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'''Welcome Wikipedians and ex-Wikipedians!'''  
{{Getting Started}}
{{TOC|right}}
Citizendium welcomes Wikipedia contributors.  Many members of [[Citizendium]] have experience in editing at [[Wikipedia]], and have joined this project to try a different model of content development.  In the past, Citizendium experimented with multiple collaborative models, and not everything was successful. Please read about [[CZ:About|who we are these days]].


Most Citizens were once (and some still are) at work on Wikipedia, and have joined the ''Citizendium'' to try a slightly different model of content development. We want to welcome you here. We think the world could use a free alternative to Wikipedia, and you can help us create it.
<big>Please read [[CZ:We aren't Wikipedia|We aren't Wikipedia]]</big>. Many of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:List_of_policies Wikipedia's policies] either do not apply here or have been modified. After that, feel free to contribute [[CZ:Be Bold|boldly]].


Before you start [[CZ:Getting Started#Be_bold.21|boldly]] contributing, please read this document all the way through.  By doing so, you can be sure that your work at Citizendium will get off on the right foot, and that you won't run into any unexpected snags.
== Subpages ==
[[CZ:Creating_an_article_with_subpages|Subpages]] are used on all Citizendium articles to expand article content; see our [[CZ:Subpages#List_of_subpage_types|list of subpage types]]. Note how we have replaced "List of" articles with [[CZ:Catalogs|catalogs]].   


There are some important "do's and dont's" that Wikipedians in particular may have to bear in mind. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:List_of_policies Wikipedia's policies] either do not apply here or have been fundamentally altered.  We have our own ways of doing things, you might say.  At the same time, some of Citizendium's policies are remarkably similar to Wikipedia's. But which are which?
== How to ask for help ==
<BR><BR>
Questions can be asked in the [[Forum:Home|Forum]] or from Citizendium's "community managers" or "Sysops".  Our managers and sysops oversee adherence to basic policies, settle ''behavioral'' problems, and address content problems only if there is a violation of policy.  They also review applications and create new accounts.
 
== Citizendium is not a mirror ==
Citizendium is ''not'' a mirror of Wikipedia. Absolutely do not simply copy content from Wikipedia to Citizendium without working on it. If you wish to import material from Wikipedia, it must be because you have immediate plans to improve it.  See [[CZ:How to convert Wikipedia articles to Citizendium articles|How to convert Wikipedia articles to Citizendium articles]] for directions.  Articles copied from Wikipedia without any substantive revisions after one week are subject to deletion.
 
'''Exception:''' If you are the primary author or manager of an article or class of articles (e.g., about vipers or astrophysics) and you intend to continue your work on and maintenance of the article(s) here, then you may do so.  In such a case, place a note to that effect at the top of the article talk page(s); otherwise, your imports are apt to be deleted.
 
'''Note:''' Don't think you have to do it all yourself. The cooperative nature of the Citizendium means that even some very good articles from Wikipedia can still be improved stylistically, or by expansion and the addition of new information.  For what we mean, see [[CZ:Article_Mechanics_Complete#Narrative_coherence_and_flow|Article Mechanics: Narrative coherence and flow]] and [[CZ:WP2CZ#Improving_articles_stylistically|Improving articles stylistically]]. You may have to rethink how you conceive of writing encyclopedia articles.
 
== Differences in style, approach and tone ==
You're probably used to well-developed Wikipedia articles being divided into many short sections, full of bulleted lists. Some are written in dense prose that shows off [http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/erudition erudition] more than really introducing a topic. We think Citizendium has a better way.
 
We don't like to speak "[[CZ:Article_Mechanics#Write_lively_prose.2C_not_.22encyclopedese.22|encyclopedese]]."  Rather, we want ''Citizendium'' articles to be [http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/lucid lucid], ''highly readable introductions'' written in ''[[CZ:Article_Mechanics#Narrative_coherence_and_flow|compelling, narrative prose]]'' that really do the job of introducing a topic to people who need an introduction.  This doesn't mean our articles will have less information or be more lightweight. It means we simplify the difficult, engage our readers, and allow a narrative voice to come through.  In short, we want to make it hard for anyone to click away from an article until they have read it all the way through.
 
