Help:Getting Started
| Getting started on the RetroTechCollection Wiki |
|---|
| A guide for new editors |
New to wikis? This guide takes you through creating an account, making your first edit and writing a new page. Take it one step at a time.
Quick start
- Create an account, so that your edits are credited to you and you can upload files.
- Set up your user page and introduce yourself.
- Read what the wiki covers.
- Learn the core principles before editing.
- Make your first edit. Start with something small.
- Join the community.
Creating your account
Why create an account?
You can read the wiki, and even edit it, without an account, but anonymous edits wait in a moderation queue. Registered users can also:
- upload images and documents
- take part in discussions under their own name
- have a user page and a contribution history
- use a watchlist and receive notifications
- use editing tools such as Twinkle once their account is established
New accounts are moderated too: your first edits appear once a moderator has approved them.
How to register
- Click Create account at the top right.
- Choose a username that is easy to remember, does not impersonate anyone, and is not a company or website name (see section 2.3 of the Terms of Use).
- Enter a password twice.
- Enter an email address. It is optional, but without one you cannot reset a forgotten password or receive notifications by email.
- Complete the security check.
- Click Create your account.
- If you gave an email address, click the confirmation link in the email you receive.
By creating an account you agree to the Terms of Use and the Privacy policy.
Age requirement: you must be at least 13 years old to create an account on the RetroTechCollection Wiki.
Setting up your user page
Your user page is where you introduce yourself and your interest in vintage technology.
- Once logged in, click your username at the top right.
- Click Create to start your user page.
- Add some basic information, for example:
== About me == I collect and repair 8-bit home computers. == My collection == * [[Apple IIe]] * [[Sinclair ZX Spectrum]] 48K * [[Atari 2600]] == Current projects == * Recapping a [[Commodore PET 2001]] == Contact == Leave a message on my [[User talk:YourUsername|talk page]].
Keep it about vintage technology, and do not share more personal information than you are comfortable with.
What the wiki covers
The RetroTechCollection Wiki is about repairing, maintaining and documenting vintage computers, game consoles and their peripherals, mostly from the 1970s to the early 2000s.
| Page type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Machine pages | Commodore 64, Apple IIe, Atari 2600 |
| Repair guides | General maintenance, troubleshooting and capacitor replacement guides for each machine |
| Cross-machine guides | CRT Discharge Procedure, Capacitor Failure Symptoms, Battery Explosion, Capacitor or Corrosion Damage |
| Documentation | Scanned service manuals, schematics and technical references, each with its own page |
| Peripherals | Disk drives, monitors, printers, mice and keyboards |
Browse the platform categories from Help:Categories to see what exists.
What makes a good page
- It is accurate, and every figure can be checked against a cited source.
- It is written plainly, in short declarative sentences.
- It has photographs where possible.
- It follows the structure of the other pages of its type (see Help:Writing a repair guide).
Core principles
Accuracy and citations
- Every figure (voltage, capacitor value, part number, date) needs a citation to a source that says it.
- Prefer the manufacturer's own service manual or schematic. Many are already hosted here: see Category:Service Manuals.
- If you cannot find a source for a figure, leave it out. A gap is better than a plausible guess.
- See RetroTechCollection:Citing sources and RetroTechCollection:Reliable technical sources.
How to cite, using a manual hosted on the wiki:
The +5 V supply is specified at ±3 %.<ref>''Apple II Reference Manual – For //e Only'', Apple Computer, 1982, Table 7-2. Hosted as [[:File:Apple IIe Reference Manual 1982.pdf]].</ref>
Your own findings
Measurements you have taken yourself, repairs you have done and parts you have designed are welcome. Say that they are your own and give the details: the board revision, where you measured and what with. Do not present a guess as a measured value.
Neutral, plain writing
Present facts, not opinions, and do not advertise.
- Not this: "The Amiga was the best computer of the 1980s."
- This: "The Amiga 500 uses a Motorola 68000 processor."
Avoid filler phrases such as "plays a pivotal role" or "a testament to"; state the fact instead. Help:Writing a repair guide has more examples.
Free content and copyright
- Text you add is released under the licence in the Terms of Use (CC BY-SA 4.0 and the GFDL).
- You can upload your own photographs, and copyrighted material such as manuals, schematics and other people's photographs, as long as you cite it: give the source, the author or publisher, and the copyright holder on the file page and in the article.
- See RetroTechCollection:Copyrights.
Civility
- Treat everyone with respect and assume good faith.
- Discuss the content, not the contributor.
- Settle disagreements on the talk page.
Making your first edit
Finding something to edit
Good first tasks:
- Fix typos and grammar in an article about a machine you know.
- Add a missing citation, from a manual you own or one already hosted here.
- Add a photograph of your own hardware (see Help:Photographing hardware).
