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 redirect it to anothe article== First, decide if you want to preserve the text of the original user's question. If you do, you'll then want to request an administrative move to a new title (see below). If you think that you can delete the text of their question, and just create a new article in its place, you can redirect their question to a new article (see below). If the article you would've liked to turn their question into already exists, then you'll need to redirect their question to an existing article, and, if necessary, add info to the existing article (see below). ===Redirect it to a new article=== If you think you can reasonably delete the original question, and just use it as '''an idea''' for a new article, just edit it to remove all of the text, and put a redirect to a new article in its place. The syntax for a redirect is <nowiki>#REDIRECT [[articlename]]</nowiki>. So, to insert a redirect to a new article titled "Sourcing Plymouth body parts", insert the following text in the article: <nowiki>#REDIRECT [[Sourcing Plymouth body parts]]</nowiki>. For more details on redirects, see [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Redirects the Redirect page in the MediaWiki manual]. After you've inserted the redirect text, and saved the edit, you should see a large bent arrow pointing to a new article title. Simply click on the new article title, and begin editing. Save it, and the new article is in place. ===Redirect it to an existing article=== What if someone asks an electrical troubleshooting question, and you want to turn it into an article titled "Troubleshooting electrical problems". We already have such an article: [[Troubleshooting electrical problems]]. In such a scenario, just insert a redirect to the existing article (see above). If you like, you can then edit the existing article to include their question, or an answer to it. ===Request an administrative title change=== Sometimes, you may want to keep the text of the original question, but simply change the title. You may want to do this if the question is well-phrased, or has good information or pictures, but the title simply isn't phrased as a question. Only administrators can re-title articles. You can request a title change request via [[Title change requests]]. Simply enter a link to the article, and your proposed title change request. An administrator will address it, and then leave you a message on your Talk page. ==Build the article== Once an article has been merged, redirected, or moved, you can push it forward by adding a little bit to it. 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 original person who asked the question== When you've finished turning a question into an article, notify the original question poster of your work by placing a message on their Talk page. To access their Talk page, click the "History" tab at the top of the page. There, you'll see a list of every edit done on the article. The bottommost edit will be that of the person who originally asked the question. If they didn't register a username, an IP address will be listed instead. After the username or IP address, you'll see a link titled "Talk", with which you can communicate directly with that user. If the link is red (it will probably be), it means that they haven't yet built their "Talk" page. Once you click that link, you'll be able to edit their "Talk" page -- any additions to that page will prompt the user with a notification that they'll see next time they visit the wiki. You can leave a simple message like "Thanks for your question. It has been turned into a more generalized article to which people can contribute over the long term." On "Talk" pages, be sure to include your signature by typing four consecutive tilde characters: <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>. This will be turned into your username, followed by the date. ==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.

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