How to get started

Welcome to MESH
We hope you enjoy using the resources on this site to develop your own art practice. The joy of wikis is that every reader can also be a contributor - you can add your own content and help build the site into a valuable resource for even more people. Don't worry if you've never edited or contributed to online spaces before - try making small edits at first and enjoy exploring.

Getting started - setting up a Wikimedia account
1) First you'll need to set up a wikimedia account, which you can do at Create Account. This sets you up with a username and password (you don't even need to register an email address). You need to be logged in to make edits to the site, and add content.

There is also a helpful video where Hannah shows you how to create a wikipedia account, which are the same steps as creating an account on here.

2) Log in to your account at the top right corner of the main page. When logged in, you'll be able to switch between the two different ways of interacting with this site - reading and editing.

If you are having issues logging in, try switching browser from Chrome to Safari

To make edits to this site, click on the 'Edit' tab at the top of the page. This will take you to an editable version of the page, where you can type in new content and edit what is already there.



You can also click on local 'Edit' buttons next to specific sections, like these:



This will take you to an editable version of this specific section of the page, which can be a more manageable and user-friendly way of making edits.

Making your first edits
1) A good place to start is adding yourself to the 'Networks' page, which contains an atlas of workshops, facilities, art groups and artists in the UK. Under each region of the UK there's a listing for artists, so you can see who else is living and working in your area. You can describe who you want to connect with and what you want to share with others, and start making connections in both real life and online.

2) From here, you might want to add some recommended readings to the 'Inspiration' section, or a template for a tricky email to the 'Resources' section.

Help & Troubleshooting
If you get confused about adding content, or want to discuss the best things to add to a specific area, there's a 'Discussion' area for each page. This can be reached at the top left of each page. You can type a question or start a conversation there, and scroll through previous discussion topics (please allow up 7 days for a response).

If you want to talk to the Mesh caretakers about any issues you're experiencing, drop us a message on Discord or email Matilda at mesh.caretaker@gmail.com (please allow up to 7 days for a response)



Remember:
Don't worry about doing something wrong - each page has a saved 'history' so you can revert to an earlier version and undo any small errors. It's much better to play and learn through doing than feel too worried to even start. Before setting up this site, none of us had any previous experience of using wikis or coding - we're learning together.

Get stuck in and enjoy building this resource with others. If you'd like to add yourself as a contributor, you can join the list of artists at the bottom of the main page.

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