Help:Contents

= Help:Contents =

Thank you for visiting Lockwiki! This page has information that should help you get started with browsing, searching, and contributing to the site. Further help is available in the Help namespace, see Category:Help for a full list of Help pages.

Browsing & Searching Lockwiki
Lockwiki is free to browse, without requiring users to log in. If you are new to locksport, locksmithing, or physical security in general, the Main Page has many links that will help you get started. If you know what you are looking for, the search bar on the left of the page can be used to search the site. The Go button will redirect you to the first result found, and the search button will list all possible matches. If no match is returned you will be prompted to modify your search criteria.

By default Lockwiki only searches the "Main" and "Image" namespaces, which means that Category, Help, and Lockwiki (policies/site information) pages are not included. Depending on what you are searching for, including these in your search may be helpful. If you are a logged in user you can modify the default search namespaces by changing your "Search" options at Special:Preferences.

It might also be easier to browse by selecting from the Quick Search subset of categories, or by looking at the list of all categories or all pages.

Contributing to Lockwiki
Anyone can contribute to Lockwiki, but an account registration is required to minimize spam and vandalism. To get an account, please email [mailto:lockwiki@gmail.com lockwiki@gmail.com] with the username and email address you want associated with your account. See the Lockwiki:Privacy policy for more information about account privacy.

Make sure that all contributions follow Lockwiki's copyright policies as well as those of the United States and your country.

In some cases, excessive spamming or vandalism on a page forces it to be blocked from anonymous edits. In other cases, the page is deemed high-profile or otherwise sensitive and editing is restricted to administrators (for example, most Lockwiki policies).

How can I contribute?
There are many ways to contribute to Lockwiki, all of which are helpful to the site and those that read it.


 * Create new pages
 * To create a page: click a red link, visit the page directly (via URL), or search for it. Once you get to the page, you can start adding information to the page. Please use Help:Editing for style and editing guidelines. You can visit Special:WantedPages for a list of linked to but uncreated pages. Lockwiki:Requested_articles also lists reader/editor requests for new pages.


 * Edit existing pages
 * To edit an existing page, click the edit link at the top of the page. Many pages are lacking information that would make them more informative and interesting. The best example are stubs; articles that don't have enough information. For more information on tagging, creating, and expanding stubs, see Help:Stubs.


 * Categorize pages
 * Categories are an important part of Lockwiki that allow users to quickly find relevant information on a particular topic. You can contribute by properly categorizing articles either by adding them to existing categories or creating new categories for them to be added to. Please see Help:Editing for guidelines on categorization.


 * Upload images
 * High quality images are a great way to contribute to the site. To upload a file, you must be logged in and a Upload File link will appear in your toolbox on the left side under the navigation menu. Various filetypes are restricted for security reasons, so you'll need to keep your image in one of the following common formats: jpg, png, gif. For more help with images see Help:Images.


 * Expand Help pages
 * The Help namespace (that you're reading right now) can always use extra help to make Lockwiki more thoroughly documented. This follows the same rules as editing normal pages, but with the stipulation that they should be geared to helping editors or readers learn about or use the site. To see all existing Help pages, visit Category:Help.


 * Non-technical contributors
 * You don't need to have a massive lock collection or be an expert locksmith to contribute to the site. There are many other ways you can help:
 * Lockwiki logo designs
 * Graphics; Lockwiki themed buttons, vector art, and lock diagrams
 * Web design; new or improved CSS and Wiki templates
 * Grammar and spelling corrections to any part of the site
 * Notify administrators of any copyright material on this site, or of improperly used Lockwiki material on another site
 * Promote the site! Add a link to Lockwiki.com on your peronsal website/forum/blog


 * Donations
 * The best way to support Lockwiki is by contributing high quality articles and images. If you prefer to help by donating money for web hosting and other expenses, please contact us.

Contacting Lockwiki

 * ''See About Lockwiki (Contact Us).