Start contributing content
Anyone can contribute to the WebPlatform.org wiki. First, read the Contributor's Guide to learn how to set up your account, find information about how we work, and get the details about editing content. Then, come back here and dig in!
This page provides lists of pages that need your help; these are broken out by task. Scroll down the page to find a task you would like to perform. In the table for each task, click the link to a page that needs the work.
As you work, do the following:
- Check out the page you are working on so that other editors do not attempt to work on the same page.
- Edit the page, check the box, Checked out (this article is currently being worked on).
- Save the page, in the Summary for the edit, enter "Checking out."
- Then reopen it and resume working.
- Do not forget to uncheck the box when you are done editing the page, and in the Summary, enter "Checking in."
- If you have any questions, just ask the community on IRC or e-mail.
- Refer to Step 5 of the Editor's Guide for information about editing pages.
- As you finish a chunk of work, clear the checkbox for the work issue (i.e. uncheck "Needs Summary" after you fill in the summary).
The tasks are listed by degree of experience and knowledge required. As you move from the basic tasks to more advanced tasks, you will gain greater expertise -- both in using the wiki and in the subject matter. Choose from the following types of tasks:
Basic tasks for newcomers
Start with basic tasks to get your feet wet and learn about the wiki and its workings.
Go to basic tasks
More involved tasks
These require more experience with the wiki, and more technical or subject-matter knowledge.
Go to involved tasks
Advanced tasks
May require knowledge of the wiki templates and forms, and more interaction with the community.
Go to advanced tasks
Basic tasks
Tasks in this category require little technical or subject-matter knowledge, do not require a lot of time to complete, and yet are very important to maintaining the readability and integrity of the content.
Edit for spelling & grammar
(0 results)
Pages with the Spelling & grammar flag checked require attention to fix grammar and spelling mistakes. Misspelled words are underlined with dashed red lines in the editing interface. When fixing these, it is often helpful to refer to the artifact's specifications for specialized terms. See Update existing content for more information.
The following criteria are applied:
- Content quality flags: Grammar/Spelling
Nothing found!
Fix broken links
(0 results)
- Fix broken links and misspelled words
Broken links are fairly easy to spot on the wiki, because they display in a bold red color. Fix broken links or check the Broken Links flag so someone else can find the page and fix them. Misspelled words are underlined with dashed red lines in the editing interface. Please fix any misspelled words you find. - Add more useful links
Feel free to add useful, relevant links to external resources to show more examples to illustrate a technique or technology.
The following criteria are applied:
- Content quality flags: Broken Links
Nothing found!
Improve titles
(0 results)
Some titles may not fully describe the article. The article may have been imported without a title or there are other reasons the title needs revisiting. See Titles for more information.
The following criteria are applied:
- High-level issues: Undescriptive Title
Nothing found!
Set topic flags
(0 results)
Every page should have at least one topic flag, usually more. See Topics and topic clusters so you're clear on how to use these.
The following criteria are applied:
- High-level issues: Needs Topics
Nothing found!
Provide syntax highlighting
(0 results)
Apply the correct code syntax coloring to code blocks. See Syntax highlighting for details. With HTML code examples, if the <syntaxhighlight> tag is not applied, the code will look broken, so making sure the tag is appied is crucial to the example's readability.
The following criteria are applied:
- Topics: API, CSS, DOM, MathML, SVG
- Content quality flags: Examples Best Practices
Nothing found!
Fill in missing summaries
(899 results)
Every page should include a short summary that provides an overview of the article. Summaries are used in generated overview pages and descriptions in tables (like the tables in this guide). Writing a summary requires just writing a sentence or two in your own words. For source material, refer to the article itself or supporting material like specifications and external references. See Enter helpful article summaries for more information.
The following criteria are applied:
- Content quality flags: Needs Summary
Provide missing flags
(0 results)
Edit the page and check the different High-level issues and Content flags at the top of an article. Flagging pages is critical to help other contributors find tasks to do. You can either start with pages already identified as needing flags, listed below, or simply start in the wiki somewhere, looking for pages that have issues but no flags. See Adding flags in the Editor's Guide.
The following criteria are applied:
- High-level issues: Needs Flags
Nothing found!
Fill in compatibility tables
(0 results)
Note: We anticipate automating the population of the compatibility tables in the near future, and we recommend against working on compatibility tables by hand. Instead, use your time to work on the other tasks on this page. This information is included for reference only.
Generally, the missing information in compatibility tables can be verified by comparing other online resources, such as www.caniuse.com or the www.quirksmode.org site. Identify the compatibility of a feature for each browser, and then enter the values in the form. See the Compatibility page to learn more.
