Help:Fix or report an error
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Contents |
What constitutes an error
An error, as the term applies to wiki articles, is usually grammatical, typographical, or factual; more complex errors are discussed below. Lack of relevant information does not usually constitute an error. There are many stub pages on Judgepedia with much less information than would be ideal, and even well-developed pages can nearly always be improved by the addition of more information. If you find an article that you think should be expanded, or if you have information which you think belongs in some article(s) on Judgepedia, please use the links in the right sidebar for tips on how to get that information onto the wiki. Building a comprehensive, up-to-date encyclopedia about everything judicial is the aim of this wiki, but it is and always will be a work in progress. Lack of relevant information is a constant difficulty, which we hope you will help us address. If you have a question about adding to a particular article, and can't find the answer on the wiki itself, the best person to talk to is someone who has worked on that particular article; accordingly, you can go to the "history" tab on the article in question, find a user who has done a lot of work on that page, and post your question or comment on that user's talk page.
Note about registration
- On July 28, 2011, the ability of new users to register a user account on Judgepedia was temporarily turned off.
This was done because the Captcha system in use on Judgepedia to ensure that new users are real people, as opposed to spambots, was at least temporarily overwhelmed by a particularly aggressive spambot program that was creating dozens of new fake users, and new inappropriate articles, every day.
In the coming days, Judgepedia's staff will monitor the situation, and eventually one of these options will ensue:
- Captcha will find a security patch that guards against this new breed of spambot, at which point registration will be re-opened.
- Captcha will not find a security patch within a few weeks, in which case, we will evaluate other anti-spambot software and test different options.
One way or another, eventually Judgepedia will re-open for new users to register.
In the meantime, if you want to register at Judgepedia but you have been blocked from doing so by this new policy, we can add you as a new user manually. To cause that to happen, email kfarrell@judgepedia.org with your request. Unless you send your request e-mail in the middle of the night, you should get a response within hours.
Updates:
- On February 4, 2011, we conducted a test on Judgepedia's sister site (Ballotpedia) for 12 hours with allowing new users to once again register. This test indicated that many spambots were still able to get through Captcha's defenses.
- On February 13-14, 2011, we conducted a test of once again allowing new user registrations on Judgepedia for slightly less than a day. Many spambots were still getting through, so on the morning of February 14, we again turned off the ability of new users to register.
- On February 24, 2011, new user registration was re-enabled.
- On July 28, 2011, new user registration was again disabled following an aggressive new attack of Captcha-evading spambots.
First and best option
The first option to take when you notice an error is to try to fix it yourself. Take the 5-minute tutorial to learn how to edit (fix/improve) articles.
Complicated errors
Not all errors are errors of simple fact, grammar or typography. More complicated concerns are about balance, context, tone and fairness. Here are some suggestions for dealing with those concerns.
- Post a note on the article's 'talk' page describing the error or inaccuracy and saying what you think should be done about it. This is an especially good step to take if your objection to the article is not that it has a fact wrong, but is about the tone or balance (fairness) of the article.
- If no one has responded to your talk page comment within a reasonable amount of time, then make the change you feel best addresses your concern on the article itself.
- If your proposed change is likely to be controversial, it is especially helpful to try to talk it through on the talk page first, rather than getting into an "edit war" on the main article.
- If you get into an edit war and would like some help resolving the dispute, you can post a note on Judgepedia:Editorial discussions and ask for someone to weigh in who has a more detached perspective.
- You can also send an email to Judgepedia project director, Katy Farrell, at kfarrell(at)judgepedia(dot)org.
Report an error
If you can't fix an error yourself, you can report it. You can:
- Post it on the Ways you can help page. This allows any editor who is around to see it and fix it.
- Contact Judgepedia project director Katy Farrell at kfarrell(at)judgepedia(dot)org.
Complaints
Significant complaints relating to the content of Judgepedia articles or about such serious matters as copyright infringement are matters of high priority. Any such complaints or concerns should be communicated to:
Associate Editor Katy Farrell
kfarrell(at)judgepedia(dot)org
