contents, if displayed, generally appears between the lead section and the first subheading.

The lead section should contain up to four paragraphs, depending on the length of the article, and should provide a preview of the main points the article will make, summarizing the primary reasons the subject matter is interesting or notable. The lead should be capable of standing alone as a concise overview of the article, should be written in a clear and accessible style, should be carefully sourced like the rest of the text, and should encourage the reader to want to read more. The following table has some general guidelines for the length of the lead section:

< 15,000 characters	medium size	> 30,000 characters
one or two paragraphs	two or three paragraphs	three or four paragraphs

Summary essay: WP:CREATELEAD

Read more: Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section

Prior tip - Next tip

To add this auto-updating template to your user page, use {{totd}}.

Become a Wikipedia tipster

Please let me know so I can enact the change. Thanks, Tortle (talk) 19:21, 8 September 2015 (UTC)

Greetings User:Tortle and User:The Transhumanist. A change of the light bulb should get the daily Tips more visibilty. I noticed that both suggested b/w images are larger than present icon. Two things (aren't there always?) - first, over at Commons there are a whole raft of possible icons. To find more, this is the [[1]] Commons search tool, and type in light bulb icon. And secondly, from that list, I really like

. If we use the 240px size, people will not think it's a push-button with a link. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 20:09, 8 September 2015 (UTC)

I looked at the icons at commons and they seem outdated and I wanted to go with a modern update and the icon you proposed, if blown up, will be way too pixelated. What would you think if I colored the two icons I suggested yellow like a lightbulb? User:JoeHebda. Thanks Tortle (talk) 20:14, 8 September 2015 (UTC)

Actually, there are versions that wont be pixellated but I do feel that it is too busy and the square around the lightbulb makes it detract from the tip. Tortle (talk) 20:15, 8 September 2015 (UTC)

Hi Tortle - there is no need to enlarge the icon I suggested above. If you click on the icon shown above (File:Light Bulb Icon.svg) it shows there are six different sizes available none of which are pixelated (blurry). The current lightbulb is 128px X 128px size, although the wikicode might be downsizing (or thumb) it.

My concern is to not make whatever icon used too large. The bigger the icon, it reduces precious space for the Tip text and forces the text further down the page with more text lines.

Note that I fixed the [[2]] Commons search tool above.

Another icon choice might be

which I set to 128px in the wikicode & staying with the b/w. With WP being an encyclopedia, I like the idea of something plain. With WP readers around the world, there may be people or places without the newer swirly bulbs vs the traditional bulbs being more universally understood. JoeHebda (talk) 01:06, 9 September 2015 (UTC)

I do like that icon, I actually saw it online and was considering it. Here it is JoeHebda:

Tip of the day...

Lead Section Size

The lead section of a Wikipedia article is the section before the first heading. The table of contents, if displayed, generally appears between the lead section and the first subheading.

The lead section should contain up to four paragraphs, depending on the length of the article, and should provide a preview of the main points the article will make, summarizing the primary reasons the subject matter is interesting or notable. The lead should be capable of standing alone as a concise overview of the article, should be written in a clear and accessible style, should be carefully sourced like the rest of the text, and should encourage the reader to want to read more. The following table has some general guidelines for the length of the lead section:

< 15,000 characters	medium size	> 30,000 characters
one or two paragraphs	two or three paragraphs	three or four paragraphs

Summary essay: WP:CREATELEAD

Read more: Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section

Prior tip - Next tip

To add this auto-updating template to your user page, use {{totd}}.

Become a Wikipedia tipster

Tortle (talk) 01:10, 9 September 2015 (UTC)

I actually do like it once it is in the template much better JoeHebda. The black of mine stood out too much. There are like two other tip of the day templates that are more compact and we can use smaller sizes for those. I have this one above at 125px which seems good. If it looks good to you, Ill update the templates. Tortle (talk) 01:16, 9 September 2015 (UTC)

Tortle I agree, the only think I see is the Yellow lightbulb tip above has only 5 lines of text vs. this one shows 6 lines. May need to go to even smaller pixels. Looking at the yellow lightbulb image, it contains a substantial white space surrounding the bulb, vs. this b/w image extends right to the very edges. Maybe something like 100px (just a guess) would be better? JoeHebda (talk) 01:22, 9 September 2015 (UTC)

JoeHebda, Ill see if I can get it down to 5 lines while keeping a larger size. Im thinking maybe 105-120 bc I know that 100 is a little too small. Ill update within the minute so the template above will auto. update Thanks Tortle (talk) 01:25, 9 September 2015 (UTC)

I changed the size JoeHebda and it takes up the same amount of space while being smaller at least on my device:

Tip of the day...

Lead Section Size

The lead section of a Wikipedia article is the section before the first heading. The table of contents, if displayed, generally appears between the lead section and the first subheading.

The lead section should contain up to four paragraphs, depending on the length of the article, and should provide a preview of the main points the article will make, summarizing the primary reasons the subject matter is interesting or notable. The lead should be capable of standing alone as a concise overview of the article, should be written in a clear and accessible style, should be carefully sourced like the rest of the text, and should encourage the reader to want to read more. The following table has some general guidelines for the length of the lead section:

< 15,000 characters	medium size	> 30,000 characters
one or two paragraphs	two or three paragraphs	three or four paragraphs

Summary essay: WP:CREATELEAD

Read more: Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section

Prior tip - Next tip

To add this auto-updating template to your user page, use {{totd}}.

Become a Wikipedia tipster

Tortle (talk) 01:31, 9 September 2015 (UTC)

Tortle Seeing same here. Just a guess, but I'm wondering if it displays different in Sandbox namespace vs. out-there live? I know with web HTML, there are Border & Margin parameters, so might be something in wikicode that needs to be set? JoeHebda (talk) 01:38, 9 September 2015 (UTC)

Well there are border and margin parameters in wikicode but they werent included for the yellow bulb. Ill do a couple tests but I dont think that will work. Maybe the text is too long to fit on the rest of the line and has to be on the next and it will resolve itself with tomorrows tip JoeHebda. Thansk Tortle (talk) 01:42, 9 September 2015 (UTC)

Tortle Now seeing 5 lines of text, so should be OK to go-live (and I'm going offline now. Thanks & good-nite). JoeHebda (talk) 01:47, 9 September 2015 (UTC)

Its just with today's tip User:JoeHebda. Wht is happening is just with the text.

For example I will still have space on the next line but the following word will be too long to fit on it jsjskfksjkfkdjfjdkkdkj.

So i think that is happening in todays tip with the links somehow. It is not a big problem though and the bulb looks good with other tips. Below, every time you refresh the page, it will show with a new tip.

Another Tip of the moment...

Becoming an Administrator

Any user can become an administrator (AKA "sysop"). Admins have no special rights over the content of Wikipedia; they are like janitors. An admin can delete pages (in accordance with Wikipedia:Deletion policy), protect them (in accordance with Wikipedia:Protection policy), and block vandals (in accordance with Wikipedia:Blocking policy). All of these actions can be undone by any sysop. If you have been active on Wikipedia for some time (four to six months with at least 3000 edits is a good guideline), apply for adminship today if you want to help with the housekeeping.

Done[edit]

Greetings Tortle, Had a chance to re-think overnight about the Lightbulb Icon sizing & now have the answer, really easy answer. Without being Logged-In, when I go to [[WP:TOTD]] page, the Lightbulb is a nice size (smaller). After Loggin, since I'm using Skin - Modern and Zoom of 133 percent, the lightbulb is larger. So for the majority of Wikipedia non-editors the Lightbulb is an OK size.

Done Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 14:40, 9 September 2015 (UTC)

Lightbulb metaphor[edit]

"What a bright idea!"

Keep up the good work, guys. The Transhumanist 13:35, 11 September 2015 (UTC)

Update: two more TOTD templates[edit]

On Wikipedia:Tip of the day page, after I added/updated the Tip templates section, I checked each of those templates for the new lightbulb. Templates Totd b and Tip of the day had the yellow lightbulb, so I updated those. Learning something new every day :-) JoeHebda (talk) 13:38, 14 September 2015 (UTC)

@JoeHebda: To cater to different tastes, a variety of styles is nice. After all, the various templates are for users to choose from to post on their user pages. The Transhumanist 15:58, 23 September 2015 (UTC)

Replaced obsolete tip[edit]

See Wikipedia:Tip of the day/October 17. The Transhumanist 13:50, 11 September 2015 (UTC)

Greetings User talk:The Transhumanist, just to let you know that I added the above tip (Power search Wikipedia using AutoWikiBrowser) to Wikipedia:Tips library at the Tips on searching section.

In that searching section, the next tip is How to search Wikipedia with Lycos at Wikipedia:Tip of the day/November 10. When I click on the Lycos EL, it errors out for that URL. Using another search engine, I found a search lycos website. This is beyond my expertise, so I'm just wondering if the link within the tip needs updating, or is Lycos another obsolete tip? JoeHebda (talk) 23:44, 11 September 2015 (UTC)

added 'January maintenance' section above[edit]

Greetings Tortle and The Transhumanist,

On this talk page today I added a new section January maintenance that compares the TOTD Schedule Queue and Tips library days. As time allows I'm planning on hammering in the other 11 months but before I thought to ask for your feedback. That way it's easier to update if needed, now than after all 12 months are completed.

Offline I had attemped a couple of different plain text formats & realized that Wikitable is probably clearest. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 19:31, 12 September 2015 (UTC)

Question about TOTD - October 1, two additional templates[edit]

Greetings, In reading tip for October 1 I noticed that it contains two additional templates that are not listed at Wikipedia:Tip of the day Tip templates section. These are templates {{totd2}} and {{Totd CP}}.

