User blog:Uditore/Apprenticeship for Dummies

Introduction
The Apprentice Initiative is basically the main focus of activity between staff and regular editors on the Assassin's Creed Wiki, as it consists of Apprentices and Masters working together.

Apprentices
The Apprentices are those who are eager to learn about the Wiki and are willing to get in touch with the rules and normalities to become better editors. Apprentices have a better chance to once become Master, or even Staff. To become an Apprentice, an interview must be passed; I will explain the best preparation to the interview later in this guide.

Masters
The Masters are Istruttori - thus a part of the Staff and Istruttorium - that take only the best of editors into their teaching. They are known for sociability, editing skills and their usually major improvements to the Wiki. They are the sheer core, and are those who uphold the high standard of the Wiki.

IRC
The IRC is the main meeting point for Masters and Apprentices; most of the assignments are given through the IRC, and it's a noteworthy place to keep up with the news and recent activity on the Wiki. It is also the place where the interview will be conducted, so be sure to come by; I will explain why, again, later in this guide.

Passing the interview
The best part of this guide comes now. The tips. In all honesty I will tell you what it takes to pass the exam and to be a productive part of the community on the Wiki. First, for those who only possess a short attention span, there will be a sum up of the tips, which will later be detailed further.

The Ten Commandments:
Patience. Impossible to keep for some, and for others a virtue. It is necessary for the rest of your Wiki editing career if you want to be a succesful and significant part of the community. You will need it before, during and after the interview, as waiting for an interview can take some time. Also, keep in mind the Master chooses you, you don't choose your Master. If there are no unoccupied Masters, waiting could also take ages as the Apprenticeship is an involvement not to be rushed.
 * 1) Have patience. Those who were planning on reading only the sum up, take this as a warning.
 * 2) Try to gather as much information about Assassin's Creed as possible.
 * 3) Know the rules and standards of both the Wiki and IRC.
 * 4) Know how to edit in both WYSIWYG mode and Source mode.
 * 5) Gather 250 edits. This is the minimum of edits needed to begin the interview. It's not many, since you will need every bit of knowledge about the editing itself, to pass.
 * 6) Have a high quality of writing style, spelling and grammar.
 * 7) Be eager to learn.
 * 8) Know the AC Wiki itself, inside and out.
 * 9) Don't be a noob.
 * 10) Bribing the interviewer will also help. Just kidding.

Knowledge about the Assassin's Creed universe. Of course we won't ask information that'll have to do with other games, etc. This is the AC Wiki, explore it and take up any information necessary to become a worthy editor. Finish all the main games' stories, read the books, get on Project Legacy, all of these things will help you pass and make it easier for you to rank up as Apprentice - after passing, of course - as it'll be easier for you to get costumized assignments to your preferences.

Rules. One of the major assets of your future on here depends on how well you know the rules. For an easy example, always stay respectful to the rest of the community's members, otherwise a warning and ban could follow. Read through the rules, know the normalities of behavior on here and never be a smartass. More information about the wrong behaviors here is further explained in the noob section.

Modes of editing. There are two modes of editing, WYSIWYG mode and Source mode. Let's call WYSIWYG mode 'Pretty mode', since Source mode probably seems frightening for when you first start using it. Pretty mode is usually the easiest mode for starters, as it's the first mode you come in contact with, it looks most like the final product, it has easier and more buttons like the Template button and it maybe just looks neater. However, once you have more experience using codes, you might slowly adapt to using Source mode, as it edits the core of the coding, which makes correcting mistakes possible that you normally wouldn't be able to correct in Pretty mode.

250 Edits. The minimum amount of edits needed before an interview may be conducted. Make sure to reach this amount before applying, otherwise your application will be ignored. Of course patience will be quite handy to reach it, with your knowledge and experience expanding with every edit. Just be sure not to misuse it, as that is forbidden, like badge-hunting, and will be punished with the severity of use.

Quality. Simple and easy, you have it or you don't. It has to do with noobness, also, as those who can't write proper English or write mostly in chat speak, are mostly seen as noobs. Surely you can make typo's without penalty, but typo's are typo's, learn from them and progress. Write in past tense, for example. Keep to the manual of style and write in the right point of view.

The drive to learn. The Istruttorium expects the participants of their interviews to be eager for knowledge and always questioning. The interview is made to rule out those who don't possess this drive. Again, it is as simple as quality, you have it or you don't, and it's the core of empowering skill. Be sure, but don't be afraid to try it out, that you know if you have this drive or you don't.

Know the AC Wiki. To know the Wiki, you have to know its members. To get in touch with the primary editors and the most dedicated members of the Wiki, visit the IRC. This is a real time chat, where most of the Apprenticeship stuff takes place and where you will be helped immediately if you have a rational problem. Logically, there is a banning option in the chat for the higher ranked users, so don't go in for trolling.

Noobishness. Being a total noob is not allowed on the Wiki, and will be punished with warnings or even bans. Noobs usually have no idea of the standards, normalities and rules, and are either trolling or have absolutely no idea they are noobs. We loath chatspeak, so dont sp34k liek dis or anything that looks like that. Use proper grammar and spelling on the Wiki, freedom in spelling is only allowed at the IRC. Write in American English, not British English, to keep consistency. Be respectful, don't be a smartass, and don't post presumptions or probabilities and render them as true by your own theories, on this Wiki there is only room for canon proven facts.

More information
Read more about the Apprentice Initiative here.