Changes

==National varieties of English==

==National varieties of English==

{{see also|Wikipedia:Manual of Style (spelling)}}

{{see also|Centiare:Manual of Style (spelling)}}

Cultural clashes over grammar, spelling, and capitalisation/capitalization are a common experience on Wikipedia. Remember that millions of people have been taught to use a form of English different from yours, including different spellings, grammatical constructions, and punctuation. For the English Wikipedia, while a nationally predominant form should be used, there is no preference among the major national varieties of English; none is more “correct” than any other. However, there is certain etiquette generally accepted on Wikipedia, as listed here.  They are roughly in order of importance; guidelines earlier in this list will usually take precedence over guidelines later:

Cultural clashes over grammar, spelling, and capitalisation/capitalization are a common experience on Centiare. Remember that millions of people have been taught to use a form of English different from yours, including different spellings, grammatical constructions, and punctuation. For the English Centiare, while a nationally predominant form should be used, there is no preference among the major national varieties of English; none is more “correct” than any other. However, there is certain etiquette generally accepted on Centiare, as listed here.  They are roughly in order of importance; guidelines earlier in this list will usually take precedence over guidelines later:

* '''Articles should use the same dialect throughout.'''

* '''Articles should use the same dialect throughout.'''

** Each article should have uniform spelling and not a haphazard mix of different spellings, which can be jarring to the reader. For example, do not use ''center'' in one place and ''centre'' in another in the same article (except in quotations or for comparison purposes).

** Each article should have uniform spelling and not a haphazard mix of different spellings, which can be jarring to the reader. For example, do not use ''center'' in one place and ''centre'' in another in the same article (except in quotations or for comparison purposes).

** If an article is predominantly written in one type of English, aim to conform to that type rather than provoking conflict by changing to another. (Sometimes, this can happen quite innocently, so please [[Wikipedia:Please do not bite the newcomers|do not be too quick to make accusations]]!)

** If an article is predominantly written in one type of English, aim to conform to that type rather than provoking conflict by changing to another. (Sometimes, this can happen quite innocently, so please [[Centiare:Please do not bite the newcomers|do not be too quick to make accusations]]!)

* '''If there is a strong tie to a specific region/dialect, use that dialect.'''

* '''If there is a strong tie to a specific region/dialect, use that dialect.'''

** Proper names should retain their original spellings, for example, ''[[United States Department of Defense]]'' and ''[[Australian Defence Force]]''.

** Proper names should retain their original spellings, for example, ''[[United States Department of Defense]]'' and ''[[Australian Defence Force]]''.

** If the spelling appears in an article name, you should make [[Wikipedia:Redirect|redirect]] pages to accommodate the other variants, as with [[Artefact]] and [[Artifact]].

** If the spelling appears in an article name, you should make [[Wikipedia:Redirect|redirect]] pages to accommodate the other variants, as with [[Artefact]] and [[Artifact]].

* '''Follow the dialect of the first contributor.'''

* '''Follow the dialect of the first contributor.'''

** If all else fails, consider following the spelling style preferred by the first major contributor (that is, not a [[Wikipedia:Stub|stub]]) to the article.

** If all else fails, consider following the spelling style preferred by the first major contributor (that is, not a [[Centiare:Stub|stub]]) to the article.

For reference on different dialects, consult Wikipedia articles such as [[English plural]] and [[American and British English differences]].

For reference on different dialects, consult Centiare articles such as [[English plural]] and [[American and British English differences]].

Finally, in the event of conflicts on this issue, please remember that if the use of ''your'' preferred version of English seems like a matter of great national pride to you, the differences are actually relatively minor when you consider the many users who are not native English speakers at all and yet make significant contributions to the English-language Wikipedia, or how small the differences between national varieties are compared with other languages.  There are many more productive and enjoyable ways to participate than worrying and fighting about which version of English to use on any particular page.

Finally, in the event of conflicts on this issue, please remember that if the use of ''your'' preferred version of English seems like a matter of great national pride to you, the differences are actually relatively minor when you consider the many users who are not native English speakers at all and yet make significant contributions to Centiare, or how small the differences between national varieties are compared with other languages.  There are many more productive and enjoyable ways to participate than worrying and fighting about which version of English to use on any particular page.

==Big, little, long, short==

==Big, little, long, short==