Welcome to the Wiki, business owner (or employee, representative, affiliate ...)! This is a place for people in the Skokie community to come together and create a resource for themselves and their neighbors. As a part of that community, we'd love to have you contribute your point of view. Here's an introduction to the Wiki that should help get you started on the right track. You might also want to read the general welcome.

As always on the wiki, keep in mind that these aren't rigid laws or rules. They are guidelines and helpful tips to get you started in a positive way. You can't use these to justify bad behavior. Alternatively, there's a lot of forgiveness for new editors trying to figure things out, and any mistake you make can be fixed. Everybody is welcome to edit the wiki, and there are plenty of people who will help out if you get confused or make a faux pas when getting started.

Two Points to Remember

The Wiki is a fun and fluid place that always has a lot going on and many different opinions on pretty much any topic that comes up. It can take a little getting used to. Here are two key points you should bear in mind while joining the Wiki community and interacting with your neighbors here:

1. Business pages belong to the Skokie community, not to the business. Like every other page on the wiki, they're written collaboratively by many members of the community. Rather than trying to maintain a neutral, objective point of view, the Wiki tries to represent many different points of view. You have more knowledge about your business than anyone else out there so your perspective is extremely valuable, but remember that yours is just one among the many voices contributing to the page. Each editor (including you!) has equal say over the page's form and content.

2. Business pages should be informational, rather than promotional, in tone. They should be written from the community's point of view. Business pages, like other pages on the wiki, will retain history documenting the business, the location, events, and all sorts of connections within the community. Deleting information, unless it's outright wrong, is frowned upon. Likewise for photos - they're a part of that history!

I need help / Something's incorrect!

First read and understand the two points at the top of this page. If something's incorrect, you can fix it by editing the page.

Conflicts

If you run into disagreements with other editors, try to work it out. If you can’t, contact an admin.

More Tips

There are a number of issues that may come up here on the Wiki because of its unique culture as a part of the Skokie community, rather than a listing website like Yelp. There are also a lot of great ways you can contribute! Here are some tips that might come in handy:

• Check out the DavisWiki entry on the importance of using your Real Name and Identity. These issues come up a lot, both with business representatives and anonymous critics. Give 'em a look.

• Nonprofit Restrictions - the Wiki is part of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, and is actually prohibited from promoting (or being used to promote) for-profit businesses. Hence the informational tone mentioned in Point 2 above.

• Consider sharing your expertise and passion! If your business gives you expertise on a certain subject, consider starting a similar service here on the wiki.

Adapted  from DavisWiki.