For further information, see [[CZ:Article Mechanics|Article Mechanics]] &mdash; a probably quite different take on encyclopedia writing than you might be used to. You might also want to have look at [[CZ:Sage_advice_on_writing_CZ_articles|Sage advice on writing CZ articles]], and a few examples among our [[:Category:Approved_Articles|approved articles]] while comparing them with their Wikipedia counterparts. Even some of our developing articles exhibit the difference we are talking about, e.g., compare the intro of our [[Anthropology]] article with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropology Wikipedia's version].
 
Notice also that we aren't putting contributor-oriented templates, such as Wikipedia's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutrality_templates neutrality templates], atop our articles.
 
== New and unfamiliar practices ==
We have several practices that will be new and unfamiliar to Wikipedians:
 
* '''The use of [[CZ:Subpages|Subpages]] to expand article content.'''  At Wikipedia, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Subpages subpages are disallowed] related to articles.  Citizendium, on the other hand, has made them universal for all articles.  To get an idea of what we add to subpages, see our [[CZ:List of subpage types|list of subpage types]].  While you're there, make sure to note how we have replaced "List of" articles with [[CZ:Catalogs|catalogs]].  You might also check out [[Civil_society/Catalogs|Civil society: Catalogs]], a developing example.
 
* '''The "Content is from Wikipedia?" tick-box.''' If any content of an article at Citizendium came from Wikipedia and you aren't the sole author of that content, be absolutely sure you check the tick-box. It is just above the "Save page" button. If you are the sole author, however, please make it clear on the relevant talk page and post a link to the Wikipedia article history giving evidence of such. The {{Tl|WPauthor}} template has been created for this purpose.
 
* '''[[CZ:Workgroups|Workgroups]], Workgroup Category Tags, and Workgroup Recent Changes.''' Anybody can edit any article but we want every article to have its editorial team assigned.
 
The above new practices are things you can use every time you do work on the ''Citizendium.'' See [[CZ:We aren't Wikipedia|We aren't Wikipedia]] for other new practices.
 
== Acting like a pro ==
The concept of ''professionalism'' richly captures the culture to which the Citizendium strives.  Our [[CZ:Professionalism|professionalism policy]] is our cornerstone behavior policy and is about much more than just our low tolerance for uncivil and disruptive behavior that can quickly result in permanent banning.  It is about our decided intent to create &mdash; and enforce &mdash; a respectful, pleasant, and productive working environment.  This is so even when contributors may be working out disagreements and critiquing others' work. 
 
'''Examples of unprofessional behaviors at Citizendium include:'''
 
*'''Reverting others' work.''' We have a ''no-unexplained-revert rule''.  You must justify any reversion on the talk page and try to give others a chance to revert their own work. 
*'''Deletion of others' work without explanation.''' Deletion of more than 50 words can result in a warning, followed by a ban. Vandalism is excluded.
*'''Attacks on another's moral character, or personal or professional credibility.''' This applies whether done with Citizendium or other resources.
*'''Threats of any kind.''' You'll not only be banned by us but your local authorities will be contacted in serious cases.
*'''Disrespectful characterization of another's work.'''  We critique it respectfully instead, even if it maybe really is bunk.
*'''Retaliation when wronged.''' We [mailto:constables_at_citizendium.org call a constable] instead and refuse to let any offenses we see go unreported.
 
Simply put, professional conduct is '''mandatory''' here. ''Professionalism'' is what differentiates our culture from that of many other [[Web 2.0]] communities. And no one has to ''be'' a professional occupationally to ''act'' professionally.
 
== Real names means real names ==
Part of behaving professionally is signing with your real name on the wiki. You need not worry about your real name showing up all over the Net from CZ pages, since we use [http://en.citizendium.org/robots.txt robots.txt] to prevent that. Constables warn users with unacceptable nicknames, instruct them that they may apply for a pseudonym, and then ban them if they fail to correct the name.
 
