Smashpedia:Stubs

Stubs are articles that have insufficient information. Stubs are generally small articles that can be greatly expanded. They usually contain a paragraph or less. However, this does not mean the stub is not a legitimate article; it just needs to be expanded.

Information
A stub's goal is to become a full, informative article. However, some articles may not require much information, though they still must cover as much as possible.

Don't assume that additions and improvements will immediately pour in of themselves. The best way to draw the attention of others into contributing a stub is by editing it yourself. Even if you do a small edit it will appear on the recent changes page, where many users love to follow the action, and jump in where there's work being done.

Naming a stub
When you've created a small article or found a small article, simply edit the page and add the   template. When you've completed this and saved the the page, the bottom of the article will then say:

This will show that the article is stub. When people view the page, they will see this and hopefully try to expand the article.

Short sections
If you find a short section, then add the   template under the header. For example:

Sonic
Sonic is a playable character in SSBB.

Editing a stub
When a editing a stub, there are a few things you should remember.


 * 1) Follow the standards of correct English. Write in full, clear sentences.
 * 2) Give a clear, precise definition or description of your topic.
 * 3) Make sure any relevant linkable words have been linked.
 * 4) Feel some responsibility for your stub article. There is a fine line between helping by outlining out what needs to be done, and being annoying by not doing anything yourself. If nobody contributes to your stub for a few weeks, why not expand it yourself? Take the fact that nobody has contributed as a hint that your stub might not have been that great, and if nothing else, try to make it a better stub.

Admittedly, these guidelines are in some sense irrelevant because no matter what you do, someone will probably fix the article for you. That's the great thing of a wiki! But if you want to contribute something positive, and you cannot write the whole article yourself, then at least let your contribution be an invitation to participation.