From the TOTD schedule queue:

January 21
April 21
July 21
October 1

From the Tips library:

Wikipedia:Tips/Displaying this on your user page

Going forward, we should determine if totd2 and Totd CP should be removed, or if needed then added to the other templates? Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 14:25, 14 September 2015 (UTC)

These were designed for user pages. {{Totd CP}} presents the tip in a box, while {{totd2}} presents it without a border, so it can be placed anywhere, such as in a column or within customized borders. The Transhumanist 18:33, 18 September 2015 (UTC)

Template:Totd CP - issue, missing 'Tip of the day' title[edit]

Greetings, Today I attempted to add Tip of the day... to the top of this template because it was missing. Unfortunately, my update did not work & I had to Undo. If another editor (Expert) could make this change as I'm clueless about what template magic is needed. Cheers, JoeHebda (talk) 14:31, 14 September 2015 (UTC)

Done The Transhumanist 13:22, 18 September 2015 (UTC)

Updated September 22 TOD - External links[edit]

Greetings, To help clarify this tip, I made "internal links" italics; added (wikilinks); added to Read more: MOS/linking. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 01:17, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

Updated September 23 TOD - Counting your edits[edit]

Greetings, For this tip, I changed the link to X's tools Edit counter as the previous link did not work (or was obsolete). In addition, I added details of what is displayed. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 01:35, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

This tip is now added at WP:Tips library into the Tips on editing section. JoeHebda (talk) 01:48, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

Obsolete tip needs to be replaced[edit]

Done Wikipedia:Tip of the day/July 23 – Search Wikipedia faster with Google search tricks

Wikipedia's search engine is a lot better than it used to be, and Google no longer provides better searches of Wikipedia than WP's own search engine. Another search-related tip would be nice. Any ideas? The Transhumanist 23:27, 10 July 2013 (UTC) Very good http://www.nurkowaniehurghada.pl — Preceding unsigned comment added by Marcia1111 (talk • contribs) 21:47, 18 March 2014 (UTC)

While The Transhumanist does have a point, searching Google will give you a much broader range of information from other places, specifically if you aren't sure what exactly you're looking for. Perhaps this new TotD could be about using Google if you don't exactly know what you're looking for - Kiwuser (talk) 19:22, 31 October 2014 (UTC)

Search for what you're looking for faster (title, debatable)

Wikipedia's new search engine is fast, efficient, and will get you exactly what you're searching for, but what if you don't know the name of what you're looking for? In that case, search engines such as Google can give you a broader view of things relating to your searches than Wikipedia, and can help you find the Wikipedia article you're looking for, as well as other sources that might be useful. Wikipedia's search engine is limited to the Wiki itself, so it might even miss things on other Wikimedia projects that are exactly what you're looking for, so if Wikipedia isn't finding what you want, try other searches like Google or Bing.

What do you guys think of this as a rewrite and probably more relevant version of this tip? - Kiwuser (talk) 21:47, 1 November 2014 (UTC)

@Kiwuser: Before I read your response above, I replaced the tip with "Wikipedia industrial-powered search". Not to worry, there are duplicate tips that can be replaced. So there's room for new tips. Speaking of which...

Your tip above confuses me a little. What did you mean by "don't know the name of what you're looking for?" Can you give me an example? The Transhumanist 05:15, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

@The Transhumanist: For Wikipedia:Tip of the day/July 23 – Wikipedia industrial-powered search, I changed the Tip name at WP:Tips library; and moved it out of the Google searching section to Tips on searching section. In addition, I did a few CEs on the actual Tip, grouping sentences into paragraphs (making it a bit easier read). Thanks for replacing the obsolete tip. Cheers! JoeHebda (talk) 13:06, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

I forgot to update the link at WP:TIPS. Thank you. The Transhumanist 17:52, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

Obsolete tips that need to be replaced[edit]

@JoeHebda: @Tortle:

Wikipedia:Tip of the day/February 11 (Another way to search Wikipedia with Google)
Wikipedia:Tip of the day/February 18 (Wikipedia-specific searching with Google)

Wikipedia's search engine has been improved immensely since these tips were written, and so there is little reason to use google to search Wikipedia. Replacing these with Wikipedia search tips would be nice. The Transhumanist 04:50, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

@The Transhumanist:

@Tortle:

At the TOTD Schedule Queue, these are the Google search tips:

Wikipedia:Tip of the day/February 7 – How to provide a link to a specific Google Search
Wikipedia:Tip of the day/February 11 – Another way to search Wikipedia with Google

Wikipedia:Tip of the day/February 18 – Wikipedia-specific searching with Google
Wikipedia:Tip of the day/October 6 – Wikipedia-specific searching with Google

Wikipedia:Tip of the day/February 22 – When and how to exclude Wikipedia from your Google search
Wikipedia:Tip of the day/August 22 – When and how to exclude Wikipedia from your Google search

Wikipedia:Tip of the day/August 11 – Ways to search Wikipedia with Google
Wikipedia:Tip of the day/August 30 – Google search link
Wikipedia:Tip of the day/November 16 – Google Toolbar Current Site Search Button
Wikipedia:Tip of the day/November 18 – How to provide a Google search in a link

Wondering if all of these can or should be removed? JoeHebda (talk) 17:43, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

@JoeHebda: I hadn't tried google for searching WP in awhile, so I thought it would be a good idea to test the assertion I made above. It seems google has been improving. So, I used WP:LINKY to cycle through the tips above, tip by tip. Here are my current thoughts:

Feb 7 – useful in AfD notability discussions or to show the most common version of a title phrase. Keep.
Feb 11 – google returned more relevant results when I entered List of topics. I was surprised. Keep.
Feb 18 – google has different features, and different results. And different settings. Therefore, having two search engines are better than one. Keep.
Oct 6 – redundant. Keep or replace.
Feb 22 – the tip explains when it is useful. Keep.
Aug 22 – I tried this by entering Wikipedia -wiki, and it seems to work! Keep.
Aug 11 – very cool. Tell's how to search Wikipedia using google via WP's search box and by WP internal link. Keep.
Aug 30 – google search boxes are ubiquitous these days (in firefox, etc.). So there is little or no need for a general link to google like this. This tip is obsolete. Replacing it wouln't hurt.
Nov16 – you are on your own here. I don't use the Google Toolbar. Keep?
Nov 18 – general google search via internal WP link. Useful for discussions, and for predefining entire search sessions (can use WP:LINKY to open all the searches in tabs all at once). Very powerful. Keep.

I hope these observations help. I refined (edited) the tips as I went. The Transhumanist 18:46, 23 September 2015 (UTC)

Should we have a Wiki2 tip?[edit]

https://wiki2.org/

The Transhumanist 06:25, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

(November 10) Lycos tip is no longer applicable[edit]

Along the lines of Obsolete tip needs to be replaced (above) regarding Google search, How to search Wikipedia with Lycos is obsolete to the point of being entirely invalid, and the tip should probably just be dumped.

Lycos no longer appears to have anything that even remotely resembles the "full-featured advance search engine" discussed. (Unsurprising in light of the fact that Lycos now use Yahoo as their backend search provider, and simply repackage the same results that you'd get querying Yahoo Search directly.) The link in the tip just gets redirected to http://www.lycos.com/, which offers no access to any type of "Advanced Search" feature. — FeRD_NYC (talk) 16:18, 12 May 2014 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by FeRD NYC (talk • contribs) 16:10, 12 May 2014 (UTC)

I've moved this message here because it still needs to be dealt with, and Nov 10 is right around the corner. The Transhumanist 06:43, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

@The Transhumanist: @Tortle:

New tip proposal for November 10 - first draft

Tip title: Editing articles for web accessibility

Content moved to section Tip of the day/November 10 below.

Discussion for consensus:

If there are any additions or updates needed for this new tip, please feel free to communicate here. Suggestions for improvement are welcome. JoeHebda (talk) 11:08, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

@JoeHebda: Excellent tip. I've added definition for clarity. The Transhumanist 15:55, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

P.S.: Please feel free to add your name to the top of the participants name list above, as you are the driving force of TOTD now. ;)

(April 13) Tip 'Motto of the day...' needs cleanup[edit]

Greetings @The Transhumanist: @Tortle:

While cross-checking for Google search articles between TOTD Schedule Queue and the WP:TIPS library I found April 13 – Motto of the day with an incorrect tip title (which I corrected) at the Tips library. When I looked at the April 13 tip's content, there are a number of Red Links that can be updated if possible. Even though April 13 is future, I'm documenting here for maintenance before that date arrives. Cheers, JoeHebda (talk) 18:36, 22 September 2015 (UTC)

swapped out the randomizer with another one, and removed the red link at the bottom.

Done The Transhumanist 00:00, 23 September 2015 (UTC)

Bird's eye view[edit]

@JoeHebda: Do you have all of the tips watchlisted?

If not, the easiest way I know of to add them is to make a list of them using WP:AWB (gathering links from the totd page using links on page in AWB's list maker), and then pasting the list into your raw watchlist. The Transhumanist 16:44, 23 September 2015 (UTC)

@The Transhumanist: Being that I'm on old DOS dog & like to simplify, I did the flip through URLs to watchlist only January Tips. Plus watchlist for Tips I've updated. The reason being that January is the only month completed for Tip maintenance section above. As each month is done, I would watchlist it. At least that is the plan... JoeHebda (talk) 00:44, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

@JoeHebda: What about watching for vandalism, and keeping an eye on what other editors are doing to the tip collection? (Such as in the case a tip is replaced, but they forget to update the title in the scheduling queue or at the tip library. Or they make a tip incomprehensible or erroneous?). Just some thoughts.