A real name in some cultures consists of a single name.  In this case, verification that you belong to one of these cultures is required.
 
== Handling content disputes without "edit warring" ==
Content disputes are inevitable, but we simply ''will not'' tolerate edit warring.  If you disagree with another participant, the first step is to discuss the matter on the talk page; if no satisfactory compromise can be reached, the next step is to ask an uninvolved editor in the relevant area and with the relevant expertise to adjudicate.  We do plan to have a more sophisticated dispute resolution mechanism, but we haven't needed to implement it yet.  We've been quite successful at actually collaborating and compromising.
 
== We ain't elitist, but our "world" isn't flat ==
[http://blog.citizendium.org/2007/03/28/we-aint-elitist/ We ain't elitist], but our "world" isn't completely flat. At Wikipedia, everyone has the same role when it comes to making judgments about article content. Between competing citations and changing "consensus", disputes can seem unending. We think our system is an evolution of that model.
 
;Editors
You already know we make a special role for experts and that we respect them.  But what you may not know is that this does not at all mean you cannot professionally argue your case with them; you most definitely should. Our editors aren't distant overseers looking down from the Olympian heights.  To edit, editors must work shoulder-to-shoulder with authors and other editors. You'll probably be pleasantly surprised at how well it works! 
 
;Authors
Editors are authors too, but what can authors do?  Almost everything. Authors can start new articles, edit existing articles, talk things over on the talk page, and much else. Authors work side-by-side with not only other authors, but with real experts in their field. We feel it is very liberating to have experts on-board who are empowered to make decisions amidst content disputes. Although you may be skeptical at first, you'll probably find yourself heartily agreeing after a while&mdash;especially after you see your work appearing in articles that have been [[CZ:Approval_Process|approved]]! For more on author functions, please see [[CZ:The Author Role]].
 
;Constables
 
[[:Category:CZ Constables|Our constables]] are Citizendium's "community managers" or "Sysops".  They oversee adherence to basic policies, and settle ''behavioral'' problems whereas ''editors'' settle ''content'' disputes.  Constables also review applications and create new accounts.  They operate within a "separation of powers" and are held to a strict conflict of interest policy. Constables ''may not'' act as constables in articles where they have acted as authors or editors.  All hold at least a bachelor's degree and are at least 25 years old.  For further information see [[CZ:Constabulary]].
 
Constables replace attacks of any kind with our {{Tl|civil}} template, which reads,
 
:{{civil}}
 
Attacks result in a warning or even a ban, depending on the case.
 
Moreover, if you have any complaints to make about other users, no matter how well justified, please don't make them on the wiki.  Constables remove complaints and replace them with the {{Tl|nocomplaints}} template, which reads:
 
:{{nocomplaints}}
 
All of our constables are very friendly and helpful, but don't make the mistake of taking that to mean they play fast and loose with the rules.  They don't.  Constables only block ''permanently'', nothing less. For further information see [[CZ:Constabulary_Blocking_Procedures|Constabulary Blocking Procedures]].
 
'''To "call a constable,"''' please email [mailto:constables_at_citizendium.org constables _at_ citizendium.org].


== Images ==
== Images ==
''Any'' type of '''open content licensed images''' are allowable and preferred, although '''images from Wikipedia or the Wikimedia Commons''' and other image banks must pass [[Help:Images#Images_from_Wikipedia.2C_Wikimedia_Commons.2C_Flickr.2C_Openphoto.net.2C_etc.|a two-pronged test]] ''before'' you upload them to Citizendium. '''Fully copyrighted images''' are allowable in Citizendium if you place proof of permission in a Permission subpage of the image's talk page. We are still working out our policy on '''fair use of images''' (see [[CZ:Fair Use Policy, Media|the draft]]), ''so please withhold uploading fair use images until our policy is finalized.'' Watch the Notice board for an announcement.
''Any'' type of '''open content licensed images''' are allowable and preferred.  Images from '''[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Images Wikimedia Commons]''' can be used directly in this wiki.  Images from other image banks must pass [[Help:Images#Images_from_Wikipedia.2C_Wikimedia_Commons.2C_Flickr.2C_Openphoto.net.2C_etc.|a two-pronged test]] ''before'' you upload them to Citizendium. '''Fully copyrighted images''' are allowable in Citizendium ONLY if you place proof of permission in a Permission subpage of the image's talk page and link to it. Images lacking clear copyright data may be subject to removal. See [[Help:Images#Copyrights|Images Help on Copyrights]].
 