The following criteria are applied:
- Content quality flags: Compatibility Incomplete
Nothing found!
Involved tasks
Articles in the lists below have issues for which the resolution may require subject-matter expertise or technical knowledge (fluency in JavaScript, CSS, MediaWiki, etc.).
CSS properties
The CSS property pages are a special project we're working on. We've selected some significant CSS properties. We're reviewing the reference pages, adding examples, editing, and improving the quality. For more information, see the Web Platform Wednesday.
Edit content for neutrality
(0 results)
WebPlatform.org aims to provide vendor-neutral documentation. If you find a section that describes a feature as if it only works in a certain browser, or a section of code that could work across all browsers, but won't because it only uses one or two browsers' vendor prefixes, please edit these pages. If you cannot fix the page yourself, check the Not Neutral box under High-level issues so someone else can find and edit it.
The following criteria are applied:
- Content quality flags: Not Neutral
Nothing found!
Fix content that is not semantic
(0 results)
WebPlatform uses Semantic Media Wiki and Semantic Forms to organize information in a structured way. Sometimes, however, the information is represented on a page in an unstructured field. Often it is as simple as moving content from one text box to another. However, it may be that the extant forms do not provide a way to represent the information semantically, in which case the resolution first requires a new form/template to be added to the wiki. For that case, you would leave the "Data Not Semantic" flag checked and file a bug to request the new form/template.
For example, in the page for the MediaStreamTrack.readyState property, the return value describes three possible enum values with raw text. A SMW form would more properly identify the values as an enum with a table of name, numerator, and description information for each value.
This type of issue is difficult to spot, but it is pervasive throughout the wiki. Basically, any time you see structured information - like an enum - represented in an unstructured way, you should check the Data Not Semantic flag for the page where you find that information.
See also the Implementation Patterns page to learn more about how we use forms and templates to organize and present information.
The following criteria are applied:
- High-level issues: Data Not Semantic
Nothing found!
Review content
The great thing about a wiki is that it's always under review. However, when an article is marked with the Needs Review flag, the author has specifically requested help from the community in verifying the content. Reviewing an article requires a working knowledge of the subject, and often requires the testing of code samples. When you review an article, always check it against the most recent specifications. See Review existing content for reviewing guidelines.
API pages that need review
(0 results)
The API pages listed here require a review by a community member familiar with their subject matter and capable of evaluating JavaScript code samples.
The following criteria are applied:
- Topics: API
- High-level issues: Needs Review
Nothing found!
CSS pages that need review
(0 results)
The CSS pages listed here require a review by a community member familiar with CSS.
The following criteria are applied:
- Topics: CSS
- High-level issues: Needs Review
Nothing found!
Merge duplicates
(0 results)
Where articles are marked as Merge Candidate the article may be a duplicate of another article, or two or more articles may be sufficiently similar in scope to be merged. If you find an article that you believe is a merge candidate, mark the flag and cite the duplicate page in the Editorial notes field.
The following criteria are applied:
- High-level issues: Merge Candidate
Nothing found!
Develop code examples
Say it with code. Examples are by far the most important type of content we can produce, and every reference article should have a code example that describes how to use the feature. Presently we're concentrating on CSS properties and JavaScript APIs, so we've listed those types of articles which need examples foremost.
See Code sample best practices for guidance.
CSS pages that need examples
(99 results)
Develop examples for CSS pages. Our topic types don't specify CSS properties per se, so look for the "css/properties" namespace identifier in the link to the article when concentrating on CSS properties pages.
The following criteria are applied:
- Topics: CSS
- Content quality flags: Examples Needed
| Page | Summary |
|---|---|
| css/functions/url() | CSS has a variety of different properties that can reference an image file, displaying that file on a web page normally as part of an element's background. This is done using the CSS image syntax, which is url(). |
| css/media queries/any-hover | The any-hover media query returns information about all a user's pointer devices. |
| css/media queries/any-pointer | The any-pointer media query returns information about all a user's pointer devices. |
| css/media queries/color | |
| css/media queries/color-index | |
| More results | |
API pages that need examples
(375 results)
The JavaScript API pages listed here need code examples.
