Managing contributions
Ropewiki is an open system where anyone is free to contribute as much or as little as they want. Users can add new content or edit existing pages that other users created. There is no preemptive moderation, no chain of approvals or time-consuming bureaucracy: as soon as changes to a page are saved they go public for all visitors to see. There are, however, a few mechanisms to safeguard content and avoid vandalism:
- Authentication: New users need to confirm their email address before they can start adding new pages or editing existing content. Anonymous users can read but they cannot do any changes.
- Versioning: The system keeps record of all changes made to a page: what, when and who did it. Changes can be inspected and content restored anytime by clicking on the 'View History' tab.
- Administrators: There are several administrators that patrol the system to keep spammers and vandals in check. If you see any 'infraction' report to User:Bjp immediately.
Contents
Conflicts and Vandalism
If any page gets damaged or vandalized the original contributor (or any other authenticated user with interest in the matter) can use the 'View History' tab to restore the damaged content and identify the vandal username. Attempts should be made to contact the vandal and clarify if this was an honest mistake or deliberate act. If the cause is a disagreement between contributors, more opinions can be requested by opening a Talk page and calling in other users to discuss the topic and let the majority decide. If this was a clear and deliberate vandalism act the administrators should be involved to block the vandal username and, if the vandal is persistent, to 'protect' the page so that only the original contributor can change the content of that particular page.
The Watchlist
The system allows you to keep a list of 'Watched' pages and monitor changes performed to those pages. There are several ways to add pages to the 'Watchlist' (more information), but the easiest way is probably to check the '[x] Watch this page' checkbox (above the 'Save Page' button) when you are editing a page. You can monitor changes performed to your 'Watchlist' anytime you want, just by clicking on the link 'Watchlist changes' in the sidebar.
Automatic watch of all contributions
The system can automatically add to the 'Watchlist' any page you edit or file you upload. This feature is disabled by default, to enable it:
- Click on 'Preferences' (link at top-right corner of this browser window)
- Click the 'Watchlist' tab (in the tab list under the page title)
- In the 'Advanced options' section (bottom of the page) check:
- [x] Hide my edits from the watchlist
- [x] Add pages and files I edit to my watchlist
- [x] Add pages I create and files I upload to my watchlist
Automatic email notifications
The system allows for automatic email notifications of watched pages, so you will get an email anytime someone updates any of the pages/files in your watchlist. This feature is disabled by default, to enable it:
- Click on 'Preferences' (link at top-right corner of this browser window)
- Click the 'User Profile' tab (this is the default tab)
- In the 'Email Options' section (bottom of the page) check:
- [x] Email me when a page or file on my watchlist is changed
- [x] Email me also for minor edits of pages and files