FamilyAdmin: Initial getting started guide for family members

2026-05-23T18:01:14Z

Initial getting started guide for family members

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This page is your guide to contributing to the Family Commonplace Wiki. You do not need any technical experience — if you can type an email, you can edit this wiki.

__TOC__

== Creating an account ==
# Go to the wiki's home page and click '''Create account''' in the top right corner.
# Choose a username (your name works great — e.g. "JaneGianutsos").
# Enter a password and a valid email address. The email is used for password recovery.
# Click '''Create your account'''.

That's it. You can start editing immediately.

== Editing an existing page ==
Every page has an '''Edit''' tab at the top. Click it to open the editor.

* The editor lets you type text just like a word processor. You can make text '''bold''' or ''italic'', add headings, and create links.
* When you're done, scroll down and add a short note in the '''Edit summary''' box (e.g. "Added photo" or "Fixed birth year").
* Click '''Save changes'''.

Your edit is saved instantly and appears in [[Special:RecentChanges|Recent Changes]] so other family members can see it.

== Creating a new page ==
The easiest way to create a new page is to search for it first:

# Type the name in the search box (e.g. "Mary Gianutsos").
# If no page exists, you'll see a red link: "Create the page 'Mary Gianutsos' on this wiki."
# Click that link and start writing.

== Adding a person ==
When creating a page for a family member, paste this template at the very top of the page before writing anything else:

<pre>
{{Infobox person
| name = Full Name
| birth_date = Month Day, Year
| birth_place = City, State
| spouse = [[Spouse's Name]]
| parents = [[Parent 1]], [[Parent 2]]
| children = [[Child 1]], [[Child 2]]
}}
</pre>

Fill in what you know, and leave blank any fields you don't have. Then add the category at the bottom:

<pre>
[[Category:Living Members]]
</pre>

Or for someone who has passed away:
<pre>
[[Category:Ancestors]]
</pre>

== Adding an event ==
For a wedding, reunion, graduation, or any family milestone, create a page with this template:

<pre>
{{Infobox event
| name = The Event Name
| date = Month Day, Year
| location = City, State
| type = Wedding / Reunion / Birthday / etc.
| attendees = [[Name 1]], [[Name 2]], [[Name 3]]
}}
</pre>

Then add:
<pre>
[[Category:Events and Milestones]]
</pre>

== Adding a recipe ==
Family recipes are some of the most valuable things we can preserve. Use this format:

<pre>
{{Recipe
| name = Recipe Name
| serves = 8
| prep_time = 20 minutes
| cook_time = 1 hour
| passed_down = [[Grandmother's name]]
}}

== Ingredients ==
* 2 cups flour
* 1 tsp salt
* ...

== Instructions ==
# Preheat the oven to 350°F.
# Mix together...

== Notes ==
Grandma always said to use real butter, not margarine.
</pre>

Add the category:
<pre>
[[Category:Recipes and Traditions]]
</pre>

== Uploading photos ==
# Click '''Upload file''' in the left sidebar (under "Tools").
# Choose your photo from your computer.
# Give it a clear file name (e.g. "Gianutsos-family-reunion-1987.jpg").
# Add a short description of what's in the photo and who appears in it.
# Click '''Upload file'''.

Once uploaded, you can insert it in any page with:
<pre>[[File:Filename.jpg|thumb|Your caption here]]</pre>

== Linking between pages ==
One of the best things about a wiki is that pages link to each other. To link to another page, put its name in double square brackets:

<pre>[[Mary Gianutsos]]</pre>

If the page doesn't exist yet, the link will appear in red — that's an invitation for someone to create it.

== Getting help ==
If you get stuck, you can:
* Leave a message on the [[Talk:Main Page|Main Page talk page]].
* Ask another family member who's used the wiki before.
* Check [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Contents MediaWiki's official help pages] for detailed documentation.

Welcome to the wiki — and thank you for helping preserve our family's story.

[[Category:Help]]

Help:Getting Started - Revision history

FamilyAdmin: Initial getting started guide for family members