Editing

Editing (Somali: sida loo saxo) is a general term used in instructions explaining how a person modifies or improves an existing text. The term has two closely related meanings: one concerns the correction of spelling, grammar, and structural errors; the other concerns the alteration of information within the text, such as adding new material or removing inaccurate content.

On collaborative websites on the internet, such as wiki-based projects, editing is an open activity in which many users participate. Each page maintains a revision history recording every change, who made it, and when. For this reason, editing is not an irreversible decision: earlier versions can always be viewed and restored.

Technical types of editing

Most wiki systems offer two methods of editing. The first is source editing, in which a user directly writes the formatting codes—for example the markup for headings, lists, or links. The second is visual editing, in which the user sees how the text will appear in its final form, working with a toolbar.

The standard process consists of several steps: opening the section to be changed, making the modification, adding a brief edit summary explaining the reason for the change, and saving. Some systems provide a diff tool that shows the difference between the earlier and newer versions.

Quality standards

Encyclopedia projects typically impose conditions on editing: information must be verifiable, language must be neutral, and text cannot be copied directly from copyrighted sources. Edits lacking sources or intended to vandalize or deceive can be reverted, and the user responsible may be blocked.

Conflict and consensus

When two users repeatedly undo each other's changes to the same page, this is called an edit war. The standard resolution is discussion on the talk page associated with the article until a version acceptable to all is agreed upon. Some systems limit the number of edits a user can make to a page in a single day to prevent continuous conflict.