All images lacking clear copyright data are subject to [[CZ:Article Deletion Policy|speedy deletion by constables acting on their own recognizance]]. Citizendium editors will not nominate articles for approval if the status of their images is unclear.
 
See [[Help:Images#Copyrights|Images Help on Copyrights]] for more detail.
 
== Not categories and projects but workgroups ==
Wikipedians self-organize into ''Projects'' whose foci are articles in certain ''categories''. Citizendium organizes authors and editors into [[CZ:Discipline_Workgroups|discipline workgroups]]. Editors are assigned their workgroups, while authors simply add themselves to whichever workgroups they choose.  You should join author workgroups straightway after your account has been created. You can take [[Template:Workgroup_introduction|a workgroups tour]] to find out more, and read [[CZ:How_to_get_started_as_an_author#Get_plugged_in_to_the_community|Get plugged in to the community!]]
 
== Article deletion policy ==
The general rule about article deletion is that articles should be deleted if their continued existence would create more work and frustration, in the long run, for either contributors or users, than deleting them. This is the essence of our [[CZ:Maintainability| Maintainability policy]]. It is distinctly different from Wikipedia's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:N notability policy].
 
Constables may delete articles that are not maintainable. Editor permission is required for deletion of other articles. See [[CZ:Article Deletion Policy]] for elaboration.
 
We may also place articles into what we call [[CZ:Cold_Storage|Cold Storage]] rather than delete them.
 
== On stubs and lists ==
At Wikipedia, creating '''stubs''' is an encouraged practice. Someone will always come along and add to them &mdash; eventually.  At Citizendium, we ''much'' prefer you start one or just a few articles, and develop them well&mdash;even until they are approved.
 
At Wikipedia, creating '''lists''' of various types is acceptable. At Citizendium, we create articles and [[CZ:catalogs|their relevant catalogues]].
 
== Don't spill alphabet soup! ==
We wish to avoid having an insular, unintelligible community.  Accordingly, we don't use neologisms like "NPOV" and "POV", "RS", "FWIW", and "OR". Our [[User:Ruth_Ifcher|Chief Constable]] has made this a bannable offense, and we're still not sure whether she's kidding or not. Just use plain English on top of wikilinks or post them in full. Any page shortcuts you find (the one for this page is CZ:CZ4WP) are exclusively for your personal use. In our informal discussions, however, it is generally agreed that CZ and WP are permissible, but only, it must be stressed, in an informal context.
 
== Family-friendly ==
The Citizendium aspires to be an encyclopedia with international acceptance, usage, and credibility. ''All'' general usage traditionally print encyclopedias who enjoy such a status have a "family-friendly" policy, and so does Citizendium.  Accordingly,  [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:CENSOR#Wikipedia_is_not_censored Wikipedia is not censored] just cannot apply here.  All articles we have about sexual topics will be scholarly and tactful, and none will contain gratuitously graphic photos. For more information, see our [[CZ:Family-Friendly Policy|Family-Friendly Policy]].
 
== Don't ignore all rules, but do be bold ==
[[User:Larry Sanger|Larry Sanger]] wrote Wikipedia's original [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Ignore_all_rules Ignore all rules] policy as a way to encourage people to [[CZ:Be Bold|be bold]] and not sit on the sidelines just because they, for example, did not know [[CZ:How to Edit the Citizendium#Wiki_markup|wiki markup]] (you can have a look at [http://nostalgia.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_to_consider the original document]). Yet over time, Ignore All Rules has been interpreted to have a [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia%3AIgnore_all_rules&diff=70516723 "deep and subtle meaning"].  


