FamilySearch Wiki:Moderator/Getting Started

Registering on the wiki
A Wiki Moderator should already have a wiki account to access the Wiki as needed. However, in some circumstances a moderator may not have one. If you currently have a user ID and password for any Family Search product, it will work on the Wiki. If you do not have an account create one.

To create an account, click sign in. The sign in feature is found on all Wiki pages on the upper right corner. When the screen comes up to sign in, click the link to register a new account. Create your account and log in.

Moderator Setup

 * We have added you to the FamilySearch Wiki:Moderator page. Please make sure that the link there to your user page is correct.
 * We have also added you as a moderator to the main Locality or Topic page you will be moderating. If you are moderating, for example, New York content, you have been added to the New York page. Note that you will also be moderating all of the New York content.

"Watching" wiki pages
Once registered, the first thing you will need to do is understand how "watching" pages work. Watching the pages you moderate is important so that you can be aware of changes that are made to the pages. When you watch a page, you will be notified via email each time a change is made to that page, and you will know who is working on these pages. Moderators should:


 * 1) Thank them and encourage their contributions to the wiki.
 * 2) Be aware of potential problems that may arise.

Here is how to "watch" a page:


 * Once you have logged in and are on a page you want to watch, look on the upper right side of the page for the toolbar with watch, share and print.
 * Click watch. The system will indicate that you are now watching that page
 * “Watching” will generate an e-mail to you when other users make edits to the page. When you visit the page, you can view the History tab to see what was changed. This makes it easy for you to track changes to the pages you moderate.

Watch the following pages:


 * First, add the FamilySearch Wiki:Moderator page to your watchlist. This will notify you of any new helps for Moderators and any changes to the job description.
 * Second, add the locality or topic pages you are moderating to the watchlist, their topic pages, and the sub-locality pages. For example, if you are the New York moderator, you will add the New York page, the New York topic pages, and the New York county pages to your watchlist.

Be involved - learning about policy changes saves rework
Changes occur often on wikis regarding policies, governance, stylistic issues, time-saving templates, and even the roles of moderators and adopters. When such changes occur, it is necessary to be aware of them as they happen. It will save time and unnecessary reworks if new writing and editing follow new changes.

At FamilySearch Wiki, changes that affect moderators, adopters, and other contributors are proposed and discussed at the Contributor's Meeting which is held on Thursdays at 1:00 Mountain time. Everyone is welcome and your opinions are valued.

Creating your user page
The last thing you need to do to get set up is to create your user page. This will tell users and contributors about you and your organization.


 * 1) Using the navigation menu on the right side of the page, expand Personal Tools by clicking on the arrow to the right.
 * 2) The first item you see under Personal Tools should be your username. Click on this, and it will take you to your user page.
 * 3) Before you make your first edit to your user page, a message will display saying "This page has not been created yet." Do not let that confuse you; just click on Edit This Page and begin typing.

Ideas for your user page
A user page is a great place to tell a bit about yourself and link to wiki articles and other sites you find helpful. There are no requirements about what user pages must contain -- they exist to help users -- but here are some ideas of what you might add:


 * A short Personal Section telling about yourself.
 * A section about your personal genealogical projects.
 * Links to pages you moderate.
 * Links to Help pages you use often.
 * A section about any genealogical associations with which you are affiliated, and your reponsibilities there.
 * A section that suggests the types of improvements that are still needed on pages within the topic area you oversee. (This, along with a project page is a good way to make a "call to action" that can get others working on your projects!)

To learn more about user pages, see Help:User page and FamilySearch Wiki:User page. To see a good example of a user page, see User:Cottrells.

Ready to moderate
Once you have completed these tasks, you are ready to begin moderating pages in your subject area.