DOS dog. Hehehe, you're showing your age. :) Yep, thank the stars for DOSBox. I wish someone would figure out how to make those legacy programs work on Unicode data. Too bad they have to rewrite them from scratch. The Transhumanist 02:33, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

(September 28) updated Tip: 'Your customizable Wikipedia navigation hub'[edit]

Greetings, Today for this tip, I changed the keystroke instructions from Alt-shift-(period) to Alt-(period). The original instructions did not work, no brower response. The revised instructions change the browser window to the editor's user page. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 17:58, 23 September 2015 (UTC)

Superfluous tip?[edit]

Wikipedia:Tip of the day/November 1 – How to enable right-click section editing

I don't know how it is for others, but the edit button sits right next to each subheading, making this tip of no added benefit. Is that the same for you? The Transhumanist 20:38, 23 September 2015 (UTC)

|@The Transhumanist: Keeping in mind the above tip about web accessibility, I think this Preference is extremely helpful for Editors that may be visually impaired, and those with difficulty moving a mouse/pointing device. Before answering this message, I tried this option on my browser (Chromodo) & it really does help, especially when section title is rather long & Edit button is way over there on the right. Guess I will leave this Pref. turned ON. My laptop (Lenovo ThinkPad) is rather touch pad sensitive (stupid Win7) & I'm constantly parking mouse out of WP edit window so cursor is not jumping around where I don't want it to be.

At WP:Tips library, this Nov.1 tip is listed under Tips on editing and might be better placed at the Tips on working faster section instead.

My recommendation would be to improve Nov. 1 tip by adding a new first sentence, relating to web accessibility and easier and faster editing. JoeHebda (talk) 23:30, 23 September 2015 (UTC)

Interesting. I'm glad I asked. :) The Transhumanist 00:24, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

(September 26, March 26, April 17) SuggestBot tip[edit]

Greetings, For this tip's two dates, I added the options list (show below FYI) for how to request.
SuggestBot is a fun way to pick pages to edit - March 26
SuggestBot is a fun way to pick pages to edit - Sept. 26
A fun way to pick pages to edit - April 17

If you're looking for SuggestBot recommendations, you have these options.

For a one-time request to try it out, please go to User:SuggestBot/Requests.
At Teahouse, you can direct SuggestBot to choose article categories based on WikiProject(s) you are interested in. For a self-guided request, go to Teahouse SuggestBot Suggestions, click on Get suggestions and follow the instructions.
If you would like recommendations regularly sent to your talk page, add yourself to the list of SuggestBot Regulars.

This wikicode I proposed to User talk:Nettrom in July, 2015 with no resolution for go/no go regards to posting above at User:SuggestBot/Requests page.

Cheers! JoeHebda (talk) 23:55, 23 September 2015 (UTC)

Update: below re-posted here from User talk:SuggestBot, A third way: Request SuggestBot via Teahouse section.

Hi JoeHebda, thanks for pinging me about this! I took your draft and edited it a bit and turned it into a draft of the introduction on User:SuggestBot. You can find the draft here. Let me know what you think, and feel free to edit it if you find ways to improve it! Cheers, Nettrom (talk) 22:07, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

Greetings Nettrom

Good draft! It clarifies the request methods. Just now I completed two minor copy-edits. Should be good to go! BTW I've been working at Wikipedia:Tip of the day so once this draft is posted, I will update the TOTD for September 26 and March 26 (it's on the Schedule Queue twice). Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 22:54, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

Obsolete/erroneous tips for November[edit]

Using WP:LINKY and Firefox's Ctrl+W hot key to cycle through the links in the tip scheduling queue, I came across the following tips that need to be replaced:

Wikipedia:Tip of the day/November 2 – Gain feedback on your editing from other editors
- Wikipedia:Editor review is inactive
Wikipedia:Tip of the day/November 4 – How to disable the section edit links
- I can't find this in Preferences anywhere. I don't think it exists anymore.
Wikipedia:Tip of the day/November 10 – Search Wikipedia with Lycos
- no longer applies. Link in tip is dead. Instructions are erroneous.
Wikipedia:Tip of the day/November 12 – Making the edit summary input field larger
- this one was written when monobook was the default skin.
Wikipedia:Tip of the day/November 21 – Viewing Persondata
- deprecated as of May 26, 2015

Those are all I could find in November. The Transhumanist 03:58, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

@The Transhumanist and Tortle: Wondering if October tips has been checked? I will be away from computer until this afternoon but wanted to ask this before leaving. And I do have a small list of new tip ideas waiting in the wings to be written. Cheers! JoeHebda (talk) 12:49, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

I have not checked October. I figured you would be working on that. I did November to help with your safety buffer before tips go live. The Transhumanist 13:19, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

Tip of the day/November 2[edit]

Answered: JoeHebda (talk) 03:24, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

Current tip name = Gain feedback on your editing from other editors

Recommendation: Rewrite this tip, changing title to Noticeboards to request assistance and ask questions

Pull this tip's content from Wikipedia:Noticeboards lead section. For example:

Noticeboards on Wikipedia are pages where editors can ask questions and request assistance from people who are familiar with the policies and guidelines covered by each individual noticeboard. They are to be used for specific problems that editors encounter in writing and maintaining Wikipedia articles.

Posting a message to a noticeboard can also be an appropriate early step in resolving disputes on Wikipedia. Noticeboards are best used for simple and urgent matters. If an editor needs a more complex response, and is willing to wait for it, the WP:Requests for comment process may be more suitable.

If you want feedback on an article that you have planned, or that you have recently made major changes to, try the Teahouse or help desk. If you have a question about an encyclopedic subject, leave a note for the Wikipedia:Reference desk.

If you need general help with creating and editing articles on Wikipedia, try Wikipedia:Questions or Wikipedia:Help desk. New editors may find the WP:New contributors' help page a valuable resource.

Tip of the day/November 4[edit]

Answered: JoeHebda (talk) 03:45, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

Current tip name = How to disable the section edit links

Recommendation: replace with new tip below.

Tip title: Help reduce the Wikipedia backlog

There are a number of tasks that should be done to improve Wikipedia. First of all, while reading any article, and you notice something in the article that can be improved, if you are not able to cleanup the article immediately, then feel free to add the necessary cleanup templates. Template messages may be added to articles needing a cleanup.

Articles with these templates will appear in the backlog, and help other editors to easily identify the needed changes. Some editors help to reduce the backlog by specializing in certain specific types of cleanup and are experts for these types of improvements.

The Wikipedia backlog page lists important tasks that should be done and invites editors to help.

Tip of the day/November 10[edit]

Answered: JoeHebda (talk) 12:26, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

Current tip name = How to search Wikipedia with Lycos

Recommendation: replace with new tip below, discussed above at (November 10) Lycos tip is no longer applicable.

Tip title: Editing articles for web accessibility

Web accessibility is the goal of making web pages easier to navigate and read. While this is primarily intended to assist those with disabilities, it can be helpful to all readers.

While editing articles, keep in mind the goal of making Wikipedia web accessible. All users, regardless of disability, should be able to read, navigate, and contribute to Wikipedia easily.

The Accessibility section of Wikipedia's Manual of Style is a valuable resource that provides helpful guidelines. In addition, WikiProject Accessibility is a group of editors promoting better access for disabled or otherwise disadvantaged users. For more information, such as what you can do to help, see the main project page.

Discussion for consensus: If there are any additions or updates needed for this new tip, please feel free to communicate here. Suggestions for improvement are welcome. JoeHebda (talk) 12:26, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

It looks ready to go. The Transhumanist 01:27, 26 September 2015 (UTC)

Done Posted: 15:55, 27 September 2015

Thanks!

JoeHebda (talk) 20:03, 28 September 2015 (UTC)

Tip of the day/November 12[edit]

@The Transhumanist:

Answered: JoeHebda (talk) 03:55, 29 September 2015 (UTC)

Current tip name = Making the edit summary input field larger

Recommendation: replace with new tip below.

Tip title: Giving editor awards

Whether an editor collaborates with a team of editors on a WikiProject or is improving articles independently, an editor can give a Wikipedia award (often a barnstar) to another deserving editor.

Editors may reward vigorous Wikipedia contributors for their hard work and due diligence by awarding them a fitting barnstar, or other award. In additional to these virtual awards, editors may nominate someone to receive a gift, in the mail, from the Wikimedia Foundation.

If there are any additions or updates needed for this new tip, please feel free to communicate here. Suggestions for improvement are welcome. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 20:15, 28 September 2015 (UTC)

Done This replacement tip is now posted at TOTD Schedule Queue, and at Tips library.

JoeHebda (talk) 21:03, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

Tip of the day/November 21[edit]

Current tip name = Viewing Persondata

Recommendation: replace with new tip below.

Tip title: Welcome to Wikipedia!

As a new editor you may be wondering, "How can I help?" and be overwhelmed by the extent and scope of the entire Wikipedia project.

An introduction for new contributors is available at Help:Getting started which provides a self-guided roadmap of tutorials, introductions, training topics and other resources allowing you to learn more about how you can help improve Wikipedia.

(February 29) issue: Next tip goes to March 2.[edit]

Greetings @Tortle and The Transhumanist: For the Feb. 29 tip, when I click on Next tip, it loads March 2 tip instead of March 1. I looked at the wikicode & it's beyond anything that I can understand.

It is possible that because of Feb. 29 being a leap day it might need something special? Maybe a hard-coded wikilink to force March 1:

[[Wikipedia:Tip of the day/March 1|Next tip]]

In addition, whenever there is a leap year, how does Feb. 28 Tip know to use Feb. 29 and not skip fwd to March 1?

Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 21:27, 26 September 2015 (UTC)

The calendar incrementation is handled by the software. Mathematically speaking, the 29th day of February in 2015 is March 1st. That's probably why you are getting March 2 - in terms of the correct next numerical day of the year, March 2 it is correct. Try the same thing on January 1st, 2016, and it will probably show March 1. The Transhumanist 23:35, 26 September 2015 (UTC)

(March 30) - Working on the Main Page = lengthy[edit]

Greetings, Wonder if the March 30 tip can be divided into two? I noticed this tip is quite long. Does it make sense to make two seperate tips?

Main Page departments (top half of current tip)
Main Page schedule queues (bottom of current tip)

Discussion for consensus:

Please feel free to communicate feedback here. Cheers! JoeHebda (talk) 23:45, 26 September 2015 (UTC)

(October 29) - Duplicate tip[edit]

Greetings :@The Transhumanist and Tortle:, This tip (How to enable the Enhance recent changes setting) appears twice in the Tips library.

Watchdogging (monitoring) Wikipedia
Configuring and customizing your account

At first (and second) glance, the tip looks okay at both sections. Here I'm asking for your thoughts of how to proceed? At the Tips library, normally each tip should appear only once. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 01:04, 3 October 2015 (UTC)

The name of that setting has changed. The check box is now described as Group changes by page in recent changes and watchlist . The Transhumanist 01:42, 3 October 2015 (UTC)

@JoeHebda: The tip pertains to both categories, as it is a monitoring tool, and is part of account configuration. The Transhumanist 07:40, 20 October 2015 (UTC)

The tip's title and content were both in error. I've revised the tip, and have also renamed it to "How to enhance Recent changes".

Done The Transhumanist 07:40, 20 October 2015 (UTC)

(October 26) - A plain & simple introduction[edit]

Greetings, The new tip below can replace an existing (duplicate) tip for a day to be determined.

Tip title: A plain & simple introduction

The article Wikipedia:Plain and simple is a summary that explains the basics of what you need to know to start editing quickly and avoid major stumbling blocks. Don't worry if you don't understand everything at first. As time goes on, you'll learn how to be a great contributor to Wikipedia!

If you do get stuck, there are volunteers available to answer your questions, see asking for help for more information.

If there are any additions or updates needed for this new tip, please feel free to communicate here. Suggestions for improvement are welcome. JoeHebda (talk) 19:57, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

Done This replacement tip is posted at TOTD Schedule Queue, and at Tips library. JoeHebda (talk) 00:27, 9 October 2015 (UTC)

Message signing tips - Many of them[edit]

Greetings, while doing tip maintenance, I noticed message signing tips, all for the same topic.

Note: For the complete list of 12 tips see below.

After reviewing content similarities & differences, here is a revised tip "Master copy" that can be cloned:

Please sign your name on talk pages

It is proper "Wikiquette" (WI-kee-ket) to sign your messages on talk pages. This prevents readers from confusing your posts with messages by other users.

To sign a message, move the cursor to the end of the message, and then with your mouse click on the sig icon ( or ) in the toolbar at the top of the edit box. This inserts the signature code (~~~~) where the cursor is. When you save the page, these tilde characters are converted to your signature followed by a date stamp.

You can also type this code in manually with the four tilde characters ~+~+~+~.

To sign without a date stamp, use three tildes ~~~ (~+~+~) instead.

To sign only the date stamp, use five tildes ~~~~~(~+~+~+~+~).

Discussion on sig tips[edit]

In addition to the above Tip update, it might be practical to remove (replace) Sept. 12 and Nov. 20 tips since this tip is on the Schedule Queue a month previous (Aug. 17 and Oct. 26). Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 23:55, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

Fantastic job on the master sig tip. I like it. Those keys sure catch the eye.

Waxing historical... Back when we were automating the display of tips, we had to come up with a set of 366 of them to fill the whole year. We were hard-pressed to come up with that many tips, and so some of them where used more than once. The sig tip seemed like good filler, since it was a key tip for beginners.

The sig tips would be good candidates for replacing with new tips, keeping at least one, of course. Note that the sig tip also gets coverage in a couple of the anthology tips (best dozen tips, etc.) Those link directly to the tips listed...

Wikipedia:Tip of the day/January 26 – Wikipedia's dozen most essential tips
Wikipedia:Tip of the day/March 1 – Wikipedia's top ten essential tips
Wikipedia:Tip of the day/July 26 – Wikipedia's dozen most essential tips
Wikipedia:Tip of the day/September 1 – Wikipedia's top ten essential tips

The sig tip included in the above is the April 2 tip. The Transhumanist 00:44, 6 October 2015 (UTC)

Add to above list:

Wikipedia:Tip of the day/October 18 - Six of one, half-a-dozen of the other

JoeHebda (talk) 11:08, 9 October 2015 (UTC)

Found another related tip at Wikipedia:Tip of the day/October 7 - Autosign your message with the sig button

So for now, it would be good to clone these "fillers" and over time, begin replacing some with new tips. Thanks for your valuable inputs!

JoeHebda (talk) 02:13, 6 October 2015 (UTC)

Changed these (above) to use January 8 tip instead of April 2 tip

January 26, March 1, July 26, September 1, October 18.

JoeHebda (talk) 19:58, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

Master tip: Please sign your name on talk pages[edit]

Status of updates:

Done January 8 - Please sign your name on talk pages
Done February 29 - Please sign your name on talk pages
Done March 12 - Please sign your name on talk pages
Done August 17 - Please sign your name on talk pages
Done October 7 - Please sign your name on talk pages

Tips replaced:

Done January 25 -X- (replacement tip) Ask for help at Wikipedia's Help Desk
Done April 2 -X- (replacement tip) Visit the Village Pump for technical issues
Done April 20 -X- (replacement tip) Explore Wikipedia's contents
Done September 12 -X- (replacement tip) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Done October 26 -X- (replacement tip) A plain & simple introduction
Done November 20 -X- (replacement tip) A comprehensive index for editors
Done December 15 -X- (replacement tip) Advice for parents

Note: X = Tip replaced

JoeHebda (talk) 02:38, 6 October 2015 (UTC)

Updated lists above. JoeHebda (talk) 23:11, 21 October 2015 (UTC)

December tips[edit]

I've proofread and revised up through (including) December 10, and have looked over the rest for obsolete tips. Several need updating with minor revisions, but I only found one that is obsolete... The Transhumanist 00:08, 6 October 2015 (UTC)

(December 30) Obsolete tip[edit]

Go Search

There are two ways to search Wikipedia, the Go button and Search. After you put your keyword in the searchbox, clicking Go (or Enter on keyboard) will try to take you directly to the page. Except for the first letter, it looks for an exact capitalization match of the keyword you enter. If it can't find a match, it will show a red link, ask if you want to create or request it, and try to return a list of articles that contain the keyword. Clicking Search will always try to return a list of articles; as will red links if a match is not found.

Read more: Wikipedia:Go button, Wikipedia:Searching

@JoeHebda: This looks like a good place for that new (intro) tip you wrote above. :) The Transhumanist 00:08, 6 October 2015 (UTC)

@The Transhumanist: Posted (intro) tip for October 26 instead. There will be more new tips on the way for November 20 and December 30. Just thought it better to update October one first, beating the calendar that's ticking

JoeHebda (talk) 15:40, 6 October 2015 (UTC)

Good idea. TOTD is in good hands. The Transhumanist 22:47, 6 October 2015 (UTC)

(November 20) - A comprehensive index[edit]

Greetings, Here is a replacement tip for November 20 - Always sign your messages. To replace a duplicate tip.

Tip title: A comprehensive index

Sometimes, it might be useful to look up a subject in the same way you would do so in a book—in the index. Wikipedia has an index. To use it.. it is available at the Editor's index to Wikipedia.

Although it is called an "editor's index", it's really intended to be an index for anyone involved with Wikipedia in other than the role of a reader. Most of the topics are directly relevant to editing of articles, but some topics are less directly relevant to editing.

If there are any additions or updates needed for this new tip, please feel free to communicate here. Suggestions for improvement are welcome. JoeHebda (talk) 17:28, 6 October 2015 (UTC)

ω Awaiting feedback please. If above tip looks okay please advise so that it can be updated, and on the TOTD Schedule & Tips library. Cheers! JoeHebda (talk) 16:40, 8 October 2015 (UTC)

Done posted to TOTD Schedule Queue and Tips library. JoeHebda (talk) 01:12, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

( December 30) - What is the Teahouse?[edit]

Greetings, Here is a replacement tip for December 30 - Go Search (obsolete tip).

Tip title: What is the Teahouse?

The Teahouse is friendly place to help new editors become accustomed to Wikipedia culture, ask questions, and develop community relationships.

Ask questions about using Wikipedia and volunteers will respond as soon as possible.
Visit Teahouse to learn from other new editor's questions, and the answers from volunteer experts.
Contribute an answer to a Teahouse question as you learn more about editing Wikipedia.

If there are any additions or updates needed for this new tip, please feel free to communicate here. Suggestions for improvement are welcome. JoeHebda (talk) 17:58, 6 October 2015 (UTC)

Done posted to TOTD Schedule Queue and Tips library. JoeHebda (talk) 01:44, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

@JoeHebda: Adjusted the tip title to "Come visit the Teahouse. The Transhumanist 08:25, 20 October 2015 (UTC)

( January 6 ) - How to send a message to other editors[edit]

Greetings, Here is a replacement tip for (duplicate) January 6 - How to make redirects turn green.

Tip title: How to send a message to other editors

Communication between editors takes place at talk pages.

To send a message to another editor:

Go to a user talk page (e.g. User talk:xxxxx)
Click the "new section" button at top, and when the editing window opens you can type you message to post.
At the end of your message, include your signature with ~~~~ (four tilde characters).

