Wikipedia:The Core Contest/Preparations

Detailed checklist for operating and running The Core Contest.

General considerations

Funding (how much?) from where?
- Needs to be requested/approved well before start time
Choose timeframe
- Typical timeframe: early in the year; before June/July. See §Past competitions for reference.
Who will the judges be?
How can the contest improve from its previous iteration?

Create Wikipedia:The Core Contest/Entries (see template) below
- Use {{subst:The Core Contest/Entries}}
- Make sure the see past archives hatnote is updated with the most recent contest(s)
TCC page updates:
- Post about contest on TCC homepage (ex)
- Update §Rules
- Archive excessively old threads on TCC talk page
- Glance at TCC homepage for potential updates/improvements
Mass message:
- Update the message content with the new dates, timeline and judges
- Update/check the delivery list. Make sure it includes participants of the previous year and current/former judges
- Send out the mass message with the delivery list via Special:MassMessage
Other announcement venues:
- Post on TCC talk page
- Submit a watchlist notice request (ex1 ex2)
- Post on FAC, FLC, GAN, WT:FGTC and WT:VITAL
- Post on active the talk pages of Wiki Projects (suggestions: the Military history and Video games projects)
- Post on the Wikipedia:Community bulletin board (never done before)

Send out mass message:
- Update CompetitionStart with the new times, dates and judges
- Send out CompetitionStart with the delivery list via Special:MassMessage
Page updates:
- Update TCC homepage (ex)

Generally not much to do, just one message half way through (that's May 7 during the April 15 – May 30 cycle).

Mass message:
- Update CompetitionHalfway with times, date and judges
- Send out CompetitionHalfway with the delivery list via Special:MassMessage

Mass message:
- Update CompetitionEnd with the new times, dates and judges
- Send out CompetitionEnd with the delivery list via Special:MassMessage
Deliberate winners (generally off-wiki via email or call).
Announce winners:
- Post on Wikipedia:The Core Contest/Winners
  - Make sure the winners are pinged properly! There has to be a signature in the same edit as the pings for them to work
- Post on TCC talk page
- Update the winners announcement
- Send out winners announcement with the delivery list via Special:MassMessage
Page updates:
- Update the Wikipedia:The Core Contest
- Move the Wikipedia:The Core Contest/Entries to Wikipedia:The Core Contest/Entries/ContestTimelineYear (example: Wikipedia:The Core Contest/Entries/AprilMay2024 archive)
  - Important: Do not move the subpages!
  - Leave a redirect (subpages are deleted otherwise (I think?)
- Update TCC header (ex)
- Update the §Past competitions (ex)
  - This includes the "The Core Contest proper has run on [number] occasions" line

FAQ Page (when made)
- More than one entry?
- Improvements before start date?
- Working together?
Messages
Subpages
Consider implementing:
- Add Enter an article ({{Clickable button|Enter an article|color=blue|url={{fullurl:Special:NewSection/Wikipedia:The Core Contest/Entries|preload=Template:TCC_Entry/init&action=edit}}}}
- {{TCC Entry}}
- {{TCC Entry/init}}