Editing Turning questions into articles

Oftentimes, new users will start a new wiki "article" that's actually just a tech question. Rather than delete these questions, they can be used as the basis for useful tech articles.

Even the most basic, silly, or inane question can be turned into a high-quality wiki article. Here's how:

==Examine the question, and generalize it==
In most cases, you'll want to generalize the question into a wider article. Most questions can be generalized into a "Troubleshooting" article, a "Choosing" article, a "Swapping" article, a "Sourcing" article, a "Specifications" article, or a "General info" article. Below are examples of each.

===Troubleshooting...===
Many questions are the result of a specific problem with a specific automotive part, component, or system. For example: "4L60E transmission won't reverse, any ideas?". This question can be turned into an article titled [[Troubleshooting 4L60E transmissions]].

===Choosing...===
When people are selecting parts for a specific project, they frequently need to know how to pick an appropriate part; these are essentially "choosing" questions. A question like "What rear end should I put into my 1972 Monte Carlo" can be turned into an article titled [[Choosing a rearend]]. "Choosing" articles can also apply to choosing tools and supplies.

===Swapping...===
"Swapping" questions are related to "choosing" questions, but are generally asked after the parts have been chosen; people have decided on the parts they're going to use, but have a lot of questions about their specific swap. "Swapping" questions are related to "choosing" questions, but are worthy of a distinct category of articles. In most cases, these questions won't have to be significantly generalized, just cleaned up for syntax and grammar. So, a question like "I am swapping a Dodge 360 into a 52 Dodge PU, what do I need to do" can be turned into: [[Swapping a Dodge 360 engine into a 1952 Dodge pickup truck]].

===Sourcing...===
If the question starts out with "Where can I find..." or "Does anyone know where to get...", then it's probably a "sourcing" question. If someone knows the part or component that they need, but doesn't know where to find it (or where to find it at a good price), then their question can be generalized into a "Sourcing..." article. For example, a question like "Hey guys, does anyone know where to get parts for my Fireflite engine" can be turned into an article titled [[Sourcing DeSoto Hemi Fireflite parts]].

===Specifications===
Questions that request specific technical data (measurements, firing orders, ID codes, weights, casting numbers, etc.) can be turned into generalized "Specifications" articles. For example, a question like "How much does a Chrysler 392 engine weigh" can be turned into an article titled [[Early Hemi engine specifications]].

===General info===
If none of the above categorizations seem proper, a "general info" article may be best. For example, a question like "What are the different kinds of head gaskets" can be turned into an article titled [[Head gasket]].

==Change the title, or merge it with an existing article==
====Redirect it to a new title====
===Request an administrative move to a new title===
===Merge it with an existing title===

==Build the article==
You don't have to add a lot of info to the article. You can start with just a few sentences, or just add the framework or structure.

==Notify the user==
Leave a message on talk page.

==Using any automotive question, anywhere, as the basis for an article==
The above procedure can be used anywhere people are asking automotive questions: wikis, forums, emails, or in any offline settings like schools, garages, etc. As online automotive communities mature from a Q&A format (forums, email lists) to an encyclopedic format (articles, wikis), you can help transition the culture to a more efficient and knowledgeable medium.