Note that user talk pages are publically viewable, so it's not a private message to the user concerned.

Editor replies:

Unless the other user includes a link to your user page in their reply (called a "ping"), you won't get a notification that they've replied, so it's a good idea to either check their talk page every now and then, or add it to your watch list.

If there are any additions or updates needed for this new tip, please feel free to communicate here. Suggestions for improvement are welcome. JoeHebda (talk) 04:11, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

Done posted to TOTD Schedule Queue and Tips library. JoeHebda (talk) 19:15, 13 October 2015 (UTC)

Added the following:

(January 12) - Avoiding common mistakes[edit]

Greetings, Here is a replacement tip for duplcate tip "How to use red links" (July 12)

Tip title: Avoiding common mistakes

Newcomers to Wikipedia may find that it is easy to commit a faux pas. Remember that you can't break Wikipedia and although there are many protocols, perfection is not required, as Wikipedia is a work in progress.

Collaborative editing means that incomplete or poorly written first drafts can evolve over time into excellent articles. There is even a project , WikiProject Fix common mistakes (shortcut: WP:FIX) whose goal is to reduce the number of common mistakes in the article space of Wikipedia.

If there are any additions or updates needed for this new tip, please discuss here. JoeHebda (talk) 19:51, 13 October 2015 (UTC)
* Discussion:

Done posted to TOTD Schedule Queue and Tips library. JoeHebda (talk) 19:45, 17 October 2015 (UTC)

(January 25) - Ask for help at Wikipedia's Help Desk[edit]

Greetings, Here is a replacement tip for Remember, always sign your messages.

Tip title: Ask for help at Wikipedia's Help Desk

Are you a contributor who wants to get help with the editing process and understanding Wikipedia's policies and guidelines? If so, ask a question at Wikipedia's Help Desk.

The Wikipedia Help Desk is run by volunteer editors to help new and experienced users use the English Wikipedia. First and foremost, if your question is a general knowledge query not specifically related to Wikipedia, you probably want to visit the Wikipedia Reference Desk, where asking knowledge questions is welcome.

The Help desk is available only for questions about how to use or edit Wikipedia.
Help desk members are all volunteers, so sometimes replies can take some time. Please be patient. Check back to see if your question is answered.
New users: While the Help Desk is a good place to ask questions, new users may prefer to ask for help at the Teahouse, an area specifically for new users to get help with editing, article creation, and general Wikipedia use, in a friendly environment.

For a comprehensive directory of services and assistance that can be requested on Wikipedia see Wikipedia:Requests

Read more: Where to look for help - Wikipedia:FAQ

If there are any additions or updates needed for this new tip, please feel free to communicate here. Suggestions for improvement are welcome. JoeHebda (talk) 20:59, 8 October 2015 (UTC)

Done posted to TOTD Schedule Queue and Tips library. JoeHebda (talk) 20:25, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

(April 2) - Visit the Village Pump for technical issues[edit]

Greetings, Here is a replacement tip for Please sign your comments.

Tip title: Visit the Village Pump for technical issues

Ask about technical issues at Village pump, which is a page where folks especially knowledgeable about Wikipedia hang out. The village pump is a metaphor for a place where lots of people gather to discuss interesting topics.

Click on the "Technical section" to discuss technical issues about Wikipedia. Newcomers to the technical village pump are encouraged to read these guidelines prior to posting.

If there are any additions or updates needed for this new tip, please feel free to communicate here. Suggestions for improvement are welcome. JoeHebda (talk) 00:22, 9 October 2015 (UTC)

Done posted to TOTD Schedule Queue and Tips library. JoeHebda (talk) 16:23, 12 October 2015 (UTC)

You can present multiple read more suggestions, all right justified, like this:

Read more: Where to look for help
Wikipedia:FAQ Technical

Just a meta tip. :) The Transhumanist 09:26, 20 October 2015 (UTC)

(April 3) - Updated tip - Stop by the Reference Desk[edit]

Updated this tip with additional content & wikilinks. JoeHebda (talk) 16:48, 12 October 2015 (UTC)

(April 20) - Explore Wikipedia's contents[edit]

Greetings, Here is a replacement tip for How to sign your comments (duplicate tip).

Tip title: Explore Wikipedia's contents

Wikipedia contains a number of content navigation systems to help you browse the encyclopedia. They serve as an alternative to the search box, and are especially useful when you don't know exactly what you are looking for, or for when you want to see everything on a particular subject.

There are overviews of various topics as well as outlines and lists.

If you to prefer you can browse through timelines, featured content and featured articles.

If there are any additions or updates needed for this new tip, please discuss here. JoeHebda (talk) 18:47, 12 October 2015 (UTC)
* Discussion:

Done posted to TOTD Schedule Queue and Tips library. JoeHebda (talk) 17:56, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

(June 27) Updated tip - Pretty tables[edit]

FYI, after reading a Q & A at the Teahouse, I updated this June 27 tip content to include additional WP Table resources. JoeHebda (talk) 01:51, 11 October 2015 (UTC)

(August 2) - Find uncategorized articles[edit]

Greetings, Here is a replacement duplicate tip for "August 2 - Redirect synonymous topic names".

Tip title: Find uncategorized articles

Articles created without a category added should be tagged with a maintenance tag. Use the {{Uncategorized}} tag to put articles in this category. Optionally add a date parameter such as {{Uncategorized|date=October 2015}} to add it into the by-date categories.

Articles without categories are found at Uncategorized pages. You can try to categorize articles yourself. One useful technique is to try following links in the article to other similar pages, and see how they are categorized, so you know what to copy.

If there are any additions or updates needed for this new tip, please discuss here. JoeHebda (talk) 19:10, 14 October 2015 (UTC)
* Discussion:

Added this tip into October 4 "Category tips" list of category-related tips. JoeHebda (talk) 20:28, 17 October 2015 (UTC)

Done posted to TOTD Schedule Queue and Tips library. JoeHebda (talk) 20:17, 17 October 2015 (UTC)

(September 12) - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)[edit]

Greetings, Here is a replacement tip for "To sign a message, use ~~~~"

Tip title: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) answers the most common questions about all aspects of Wikipedia. You can type a question and click on Search the FAQs button to view related FAQs. In addition to the main FAQ, you can browse additional FAQ pages.

To ask a question not covered in any of the FAQ pages, see Wikipedia:Questions.

(October 27) - Basic copyediting[edit]

Greetings, Here is a replacement tip for "Oct. 27-Remember: fill-in the edit summary"

Tip title: Basic copyediting

Discovering that pages need basic copyediting may surprise new visitors to Wikipedia, but this is the "encyclopedia that anyone can edit". Millions of the articles need simple improvements that you can make without being an expert in the subject.

Copyediting involves the "five Cs": making the article clear, correct, concise, comprehensible, and consistent. So, if you see something you can fix, click on the "edit" tab at the top of the page, and start typing in the edit window to fix it. Be bold. And, if there are any facts you know about the subject that are missing, then please, add them in!

For general help with editing, see Wikipedia:How to edit a page.

If there are any additions or updates needed for this new tip, please discuss here. JoeHebda (talk) 00:04, 13 October 2015 (UTC)
* Discussion:

Please, do not encourage tagging. Some new editors may be timid and feel that it is not appropriate for them to make the changes themselves because they are new and inexperienced. They may not realize that the more people who jump in and help with the changes, the better. Let's encourage them to be bold. I've changed the tip above to reflect that.

Far too many users go around tagging things without fixing anything. Consequently, the encyclopedia is getting choked with tagcruft. There's already far more work than the regular editors can handle without creating backlogs of tags that need to be handled and removed. The backlogs on most tag types go back years. It is now obvious that tags often do more harm than good, forcing content that users wish to see down the screen so they have to scroll to get to it.

See the template {{Sofixit}}.

Let's encourage editing, and provide tips on how to do that. The Transhumanist 20:38, 16 October 2015 (UTC)

Thanks for the feedback & guidance above. I was away yesterday (unplanned) & so just now returning. From all of the online help I see there are a huge number of articles including about editing. What helps me to "sort in out" is looking at Wikipedia:Tips#Tips on editing section. After mulling this over for a while, I'd like to regroup that section, more in line with your suggestion - from the perspective of a new editor. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 14:14, 17 October 2015 (UTC)

@JoeHebda: Working on the tips department (back in 2006, as User:Go for it!) is what brought me up to speed on WP. That and Wikipedia:Tools/Optimum tool set, though now sadly out of date. The Transhumanist 11:10, 20 October 2015 (UTC)

Done posted to TOTD Schedule Queue and Tips library. JoeHebda (talk) 21:23, 17 October 2015 (UTC)

(December 15) - Advice for parents[edit]

Greetings, Here is a replacement tip for duplcate tip "Please sign your name on talk pages" (January 8)

Tip title: Advice for parents

The Wikipedia article, Advice for parents, provides information for parents and legal guardians. Wikipedia's goal is to offer "the sum of all human knowledge" in a format which is legal to copy, modify and redistribute to all, at no cost.

Even though Wikipedia is freely editable by anyone and everyone, this does not mean that anyone can write anything. Both inaccuracy and sheer vandalism are therefore problems that the project faces on a daily basis. However, a number of safeguards are in effect. These include insisting that editors cite reliable sources, as well as Recent Changes Patrolling for vandalism, and New Page Patrolling for recently created articles with inappropriate content.

The Advice for parents article is intended to help parents, guardians, teachers, and other adults consider the best way to allow children they are responsible for to engage with Wikipedia safely and enjoyably. Read more about privacy, confidentiality and discretion on Wikipedia.

You may also be interested in another independent project, the Schools' Wikipedia — a specific selection of about 5,500 articles from the English Wikipedia, suitable for school children, which has been checked and edited for this audience.

