View source for Lemony Snicket Wiki:Standards

The current '''standards''' for the [[Lemony Snicket Wiki]] are as follows.

== Editing standards ==
=== Before clicking publish ===
As a corollary to the above, if you're making a minor edit (e.g. fixing a spelling error or tweaking formatting), check the "Minor edit" button above the Summary box before saving the page. Also be sure to give a brief summary of your edit; this is incredibly helpful. There is now a choice of standard edit summaries in a dropdown to make this even easier.

Finally, use the "Preview" button. This is right next to the "Publish" button, and is there for a reason. It's your own personal spell checker, link checker, whatever-else checker.

=== Don't use conversational style ===
This is an information site. It should read like {{w|Main page|Wikipedia}}, or any other encyclopedia, not like your diary.

* Check your spelling and grammar. Don't use internet slang (ex. "How r u?" or "c u 2nite"). If you're not 100% sure about the way a word is spelled, type it into [http://www.google.com/ Google] or [http://dictionary.reference.com/ Dictionary.com]. If you know that you're not the strongest speller, compose your edits in a word processor like Microsoft Word or use an Internet browser like Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome, which have spell-checking built in. We prefer US spelling here, given the series' origins.
* Don't use "smileys" or "emoticons".
* Don't "reply" to content others have posted. If you think a particular point warrants discussion, post on the article's Discussion page. If you're 100% sure that something should be changed and don't think a discussion is necessary, just change it. Dialogue goes only on articles' Discussion pages or the forum.
* Never abbreviate the names of characters, places, or anything. Wherever possible, use the full name of a character the first time they are mentioned. After the first mention, you may refer to "[[Violet Baudelaire]]" as "Violet" or "[[Count Olaf]]" as "Olaf" and so forth.

=== Point of view ===
We have two types of article: those about narrative elements — like characters, buildings and devices — and those about production and publishing elements — actors, directors, writers and stories.

==== In-universe perspective ====
Because of the nature of our sources for in-universe subjects, we write our articles from the perspective of the time [[Lemony Snicket]] supposedly wrote the books. Thus, we're not speaking [[tardis:Tardis:Point of view|from the end of the universe]] as at [[w:c:tardis]], and we're not writing in a constant present tense, either, as if we were simply giving plot summaries.

To be more specific, if you are describing [[Briny Beach]], it can be assumed that in the present state of things at the time of writing, the layout and buildings are still the same. Briny Beach will be ''described'' in the present, but if you talk about what Violet, Klaus and Sunny did at Briny Beach, it is very important to use the past tense.

From the perspective of the articles, these things have ''happened'' at some point prior to Snicket's writings, and they have been recorded by researcher and writer Lemony Snicket. We are giving descriptive and biographical information.

==== Out-of-universe perspective ====
These articles, too, should generally be written in the past tense, as present tense statements can get outdated fast.

We also employ an out-of-universe perspective in "Behind the scenes" sections, which can be found at the bottom of some otherwise in-universe pages. These should employ present tense as much as possible.

=== On the subject of canon ===
Here at the Snicket Wiki, any lone work or series not written by Daniel Handler and/or Lemony Snicket at least in part is outside the scope of "canon". That is to say, it doesn't count on in-universe articles, except in Behind the scenes sections.

What ''does'' count is:
* The ASOUE books by Lemony Snicket (including spin-off prose material by Snicket)
* The ATWQ series by Lemony Snicket
Separate canons:
* The 2004 ASOUE film falls quite short, as Handler's screenplay was scrapped by the new oncoming director, and his creative involvement in the project stopped right there. It is also an unfaithful adaptation.
* The ASOUE Netflix series, as many episodes are written directly by Daniel Handler, and he is one of the executive producers of the show, can be considered close to canon; however, several instances of contradictory information towards the books' timeline and facts makes it a separate canon. 
** The Netflix series is a very faithful adaptation, and though valid, it is considered a secondary source to the original novels. That is to say: any additional information not included in the originals is perfectly valid, while any elements that expressly contradict the text of the original novels may be considered "according to another account", at best. 

=== Links ===
Don't link to the current page. In other words, a page should not link to itself. If it is attempted, the link will simply turn into bold text. A given page should only contain one link to sn individual page per section. If a page links to [[Violet Baudelaire]] in one place, then that should be the ''only'' link to Violet Baudelaire until a new section in the article is reached. Also, never place links in a header. Instead, use the {{tlx|main}} template to place a link right below it.

=== References and citation ===
To add sources to an article, click after a statement, and add the necessary citation like so:
:{{tlx|r|TBB|The Wide Window}}
Those are just two examples. Follow the following table to find all acceptable forms of a given story. They all produce the same thing.

{{r/list}}

:''{{resize|110%|See [[Template:R]] for more information.}}''

'''Make sure to also add the following:'''
:<code>== Sources ==</code>
:{{tlx|reflist}}
'''To the bottom of every article with a citation.'''

This will produce the following (with far fewer references, of course):

=== Sources ===
{{reflist|3}}

=== Stubs ===
If you don't know enough information on a topic, or you know there's more, add a stub to it. To do so, simply add {{tlx|stub}}, and people will know that it's a stub by looking at the stub category. Generally the {{tlx|stub}} template is put at the bottom of the page.

=== Don't sign your edits ===
All contributions are appreciated, but if every user left their mark on every contribution they made, the Wiki would be nothing but signatures. Your contributions can still be seen on the "History" page for a given article, and under "Contributions" on your profile.

=== Always sign your Talk posts ===
If you make a post on a ''talk'' page, you must always sign it. This is as easy as typing <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki> at the end of your post.

== Article standards ==
=== Main ASOUE books ===
{{main|Lemony Snicket Wiki:Standards/bookpage}}
=== Other books ===
{{main|Lemony Snicket Wiki:Standards/book2page}}
=== Characters ===
{{main|Lemony Snicket Wiki:Standards/charpage}}

== Image standards ==
When uploading an image, be sure to give it a descriptive name. Don't worry about adding Licensing Information or a Summary. Be sure, though to add categories to your image, like "Movie Images," "Illustrations," "Characters," "Locations," etc.

Fan art should not be uploaded to the Wiki, as it is not canonical. If you would like to share your Fan Art, please do so in the [http://asoue.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=art forums at 667 Dark Avenue.]

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