AGHSReunions:Basic principles

Our wiki is a resource for the entire Central Coast of California. Despite the obvious tie to Arroyo Grande High School in its name, this wiki was designed from the beginning to hold in-depth information about the communities, schools, and people of the Central Coast. It also includes information outside the area, especially as it relates to the Central Coast. Basically, in the right context, nothing is off-topic as long as it is related to the Central Coast or its current and former residents.

We are a community information store. This is a place that combines encyclopedic material, original and creative work, interesting facts and figures, and public domain material to inform, educate, and enlighten visitors. We strive for an encyclopedic feel for most articles, but you will find things here that would never make it into a bound encyclopedia. The most obvious is our collection of biographical articles about ordinary people from the Central Coast who have accomplished ordinary things like going to work, raising families, and living ordinary lives. Our community articles profile any size of town or city, including some that rarely make it onto maps. Community members may announce upcoming community events and other notices that are primarily of interest only to the people living there. Our articles may not be of worldwide or national importance, but if Central Coast locals are interested in it, then consider adding it here. You should be aware that there are a few things that we do not want to see posted here.

We encourage a point of view that is largely neutral, but accept sympathetic points of view as long as they are honest. Unlike the English Wikipedia, which strives for a 100% neutral point of view, we follow WikiInfo's philosophy that the main article on a subject generally should present the subject in a positive light or as a concept that makes sense. Alternative or critical perspectives may be placed in subpages cross-linked with the main articles. In all cases, honesty and accuracy are critical, and exaggeration should be avoided. Citing reliable sources is always encouraged, and is required when inferring or stating anything negative about or critical against things discussed within an article.

Our site is free, and so is its content. Registration is required before you may edit, but registration is easy and free. We do accept financial support to help offset costs and provide additional services, but it is not required. All text and most multimedia files are available under the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL), Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY), or other similar licenses, and may be distributed or linked accordingly. Note that articles can be changed by any registered member, and no individual controls any specific article. Anything you contribute can be edited mercilessly and redistributed freely. Do not submit copyright infringements or works licensed in an incompatible way.

We are respectful of one another. Respect your fellow Wiki editors even when you may not agree with them. Be civil. Avoid making personal attacks or sweeping generalizations. Find consensus and avoid edit wars. Act in good faith, never disrupt the Wiki to illustrate a point, and assume good faith on the part of others. Be open and welcoming.

Everyone is encouraged to participate. If you have never edited a wiki page before, this a great place to start. Pick a topic that interests you, and start editing. Do not worry about doing things perfectly; the wiki process is one of continual change and evolution, and mistakes will eventually be corrected. If you see something that should be changed, be bold in editing, moving, and modifying articles, but follow conventions. By following these conventions we are able to produce a more consistent and usable encyclopedia. If you don't like a particular convention, build consensus and then work with others to make the changes sitewide. While everything is subject to change, complete edit histories are maintained, so whatever you write will be preserved and likely indexed by search engines; that is something to keep in mind before writing while you are upset or feeling mischievous.