Review of Tips for Tip templates[edit]

Greetings, Below is a list of the four tip-template related tips that are on the TOTD Schedule Queue.

January 21/Displaying tips on your userpage - 7 templates; What links here = 14

Recommendation = replace with new tip

April 21/isplaying Tip of the day on your user page - No templates; What links here = 7

Recommendation = replace with new tip

July 21/Displaying tips on your userpage - 7 templates; What links here = 23; plus TOTD templates
October 1/How to display the Tip of the day on your user page - 9 templates; What links here = 104

Recommendation = keep and update July 21 to 9 templates.

In addition it may be helpful to regroup the tip templates as shown in the example below.

{{totd}} - the main userspace version of the tip of the day template, with border, centered in the middle of the page. Complete with inspirational lightbulb.

{{totd b}} - a more compact version of the above template. Useful for columns.

{{totd3}} - a purple box version, useful for displaying the tip in columns.

{{totd-random}} - this is the tip of the moment template, which automatically displays a different tip every time you enter a page it is on. If it doesn't update, try clearing your browser cache.

{{totd-tomorrow}} - this shows tomorrow's tip, and is used by Wikipedia tipsters to make sure that the tips are up-to-date and corrected before they go live.

{{Tip of the day}} - the borderless version, with lightbulb.

{{Tip of the day with h3 heading}} - the tip in heading/paragraph format (No lightbulb).

{{totd2}} - the borderless version used on Wikipedia's Help page (which already has its own borders). (No lightbulb).

{{totd CP}} - like the help page version, but with a box & lightbulb. Spans the whole field (screen or column) that it is in.

If there is any feedback for these recommendations, please discuss here. JoeHebda (talk) 23:14, 18 October 2015 (UTC)
* Discussion:

Done Template regrouping completed 01:05, 23 October 2015‎ JoeHebda at project page & within tips. JoeHebda (talk) 11:05, 24 October 2015 (UTC)

Subject of Jan 2 tip is broken[edit]

The tip "Searching Wikipedia titles with grep" is about a tool available at the WMF tool lab, but the problem is that it just doesn't work.

I've tested it on multiple occasions, and each time, I've gotten the same "504 Gateway Time-out" error message.

Unfortunately, it looks like Jan 2 needs a new tip. The Transhumanist 07:03, 20 October 2015 (UTC)

(January 2) - Article development[edit]

Greetings, Here is a replacement for tip "Searching Wikipedia titles with grep" (January 2).

Tip title: Article development

Newly created articles are checked for obvious problems by members of the New pages patrol. These editors collaborate to identify articles which do not meet the criteria for inclusion and/or to tag them for any glaring issues that need attention. Article classification codes are asssigned (on the article's talk page) based on an assessment of the article's quality. The assessment class codes may be updated by any contributor as the article is improved.

Typically, an article may begin with a Stub-class or Start-class code and is upgraded to "C-class", then "B-class" as the article becomes more complete. Next, an article is submitted to the peer review process to receive ideas and feedback from other editors. Upon successful completion of the peer review, an article may then be nominated for GA-Class (Good Article) status.

Articles achieving GA status are candidates for FA-Class (Featured Article) status. Examples of featured articles are viewable daily at Wikipedia's Main Page.

If there are any additions or updates needed for this new tip, please discuss here. JoeHebda (talk) 13:55, 24 October 2015 (UTC)
* Discussion:

Done posted to TOTD Schedule Queue and Tips library. JoeHebda (talk) 15:37, 28 October 2015 (UTC)

(January 14) - Article quality assessments[edit]

Greetings, Here is a replacement for duplicate tip Using Math (July 14).

Tip title: Article quality assessments

One of the most common methods used by WikiProjects to monitor and prioritize their work is that of assessing the articles within their scope. The de facto standard for these assessments is the Version 1.0 Editorial Team's assessment scale (shown below).

FA	The article has attained featured article status by passing an official review.
A	The article is well organized and essentially complete, having been reviewed by impartial reviewers from this WikiProject or elsewhere. Good article status is not a requirement for A-Class.
GA	The article has attained good article status by passing an official review.
B	The article is mostly complete and without major problems, but requires some further work to reach good article standards.
C	The article is substantial, but is still missing important content or contains much irrelevant material. The article should have some references to reliable sources, but may still have significant problems or require substantial cleanup.
Start	An article that is developing, but which is quite incomplete. It might or might not cite adequate reliable sources.
Stub	A very basic description of the topic. However, all very-bad-quality articles will fall into this category.

For a more basic overview of article assessment, please see the Assessment FAQ.

If there are any additions or updates needed for this new tip, please discuss here. JoeHebda (talk) 15:17, 24 October 2015 (UTC)
* Discussion:

Done posted to TOTD Schedule Queue and Tips library. JoeHebda (talk) 15:53, 28 October 2015 (UTC)

(January 21) - Good article nominations[edit]

Greetings, Here is a replacement for tip "Displaying tips on your userpage" (January 21).

Tip title: Good article nominations

Wikipedia articles improved to "C-class", and then "B-class" status may be submitted to the peer review process to receive ideas and feedback from other editors.

Upon successful completion of the peer review, an article can be nominated for GA-Class (Good Article) status. Articles achieving GA status are then candidates for FA-Class (Featured Article) status.

A good article is a satisfactory article that has the following attributes:

1. Well written. Prose and layout are clear, and comply with certain aspects of the Manual of Style; in particular, the lead is a concise summary of the article.

2. Accurate and verifiable. Sources are provided, and cited where necessary.

3. Broad. It covers the main aspects of the topic without going into unnecessary detail.

4. Neutral. It represents viewpoints fairly and without bias.

5. Stable. It does not change significantly from day-to-day.

6. Images. It is illustrated, if possible and relevant, by images with acceptable copyright status and fair use rationales where necessary.

If there are any additions or updates needed for this new tip, please discuss here. JoeHebda (talk) 14:32, 24 October 2015 (UTC)
* Discussion:

Done posted to TOTD Schedule Queue and Tips library. JoeHebda (talk) 18:42, 28 October 2015 (UTC)

(April 21) - Featured article candidates[edit]

Greetings, Here is a replacement for tip "Displaying Tip of the day on your user page" (April 21).

Tip title: Featured article candidates

While a good article is a satisfactory article, a featured article exemplifies our very best work and has the following attributes:

1. High and reliable quality. It has: (a) engaging prose of a professional standard; (b) comprehensive coverage of major facts, details and context; (c) factual accuracy, with citations for verification against reliable sources; (d) neutral presentation of viewpoints; (e) stable content.

2. Detailed style standards. It complies with the entire Manual of Style and has: (a) a concise summarizing lead; (b) a substantial table of contents; (c) consistently formatted inline citations.

3. Images. It has images in accordance with image use policies; in particular, they have acceptable copyright status and fair use rationales where necessary.

4. Length. It stays focused on the main topic without going into unnecessary detail.

Articles achieving GA status are candidates for FA-Class (Featured Article) status. Examples of featured articles are viewable daily at Wikipedia's Main Page.

Nov 20: A comprehensive index[edit]

Adjusted the title to "A comprehensive index for editors".

So it doesn't get confused with the comprehensive index to the encyclopedia. The Transhumanist 08:05, 20 October 2015 (UTC)

Dec. 29: Troubleshooting Wikipedia's look and feel with skins[edit]

Based on a Teahouse question, I updated this tip to include a wikilink to WP:Skins, and to Manual:Gallery of user styles. JoeHebda (talk) 22:31, 21 October 2015 (UTC)

TOTD Archives[edit]

Greetings, This talk page is getting somewhat lengthy & I'm thinking that by/after Dec. 31 might be a good time to create another archive (Archive 6). For now, wondering if it would be worthwhile to move all of the Archive 1 to Archive 5 subpages into a single subpage (Archives)? Since I have not done any archiving, asking for advice please. JoeHebda (talk) 16:10, 26 October 2015 (UTC)
* Discussion

@JoeHebda: There are a number of ways to do archiving. They are covered at Help:Archiving a talk page.

Cutting and pasting existing archive pages into a single page is not advisable for a couple reasons:

it creates a page that is too cumbersome for some readers (which is why we archive in the first place), and...
it unnecessarily disconnects the archive content from its edit histories (assuming the move/rename method of archiving was used).

There are some other things you can do. If you want a page with all the archives on it, you can transclude them like this:

To see how well this works, see Wikipedia talk:Tip of the day/Sandbox.

Note that this department uses the automated template {{archivebox}} to display links to standard numbered archive pages. It is used like this:

By the way, the way I handle archives on my user talk page is with a menu subpage. Click on it to see the menu:

Proposal: add Tips library to TOTD templates[edit]

Greetings: Now that the Tips library improvements are well under way, the nine TOTD templates can each have the following added to the template footer, directing tip readers to the library.

Become a Wikipedia tipster - Tips library, by subject

* Discussion

If there should be alternate wording, or better placement suggestions, please respond here. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 20:04, 26 October 2015 (UTC)

Done posted to TOTD templates. JoeHebda (talk) 15:24, 29 October 2015 (UTC)

(April 4) - Where to upload images and media files[edit]

Greetings, Here is a new tip for April 4, a duplicate of "October 11 - Keep track of your questions"

Tip title: Where to upload images and media files

Wikipedia encyclopedia articles may be improved by including images as well as sound and video clip media files. It is important to understand where to upload these files.

Images and other media files must be uploaded either to Wikipedia or to Wikimedia Commons before they can be used.
If you don't already have an account, you must create one to upload images.
Wikipedia prefers free images that can be reused commercially and modified.
Non-free images may be used, but only in certain circumstances and if a free equivalent is not possible.
Wikimedia Commons only accepts free images, which can then be used by any of the other Wikimedia projects.

