Encyclopedia Dramatica:Basic Rules

From Encyclopedia Dramatica

Policy This article defines official ED Policy. Shortcut: ED:BASIC

Do you find truth offensive? Do you shy away from anything correct, normal, and sane? Or would you rather just incite anarchy and chaos across the web, net, and world?
-- HRWiki Guy 10:12, 27 Jun 2005 (UTC)

1. Read, dummy! Read at least 100 articles before you create one. The list of previously featured articles is a good place to start. If this is too much to ask, go to the list of lulz wikis where you'll probably find something less demanding for your crap stubs.
2. Sign comments in Talk pages. If you're leaving a comment in a talk page, sign it. You can do this by inserting four tildes at the end of your comment or by clicking in the Signature with Timestamp button ( ) above the edit field.
3. Keep ED on topic: we only want articles relating to drama, internets, or memes. If you are unsure, please refer to ED:LULZ.
4. Add drama and information as much as possible, when writing up an article. Google and Ljseek are your friends.
5. Don't make an idiot of yourself! Seeing as you are new around here, we don't appreciate a case of severe unwarranted self-importance. If you even think you can handle the production of a new lulz induced article, write it with the greatest care and precision. There is no value in one-sentence articles; make a story of it, use correct formatting, and use your feeling. Of course, it is recommended you start out with minor edits to existing articles.
6. ED is not NPOV. We don't ever want to see an edit that can be summarized as 'reduce bias'. Ever.
7. Add no new categories. The existing ones work just fine, thank you very much.
8. Assign categories to your articles. If you don't, they might be marked "{{crap}}" (oh noes!)
9. Preview before saving. Before saving your changes, hit "Show preview" if you're unsure of formatting or how the page will look after you're done editing. That way, if you change your mind or notice a mistake, the article's history won't be filled with your multiple edits. Several consecutive edits are generally frowned upon unless you're making major changes to an article. Try to avoid it if you can or you will get {{Preview}} on your page, and noone wants that.
10. Wikify your articles. To test skills, use the Sandbox. Read the Encyclopedia Dramatica:Style Guide for wikihelp.
11. Create links to your articles. Srsly, if your article isn't linked to from the outside world, it may get BALETED.
12. Do not write any articles about Chuck Norris (Moar liek JEW Norris, amirite?). Or re-create any other crap articles that have been deleted, for that matter.
13. Promote the site to your friends and enemies. ED Banners are available for your use, or you can make your own.
14. Use edit summaries. For instance, if you sass the admins, you write it in the edit summary. (example).
15. Use IRC to communicate with other editors on ED IRC and the ED mailing list
16. Got nothing to do? See below.

[edit] Now, onto the rules

1. Don't piss off these people