Small Basic is now on TechNet Wiki!

Thanks to Noah Buscher, we already have two Small Basic articles on TechNet Wiki:

Thanks to Nonki Takahashi for translating them into Japanese already!

Go to this link for all the Small Basic English articles on TechNet Wiki:

Small Basic on TechNet Wiki

I'm going to be holding a contest for the best Small Basic articles on TechNet Wiki. The first contest will be held from now until 10/26/12.

There will be two winners...

  1. Best Article
    1. I will be a judge along with at least two guest judges from Microsoft
    2. Anybody can compete (including Microsoft employees, although the judges won't consider our own articles)
    3. We'll be looking for articles that are thorough, visually clear (images might help, but aren't necessary), and well written.
    4. Prizes include an interview post on this Blog, and a feature post on this blog of your article. You'll also be announced in the forums as well.
  2. Best Contributor
    1. This is for the overall person who has contributed the most (other than the winner of Best Article).
    2. Same judges (me and at least two Microsoft guest judges).
    3. We'll be taking into account overall number of edits/contributions, quality of additional material added to articles started by others, translations, etc.
    4. This is to acknowledge other important contributions to Small Basic content on TechNet Wiki... spelling corrections, grammar corrections, space formatting, adding tags, adding images, adding sections/scenarios, adding links to other Wiki articles, translating articles into other languages, updating information with current links/product names/details, and more!
    5. Prize is a blog post here that features them and their accomplishments. You'll also be announced in the forums as well.

You Must:

  • Include both the "en-US" tag and the "Small Basic" tag in your list of tags. Separate the tags by commas. So those tags will look like this: "en-US, Small Basic".
  • Include "Small Basic" in the title of your article. Such as "Small Basic: LitDev Extension".

Ideas for TechNet Wiki Articles:

  • Lists - Build a list of anything related to Small Basic. It could be a list to resources about how to build extensions (a Small Basic Extensions Survival Guide is what we'd call that). I got us started by creating a list of every Small Basic program. You can go add to that list now and begin your contributions!
  • How to - Want to show you did something amazing? It's a Wiki article waiting to happen!
  • Forums Answers - Have you answered a few questions in the forums? Well each of your forum answers is a Wiki article waiting to happen! On TechNet Wiki, there's even a tag to track each article that originated from a forum thread. The tag is From Forum.
  • Blog Posts - Have you written a blog post about Small Basic? If it was informational in any way, then it's a Wiki article waiting for you to make it!
  • About a Program - Create a Wiki article that features a program you or someone made in Small Basic. Include a link to the program code share page and an image or embed of the program!

How to get started on TechNet Wiki.

Other Benefits of contributing Small Basic content (or edits) on TechNet Wiki (other than our blog prizes above):

  • Contributing to the Small Basic Community's Knowledge - There's nothing more rewarding than knowing that you're simply helping people out. Because the content will become so well viewed (see below), this is the best way we can work together to help people learn about Small Basic. If you already wrote an answer in a thread, then it's much simpler, clearer, and better SEO to turn it into a Wiki article.
  • Recognition Points - TechNet Wiki is built into the same system of Recogntion Points that is used on the Small Basic Forum. As you build more recognition points, the community knows how experienced you are in the Microsoft community.
  • Achievement Medals - Similar to XBox Achievements, MSDN/TechNet uses an achievement system as well. TechNet Wiki uses the same system as the forums, so you'll be able to unlock many more achievements that are exclusive to TechNet Wiki.
  • Collaborative Authoring - Once you get into an active community where we help each other author content, fix each other's mistakes and combine our strengths, experiences, and expertise, you'll likely feel that authoring in blogs or white papgers is Selfish Authoring in comparison.
  • Increased Views - Posting article on TechNet Wiki means your content will get more views than alternatives. And there are several reasons...
    • SEO - TechNet Wiki has a great SEO, because it is a Wiki and it is on a Microsoft site (verses starting your own blog, for example). Also, for example, you might have answered a question in a thread. Someone is more likely to find your answer if they search the topic and can find it on the Wiki, where you laid it out clearly and titled it clearly. They don't have to scroll down the thread hoping their answer is in the discussion somewhere.
    • Cross-Linking - Like all Wiki articles, we'll cross-link the articles a lot, which means you'll get more traffic to your articles from other related articles.
    • Your Profile - When people click on your profile from the forums or from TechNet Wiki, they can get to your Activity and read your other Wiki articles and contributions.
    • Comments and Profile Links - TechNet Wiki borrows two concepts from the world of blogging... comments and profile links. As a result, you'll read peoples' comments on Wiki pages and will be able to click their profile name and see their activity and other articles. Also like blogs, on the right of the Wiki page, it clearly shows the Wiki author with a profile link and the latest contributor with a profile link. And then in the History tab, the profile links of the contributor for each contribution is also a link and clearly displayed. All this means a lot more opportunities for people to get to your profile (than any other wiki) and a lot more eyes on your Activities and other articles.
  • Continue the Social Interactions - Continue the social interactions from the Forums. Because there are comments on each Wiki article, you'll see people there who you see comment on this Blog and who contribute to the Small Basic forum. You can continue the interactions in the comments and with your Wiki edits. You'll also see when people you're familiar with have authored or edited articles so that you can check it out and see what they're up to.

 

Remember, you can go to this link for all the Small Basic English articles on TechNet Wiki:

Small Basic on TechNet Wiki

 

Please leave a comment below if you want us to take a look at your article. Otherwise, any article with "en-US" and "Small Basic" in the tags will be part of the contests. Non-English articles will also be part of the Best Contributor contest.

Thanks!

   - Tall Basic Ed

 

See Also