NixOS Wiki:Contributing: Difference between revisions

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== Spirit of the Wiki ==

The NixOS ~~User~~ Wiki is a ''community'' effort, meant to be complementary to the ~~manuals~~ rather than a replacement for ~~them~~. The following properties distinguish the spirit of the Wiki from ~~that of the official~~ documentation:

The NixOS Wiki is a ''user community'' effort, meant to be complementary to the [https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/stable/ NixOS reference manual] rather than a replacement for it. The following properties distinguish the spirit of the Wiki from reference documentation:

; Ecosystemic: The manuals cover specific ~~software~~ (Nix, NixOS, etc.) while the Wiki covers the Nix ecosystem as a whole~~, helping the user understand the interrelations more clearly~~.

; Ecosystemic: The manuals cover the interfaces and mechanisms of specific components (Nix, Nixpkgs, NixOS, etc.) while the Wiki covers the Nix ecosystem as a whole and focuses on NixOS as a point of integration.

; Heterogeneous: The manuals ~~normally give one canonical approach to something, the~~ Wiki has the potential to reveal the more diverse approaches and workflows used in practice.

; Heterogeneous: The reference manuals merely present all interfaces factually. The Wiki has the potential to reveal the more diverse or opinionated approaches and workflows used in practice.

; Pragmatic: The manuals are intended for comprehensive and detailed reference, while the Wiki ~~could emphasize~~ practical ~~and learning~~ resources such as guides, ~~tutorials~~ and ~~cookbooks~~.

; Pragmatic: The reference manuals are intended for comprehensive and detailed reference, while the Wiki emphasizes practical resources such as guides, examples, and troubleshooting tips.

; ~~Networked~~: The manuals are ~~''sequential'' with one chapter following another while the~~ Wiki is ~~''networked'', with various articles linked to one another in various ways, allowing~~ the ~~user to reach information in multiple ways.~~

; User community: The reference manuals cover mechanisms and inner workings, which are mainly important for developers and contributors. The Wiki is oriented around the broad spectrum of real-world use cases.

~~; Community: The manuals cover the more official and stable core~~ of ~~the Nix ecosystem, while the Wiki can cover the whole Nix community with its diverse projects and communication channels~~.

== Finding stuff to do ==

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=== Language ===

NixOS Wiki articles should be written in clear~~, standard and professional~~ language. To this end, the following considerations apply:

NixOS Wiki articles should be written in clear language. To this end, the following considerations apply:

; Accessibility: Wiki articles are often the first thing a new user will read about any subject, so they should be accessible to beginners.

; Vocabulary: Use the simplest and most conventional words and expressions you can find to get your point across without oversimplifying.