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{{initiatives}} ''Note: This page is now obsolete. The Checklist on the Talk: page has been superseded by the [[CZ:Metadata|metadata]]; [[Template:Checklist]] has been obsoleted; the [[:Category:Checklisted Articles]] is no longer in use; etc, etc.'' == Concluded! == The Big Cleanup was finished on May 23, 2007, two months after it was started. Here is [[/Signup|the old sign-up list]]. <br> == Why a "Big Cleanup"? == In the months since the ''Citizendium'' began, we have created and borrowed many articles. Widespread problems have crept in--for example, there are "live" articles that are not marked [[:Category:CZ Live]]. In fact, we have a whole "to do" list that we are using to improve articles ''en masse.'' That's what we mean by "The Big Cleanup." But the cleanup job doesn't consist just of going through the to do list and "cleaning up" articles. For each article, we're also putting a template on the article's talk (discussion) page--[[CZ:The Article Checklist|The Article Checklist]]--and tracking information about the article. This is not, however, mere busywork. If we give this treatment to our entire body of articles, consider what we achieve. == A list of benefits == The big benefits: * We assign articles to [[CZ:Workgroups|Workgroups]]. After we've finished, workgroups will have a complete list of articles in their care. As a result, ** The "recent changes" function for each workgroup actually tracks the recent changes made to ''all'' of the workgroup's articles. For example, have a look at [http://en.citizendium.org/wiki?title=Special:Recentchangeslinked&target=Category%3ABiology_Workgroup recent changes for the Biology workgroup.] Pretty handy. ** Workgroups can see what they have started on--and what they haven't. It's an inventory. We just don't have that now, for any group. ** These benefits in turn allow workgroups to start functioning (better). * We divide our body of articles into five categories: approved (status = 0), developed (status = 1), developing (2), stub (3), and "external" (4) (i.e., borrowed from Wikipedia but not significantly changed). Furthermore, since every article is also marked with its categories, the Article Checklist ''automatically'' generates lists of articles such as [[:Category:Biology Developed Articles|Biology Developed Articles]] and [[:Category:Computers Stub Articles|Computers Stub Articles]]. ** This gives us a nice overview of what proportion of our articles are at what stage of development. Nice for bragging. ** It helps workgroups a lot. For example, it alerts workgroups to what high-priority articles are underdeveloped; it also alerts them to what articles that are "developed" but not yet approved. ** It will allow us to find easily and, if we so decide, delete articles that were copied from Wikipedia (or wherever) without significant changes. More benefits: * We place "[[:Category:CZ Live|CZ Live]]" on all articles on which we've done significant work. This is probably several hundred more than the 1100+ that we are now taking credit for. This generates our most visible statistic, and it also allows for alphabetical browsing; so it's important that we use that tag correctly. * We give Wikipedia credit where we've borrowed their content. This is crucial for purposes of our being compliant with the [[CZ:GNU Free Documentation License|GNU Free Documentation License]]. * We get a list of all the articles that are about living persons (and other legal entities); they are listed at [[:Category:Topic Informant Workgroup]]. This allows us to manage these sensitive articles more effectively. Still more benefits: * We get a list of all articles about which someone is uncertain of the proper categories: [[:Category:General Category Check|General Category Check]]. We also get similar lists for each workgroup (e.g., [[:Category:Politics Category Check|Politics Category Check]]). * The articles look considerably "cleaner": we get rid of unused (red) templates, category tags, images, and interwiki links. * We get a list of [[:Category:Underlinked Articles|"underlinked" articles]], meaning those articles that have no links from ''any'' of their expected "parent" articles. For example, if "tree" were not linked from "Biology," "Botany," "Plant," or any other such important "parent" topic, then it would be underlinked. Having a list of such articles allows us to work toward integrating all our articles into a more systematic whole. * All article titles are bolded. {{checklist categories}} == An outline of your job as "cleaner" == Interested in helping? Here (in summary) is what you'd be doing. First, you'd go to [[CZ:The Big Cleanup/Signup|The Big Cleanup/Signup]] and volunteer for a set of articles (a dozen in a set). Then, for each article, you'd go through [[Template:cleanup_todo|the to do list]]--click through, now, to see what's involved. Sometimes you won't have to do anything; sometimes you'll have to do a few things. In either case it doesn't usually take longer than a minute or two per article. Next, you click on the article's discussion tab. You paste in [[Template:checklist_blank|the blank checklist]]--again, click through to see what it looks like--and fill it in. This won't usually take more than a minute or two. More complete instructions are below. Eventually, you'll have questions. You can ask them on [[CZ talk:The Big Cleanup|the talk page]]. == Instructions == You might find it most efficient to follow the precise steps listed below in this precise order each time--or, anyway, sticking to the same routine each time. # Sign up at [[CZ:The Big Cleanup/Signup|The Big Cleanup/Signup]]. (Sign up instructions are on that page.) # Click on the title of your first article on the signup list; it will bring up a search that includes all your articles. {{cleanup_todo}} # Be sure to click "toolbox" > "What links here" before you navigate away from the article page to the talk page. Look to see whether the article is "underlinked" according to the definition on [[CZ:The Article Checklist|The Article Checklist]]. # Then copy the Article Checklist (you can copy it from below these instructions, or [[template:checklist_blank|here]]) and paste it at '''the top''' of the article's talk page. Complete the checklist. Instructions for doing so are on [[CZ:The Article Checklist|The Article Checklist]]. Please "sign your name" on the checklist with four tildes, not three, so that the date you filled out the checklist is given. That's it! If you have any questions, again, [[CZ talk:The Big Cleanup|ask on the talk page]]. {{checklist_blank}} == Useful links == * [[:Category:Checklisted Articles|Checklisted Articles]]: links to category pages you can use to track our progress in the Big Cleanup. * [[CZ:Unchecklisted Articles|Unchecklisted Articles]]: articles still in need of a checklist. * [[CZ:The Article Checklist|The Article Checklist]]: explanation of, and instructions on how to use, the Article Checklist * [[Template:Checklist categories]]: some categories generated by the checklist (included above) * [[Template:Checklist blank]]: the blank checklist (included above) * [[Template:Cleanup todo]]: the to do list (included above) * [[Template:Checklist]]: the template itself [[Category:Archived Pages]]

• Template:Checklist blank
• Template:Checklist categories
• Template:Cleanup todo
• Template:Community
• Template:Initiatives
• Template:Metadata basic
• Template:Metadata blank
• Template:Metadata doc

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