Article Guidelines

Welcome to the **Captain Obvious Wiki's Article Guidelines.**

## Introduction

This page will answer many of your questions pertaining to articles on this wikia. If you can not find your answer, please ask an administrator.

## What is an article

An article should be a page, officially named, with a topic falling under one of these categories:

* A character from *The Adventures of Captain Obvious*, such as Captain Obvious.
* An episode of *The Adventures of Captain Obvious*, such as "Litterbugs".
* A place in *The Adventures of Captain Obvious*, such as the Volcano.
* An event in *The Adventures of Captain Obvious*, such as Trixie's birthday party.
* A significant thing from *The Adventures of Captain Obvious*, such as Vidiot's remote and chair.

## What should an article have?

This depends on the page. Some things are meant for some pages.

### For characters

Each character gets an article, as long as they are important enough. What defines important enough are shown in the three standards below.

* Every character that visually appears on the show is allowed to have a page, *except* for characters that only appear in a group and don't perform any unique individual actions.
	+ For the above group characters, a character page about the group should be created instead. (Example: Unnamed bank robbers)
* Unseen characters are all listed on the List of unseen characters article.
* We have some lists of characters, objects, creatures, and animals since individually they do not merit their own pages.

Each page of a character should have the following sections:

* the **Infobox** with relevant information about the character (*see character infobox template for instructions*)
* An introduction section giving a brief explanation of the character.

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* Next, in order, **History**, **Personality**, and **Appearance** sections to further describe their characteristics. If there is not enough information on the character, the Personality section can be omitted. When describing the character's appearance, first describe their physical appearance followed by their typical clothing and accessories. To describe a person's skin color, please use "light-skinned", "olive-skinned", "dark-skinned", or similar descriptions. Body size descriptions such as "thin", "fat", "tall", and "short" are okay. Avoid using euphemisms such as "overweight" or medical terms such as "obese".
* Next, if the character appears in more than one episode, a **Sightings** section should be used to list the episodes they appear in (use the Appear template). Appears should go in the following order: seasons, shorts, then games.
* Next, a **Quotes** section if appropriate. See the section below that describes how to add quotations.
* Next, a **Trivia** section.
* A **Gallery** section should be added for any page that has an associated gallery. In this section, simply put {{Gallery}}.
* A **References** section should be included if any references are used. In this section, imply put {{Reflist}}.
* At the bottom of the page, include a characters navigation template.

Example of a good character page: Buzzkill.

### For locations

Each major location gets an article. Depending on the information, sublocations may be given their own page or assimilated onto the main location page.

A location article should include:

* A place template for the infobox.
* The **Appearance** section, detailing what the place is like or what is found there,
* The **History** section, detailing where the location was featured and what effect it had on the plot,
* You may want to put in behind the scenes **Trivia** as well, if possible.
* A **Gallery** section should be added for any page that has an associated gallery. In this section, simply put {{Gallery}}.
* A **References** section should be included if any references are used. In this section, imply put {{Reflist}}.
* A places navigational template at the bottom of the page.

Example of a good location page: Citystate High School.

### For events

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Each major event gets an article. An event article should include:

* An infobox using the Event template.
* A **History** section describing when and where the event occurs.
* A **Trivia** section when appropriate.
* A **Gallery** section should be added for any page that has an associated gallery. In this section, imply put {{Gallery}}.
* A **References** section should be included if any references are used. In this section, simply put {{Reflist}}.
* An events navigational template at the bottom of the page.

Example of a good event article:

### For objects, organizations, films, and shows

Each major object gets an article. An object article should include:

* An infobox using the Object template.
* A **History** section describing when and where the object is seen.
* An **Appearance** section describing the appearance of the object.
	+ Songs should include a **Lyrics** section as well
* A **Sightings** section listing the episodes the object has been seen using the {{Appear}} template
* A **Trivia** when appropriate.
* A **Gallery** section should be added for any page that has an associated gallery. In this section, imply put {{Gallery}}.
* A **References** section should be included if any references are used. In this section, imply put {{Reflist}}.
* An objects navigational template at the bottom of the page.

