Help:Sandboxes
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This page serves as a help page for Wiki-related tasks. Before making changes, make sure they have been agreed upon. |
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Sandboxes are a kind of page that can be created by any user to draft a new article or experiment with code. In the former case, sandboxes are a collaborative means of ironing out a new page before it is ready for public viewing.
Creating a new sandbox
Like any other article, a sandbox can be created by searching its full title in the search bar to the top left and pressing "Go", or entering the new page's URL into your browser's search bar.
There are two distinct varieties of sandbox for different purposes, which will have differing title structures:
Standard (drafting) sandboxes
Any sandbox which you intend to turn into a published article should be in the "Sandbox" namespace, and therefore prefixed Sandbox:. The sandbox's title (after the prefix) should be the same as the future article's desired title; for instance, a sandbox should be titled "Sandbox:Godzilla" if it is drafting an article which will be called "Godzilla."
The box below can be used to create this kind of sandbox. Enter its desired title after the colon, then click "Create page."
Personal (testing) sandboxes
In some cases, a user may not intend to draft a whole new article, but rather simply test out code or experiment with writing. It is advised that this work be performed in a personal sandbox, which is instead created as a subpage of a user's own page, in the format User:USERNAME/Sandbox. If you wish to have multiple personal sandboxes for different purposes, they can be differentiated by adding another forward slash ( / ) to the title followed by a descriptor: User:USERNAME/Sandbox/TITLE.
The box below can be used to create this kind of sandbox. Replace "USERNAME" with your username and, if applicable, add another forward slash to the end followed by a descriptor, then click "Create page."
Formatting and promotion
What should be a sandbox?
Not all topics are appropriate for inclusion on Wikizilla. When drafting a new article in the Sandbox namespace, please consider whether its topic is relevant to the rest of the site. Similarly, please only use personal sandboxes for their intended purpose of familiarizing yourself with editing and/or testing ways to improve the site. Sandboxes should never be used for writing fan fiction or for other personal writings unrelated to the site. Any page deemed to be outside of the site's scope will be deleted.
How should sandboxes look?
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This page is a sandbox. Sandboxed pages are unfinished and not yet approved. Information found here may be unpolished or unverified. |
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Every sandbox should be marked toward the top with the {{Sandbox}} template, seen just above. This serves three functions:
- To clearly establish that the pages are unfinished, and that the information therein should be viewed with skepticism while in this form
- To bar them from appearing in search engine results, so that they are not accidentally discovered by someone looking for verified information
- To automatically apply the "Sandboxes" category, collecting them all in one place for potential editors to browse (see also: § Sandboxes in development)
Because sandboxes are intended to be works in progress and cannot be found through internet searching, they do not need to be held to as strict standards of quality as already-published articles. However, a sandbox will not be eligible to become an article until it meets said standards. Furthermore, in order to help cut down on the ever-growing number of sandboxes, we ask that users do not create empty or near-empty sandboxes, such as only containing an infobox and minimal-to-no text. Any sandbox that appears to have been created simply for the sake of existing, and did not have any noticeable effort put into it, will be deleted.
I think my sandbox is done. Now what?
If you believe that your sandbox is ready to be promoted to a fully-fledged article, please leave a message on the page's or a staff member's talk page. We generally discourage moving a sandbox yourself, as it may be moved back.
Sandboxes in development
- Main articles: Help:Sandboxes/List, Category:Sandboxes.
A list of in-progress sandboxes can be found at either of the two pages listed above. The former may be preferable, as it is organized into different categories, though it does not contain personal sandboxes.
If you create a new sandbox to draft an article (a non-personal sandbox), you may add it to Help:Sandboxes/List for greater visibility, though please note that any such addition is subject to removal.
Public sandbox
- Main article: Wikizilla:Sandbox.
A dedicated sitewide sandbox is hosted at Wikizilla:Sandbox. If for some reason you do not feel it necessary to create a personal sandbox, this one can be used for quick experimentation.
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