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.
 * 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.
 * While Wikia allows for page comments, we discourage it. 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).
 * 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 Wikis, 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.
 * As a rule, the Admins do not block users, especially not with an expiry time of "infinite", unless they have sufficient reason to. Two things that will result in such a ban are harassing or slandering the Admins or other editors anywhere on this Wiki, including your userspace/blog (specific and NSFW on-this-Wiki example here), or spamming any pages/images.

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). 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.

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 3).
 * Try to maintain consistent phrasing for similar events.
 * If an identical event happens on relatively close-together episodes in the same month, combine them into one bullet (e.g., "November 1 and 15 both have x.").

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. 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).


 * 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 Buy A Vowel is present, it's 1975 (and the admins would like to contact you).
 * For shows between July 1989 and September 1991, only daytime (through January 11, 1991) has a "Recorded at CBS Television City in Hollywood, California" graphic (complete with CBS eye); inversely, only nighttime has a King World logo.
 * 1990-91 daytime episodes use turntables only, while the nighttime show uses turntables and rugs.
 * Logo: The opening logo (just before the host's introduction) became animated in January 1985.
 * $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.
 * Starburst Backdrops: The original flat-edged ones were used from December 21, 1981 to 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 "sunflower"-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 only appeared in October before the white trees took their place by the end of that month (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 not, and Jack Clark is announcing, it's between then and May 9. If there is an off-model $200 in Round 2, it's 1988.
 * Category Strips: If the strips are bold and only appear 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 strips: the first in January 1985, 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 and 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).
 * Merv Griffin Logo: If superimposed over the set, before November 28, 1983. The first black-background griffin winked until February 1984; "Productions" became "Enterprises" that September, 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 November 10, 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.