Example of a good object article: Vidiot's remote and chair

### For episodes

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Each episode gets an article. It is best not to create too in-depth articles about episodes not released yet (unless information, with references, is provided about said un-aired episode), as the information can change drastically. Each episode page should have:

* An infobox using the Episode template.
* If there is an accompanying transcript page, include the Transcript template by simply putting: {{Transcript}}.
* An introductory paragraph (or sentence). This should include the title and episode number.
* A **Official overview** section, giving a very short description of the episode. These should be direct quotes from Disney press releases or other official sources. Avoid editing these sections.
* A **Synopsis** section. This should house a full recap of the story of the episode.
* A **Credits** section, for all the staff, crew, and characters with their voice actors in said episode. They should all link to their respective pages.
* Optionally, a **Production notes** section, starting with the followed by the template: {{production notes}}. This will leave a link to the List of allusions and List of goofs for that episode.
* This section can include the following subsections: **Character revelations**, **Songs featured**, **Series continuity**, and **Trivia** if relevant.
* A **Gallery** section should be added for any page that has an associated gallery. In this section, imply put {{Gallery}}.
* A **References** section should be included if any references are used. In this section, simply put {{Reflist}}.
* An episodes navigational template should be included last. Simply put: {{episodes}}
* Any episode page that is not aired should use the spoiler template. Also, for the infobox, please use this image.

Example of a good episode page: "The Beginning...Obviously."

### Procedure to replace infobox quotes

To change the quote on a character or creature's infobox, it must be put to a vote on the forum.

### Special note

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Please avoid the following:

* "Counting" trivia (e.g., *"This is the fifteenth time Captain Obvious has battled Senore Sarcasm."*).
* Trivia that is likely to change in the future (e.g., *"This episode contains the most scenes with Stinky Pete to date."*).
* Uninteresting stuff (e.g., *"Frank eats cheese."*).
* Tangential relations (e.g., *"This is just like the time Phineas ate rocks and Ferb said nothing."*).

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* Non-factual information/opinions.
* Speculation/theories.

## Article titles

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The article title must be the subject's official name, e.g. "Senore Sarcasm" instead of "Arch Nemesis." The article title should be official but also concise. For example, even though "Frank" is the character's real name, his article should be titled "Captain Obvious" because it is the most commonly-used, accurate version of his name.

When an official name is not available, one that fits the subject's description should be used, e.g. "Unnamed bank robbers." Articles with descriptive titles should have the category Category:Articles with conjectural titles added to it.

Article titles should follow capitalization rules mentioned below.

## Relationships

Please do not create relationship pages. Instead, create a section in a character's article describing relationships. For example, Dipper's page should have a section describing his relationship with all of the other main characters.

## Appearances

Please include an appearance section in an article and not in a character box.

## Linking

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When linking please link the **first** appearance (excluding the infobox and relationship headings) of a thing that has a separate article. Do this in a main article and in a template. Using this guideline, one thing should never be linked on a page more than twice. Some tricky situations occur when using possessives. The only exception to the rule is for relationship sections, where the headings should include links to the characters. Template:Clear Please use this format:

File:Check mark.png **[[Vidiot|Vidiot's]]**
instead of just
File:X mark.png **[[Vidiot]]'s**

When linking to Wikipedia, please use this format:

File:Check mark.png **[[Wikipedia:Dr. Evil]]**
instead of
**File:X mark.png [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr.\_Evil Dr. Evil]**

When linking to another wiki on Wikia, please use this format:

File:Check mark.png **[[w:c:WIKIANAME:WIKIAPAGE|TEXT]]**
instead of
**File:X mark.png [http://WIKIANAME.wikia.com/wiki/WIKIAPAGE TEXT]**

### External references

Please use *reliable* external sources such as Disney or staff pages. Avoid using unreliable, editable sources such as IMDB. To reference an external page, use the following format:

<ref name=disney>www.disney.com</ref>
Note that the *name* allows you to reuse the same reference later in the article. If you want to reuse it, use the following format:

<ref name=disney></ref>
*or*
<ref name=disney />
### Internal references

If you wish to cite a specific episode, you can use the cite episode template. To use this template, use the following format with the episode number. For example:

{{cite episode|105}}
would cite episode 05 in season 1 (in other words, "How to Train Your Hero.")

### Source quality

Not all sources are created equal. Please consider the nature of the source you are citing. Websites that are editable by users are not considered reliable sources.

