Contributing to the Wiki

Welcome! This wiki is a collaborative knowledge base for the Western Engineering Rocketry Team. It’s designed to be easy for all members, regardless of technical background, to use, update, and improve. All contributors are welcome!

What is this wiki?

This site contains our team’s history, procedures, technical documentation, and more. It’s meant to help everyone learn, share, and keep our knowledge organized.

How to Use the Wiki

• Browse: Use the sidebar to navigate between pages like History, Procedures, and Contributing.
• Search: Use the search bar (top right or sidebar) to quickly find topics or keywords.
• Download: Some pages offer download buttons for files or resources.

How to Contribute

Anyone can help. All edits are plain Markdown and tracked in Git.

Editor Toolbar

Second row (Prose.io): recommended for most contributors. Provides a simple in-browser editor.

• Add new — create a new wiki page.
• Edit — edit the current page.
• Add new post — create a blog entry.
  All changes are committed to GitHub automatically.

Top row (GitHub): direct GitHub actions, better suited to advanced contributors.

• Add new — create a new wiki page in GitHub.
• Edit — edit the current page in GitHub.
• Delete — remove the current page (open an Issue first if you didn’t create it).
• History — view page revision history.
• Source — open the raw Markdown file.
• Add new post — create a blog entry in GitHub.

Third row: site-wide search bar.

Accounts and Access

To contribute, you need a GitHub account.

• When using GitHub directly, sign in with your account before editing.
• When using Prose.io, click one of the three options in the second row, then use the green button in the bottom right to connect your GitHub account. This enables you to save and commit changes to the wiki.

Editing Existing Pages

1. Click Edit (Prose.io recommended, or GitHub).
2. Make changes in Markdown.
3. Write a clear commit message and commit.
   • If editing from a fork in GitHub, open a Pull Request.

Adding New Pages

• Use Add new (Prose.io or GitHub), or click a red link to auto-create a missing page.
• Use Add new post for dated blog entries.
• When naming your new file, keep the correct path prefix and .md extension:
  • ✅ wiki/how-to-be-good-at-rocketry.md
  • ❌ i-suck-at-rocketry, i-suck-at-rocketry.md, or wiki/i-suck-at-rocketry
• Drafts initialize with placeholders such as wiki/2025-09-03-your-filename.md, or _posts/2025-09-03-your-filename.md for blog posts.
  • Always keep the date for posts.
  • Always remove the date for general wiki pages unless the page itself is date-specific.
  • Rename the placeholder to something meaningful before committing.
• After creating a page, link it from relevant pages. Only central or top-level pages should appear in the sidebar, which must be updated in GitHub by a knowledgeable maintainer.

Suggesting Changes

• Open an Issue for proposals or questions.
• Open a Pull Request for concrete edits.

Contribution Guidelines

• Be clear: Write simply so everyone can understand.
• Be accurate: Double-check facts, procedures, and instructions.
• Be respectful: Keep content professional and inclusive.
• Cite sources: Reference documents, standards, or external links when possible.
• Organize: Use headings, lists, and links to keep pages tidy.

Getting Help

If you’re stuck or unsure how to contribute:

• Ask a team member or lead for help!
• Check the git-wiki main page for more info on using the wiki itself.
• Reach out via the contacts page on our website.

Thank you for helping us build and improve the WE Rocketry Wiki!