Help:Getting Started

Welcome to RetroTechCollection Wiki!
Your journey into preserving vintage technology history starts here

New to wikis? Don't worry! This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to start contributing to our vintage technology knowledge base. Take it step by step, and you'll be editing like a pro in no time.

🚀 Quick Start Checklist

✓	Task	Why It's Important
☐	Create an account	Lets you edit pages and build your reputation
☐	Set up your user page	Introduce yourself to the community
☐	Read our mission	Understand what content belongs here
☐	Learn core policies	Know the basic rules before editing
☐	Make your first edit	Start with something small and simple
☐	Join the community	Connect with other vintage tech enthusiasts

📝 Creating Your Account

Why Create an Account?

While you can browse the wiki without an account, registered users can:

Edit and create articles
Upload images and documents
Participate in discussions
Create a user page
Build a contribution history
Access additional tools
Receive notifications about topics you follow

How to Register

Click Create account in the top right corner
Choose a username that:
- Is easy to remember
- Doesn't impersonate anyone
- Follows our username policy
- Will represent you well in the community
Enter a valid email address (required for:)
- Password recovery
- Important notifications
- Confirming your account
Create a strong password
Complete the CAPTCHA to prove you're human
Read and accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
Click "Create your account"
Check your email and click the confirmation link

⚠️ Age Requirement: You must be at least 13 years old to create an account on RetroTechCollection Wiki.

👤 Setting Up Your User Page

Your user page is your home on the wiki. It's where you can introduce yourself and share your interests in vintage technology.

Creating Your User Page

Once logged in, click on your username (top right)
Click "Create" to start your user page
Add some basic information:

{{User infobox
|image = 
|name = YourUsername
|joined = {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}}
|interests = [[Apple II]], [[Commodore 64]], [[Vintage Gaming]]
|expertise = Hardware repair, ROM dumping
|location = United Kingdom
}}

== About Me ==
Hello! I'm passionate about preserving vintage technology...

== My Collection ==
* [[Apple IIe]] with DuoDisk
* [[ZX Spectrum]] 48K
* [[Atari 2600]] with 50+ cartridges

== Current Projects ==
* Restoring a [[Commodore PET]] 2001
* Documenting [[TRS-80]] software

== Contact ==
* Feel free to leave a message on my [[User talk:YourUsername|talk page]]

User Page Best Practices

Keep it relevant to vintage technology
Don't share too much personal information
Update it as your interests evolve
Link to articles you've significantly contributed to
Be welcoming and approachable

🎯 Understanding Our Mission

What We Document

RetroTechCollection Wiki focuses on:

Category	Examples	Time Period
Computers	Personal computers, mainframes, minicomputers	Pre-2000 primarily
Gaming Systems	Consoles, handhelds, arcade machines	1970s-1990s
Software	Operating systems, applications, games	Historical versions
Peripherals	Monitors, printers, storage devices	Vintage models
Companies	Manufacturers, developers, key figures	Historical focus
Culture	Magazines, user groups, BBS systems	Computing history

What Makes a Good Article

Factual: Based on verifiable information
Neutral: Presenting all viewpoints fairly
Comprehensive: Covering all important aspects
Well-sourced: Citations for claims
Illustrated: Images where possible
Organized: Clear structure and sections

📚 Core Policies Overview

Before editing, understand these five pillars:

1. 📊 Neutral Point of View (NPOV)

Present facts, not opinions
Include all significant viewpoints
Don't advocate or advertise
Let readers form their own opinions

Example:

❌ "The Amiga was the best computer of the 1980s"
✅ "The Amiga was noted for its advanced graphics and sound capabilities"

2. ✅ Verifiability

Information must be verifiable from reliable sources
Add citations for factual claims
Use reputable sources (books, magazines, manuals)
No original research or personal theories

How to cite: The Apple II sold over 6 million units.<ref>{{cite book |title=Apple Confidential 2.0 |author=Linzmayer, Owen |year=2004 |page=45}}</ref>

3. 🚫 Moderated Original Research

When you publish your own discoveries, these edits will be verified.
Don't synthesize information to reach new conclusions
Stick to what sources explicitly state
Personal experiences belong on talk pages, not articles

4. 📝 Free Content

All contributions are released under Creative Commons
Only upload images you own or that are freely licensed
Respect copyright at all times
Fair use is limited and must be justified

5. 🤝 Civility

Treat everyone with respect
Assume good faith in others' actions
Discuss content, not contributors
Resolve disputes calmly

✏️ Making Your First Edit

Finding Something to Edit

Start small with these beginner-friendly tasks:

Fix typos and grammar
- Browse articles about systems you know
- Look for obvious spelling errors
- Improve awkward phrasing

Add missing information
- Technical specifications
- Release dates
- Model variations
- Compatible peripherals

Improve formatting
- Add section headers
- Create lists where appropriate
- Fix broken links

Add citations
- Find sources for uncited claims
- Use books, manuals, or magazines you own

How to Edit

Navigate to any article
Click the "Edit" tab at the top
Make your changes in the text editor
Preview your changes (always do this!)
Write an edit summary explaining 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 header	== Header ==	(Creates a section)
Bullet list	* Item one * Item two	• Item one • Item two
Numbered list	# First # Second	1. First 2. Second

Your First Edit Checklist

Before saving:

✓ Is my information accurate?
✓ Is it written neutrally?
✓ Did I preview my changes?
✓ Did I write a clear edit summary?
✓ Am I improving the article?

