User:TenPoundHammer/MOS

Our Manual of Style for editors.

General
In general, like most Wikis, we have a set of "common sense" rules.


 * Try to maintain a neutral point of view. If you would like to write an opinion piece, feel free to do so in your own blog or userspace.
 * Having a username is recommended, but by no means required unless you wish to upload pictures (per Wikia policy, IP-address editors cannot upload anything).
 * Use proper spelling, capitalization, and punctuation if possible. If you are using a quote that incorrectly spells something, or refers to something that would generally be considered to have incorrect spelling (such as "Sqrambled Scuares"), place "[sic]" where needed.
 * Related to this, if you are unsure of which style of English spelling to use (i.e. "gray" or "grey"), ask someone.
 * While most are tempted into writing all numbers in numerical form, a general rule is that if a number is lower than 10, write it out; if 10 or higher, use the numerical form. Exceptions are for rounds and seasons (e.g., "Season 5" and "Round 2"), TV stations (e.g., "WPTV-5" or "WSVN-TV 7"), dollar amounts (e.g., "Guint puts $9 "on account" following Round 2, but loses it to Bankrupt in Round 3."), or solutions to Fill In the Number puzzles. One exception regarding dollar amounts is the Million-Dollar Wedge, which is used rather than "$1,000,000 Wedge". Also, please refrain from using letters for big numbers (i.e. "K" for thousands and "M" for millions), as they don't look good.
 * Decades are also written out, such as "1970s"; for the "decade" categories, only one apostrophe is used when writing the numerical form (i.e., "The 90's") unless the show did not use them, which was the case from 2003-06. If you are unsure of whether to put the apostrophe before or after the number, either put two apostrophes (one before and one after) or ask someone.
 * While Wikia allows for page comments, we discourage it as they remove from the professionalism of the page. If you wish to discuss something, either leave a message on a user's talk page or create a talk page (in the Monobook skin, click the "discussion" tab at the top of any page or picture; in the Wikia skin, add "Talk:" to the address bar of your browser).
 * Basically, use common sense. For example, don't ask someone "Is it okay if I can upload pictures for [page title]?" after having already done so. Ask beforehand, and we'll all have less headaches. :)

Talk Pages

 * In general, if you have a question, feel free to ask! Be considerate and patient, however: all users have lives outside of the Wiki, so a response may not be forthright.
 * When responding to talk page questions, preface your reply with a single asterisk ( * ) on the next line (lists or addendums to your own messages should use two asterisks). While colons are generally used for this purpose on sites that use Wiki-based software, it also creates an indent that leaves progressively less horizontal space for text as messages are added to that same discussion; asterisks allow for the full horizontal space while keeping the discussion fluid and easy to follow when reading or adding a response.
 * If you want to reply to a message left on your talk page, simply add it to that particular topic. Responding on the other person's talk page fragments the conversation and makes it hard to follow.
 * Related to the above, if you wish to respond to someone who left a message for you but failed to put it under a separate header, it is recommended that you create a new header and make your response there.

Blocking
As a rule, the Admins (Wiki creator TenPoundHammer and Daniel Benfield) do not block users, especially not with an expiry time of "infinite", unless they have sufficient reason to. Things that will result in such a ban are:
 * Spamming any pages/images, especially to external sites.
 * Harassing or slandering the Admins or other editors anywhere on this Wiki, including your userspace/blog; one NSFW example on this Wiki can be seen here.
 * Related to the above, flaming, trolling and personal attacks (see the above link). We are not alt.tv.game-shows (or its Invision board counterpart) or Encyclopedia Dramatica, nor do we intend to be. This site is rated G at best (like the show) and a high PG/low PG-13 at worst, and we intend to keep it as such for the sake of any young viewers who happen to be reading this Wiki (although really, you must be a bright young individual or you've stumbled into something you don't understand, in which case you're probably not reading this...so why is this here, again?). While we encourage free speech, there is a limit, and crossing that line will very likely get you into big trouble, so rather safe than sorry. Ill-mannered houseguests will be shown the door, so if you're thinking of using a TV-MA/R-rated attitude here, you may want to think twice; on the other hand, if you're thinking of using an NC-17/XXX-rated attitude, you shouldn't be here at all.
 * Remember, free speech is a right, but posting here is a privilege. And above all, respect is a must. So if you get banned or blocked from here, don't complain that we infringed on your 1st Amendment rights; as free speech is not absolute and does not come without consequences, as stated above. In other words, don't complain that we're "butt-hurt" for blocking and banning trolls; there are reasons why we do it and they're pretty self-explanatory.