The following criteria are applied:
- Topics: API
- Content quality flags: Examples Needed
| Page | Summary |
|---|---|
| apis/MediaStream/ended | All tracks of the MediaStream object have ended; the MediaStream is said to be finished. |
| apis/appcache/ApplicationCache/abort | Cancels the application cache download process. This method is intended to be used by Web applications showing their own caching progress UI, in case the user wants to stop the update (e.g., because bandwidth is limited). |
| apis/appcache/ApplicationCache/oncached | The resources listed in the manifest have been downloaded, and the application is now cached. |
| apis/appcache/ApplicationCache/onchecking | The user agent is checking for an update, or attempting to download the manifest for the first time. This is always the first event in the sequence. |
| apis/appcache/ApplicationCache/ondownloading | The user agent has found an update and is fetching it, or is downloading the resources listed by the manifest for the first time. |
| More results | |
Other articles needing examples
(676 results)
Here are some more articles that need examples.
The following criteria are applied:
- Topics: DOM, DOMEvents, HTML, JavaScript, MathML, SVG
- Content quality flags: Examples Needed
Fix examples not following best practices
(0 results)
Some extant examples need work. See Code sample best practices for guidance.
The following criteria are applied:
- Topics: API, CSS, DOM, MathML, SVG
- Content quality flags: Examples Best Practices
Nothing found!
Complete documentation
(0 results)
Much of the reference information is incomplete. Usually the work here involves revisiting the specifications or other materials and filling in missing information. Refer to the most recent specifications for the feature as you fill in the pages.
The following criteria are applied:
- Topics: API, CSS, DOM, DOMEvents, HTML, JavaScript, MathML
- High-level issues: Missing Relevant Sections
- Content quality flags: Incomplete
Nothing found!
Clean up unreviewed imports
(0 results)
Much of the content on WebPlatform.org was imported via an automated process and has not been touched. In many cases, the content of a page is not properly organized within the page templates and forms. The content may be out of date, and it may be duplicative.
The following criteria are applied:
- High-level issues: Unreviewed Import
Nothing found!
Fill out Stubs
(0 results)
A stub is merely a placeholder established with the hope that someone will come along and fill in the page. This is a step beyond filling in missing information (see above), and usually requires starting from scratch. Be sure to refer to the most recent specifications for the feature you're documenting.
The following criteria are applied:
- Topics: API, CSS, DOM, DOMEvents, HTML, JavaScript, MathML
- High-level issues: Stub
Nothing found!
Other involved tasks
Herein are some other ideas for contributing to the docs.
- Add screenshots or supporting information
Many articles have broken screenshot links, or include notes that a screenshot is needed. See the steps to Prepare and upload screenshots, or provide examples and supporting information to illustrate techniques. - Split articles
Create pages that convey a single, specific concept by splitting up long pages that contain a wide variety of different content. - Write new articles
If you'd like to author new pages, see the suggestion board to find topics to write. If you are not sure if your topic idea is needed, send a message to the team. If your topic suggestion is approved and you do not have time to write the entire article, it is still worth creating a new page with the beginnings of a new article on it. (This is called a stub page). To get more information about creating new pages, see Step 6 of the Editor's Guide. - Suggest new topics to write
If you have a good idea for an article that could be included but don't have the time or skills to write it yourself, it is still worth putting the idea forward. Send a message that outlines the topic and scope of the article. - Improve internal documentation
If you research the Editor's Guide and you cannot find out how to do something, propose an update to the Editor's Guide to make the process easier for other contributors. - Rewriting CC-BY-SA content for CC-BY use
Content original to the site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 3.0) for maximum reusability. Some material on the site has been imported from other sources that have made it available under a share-alike license such as CC-BY-SA. If you see articles licensed like this, feel free to rewrite the content. See the list of articles licensed as CC-BY-SA to get started.
Advanced tasks
Tasks in this section are often take longer to complete, require coordination with others in the community, or may require elevated access privileges in the wiki.
Presently we're building out a project management system using The Bug Genie (TBG), which will be the go-to site for all of our larger site-wide projects.
Most wanted
Items from the Most Wanted Tasks page will be listed here once their status in TBG is determined, and the Most Wanted Tasks page will be deprecated in favor of this page and the TBG project management system.
Projects
We run a number of long-term projects for improving the wiki infrastructure and content. See project.webplatform.org] for more information. These projects are described also in the Projects page. More information about projects soon.
Template Corps
A small team of people with the requisite knowledge of SMW forms and templates is tasked with improving these for the wiki. See Template Corps for more information.
References
Here are some references to help you:
- Editor's Guide
- Style Guide
- MediaWiki Formatting
- Wikipedia syntax cheat sheet
- Wiki Syntax Errors (Gotchas)
- How Web Platform Docs uses Semantic Media Wiki
- General FAQ
Remember, if at any point you're unsure, contact the team on IRC or the mailing list. We love helping new editors start contributing.