🖼️ Working with Images

Uploading Images

Use Special:Upload
Ensure you have rights to the image:
- Photos you took yourself
- Images with free licenses
- Public domain material
- Fair use (with justification)
Choose a descriptive filename
Fill out the information template:

{{Information
|description = Front view of Apple IIe computer
|source = Own work
|date = 2024-01-15
|author = [[User:YourUsername]]
|permission = 
|other_versions = 
}}

Image Best Practices

Quality: High resolution but reasonable file size
Relevance: Directly related to article content
Captions: Always add descriptive captions
Galleries: Use for multiple related images
Fair use: Only when necessary, with full rationale

📖 Creating New Articles

Before You Start

Ask yourself:

Is this topic notable enough?
Can I find reliable sources?
Does an article already exist?
Is it within our scope?

Notability Guidelines

A topic is notable if it has:

Significant coverage in reliable sources
Historical importance to computing
Lasting impact on technology
Multiple independent sources discussing it

Creating Your Article

Search first to ensure it doesn't exist
Click the red link or use the search box
Start with this basic structure:

{{Infobox computer
|name = Computer Name
|image = 
|manufacturer = [[Company Name]]
|type = Personal computer
|release date = 1985
|discontinued = 1990
|processor = CPU details
|memory = RAM amount
|storage = Storage type
}}

The '''Computer Name''' was a personal computer manufactured by [[Company Name]] from 1985 to 1990.

== History ==
Development began in...

== Technical specifications ==
* '''Processor:''' 
* '''Memory:''' 
* '''Storage:''' 
* '''Display:''' 

== Software ==
The system ran...

== Reception ==
Contemporary reviews...

== Legacy ==
The Computer Name influenced...

== See also ==
* [[Related Computer]]
* [[Competing System]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://example.com Official documentation]

[[Category:Personal computers]]
[[Category:1985 in computing]]

🤝 Getting Help

Where to Ask Questions

Help pages - Comprehensive documentation
Village Pump - General discussion
Help desk - New user questions
User talk pages - Message experienced editors
Recent changes - See what others are doing

Finding Mentors

Look for:

Editors with "Mentor" userboxes
Active administrators
Editors working on similar topics
Members of relevant WikiProjects

Common New User Mistakes

Mistake	Why It's Wrong	Better Approach
Adding opinions	Violates NPOV	Stick to facts with sources
Copying from websites	Copyright violation	Write in your own words
Creating autobiographies	Conflict of interest	Focus on notable topics
Edit warring	Disrupts the wiki	Discuss on talk pages
Promotional content	Not encyclopedic	Write neutrally

🛠️ Useful Tools and Features

Editor Tools

Watchlist - Monitor articles you care about
Contributions - Track your edit history
Preferences - Customize your experience
Sandbox - Practice editing safely

Advanced Features

As you gain experience:

Learn templates for consistency
Use categories to organize articles
Create redirects for alternate names
Participate in deletion discussions
Join WikiProjects in your interest areas

🎓 Next Steps

Beginner Goals

Week 1: Make 5 small edits
Week 2: Add your first citation
Week 3: Significantly expand a section
Month 1: Create your first article

Intermediate Goals

Adopt an article to improve
Join a WikiProject
Participate in community discussions
Help other new users
Work toward autoconfirmed status

Advanced Goals

Become a subject matter expert
Create featured content
Mentor new users
Consider administrator nomination
Develop wiki tools or templates

📋 Quick Reference

Essential Pages

Recent changes - What's happening now
Random article - Discover new topics
Wanted pages - Articles that need creating
Short pages - Articles needing expansion
RetroTechCollection Community - Get involved

Keyboard Shortcuts

Alt+Shift+E - Edit page
Alt+Shift+V - View history
Alt+Shift+T - Talk page
Alt+Shift+M - Move page
Alt+Shift+W - Watch page

🎉 Welcome to the Community!

Remember:

Be bold in editing, but not reckless
Everyone was new once - don't be afraid to ask
Mistakes are okay - they can be fixed
Have fun - this is a hobby for most of us
Quality over quantity - better to do one thing well

Ready to make your first edit?
Start with a random article or wanted pages and look for something to improve or create! You can use the RTC Article Wizard to help you create your first page!

Still have questions? Visit the RTC Forum, the RTC Discord Server, or leave a message on the talk page.