- Fix broken links or formatting.
How to edit
- Open the article.
- Click Edit (visual editor) or Edit source (wikitext).
- Make your change.
- Click Show preview and check it.
- Write an edit summary saying what you did.
- Click Save changes.
Basic wiki markup
| What you want | What you type | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Bold text | '''bold text''' |
bold text |
| Italic text | ''italic text'' |
italic text |
| Internal link | [[Commodore 64]] |
Commodore 64 |
| External link | [https://example.com Example] |
Example |
| Section heading | == Heading == |
(creates a section) |
| Bullet list | * Item one* Item two |
A bulleted list |
| Numbered list | # First# Second |
A numbered list |
More in Help:Editing, Help:Wikitext and Help:Formatting.
Before you save
- Is the information accurate, and is it cited?
- Is it written neutrally?
- Did you preview it?
- Did you write an edit summary?
Working with images
Uploading images
- Go to Special:Upload.
- Choose the file. It can be your own photo, a freely licensed or public domain image, or a copyrighted image that you cite.
- Give it a descriptive filename, such as
Atari 520STM motherboard.jpg. - Write the file description: what it shows, where it came from, who made it, and its licence or copyright holder.
== Summary == Front view of an Apple IIe. == Source == Own photograph, 15 January 2024. == Author == [[User:YourUsername]] == Licence == CC BY-SA 4.0
For an image from elsewhere, give the URL and the date you retrieved it as the source, the photographer or publisher as the author, and the copyright holder under Licence.
Good images
- Sharp and well lit, at a sensible file size (under about 3 MB).
- Showing the machine, board or part the article is about.
- With a caption that says what and which revision it shows.
- Several related images go in a
<gallery>.
See Help:Photographing hardware.
Creating new pages
Before you start
- Search to make sure the page does not already exist.
- Check that you can find sources for it.
- Check that it is within the wiki's scope.
Creating the page
Click a red link, or search for the new title and click the link to create it. The Article wizard and Help:Your first article walk you through it. A machine page has this shape:
{{Infobox computer
|name = Computer Name
|image = [[File:Computer Name.jpg|260px|frameless]]
|caption = Computer Name (1985)
|manufacturer = Company Name
|release_date = 1985
|discontinued = 1990
|cpu = CPU and clock speed
|memory = RAM
|storage = Storage
|display = Display
|os = Operating system
}}
The '''Computer Name''' is a personal computer made by Company Name from 1985 to 1990.<ref>...</ref>
== History ==
== Specifications ==
== Hardware ==
== Known faults ==
== Documentation ==
== Related pages ==
== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Platform category]]
Repair guides have their own templates: see Help:Writing a repair guide. For the infobox fields, see Help:Infoboxes; for categories, see Help:Categories.
Getting help
Where to ask
- Help pages: the full help index
- Village Pump: questions and discussion
- User talk pages: leave a message for an experienced editor
- RTC Forum: the community forum
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Why it is a problem | Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Adding figures without a source | Readers cannot check them, and some turn out to be wrong | Cite a manual or schematic, or leave the figure out |
| Copying text without saying where it came from | It breaks the copyright policy, and readers cannot check it | Write it in your own words, or mark it as a quotation, and cite the source |
| Adding opinions | Not neutral | Stick to facts with sources |
| Edit warring | Disrupts the wiki | Discuss on the talk page |
| Promotional content | Not encyclopaedic | Write neutrally |
Useful tools
- Watchlist: follow changes to the pages you care about
- Contributions: your own edit history
- Page history: see and undo past changes
- Preferences: set up your account and turn on gadgets
- Your sandbox: practise without affecting articles
- Editing tools: Infobox Generator, Spec Importer, Twinkle and HotCat
Next steps
Once you are comfortable with small edits:
- add citations to an uncited page
- expand a thin section with sourced detail
- write a missing repair guide for a machine you own
- upload a service manual you have scanned (see Help:Uploading service manuals)
- help other new users on the Village Pump
Quick reference
Useful pages
- Recent changes: what is being edited now
- Random article: discover a page
- Wanted pages: pages linked but not yet written
- Short pages: pages that need expanding
Keyboard shortcuts
In most browsers on Windows and Linux, hold Alt+Shift; on a Mac, hold Ctrl+Option. Then press:
- E: edit source
- V: edit in the visual editor
- H: page history
- T: talk page
- M: move page
- W: watch page
Final tips
- Be bold in editing, but careful with figures.
- Everyone was new once. Ask if you are unsure.
- Mistakes can be fixed.
- One well-sourced edit is worth more than ten unsourced ones.
Ready to make your first edit?
Try a random article or the wanted pages, or use the RTC Article wizard to create your first page.
Still have questions? Visit the RTC Forum or leave a message on the talk page.