There is a how-to guide available at Wikipedia:Creation and usage of media files.

Read more: Introduction to uploading images
Wikipedia:Uploading images
Wikipedia:Picture tutorial (how to add images to an article)

If there are any additions or updates needed for this new tip, please discuss here. JoeHebda (talk) 15:05, 31 October 2015 (UTC)
* Discussion:

For 'Read more', added 'Introduction to uploading images' JoeHebda (talk) 01:17, 1 November 2015 (UTC)

Done posted to TOTD Schedule Queue and Tips library. JoeHebda (talk) 19:54, 4 November 2015 (UTC)

A lightbulb went off[edit]

I just discovered a way to float the tip at the bottom of a page...

... by including it anywhere on the page as a ref, like so:

<ref>{{totd}}</ref> The Transhumanist 23:13, 1 November 2015 (UTC)

Suggest alternative template & location[edit]

Tip of the day...

Lead Section Size

The lead section of a Wikipedia article is the section before the first heading. The table of contents, if displayed, generally appears between the lead section and the first subheading.

The lead section should contain up to four paragraphs, depending on the length of the article, and should provide a preview of the main points the article will make, summarizing the primary reasons the subject matter is interesting or notable. The lead should be capable of standing alone as a concise overview of the article, should be written in a clear and accessible style, should be carefully sourced like the rest of the text, and should encourage the reader to want to read more. The following table has some general guidelines for the length of the lead section:

< 15,000 characters	medium size	> 30,000 characters
one or two paragraphs	two or three paragraphs	three or four paragraphs

Summary essay: WP:CREATELEAD

Read more: Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section

Prior tip - Next tip

Become a Wikipedia tipster - Tips library, by subject

Greetings The Transhumanist,

Instead of the <ref>{{totd}}</ref> template, would we be able to use {{Totd3}} template? The reason I'm asking is that after seeing bottom template for a while & giving it a chance I do find it somewhat distracting. I think some editors click on the bottom-most section title to add, instead of clicking new section button.

Also, it might be helpful to place {{Totd3}} near the top of this page (directly under the Archives box on the right side) thereby showcasing yet another of the many TOTD templates. It would be nice if the blue box floated on the right side. I found example wikicode like this.

Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 01:03, 5 November 2015 (UTC)

I removed it. I just put it down there as a demonstration of the trick I discovered. No worries.

By the way, I don't know how to float a template in the bottom righthand corner of a page and have it stay there as the content changes. The Transhumanist 02:51, 5 November 2015 (UTC)

Moved wikicode above so that the blue box (sidebar) drops into place next to the TOC. Cheers! JoeHebda (talk) 17:19, 5 November 2015 (UTC)

Moved totd3 template back here. Tonight, the blue box became very narrow. When I attemped a fix, it no longer floats right. Don't know what is broken. If still broken tomorrow, I will report to VP Technical. Good night! JoeHebda (talk) 00:55, 6 November 2015 (UTC)

Added align = right & seems to have fixed. 00:58, 6 November 2015 (UTC)

Content not filling left & center. Will report to VP tomorrow. JoeHebda (talk) 01:03, 6 November 2015 (UTC)

Changed totd3 template to std infobox width of 20em. JoeHebda (talk) 17:53, 7 November 2015 (UTC)

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ Above, replaced <div style="float: right;" align="right">{{totd3}}</div> with template {{right|{{totd3}}}}. JoeHebda (talk) 20:57, 7 November 2015 (UTC)

Nice. I've added it to the tip of the day section at Wikipedia:User page design center/Decor. The Transhumanist 02:16, 19 November 2015 (UTC)

NEW TIP: How to recall an editor's username[edit]

@The Transhumanist:, Please edit this directly:

How to recall a username

Trying to recall an editor's username can be challenging. There are various ways to solve this:

If you remember the beginning of the username:
1. Click on: user-contributions or contributions link either at the top or side of any article page
2. Type the first couple of letters in the 'username' box: wait 15-seconds and the box will magically appear with usernames starting with that letter combination
3. If the username is still not there, type in another letter and wait. Usernames are case, punctuation, and space sensitive, so it names are CamelCased, have punctuation, or have spaces, you'll have to try those variations too.
If you've ever conversed with them, you could check the histories of your own talk page and talk page archives. Set your view to "500".
In your contributions, you could limit the namespace to user talk, and that would give you the names of all the users you've posted to on their talk pages. The same with the talk namespace (via your contributions).
You could also search the talk namespace for your own signature, to locate the threads where others may have replied to you
Where do they hang out? What are they renowned for? If you can remember where they have posted messages, then you can find their name.

( January 13 ) - A self-guided tutorial[edit]

Greetings, Here is a replacement for duplicate tip Todays articles for improvement (also July 13).

Tip title: A self-guided tutorial

There is a Wikipedia tutorial that gives guidance about the style and content of Wikipedia articles, and tells you about the Wikipedia community and important Wikipedia policies and conventions. This is a basic tutorial, not an extensive manual or interactive learning environment.

If you want more details about any information in the tutorial, there are links to other resource pages throughout the tutorial.

At the TOTD Tips library this new tip would be added at the Tips for contributors on getting started section. If there are any additions or updates needed for this new tip, please discuss here. JoeHebda (talk) 21:07, 4 November 2015 (UTC)
* Discussion:

Done posted to TOTD Schedule Queue and Tips library. JoeHebda (talk) 15:12, 7 November 2015 (UTC)

Updated tip: March 17 - Test-drive your edits in a sandbox[edit]

Today, I updated this March 17 tip (only one about sandbox) with the following.

Introductory paragraph, added
Read more - updated wikilinks.

Cheers! JoeHebda (talk) 19:59, 5 November 2015 (UTC)

( January 31 ) - Find articles for cleanup[edit]

Greetings, Here is a replacement for duplicate tip How to link to a category (without categorizing the page) (also July 31).

Tip title: Find articles for cleanup

For contributors, it can be a valuable learning experience to work on Wikipedia article cleanup. In addition, providing articles with missing information does improve the quality of these existing articles.

There are articles tagged with content issues which can be resolved to insure accuracy as the articles are developing. Remember to discuss major additions, changes, and controversial topics on the article's talk page.

If there are any additions or updates needed for this new tip, please discuss here. JoeHebda (talk) 17:35, 7 November 2015 (UTC)
* Discussion:

Done posted to TOTD Schedule Queue and Tips library. JoeHebda (talk) 20:20, 10 November 2015 (UTC)

Deprecated HTML markup[edit]

JoeHebda and others re: Deprecated HTML markup. Since <big>...</big> is obsolete, this template {{big}} may be used as a replacement for presentation markup. If you click on the blue linked word big you can see the other related templates like {{huge}} which is 180% of standard size while big is only 120% of standard size. There is also small, etc.

A caveat: The big, huge, etc. templates will not function outside of a {{center}} template, so the big or huge, etc. templates must be nested inside of the center template. Right now we have the HTML big tags outside of the {{center}} templates.

I tried huge on today's template and it looks pretty good, IMHO. Cheers! {{u|Checkingfax}} {Talk} 03:29, 9 November 2015 (UTC)

Checkingfax So an example would be like this:

The Wikipedia Adventure!

And I found the Category, Wikipedia XHTML tag-replacing templates for even more.

Also wondering why the {{br}} redirects to Template:Clear?

In addition, should Wikipedia:Line-break handling be updated to at least have a lead notice about the Deprecated HTML markup?

Cheers! JoeHebda (talk) 12:56, 9 November 2015 (UTC)

JoeHebda, I'm heading out for some winery tours with my visiting Cousin so I'll check that later. I'm not liking {{br}} because it behaves more like a <p> HTML tag than like a true br tag. Did you notice how much extra white space the templated version of br throws in? Might be a full extra line break. Haven't dug in yet to find out. Nice work finding the extra templates and documentation. Cheers! {{u|Checkingfax}} {Talk} 18:44, 9 November 2015 (UTC)

JoeHebda, My Cousin is running late so I dug in: The template to replace HTML br is {{break}}. There is no shorthand for it. One cool feature is you can do, for example, a {{break|5}} which will perform five line breaks. I think the limit is 5.

As for {{br}} that is a redirect to {{clear}} which I do not agree with. I think template br should redirect to template break instead of to template clear. Clear has three shortcuts: {{-}}, {{br}} and {{clr}} IIRC. Using br as a redirect to clear makes no logical sense to me, but now I understand why template br was behaving more like an HTML tag p. So if we want a line break only, we should use template {{break}}. Cheers! {{u|Checkingfax}} {Talk} 19:31, 9 November 2015 (UTC)

Checkingfax Today, for TOTD - November 11 at Read more, I changed the break template back to br template because it is throwing a blank line between first & second read-mores. Cheers! JoeHebda (talk) 12:41, 10 November 2015 (UTC)

Checkingfax - FYI I changed the {{br}} template to {{clear}} & that seems to work. It has the same effect as the br without using br. JoeHebda (talk) 13:51, 10 November 2015 (UTC)

JoeHebda, {{br}} and {{clear}} both pull up the parent template which is {{clear}}. If you want to perform a <br> you need to use the template {{break}} which is equivalent but more powerful than the HTML br tag. I also created a shortcut to {{break}} called {{brk}} so you can use either to perform a br. You can use them with a pipe too if you want up to five line breaks. Your implementation of these templates looks much more tidy than the previous HTML and style tags. Cheers! {{u|Checkingfax}} {Talk} 21:12, 10 November 2015 (UTC)

What about a br tip? Are you going to write one? :) The Transhumanist 21:42, 10 November 2015 (UTC)

Checkingfax - Just to clarify: for the January 1 tip, I changed {{brk}} to {{clear}} at the Read more. Using {{brk}} or {{break}} throws a blank line between Read more when more than one line is needed. {{clear}} or {{br}} works good and should be used. Not sure if this discussion is complete? Might be too soon for a br tip. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 00:20, 11 November 2015 (UTC)

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ The Transhumanist and Checkingfax - found the stack template which may be a better solution. Check the update at TOTD for January 1 and January 6.