*Good sources:*

* Disney websites (including press releases and official social media pages)
* Websites citing official press releases or specializing in television (e.g., tvguide.com)
* Any verified Twitter account (e.g., @\_AlexHirsch, @DisneyChannelPR)
* Tumblr accounts used exclusively by Gravity Falls staff (e.g., joedrawsstuff.tumblr.com)

*Bad sources:*

* IMDB
* TV.com
* Wikipedia (unless it gives citations and you verify their accuracy)
* Unverified Twitter accounts
* Blogs, opinion pages, etc.
* Unverified, leaked material (content could change before airing)

## Stubs

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Do not add Category:Article stubs directly to an article. Instead use the Stub template by adding {{Stub}} to the top of the article, after any infobox template. Articles should only be marked as a stub if the article is incomplete and is missing some basic information. For example, even though the article about the Gummy Koalas does not have many sections, it should not be marked a stub because there is nothing else worthwhile to say about it.

## When adding a quotation

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Use the Template:Quote for one-liners. Quotes should be either memorable or illustrative of the character's personality. It's best to write the quotations in a "Quote" section. Please limit the number of quotes per page to five.

## Specific issues

### Use of quote marks

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Please use "American style" quotes instead of "British style". In other words, punctuation should be included inside the quotes. Example: Mabel said, *"I'm just irresistible."* instead of *"I'm just irresistible".*

Episode titles should have quotes around them. Example: "How to Train Your Hero" instead of How to Train Your Hero.

### Use of commas

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Please use "Oxford commas" when appropriate. Example: "Senore Sarcam's henchmen are Jose, Martines, Juan, and Felipe" instead of "Senore Sarcasm's henchmen are Jose, Martines, Juan and Felipe."

**Confused on when to use commas between adjectives?**

* Does the sentence make sense if the adjectives are written in reverse order?
* Does the sentence make sense if the adjectives are written with and between them?

If you answer yes to these questions, then the adjectives are coordinate and should be separated by a comma. Here are some examples of coordinate and non-coordinate adjectives:

* He was a difficult, stubborn child. (coordinate)
* They lived in a white frame house. (non-coordinate)
* She often wore a gray wool shawl. (non-coordinate)
* Your cousin has an easy, happy smile. (coordinate)

The 1) relentless, 2) powerful 3) summer sun beat down on them. (1-2 are coordinate; 2-3 are non-coordinate.)

The 1) relentless, 2) powerful, 3) oppressive sun beat down on them. (Both 1-2 and 2-3 are coordinate.)

**Have more questions?**

Please see this page by Connecticut Community College or this page by Purdue University.

### Use of apostrophes

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Please follow the standard English guidelines for apostrophe use. Specifically, note how to use them for years (e.g., use '90s instead of 90's; use 1980s instead of 1980's).

Here is a special note on its versus it's:

* Its is the possessive pronoun of *it*. It indicates ownership/possession of a quality or object. Example: Mabel's sweater has a pipe on it. Its design is based off of the Magritte's famous painting.
* It's is a contraction of *it is* or *it has*. If the sentence doesn't make sense if you replace "it's" with "it is" or "it has", you probably meant to use *its*. Example: Mabel's sweater is bright orange. It's made of wool.

Please also see this handy guide.

### Capital letters

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Capitalization of article titles and section headers should include the first letter of the first word being a capital letter, but it should otherwise follow the normal English rules of capitalization. For example, a section title should be "External links" instead of "External Links."

### Spelling

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For the purpose of maintaining consistency, and because the subject of this wiki originates from the United States, words on this wiki should conform to the spelling used in U.S. English. This applies only to main namespace pages, not talk or user pages. Although no user should be harassed or punished for using other regional spellings of words, editors are encouraged to conform text in articles to U.S. spelling. If you come across a word spelled the way it is in another country (for example if you see "color" spelled as "colour"), just change it to the U.S. English spelling and be done with it.

### Verb tense

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Works of fiction are generally considered to "come alive" for their audience. They exist in a kind of perpetual present tense, regardless of when the fictional action is supposed to take place relative to "now". Thus, generally you should write about fiction using the present tense, not the past tense.

Examples:

* Homer presents, Achilles rages, Andromache laments, Priam pleads.
* "Darth Vader is a fictional character from Star Wars."
* "Holden Caulfield has a certain disdain for what he sees as 'phony'."
* "Heathcliff, who is taken in by the wealthy Earnshaw family as a child, falls in love with their daughter, Catherine."
* "Friends is an American sitcom that was aired on NBC."