Simply put, if you attempt to ignore all rules on Citizendium, you will rapidly meet up with one of our constables. But please don't let a lack of confidence keep you sitting on the sidelines.
==Importing from Wikipedia to Citizendium==
If you wish to import material from Wikipedia, see [[CZ:Article_Mechanics|Article Mechanics]] and [[CZ:How to convert Wikipedia articles to Citizendium articles|How to convert Wikipedia articles to Citizendium articles]].


Now, [[CZ:Be Bold|be bold]]!
==And from Citizendium to Wikipedia==
Since Wikipedia changed its license to CC-BY-SA 3.0, it can use material ''from'' Citizendium. A workgroup has been formed there, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Citizendium_Porting WikiProject Citizendium Porting], to coordinate this.


== For further reading ==
== Further reading ==
* [[CZ:We aren't Wikipedia|We aren't Wikipedia]] - A rundown of the similarities and differences
*The Citizendium [[CZ:Policies|Policies]].
* [[CZ:How to convert Wikipedia articles to Citizendium articles|How to convert Wikipedia articles to Citizendium articles]] - Essential reading if you wish to import anything from Wikipedia
*Citizendium's [[CZ:Content Policy|Content Policy]] has changed as of 2024. 
*[http://www.citizendium.org/fundamentals.html Citizendium's Statement of Fundamental Policies] - The document you endorsed before being granted Citizendium membership.
*[[CZ:We aren't Wikipedia|We aren't Wikipedia]]
*[[CZ:Dozen Essentials|A Dozen Essentials]] - A dozen things you should know about.
*[[CZ:How to convert Wikipedia articles to Citizendium articles|How to convert Wikipedia articles to Citizendium articles]]
*[[CZ:Article Mechanics|Article Mechanics]] - Different in several ways from Wikipedia, definitely worth reading.
*[[CZ:Essentials|Essentials]]
*[[CZ:Article mechanics|Article Mechanics]]  


{{Getting Started}} [[Category:Getting Started]]
[[Category:Getting Started]]

Latest revision as of 08:36, 31 October 2024

Citizendium Getting Started
Quick Start | About us | Help system | Start a new article | For Wikipedians  


Citizendium welcomes Wikipedia contributors. Many members of Citizendium have experience in editing at Wikipedia, and have joined this project to try a different model of content development. In the past, Citizendium experimented with multiple collaborative models, and not everything was successful. Please read about who we are these days.

Please read We aren't Wikipedia. Many of Wikipedia's policies either do not apply here or have been modified. After that, feel free to contribute boldly.

Subpages

Subpages are used on all Citizendium articles to expand article content; see our list of subpage types. Note how we have replaced "List of" articles with catalogs.

How to ask for help

Questions can be asked in the Forum or from Citizendium's "community managers" or "Sysops". Our managers and sysops oversee adherence to basic policies, settle behavioral problems, and address content problems only if there is a violation of policy. They also review applications and create new accounts.

Images

Any type of open content licensed images are allowable and preferred. Images from Wikimedia Commons can be used directly in this wiki. Images from other image banks must pass a two-pronged test before you upload them to Citizendium. Fully copyrighted images are allowable in Citizendium ONLY if you place proof of permission in a Permission subpage of the image's talk page and link to it. Images lacking clear copyright data may be subject to removal. See Images Help on Copyrights.

Importing from Wikipedia to Citizendium

If you wish to import material from Wikipedia, see Article Mechanics and How to convert Wikipedia articles to Citizendium articles.

And from Citizendium to Wikipedia

Since Wikipedia changed its license to CC-BY-SA 3.0, it can use material from Citizendium. A workgroup has been formed there, WikiProject Citizendium Porting, to coordinate this.

Further reading

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