{{stack| float=right |1=Read more: '''[[Wikipedia:Searching]]'''{{spaces|2}} |2='''[[Portal:Contents]]'''{{snds}}'''[[Wikipedia:Tutorial]]'''{{spaces|2}}}}

Cheers! JoeHebda (talk) 03:39, 12 November 2015 (UTC) ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ @JoeHebda and The Transhumanist:, I think this would work a wee bit better:
{{stack| float=right |1=Read more: |2='''[[Wikipedia:Searching]]'''{{spaces|2}} |3='''[[Portal:Contents]]'''{{snds}}'''[[Wikipedia:Tutorial]]'''{{spaces|2}}}}{{clear}}

Cheers! {{u|Checkingfax}} {Talk} 10:12, 13 November 2015 (UTC)

Done - all TOTD now updated. JoeHebda (talk) 01:48, 22 November 2015 (UTC)

Updated tip: April 15 - Copyrights? Copyleft![edit]

Greetings, For this tip I added a Read more wikilink to Copyright FAQ that I found reading a WP:Teahouse discussion. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 23:47, 9 November 2015 (UTC)

TOTD invite example[edit]

Greetings @The Transhumanist, Tortle, and Checkingfax: - Recently on my talk page, I received an invite to a WikiProject Notre Dame, which I did decline. However, it is a very nice visual and was wondering if we could make something like this for TOTD? Would it help build up more interest? JoeHebda (talk) 19:07, 10 November 2015 (UTC)

Wow, Notre Dame provides two ideas there. One, an invite. And two, a greeting for newcomers. I think both are great ideas, and while they go well together, each may have even more impact in a version of its own. Imagine a greeting to newcomers that included the daily tip (one of the {{totd}} templates) as a welcoming gift.

An invite would also be utterly cool, and is another nice context in which to provide the {{totd}} templates directly to users on their talk pages. In the accompanying message, we could emphasize that we are looking for cool tricks on using and editing Wikipedia in faster and more powerful ways, and invite them to share their methods. In addition to being posted on user talk pages, it could be adapted to posting on the help desk, village pump:technical, and so on.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with. Whatever you decide to do, I'm sure you will be creative, and you have my full support. The Transhumanist 20:45, 10 November 2015 (UTC)

Support – {{u|Checkingfax}} {Talk} 20:58, 10 November 2015 (UTC)

How...[edit]

...can we find power users so we can invite them here to share their cool tips? The Transhumanist 20:50, 10 November 2015 (UTC)

The Transhumanist - First thoughts would be Teahouse hosts and people at the Help WikiProject. From both there may be power users. Right now, I'm dividing my time between TOTD and doing article assessments on another WP. Starting week of Nov. 23, I will have limited availability for X number of weeks (partly why I'm pushing to get more stuff done ahead of time). JoeHebda (talk) 21:45, 10 November 2015 (UTC)

Where else could the TOTD be posted?[edit]

Currently, the TOTD is presented on the main help page, the community portal page, the help menu page, at Wikipedia:Welcoming committee/Welcome to Wikipedia, and many users have posted it on their user page. It is also presented at Wikipedia:User page design center/Decor.

I wonder if the Help Desk would go for posting it as a permanent feature on the Help Desk page... The Transhumanist 20:38, 10 November 2015 (UTC)

I've been adding the tip template to the Welcoming Committee's welcome notices. The Transhumanist 02:14, 19 November 2015 (UTC)

I've just added {{right|{{totd3}}}} to the tip of the day section at Wikipedia:User page design center/Decor. The Transhumanist 02:14, 19 November 2015 (UTC)

Ooh: links[edit]

We could linkify the word "tip" on help pages (as [[WP:TOTD|tip]]).

I just linkified it at Wikipedia:Welcoming committee/Welcome to Wikipedia/Intro. :) The Transhumanist 21:04, 10 November 2015 (UTC)

Another way to transclude the totd[edit]

This is how it is transcluded at Wikipedia:Welcoming committee/Welcome to Wikipedia

{{Wikipedia:Tip of the day/{{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTDAY}}}}

Have fun. The Transhumanist 21:14, 10 November 2015 (UTC)

The Transhumanist - wondering why there is an Edit option there? Opens up entire TOTD page including the Job Schedule Queue for editing. Would just a View option be better? Or no option at all, just showing the TODT? Cheers! JoeHebda (talk) 00:36, 11 November 2015 (UTC)

This page was transcluded: Wikipedia:Welcoming committee/Welcome to Wikipedia/box-header The Transhumanist 12:12, 11 November 2015 (UTC)

( January 15 ) - Archives for lengthy pages[edit]

Greetings, Here is a replacement for duplicate tip Be forgiving to new users (also July 15).

Tip title: Archives for lengthy pages

Archiving is used on talk and project pages (never on articles) to keep them from getting too long to be useful, while retaining older discussions in case somebody should need to refer to them. So shortcut, WP:ARCHIVE will tell you what you want to know.

The preferred method for archiving a talk page is to copy the older content to a series of subpages. This can be performed either by hand or automatically by a bot.

These templates may be helpful choices:

{{Archive banner|state=uncollapsed}} (full page width banner)
{{Archives|auto=yes|search=yes}} (float right box)

November 13 (Spoken Wikipedia)[edit]

@JoeHebda and The Transhumanist:, The TOTD for November 13 (Spoken Wikipedia) did not render well on my User page. I use the {{totd b}} template so I tweaked it. I listed the tweaks in the edit summary and you can view the diff in the history.

One thing I could not fix was the way the main body text of the TOTD "bumps" up against the righthand margin after the text wraps around the lightbulb. Only one word touches the edge but it would be nice to be able to avoid that like we do with the bold wikilinks by using the {{space|2}} template. Cheers! {{u|Checkingfax}} {Talk} 10:00, 13 November 2015 (UTC)

@Checkingfax: Let's see...

Tip of the day...

Lead Section Size

The lead section of a Wikipedia article is the section before the first heading. The table of contents, if displayed, generally appears between the lead section and the first subheading.

The lead section should contain up to four paragraphs, depending on the length of the article, and should provide a preview of the main points the article will make, summarizing the primary reasons the subject matter is interesting or notable. The lead should be capable of standing alone as a concise overview of the article, should be written in a clear and accessible style, should be carefully sourced like the rest of the text, and should encourage the reader to want to read more. The following table has some general guidelines for the length of the lead section:

< 15,000 characters	medium size	> 30,000 characters
one or two paragraphs	two or three paragraphs	three or four paragraphs

Summary essay: WP:CREATELEAD

Read more: Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section

Prior tip - Next tip

Become a Wikipedia tipster - Tips library, by subject

To add this box to your user page, use {{totd b}}.

I don't see the problem. The Transhumanist 10:27, 13 November 2015 (UTC)

@JoeHebda and The Transhumanist:, On my screen, the word "read" on the far left is about 3/8" from the left margin, while the word "there" is touching the right margin. Your mileage may vary on a larger screen. Cheers! {{u|Checkingfax}} {Talk} 11:33, 13 November 2015 (UTC)

Changed it to:

padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em;

feel free to tweak it. The Transhumanist 07:18, 17 November 2015 (UTC)

@JoeHebda and The Transhumanist:, That looks great. Cheers! {{u|Checkingfax}} {Talk} 07:30, 17 November 2015 (UTC)

Checked and fixed that same issue in the other templates that had it. The Transhumanist 07:33, 17 November 2015 (UTC)

Tip on user page design[edit]

Are you jealous of others' user pages?

If you have seen some cool user pages and were wondering how to make yours the envy of all Wikipedians, check out the...

User page design center

TOTD removed from Help:Contents[edit]

The tip of the day was removed from the bottom of the Help:Contents page.[3]. I've posted a polite request at Help talk:Contents to restore the feature, along with every good reason I could think of to do so. If you can think of any more reasons, please feel free to point them out in the discussion. Moxy is a driving force behind the maintenance and further development of WP's help pages, and it would be nice if we could convince him of the value of the TOTD and inspire him to revert his edit. ;) I'll invite him to visit here, and maybe he'll like all the hard work he sees. The Transhumanist 13:10, 21 November 2015 (UTC)

Is there a way to make this smaller? Having it take up half the page with so little info is a bit much on a help page full of topic specific info. -- Moxy (talk) 16:07, 21 November 2015 (UTC)

Greetings Moxy and The Transhumanist - Chiming in with my two cents worth. Perhaps the right side blue box (like on this page above, across from TOC) could be used instead? It is positioned with {{right|{{totd3}}}}. BTW, I really like the side-by-side look of the Help:Contents page.

My suggestion is, at Additional searches section, to move the searchboxes to the left (same one-half page format as most of the Help Contents page), and add Totd3 template on the right side paired with the searchboxes. I don't know the "magic wikicode" to accomplish this so I'm hoping either of you or another editor can help if this sounds like a reasonable solution. Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 17:09, 21 November 2015 (UTC)

Shit ..just wrote stuff at the tlak page...but this half thing sounds like it could work.-- Moxy (talk) 17:41, 21 November 2015 (UTC)

The blue box appears really out of place on the page. But going half (using the right column out of 2 columns) works. See https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Help:Contents&oldid=691811750 The Transhumanist 09:34, 22 November 2015 (UTC)