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== Finding Information on the Wiki ==

The first thing to realize about the Wiki is that it is a Wiki. If you are unfamiliar with the Wiki concept, the quintessential example of a Wiki is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Wikipedia] - an encyclopedia written by thousands of online contributors. 

Because of the nature of the Wiki, it is important to understand the way things are laid out in order to find information. The organization of the Wiki can make incredible amounts of information very easy to find, but only if you know where it is.

=== Searching ===

[[Help: Searching|Searching]] is the most obvious way to find information on the GECK Wiki. The Search box is found on the left side of the screen, and it will return any and all pages which contain the words you type in it. The Search tool is useful, but is has some important limitations, so please visit our page dedicated to making the most of your Searching.

== Making the Most of the Wiki ==

The GECK Wiki can best be used by registered users. If you haven't already, it is strongly recommended that you [[Special:Userlogin|create an account]] today! Registered users can customize their Wiki display, can ask questions, and can help make the Wiki the best Fallout 3 modding resource on the Internet.


=== Asking Questions ===

Every page on the Wiki has its own Discussion or Talk page. This is where questions may be asked and feedback given. Questions on the Wiki ought to pertain to confusion regarding the page in question, or about where to find information. Questions should not be about your specific mod - such questions go on the [http://www.bethsoft.com/bgsforums/ Forums].

Questions should get their own [[Help: Wiki Editing Syntax Guide#Headings|Secondary Header]] at the top of the page, and the header should be something meaningful - please don't just write "Help!" in the header. At the end of your question, please sign the question as described in [[Help: Wiki Editing Syntax Guide#Signing a Page|here]].

Feedback is also encouraged. If anything on the page is unclear or confusing, mentioning that is significant boon to the Wiki as a whole. Please follow the same guidelines for feedback as for questions.

Please do not ask questions, give feed back, or add signatures in the actual articles. Always use the associated Talk page.

=== Simple Ways to Help on the Wiki ===

Every user can help improve the Wiki. Even simple things like fixing typos in articles lead to a vastly improved Wiki. There are a great many things that you can do to improve the Wiki that take no more than a few clicks to do. Never worry about messing up the Wiki; mistakes are easy to fix, and often lead to overall improvement of an article. Editing is simple, and you are strongly encouraged to make any and all edits that you feel are appropriate.

== Joining the Wiki Community ==

If you would like to help out at the Wiki in more substantial ways, by editing and/or writing, please, by all means! We always welcome new members. Here are some tips for getting started:

* Write something on your [[Special:MyPage|User Page]]! Your user page is there for you to tell us all about yourself as a Fallout 3 modder and Wiki contributor. The [[:Category:Users|User Categories]] are also a great way to make yourself a member of the team.
* See what's new at [[Special:Recentchanges|Recent Changes]]! This page automatically lists every edit made on the Wiki, making it a great way to keep up with what's going on, and it means you'll always know when there are questions to be answered, pages to fix, or articles that people would love to see written!
* Read the Wiki Editing [[Help: Wiki Editing Style Guide|Style Guide]] and [[Help: Wiki Editing Syntax Guide|Syntax Guide]]! These twin-guides serve to explain what we're all about and to direct you in your Wiki contributions.
* Take a look at [[GECK:Tasks|the big to-do list]] and claim a task, there's always something that needs to be done!

== Get Modding ==

Now that you have been properly welcomed to the GECK Wiki, it's time to start modding! If you're new to modding Fallout 3, we recommend the [[:Category: Getting Started|Getting Started category]]. It's full of links and tutorials to get you started.