1. Go to www.wikipedia.org

2. Register (takes two seconds, no e-mail address required). From here on out, make sure you are logged in when you make your edits!

3. Search for an entry, such as "traditional Catholicism"

4. After the page loads, click on the Edit This Page tab. OR, if the entry has subsections, click on the "Edit" link to above and to the right of the subsection you want to edit.

5. The edit panel for the page will load. Edit the text as desired, then scroll down to the bottom and click the Save Page Button It is considered good manners to indicate briefly what sort of change you make in the "Edit Summary" area -- i.e., "grammar" or "added text" or what not.

6. To revert a page (that is, to restore a page to a former version):

   • Click on the "History tab." This will take you to a list of all prior versions of the page, which you can still read and revert to. (Clicking on the word "last" will show you a comparison between the entry of the relevant date and the version that just preceded it).
   • Locate the version you like in that entry's list of edits
   • Go to the preferred version by clicking on the date for that version
   • When the page loads, click the Edit Tab
   • Click the Save button at the bottom

Whatever you do, don't get into "revert wars." Don't revert a page more than three times; doing so can get you banned. Wikipedia's goal is consensus.

TO DO BASIC TEXT FORMATTING: use 1, 2, or 3 single quote marks

''italic''
'''bold'''
''''bold italic''''

TO INDENT TEXT: use colon marks to indent

: indented text here
:: more indented text here
::: even more indented text here, etc.

If you are indenting more than one paragraph, the indent mark(s) must go before each paragraph (not before each line).

TO MAKE LINKS: Put brackets around text you want to use as a link

[[Links to Wiki Entry]]
[[Name of Wiki Entry|text to click on]]
[http://www/externallink.com Text to Click On]

TO MAKE SECTIONS AND SUBSECTIONS: Use equal signs

== New section ==
=== Subsection ===
==== Sub-subsection ====
===== Sub-sub-subsection =====

TO MAKE BULLETED LISTS: use asterisks

* list
** nested list
*** even more nested list

TO MAKE NUMBERED LISTS: use pound signs. Nest lists by using more than one pound sign before the items to be listed

# Text goes here. This would be item 1.
# Text goes here. This would be item 2.

TO AUTOMATICALLY SIGN TALK PAGE: use four tildes

~~~~

TO MAKE NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA ENTRIES:

1. Create a link to it (as demonstrated above) on some other (related) page.

2. Save that page.

3. Click on the link you just made. The new page will open for editing.
   OR

4. Type the URL of the page you intend to make into your browser:
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sample_article_title

OTHER THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW: 

1. To check another's edits, go to his user page and click "User contributions" in the toolbox section in the left panel of the page. Another way to check on others' contributions is to use this link, replacing the text "USERNAME" with the name of the user you are wanting to check on:
   
   http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Special:Contributions&
   limit=50&offset=50&hideminor=0&target=USERNAME
    

2. Once again, do not revert a page more than three times. This is not only frowned upon, it can get you banned.
    

3. Do not use rude language on the Talk Pages or do anything that can be characterized as attacking, ad homimen, etc.
    

4. Don't try any funny stuff with multiple accounts and such. Moderators can determine your IP address.
    

5. Once you make a good change, baby it. Watch the entry!
    

6. It is against Wikipedia's rules to discuss Wiki editing off the Wikipedia website in any manner which constitutes "forming a posse for consensus" and such (this is considered "astroturfing"). Don't discuss Wiki edits at the forum.
    

7. Do NOT add links to this site without discussing it first on the relevant Talk Pages and getting consensus from editors!.