Uploading

 * Do not use JPEG/JPG pictures unless that is how you found them: JP(E)G is a lower format that makes low-color, low-resolution images look bad, especially when shown as thumbnails (the loss of detail due to compression artifacts is too great) – more specifically, JP(E)Gs tend to not save the colors 100% accurately, along with losing quite a few pixels in compression and hence distorting the picture. For this reason, PNG files are preferred.
 * If the episode/clip/etc. you wish to take a picture from is uploaded online, take screenshots from there (Ctrl-Print Screen on Windows, Command-Shift-4 on Mac) and remove the unnecessary (e.g., not Wheel) portions in an image-editing program such as Paint.
 * While screenshots are fair-use in general and generally cannot be "owned" by a single person except the show's creators, it is recommended that you not copy screenshots from other websites, especially those that use watermarks. Due to not only watermarks but the possibility of re-listing items, eBay is off-limits.
 * Please do not watermark images yourself, either.
 * Before uploading an image, regardless of source, edit out any black bars on the sides, top, or bottom; this will minimize file size and "enlarge" the thumbnail, along with simply looking better.
 * Make sure that the image is of suitable quality overall (e.g., not blurry or compressed). An exception is if the source is a video and its quality is blurry or low-quality, but there are no other copies available (such as the page image for Summer Bartholomew).
 * Image names should be self-explanatory with capital letters where necessary. Titles such as "capture" are not.
 * Uploaded pictures should have a summary explaining what it is, the date (if known), and any other significance.
 * Do not upload fan-made art unless it is intended for your userspace or blog. The only exception is Wheel configurations, which are fan-made but solely illustrate actual Wheel layouts.

Using

 * Images should be right-justified.
 * Do not insert pictures into the middle of a sentence.
 * Some pictures are self-explanatory, and do not need a caption when they are placed onto a page. If you must add an explanatory caption, it should be one to-the-point sentence with punctuation as necessary.
 * If a picture applies to a specific section (such as the debut of the Mystery Wedges in Season 20), place it below the section header so it will appear in edit previews. Some pictures should be placed at the end of the preceding paragraph/line to make it appear next to the relevant one.

General

 * Right-justify images so they don't interfere with the bullet points.
 * Always write entries in the present tense.
 * The daytime timeline is divided by year since daytime did not use seasons.
 * If multiple events happened on the same day, list them under Level 2 bullets ( ** ). This does not apply to "By [date]" or "As of [date]" unless there are three or more applicable items.
 * Always capitalize category names and any facet of the game (Bonus Round, Bonus Wheel, Wheel when referring to the Wheel itself, Gift Tag, Mystery Wedge, etc.). Exceptions are "puzzle board" and the second word of "Prize wedge".
 * Always capitalize "Season" and "Round" when they are followed by a number (e.g., Season 5; Round 2).
 * Try to maintain consistent phrasing for similar events.

Research
If you're not sure on the exact airdate, try to get as close as you can. This can be broken down two ways:


 * General: References to day of the week/time of year, closing narration for primetime lineups or other plugs, commercials, and set decorations (Wintertime, Christmas, Halloween, etc.). Closing narrations are especially helpful for daytime episodes, while set decorations are especially helpful for Seasons 1-6 of nighttime. EPGuides.com, the Internet Movie Database, TV Tango, and Wikipedia can help you figure out the airdate, timeframe, or sometimes just the day of the week (and have all assisted here in some way). Similarly, eBay has assisted in various factors.


