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<noinclude>{{pp-protected|reason=This help page doesn't need to be edited by brand new users|small=yes}}</noinclude>{{intro to|The [[WP:MOS|Manual of Style]] (MoS or MOS) is an in-depth guide that provides standards on how to format Wikipedia articles. Following these guidelines helps keep the encyclopedia clear, consistent, and stable.
that provides standards on how to format written Wikipedia articles. Because there are so many artic
The simplest way to do this is to find a well-written article and copy its formatting. But if you want more information on any formatting, the MoS probably has a recommendation (you can search its contents [[Help:Introduction to the Manual of Style/6|here]]).
This introduction provides a light gloss of some of the most important features of the Manual of Style that will help in getting you around.
Remember, the MoS is a guideline; you don't need to have the whole thing memorized! It's there to assist you when you're unsure how to best display information, and to minimize arguments if another editor disagrees with your formatting choices.
[[File:Wikilink example small.png|thumb|290px|right|Example of good wiki linpoking.]]
===Links===
Linking through hyperlinks is an important feature of Wikipedia. While external links help to embed Wikipedia into the external World Wide Web, internal links (or 'wiki links') bind the project together into an interconnected whole. Links provide instant pathways to locations outside and within the project that are likely to increase our readers' understanding of the topic at hand.
For how many internal links to include in an article, you want to ask yourself, "How likely is it that a reader of this subject may be interested in that other article, or does it cover a concept not fully explained in the article?"
<blockquote style="color:#999; background:#FFF; padding:1em; border:1px solid #8FBC8F">
Lennie and George came to a ranch near <span style="color:#000000;">'''[['''</span><span style="color:#666;">Soledad, California<span style="color:#000;">'''|'''</span>Soledad</span><span style="color:#000;">''']]'''</span> southeast of <span style="color:#000;">'''[['''</span><span style="color:#666;">Salinas, California</span><span style="color:#000;">''']]'''</span>, to "work up a stake".
</blockquote>
When saved, this produces:
<blockquote style="background:white; padding:1em; border:1px solid #999999;">
Lennie and George came to a ranch near [[Soledad, California|Soledad]] southeast of [[Salinas, California]], to "work up a stake".
</blockquote>
For external links, if there is an external website that is highly relevant to the article or provides more detail than the article contains, it should be listed in the 'External links' section with a short description. If an external website is used as a reference to the article's content, put it in the 'References' section. External links, with rare exception, should not be used in the article's body text.
[[User:Tony1/Build_your_linking_skills]]
<div style="float:right; margin-top: 0.0em; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #cee0f2; padding: .2em .6em; font-size: 130%; {{border-radius|1em}} border:1px solid #A3B1BF;">'''Next:''' '''[[Help:Introduction to the Manual of Style/2|Let's learn about stuff!]]''' <span style="font-size: larger; font-weight: bold;">→</span>
</div></noinclude></div> ▼
Content is more important than formatting, and other editors can assist you if you're in doubt (similarly, [[wikipedia:Assume good faith|assume good faith]] when others help by formatting your writing).
▲}}< /div></noinclude ></div>
[[Category:Wikipedia quick introductions]]
[[Category:Wikipedia Manual of Style]]
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