Contributing
The guidelines for contributing to the GT Student Wiki provide a standard set of rules and conventions for all contributors to follow. Anyone may contribute to the wiki as long as they follow the guidelines.
Grammar
The wiki should be easily readable and written in plain English. An informal style should be avoided, but language should not be excessive.
General Guidelines
- Always use third person and complete sentences. Separate sentences with only a single space.
- Use title case for headers and titles. Headers should be short and practical.
- Avoid using parentheses; instead, try to incorporate that information into the sentence itself.
- Never use contractions or ampersands unless they are part of a proper title, such as a course name.
Emphasis
Do not use boldface or all caps for emphasis. Only italics should be used for emphasis, and emphasis should not be overused.
Numerals
Single digit numbers should be written as words, while numbers above nine should be written as numerals, with exception for credit hours and ranges. Credit hours and ranges should always be written as numerals. For example, it should be stated that "most students will only have 2-5 tests a semester in each class", not "most students will only have two-five tests a semester in each class".
Abbreviations
Do not use abbreviations, slang, or other informal terms unless they are specific to a Georgia Tech program. For example, using AE for aerospace engineering is acceptable, while using "prof" for professor is unacceptable. The first use of an acceptable abbreviation on a page must always be followed by its reference in parenthesis.
Links
The use of links is important to the overall structure of the wiki. Internal links link to other pages in the wiki, including pages that have not been created yet, while external links link to pages not in the wiki.
General Guidelines
Do not include consecutive links separated only by a space. This includes course names, which should not have their associated major and number linked separately. For example, instead of saying "MATH 2551 is a course required by math majors", say "MATH 2551 is a course required by math majors". Headers should never include links.
Internal Links
The first reference to another page on the wiki should always be linked, while subsequent references should not be linked. For example, if the MATH 1551 page states "This course is a prerequisite for MATH 1552, with MATH 1552 covering...", then only the first reference to MATH 1552 is linked. If a page does not exist yet, use a red link.
Always link to major pages unless referring specifically to a minor of the same name.
External Links
External links should be used only when necessary. Links to Georgia Tech-affiliated websites are preferred. If information from an external site can be organized better on the wiki, make sure to include a proper citation when inserting the information.
Leads
Every page should begin with a lead. A lead has no header and provides a short overview of the page. A lead should not exceed more than a few sentences. The first sentence of a lead must include the name of the page in boldface close to its beginning.
References to Faculty and Copyrighted Material
The guidelines for references to faculty and copyrighted material ensure that the wiki maintains a serious tone.
Professors and Faculty
Do not post negative reviews or rants about professors. Positive or neutral comments about professors are allowed, and you may also link to professors' Rate My Professors pages.
Contact Information
Avoid providing direct contact information concerning a subject; instead, link to the subject's personal or professional webpage if available.
Do not post previous or current course syllabi as they contain contact information of professors and teaching assistants (TAs).
Copyrighted Material
Do not post or link to copyrighted material without permission. This includes but is not limited to pirated textbook links, current or previous assignments and assessments, etc. You may indicate the existence or non-existence of these resources, but do not mention where they are located.
Honor Code
All contributions must be consistent with Georgia Tech's honor code.
Pages and Categories
All pages with few exceptions should have a category. For example, course pages belong in the courses category, major pages belong in the majors category, etc. All categories must be linked to on the main page of the wiki. This system ensures that there are no floating pages.
Course Pages
(Guidelines TBD)
Major Pages
(Guidelines TBD)
Minor Pages
(Guidelines TBD)
Freshmen Guide
Pages that primarily indicate useful information for freshmen or new students, such as the FASET page, belong in the freshmen guide category. Freshmen guide pages may be organized differently from each other due to the variety of different topics that they cover compared to course and major pages. However, freshmen guide pages should still be easily readable.