 * Gameplay/Set Elements: Various things, sometimes small, can assist. General changes include:
 * Daytime vs. Nighttime: The overhead Wheel shot during the opening spin, opening chant (August 1983-July 1989), and credits can easily determine the version and timeframe. If $1,000 is present on the former or $5,000 on the latter, it's nighttime; if a blue $1,000 is present on the former, it's most likely the week of November 3, 1975. If Buy A Vowel is present, it's before that point in '75 (and the admins would like to contact you).
 * From September 1983 to June 1989, only daytime has a "Recorded at NBC Studios in Burbank, California" chyron. From July 1989 to January 1991, only daytime has a "Recorded at CBS Television City in Hollywood, California" chyron (complete with CBS eye); inversely, only nighttime has a King World logo.
 * In terms of the Bonus Round cash prize, $5,000 is daytime and $25,000 is nighttime.
 * 1990-91 daytime episodes use turntables only (always active), while the nighttime show uses turntables and rugs (depending on the episodes, some turntables are active, and some are not).
 * Cars: The value of cars, as well as the types offered, can help to determine the version (cars less than $10,000 are almost certainly daytime, though with the show's return to NBC in January 1991, cars worth more than $10,000 were offered). Also, while nighttime typically offered two or more cars per week, from 1989-91 the daytime show offered just one per week. As for the types of cars, daytime only offered economy cars, while nighttime offered a mix of both economy and luxury cars (mostly the latter).
 * Logo: The opening logo (just before the host's introduction) became animated in January 1985. The opening shot logo had translucent wedges from 1983-85; beginning in January 1985, the translucent wedges became white.
 * $1,000 in Round 1: If pink, September 1986 or later. If green with wide font, late November 1984 to at least May 2, 1985.
 * Sunburst Backdrops: The original flat-edged ones were used from December 21, 1981 through at least the end of September 1984 (shortly into Season 2). These were changed to be sharp-edged from about October 1, 1984 until between October 13 and November 13, 1986, followed by the third "flower"-esque ones through June 30, 1989.
 * Host Backdrop: Trees were introduced on December 21, 1981 – strangely, while green trees were used most of the year, the brown trees appeared in late September or early October before the white trees took their place by the end of October (through about late January or early February). They were replaced by walls in February 1984, which remained until between October 13 and November 13, 1986. The chevrons introduced on July 17, 1989 were given lights between April 16 and May 13, 1991.
 * Season 5: If "Big Bonanza of Cash" is used in the opening, it's between November 2 and about mid-February; if "continue by popular demand" is used before it (instead of "present"), it's early November. If "Big Bonanza" isn't used and Jack Clark is announcing, it's between mid-February and May 9. If there is an off-model $200 in Round 2, it's 1988.
 * Category Cards/Displays/Chyrons/Strips: If the category is bold and only appears occasionally, it's before March 15, 1978 (and the admins would like to contact you). If they look computer-esque, that is the monospaced font which was used into January 1985. There were three kinds of Helvetica chyrons: the first in January 1985 (which later got shadows), and the second from about early February to late March; the third set was used until January 1993.
 * Bonus Round: If the contestant picks five consonants and a vowel, it's before October 3, 1988 (when it changed to giving RSTLNE with the player choosing another three-and-a-vowel). If M.G. Kelly is announcing, it's August-September 1988. If the player picks four and a vowel, it's either the hour-long or Star Bonus eras (and the admins would like to contact you).
 * Sponsor Lists: From at least June 7, 1976, the sponsor list had a preface of "THE FOLLOWING HAVE PAID AND/OR FURNISHED PRIZES TO NBC FOR PROMOTING THEIR PRODUCTS" It is likely that this was used from the 1975 premiere, but this cannot be confirmed.
 * Sometime between August 22 and October 8, 1980, it became "The Following Have Paid And/Or Furnished Prizes To The Production Company For Promoting Their Products." For a period between about September 3, 1982 and Spring 1984, the capitals were removed from "or", "to", "the", and "for".
 * Beginning around December 28, 1987, it was shortened to "The following companies have furnished prizes for promoting their products."
 * The CBS run used two lists per network tradition: "The following suppliers of products have paid for their use and promotion." and "The following suppliers of products or services have furnished them free or at less than retail." When Wheel returned to NBC in 1991, the (now single again) list was prefaced with "The following companies have paid a fee and/or furnished merchandise to the production company for promoting their products."
 * Nighttime shows have one sponsor list, usually prefaced with "The following companies have paid and/or furnished prizes to the production company for promoting their products." (1983-87); "The following companies have furnished prizes and/or paid a fee for promoting their products." (1987-89); and "The following companies have furnished prizes or paid a fee for their promotion on the program." since then.
 * Merv Griffin Logo: If superimposed over the set, before November 28, 1983; "WHEEL OF FORTUNE Is Produced by" was added sometime between June 7, 1976 and May 31, 1979. The first black-background griffin winked until about February 1984, although the logo was inconsistent until about late April; "Productions" became "Enterprises" on September 10, with "A unit of The Coca-Cola Company" added between November 13 and December 22, 1986. This changed to "A unit of Coca-Cola TELEVISION" between early June and mid-October 1987 and "A unit of Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc." on February 8, 1988.

What To Add

 * Consider the timeframe. Something that would be rare and notable today (such as a category being used twice in the main game) would probably not be rare or notable at another time. A category being used more than twice in a single episode, however, should be noted regardless of when it happened.
 * Rarely-seen categories are generally not considered notable occurrences.
 * Contestants who get no help from their Bonus Round letters are not considered notable unless the puzzle is solved.
 * Exceptions may be made for usually non-notable events if they occur multiple times in a short timespan (e.g., the four appearances of Fictional Place in early 2004).
 * Aversions are generally considered notable (e.g., three consecutive wrong letters not being edited out on a late-2000s episode).
 * If an entry is disputed, inquire on the talk page or ask another editor.
 * Please do not add indiscriminate information. Consider only which details are most important. If you are unsure, ask someone.