How to ask a question
- Search first. Wikipedia is huge, and you can probably find the answer to your question much quicker by looking for it yourself. If there's no useful information on Wikipedia, the internet is a great resource too, so try a search engine such as Google too.
- Do your own homework. The reference desk won't give you answers for your homework, although we will try to help you out if there's a specific part of your homework you don't understand. Make an effort to show that you've tried solving it first.
- Be specific. Clearly state your question and include any information that might help to understand the context (for example, a wikilink or a link to an online resource). If your question deals with local or national issues, make sure you specify what area of the world it applies to.
- Include a title and a question. Your addition will be deleted if it doesn't include the minimum title and question.
- Be courteous. Reference desk questions are not answered by computers, so a certain level of courtesy is appreciated. Leaving a quick "thank you" if you found an answer useful would be polite.
- Don't type in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. This makes it appear as if you were YELLING, and like a real library reference desk, we try to keep the volume down here.
- Be patient. Your question probably won't be answered right away, so come back later and check for a response. If there has been no response after a few days, consider rephrasing the question.
- Don't provide contact information, such as your e-mail address, home address, or telephone number. Questions are normally answered on the same page that they are asked. Be aware that the content on Wikipedia is extensively copied to many websites; making your e-mail address public here may make it very public throughout the Internet.
- Don't repeat posts, and don't post the same question on more than one subpage. If you can't figure out where to put your question, use a "general" page or the miscellaneous desk.
- Sign your question. Type ~~~~ (four tildes) at the end of your question, to let the reference desk know who's asking.
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