### Gender-neutral language

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*Read **this article** from Wikipedia for more on gender-neutral language use. Below are excerpts from that article.*

Gender-neutral language avoids constructions that might be interpreted by some readers as an unnecessary reinforcement of traditional stereotypes. Gender-neutral language does not inherently convey a particular viewpoint, political agenda or ideal. Examples of non-neutral language that can often be easily avoided are:

* A masculine or feminine pronoun to refer to a generic or hypothetical person
* Man to stand for both genders in general, either as a separate item (man's greatest discoveries), a prefix (mankind, manmade), or a suffix (businessman, fireman)
* Uncommon gender-marked terms (conductress, career woman, male nurse, aviatrix), with the possible implication that the participation of the subject's gender is uncommon, unexpected or somehow inappropriate
* Non-parallel expressions (man and wife rather than husband and wife). Another example of lack of parallelism would be the use, in the same article, of first names for women and last names for men, unless the people involved have a documented preference in this regard.

There are a number of ways of avoiding the use of generic masculine and feminine pronouns; the following are examples.

* Pluralising (not "A player starts by taking up his position", but "Players start by taking up their positions"), although this can be problematic where the text needs to emphasize individuals, or where it creates a need to switch regularly between singular and plural.
* Using he or she ("Each politician is responsible for his or her constituency"), although this can be ungainly if repeated within a short space.
* Otherwise rewording (not "A pilot must keep his spacepod under control at all times; if he loses control, he must hit 'new game' immediately", but "A pilot must keep the spacepod under control at all times; if that control is lost, the pilot must hit 'new game' immediately").

There is no Wikipedia consensus either for or against the singular they ("Each politician is responsible for their constituency"). Although it is widely used in informal writing and speech, its grammatical validity is disputed. This wiki allows the use of the "singular they".

Some methods of avoiding generic masculine pronouns, such as the use of the pronouns "one" or (especially) "you", are seen as unencyclopedic and are thus discouraged in Wikipedia articles.

#### Acceptable date formats

The following date styles are acceptable in Wikipedia articles, subject to rules included thereafter:

 D MMM YYYYNumeric day, space, short month name, space, full year | 8 Sep 2001
 YYYY-MM-DDFour-digit year, hyphen, two-digit month, hyphen, two-digit day | 2001-09-08

#### Unacceptable date formats

The following date styles are **not** acceptable in the Captain Obvious wiki except in external titles and quotes:

* We do not use ordinal suffixes, articles, or leading zeros (except for the YYYY-MM-DD format). We do not insert a comma between month and year, nor does it insert a full stop after the day (10 June 1921); however, when using the mdy format, a comma is required between day and year. When a date in mdy format appears in the middle of text, include a comma after the year (The weather on September 8, 2001, was clear and warm). Write out the full year string instead of using the apostrophe to abbreviate the first two digits of the year.

 '01 | 2001

* An exception to this guideline is when a specific style of a date achieves notability within a culture, such as the Fourth of July (does not adhere to ordinal nor spelled out guideline, yet is acceptable).
* Do not use year-final numerical date formats (DD/MM/YYYY or MM/DD/YYYY), as they are ambiguous: "03/04/2005" could refer to 3 April or to March 4. For consistency, do not use such formats even if the day number is greater than 12.
* Do not use customized variations of the YYYY-MM-DD format. E.g., do not replace hyphen characters ("-") with any other character; do not change the order of year, month, or day. Use leading zeros for days or months when needed to make these fields two digits.
* Yearless dates (March 5) are inappropriate unless the year is obvious from the context. There is no such ambiguity with recurring dates, such as January 1 is New Year's Day.
* Do not use Roman numerals, such as "MMXII" for "2012", to denote years.

## General tips

For tips on improving article writing and general quality guidelines, please read *this article* from Wikipedia.

## Article do's and do not's

**Do**

* Write in paragraphs
* Use punctuation
* Link
* Add sources
* Add categories
* Fix grammar
* Use templates

**Do not**

* Forget capitalization
* Add lists of attributes
* Leave blank articles
* Vandalize articles
* Add speculative information
* Add both appearance and personality in info boxes

## Article talk pages

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Please keep the topic of article talk page discussions about improving the article itself. Do not post personal opinions, theories, comments, etc. Those belong in a blog or on the forum.

1. ↑ http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/02/
2. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:TENSE