Article Format

From Tractor & Construction Plant Wiki

Format of Articles

To create a clear and consistent look to this wiki articles need a consistent style. we are not wikipedia with the huge manuals of style guidelines. But a few basic dos and donts:

Contents 1 Layout 1.1 Page format 2 Wikipedia 3 Images 4 Links 5 Clubs & Organisations 6 Relevance 7 Other Projects 8 Rules

[edit] Layout

• Main feature articles are here to link to other detailed articles on individual items
• Lists of are basically index list to enable navigation to specific articles on a subject, and should describe what they are (type of content) with in text links to terms.

The list should have a brief summary or explanation line after the entry to clarify the link item (optional).

• Technical terms can be linked to pages with brief explainations on, thes are catalogued in and to explain the term to non technical viewers.

[edit] Page format

• Heading - A summary description/ intro paragraph, or two.
• History - Company or item history to introduce the subject
• Time line / summary
• Models made (for manufactures) - a list of the variation to provide links to individual articles
• UK preservation section - info related to preserved machines etc
• Lists - bullet point links / brief description or link to related lists e.g List of Engine Manufacturers.
• Gallery - for blocks of photos if too many to go in body of article.
• Other companies - similar article links, subsidiaries, competitors
• See also - links to related article and similar subjects the are not referred to in the main body of article, some major links duplicated for ease of navigation.
• References / sources - to say were info from for accuracy and link to additional external info
• External Links - Links to external related web sites, not used in refs section.
• Categories - please add pages to main subject category so its cross indexed. For example articles on companies are in the [[Category:Companies]] etc. An article on a Nuffield tractor model would be in [[Category:Nuffield]] and [[Category:Models]] with article on a Fowler engine in [[Category:Fowler]].

[edit] Wikipedia

Use of wikipedia for a source:-

• Yes fine as Wikipedia is a GDFL source and the material is released under the copyright free use licence. But credit should be given to the source and the original Authors by adding a {{wikipedia}} or {{wikipedia|original article name}} tag atthe bottom of the page.
• When importing articles they need the references to non existent templates removing, the categories changing and redundant links removing, with relavent Tractor & Construction Plant Wiki links adding to connect to relavent articles.
• Customise the article by blanking non relavent sections in the edit screen with the code <!-- This section is non relavent to tractor wiki--> <!-- Article text which is not required..... -->. leaving it allows editors to see the difference and incorporate the text later in a relavent way.
• Add in sections to link with Tractor wikis articles and aid navigation. We are not Wikipedia so:
• Lists are allowed
• Some Trivia is OK in context
• relavent links to commerical sites relating to article subject are ok as long as not spam.
• Links to clubs and forums - as long as relavent and not spam / link farms.
• References should be included and material factual but to a lower standard than Wikipedia's criteria, I.E. other web sites are acceptable as source as long as not straight copy and pasted

[edit] Images

• All images uploaded are released under copyright free re use by the GDFL licensing.
• Individual subjects can have galleries of photos created as separate pages to not over load article pages.

[edit] Links

• relavent links to commercial sites relating to article subject are ok as long as not spam.
• Links to clubs and forums - as long as relavent and not spam / link farms.

[edit] Clubs & Organisations

• Pages for them are fine, just remember anyone can edit them, they are not "YOUR" private page, just a representative space were relavent info can be showcases and links to the revalent site added.
• anyone can create a page for a club or organisation.

[edit] Relevance

If its related to;

• Tractors
• Steam
• Construction plant
• Engines
• Scale models
• Heavy Haulage
• Trucks
• Implements
• Collecting & preserving machinery
• Shows & events
• Or ?

Then its acceptable, but if its related to;

• Trams then see the UK Tram Wiki
• Railways then see Railways Wiki
• Road routes and highways then see UK Roads Wiki
• Other Transport related articles may be relevant to UK Transport Wiki.

And help them out by expanding there knowledge base.

• Another project is the UK Housing Wiki to document all the UK Tower blocks and council Housing estates (but not Modern apartment blocks).

[Request your own if you have an idea for a different one here New Wiki

[edit] Other Projects

Add any other UK related Collecting or Preservation Wikis to this list.

[edit] Rules

This is a wiki so are not "THE RULES" but are debatable on the attached discussion page Talk:Article Format They help to guide the look and feel and keep a sense of order. but the main ting is CONTENT to build the database and make it different and a comprehensive resource of INFORMATIONto visitors and users.