Wikipedia Article Creation Guide for SysManage

Overview

Creating a Wikipedia article for SysManage is optional but highly recommended for the SignPath Foundation application. A Wikipedia article significantly strengthens the application by demonstrating project notability and community recognition.

⚠️ Important Disclaimers

Notability Requirements

Wikipedia has strict notability guidelines. Your project must have:

  • Significant coverage in independent, reliable sources
  • Multiple independent sources (not written by project contributors)
  • Sustained coverage over time (not just announcement posts)

Conflict of Interest

  • You have a conflict of interest (COI) as the project creator
  • You should NOT create the article yourself directly
  • Instead, use the Articles for Creation (AfC) process
  • Or request help from experienced Wikipedia editors

Reality Check

  • Most software projects do NOT meet Wikipedia’s notability criteria
  • Even well-established open source projects often lack Wikipedia articles
  • Rejection is common and does not reflect project quality
  • SignPath does not require a Wikipedia article; it’s just helpful evidence

Assessment: Does SysManage Meet Notability Criteria?

Wikipedia Notability Guideline for Software

From Wikipedia:Notability (software):

A software product is notable if it has been the subject of significant coverage in independent, reliable sources.

Current Status Assessment

❓ Questionable - Likely does NOT yet meet Wikipedia criteria unless:

Required (at least 2-3 of these):

  • Coverage in major technology publications (TechCrunch, Ars Technica, etc.)
  • Academic papers citing or using the software
  • Books or book chapters discussing the software
  • Significant media coverage beyond announcement posts
  • Industry awards or recognition
  • Widespread deployment in notable organizations
  • Significant impact on the field

Warning Signs That You’re Not Ready:

  • ❌ Only sources are your own blog posts/announcements
  • ❌ Only mentions are in software directories/listings
  • ❌ No independent analysis or reviews
  • ❌ Project is less than 2-3 years old
  • ❌ Limited download/usage statistics

Alternative: Wait and Build Notability

Better Strategy for Now

Instead of rushing to Wikipedia, build notability first:

  1. Publish in Tech Media
    • Write guest posts for DevOps/SysAdmin blogs
    • Submit to: OSNews, Linux Journal, AdminMagazine
    • Pitch to: The New Stack, InfoWorld, ZDNet
  2. Academic Engagement
    • Submit papers to conferences (USENIX LISA, SREcon)
    • Publish case studies
    • Collaborate with university CS departments
  3. Community Building
    • Present at conferences
    • Create webinars and workshops
    • Build case studies from users
    • Get testimonials from organizations
  4. Awards and Recognition
    • Submit to open source awards
    • Apply for grants (Linux Foundation, etc.)
    • Get recognized by industry organizations

Timeline: Plan for 1-2 years of building notability before attempting Wikipedia

If You Decide to Proceed Anyway

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1: Create Wikipedia Account

  1. Go to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:CreateAccount
  2. Choose a username (preferably your real name)
  3. Verify email address
  4. Complete your user page with COI disclosure

Step 2: Declare Conflict of Interest

On your user page, add:


I am the creator/maintainer of SysManage and have a conflict of interest. I will follow Wikipedia's COI guidelines and use the Articles for Creation process for any content related to this project.

Step 3: Learn Wikipedia Basics

Required Reading (seriously, read these):

Step 4: Gather Sources

What Counts as a Reliable Source: ✅ Major newspapers and magazines ✅ Academic journals and books ✅ Established technology publications ✅ Independent reviews and analyses

What Does NOT Count: ❌ Your own website/blog ❌ Press releases ❌ Social media posts ❌ GitHub repository ❌ Software directories/listings ❌ User-generated content (Reddit, forums)

Minimum Required: 2-3 independent, reliable sources with significant coverage (not just mentions)

Step 5: Create Draft in Sandbox

  1. Go to your sandbox: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:MyPage/sandbox
  2. Write the article draft following the template below
  3. Be neutral: Write as if someone else is describing your project
  4. Cite everything: Every statement needs a reliable source
  5. No promotional language: Avoid “best,” “leading,” “innovative,” etc.

Article Template




'''SysManage''' is a [[free and open-source software|free and open-source]] [[system administration]] and [[Computer monitoring|monitoring]] platform for managing computer systems across multiple [[operating system]]s.<ref></ref>

==History==
SysManage was created in [YEAR] by [CREATOR NAME] to [PURPOSE/PROBLEM IT SOLVES].<ref>[RELIABLE SOURCE CITATION]</ref> The project was released under the [[MIT License]] and has since [DEVELOPMENT HISTORY FROM RELIABLE SOURCES].<ref>[RELIABLE SOURCE CITATION]</ref>

==Features==
SysManage provides the following capabilities:
* [[System monitoring]] across multiple operating systems
* [[Configuration management]] and policy enforcement
* [[Software deployment]] and inventory management
* [[Security]] compliance monitoring

<ref>[RELIABLE SOURCE DESCRIBING FEATURES]</ref>

==Technical details==
SysManage consists of:
* A Python-based agent that runs on managed systems
* A central server for coordination and reporting
* Support for [[Linux]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[macOS]], and [[BSD]] operating systems

<ref>[RELIABLE SOURCE FOR TECHNICAL DETAILS]</ref>

==Reception==
[ONLY INCLUDE IF YOU HAVE RELIABLE SOURCES REVIEWING/ANALYZING THE SOFTWARE]

According to [PUBLICATION NAME], [NEUTRAL DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THEY SAID].<ref>[CITATION]</ref>

==See also==
* [[Systems management]]
* [[List of system management systems]]
* [[Comparison of system monitoring software]]

==References==


==Screenshots==
[[File:SysManage-Main-Dashboard.png|thumb|300px|SysManage main dashboard and documentation site]]

==External links==
* [https://github.com/bceverly/sysmanage-agent Official repository]
* [https://bceverly.github.io/sysmanage-docs/ Official documentation]

[[Category:Free system administration software]]
[[Category:Free software programmed in Python]]
[[Category:Cross-platform free software]]
[[Category:System administration]]
[[Category:Network management]]

Wikipedia allows screenshots of software to illustrate articles. For SysManage, you can use a screenshot of the main GitHub Pages documentation site.

How to Add Screenshot:

  1. Take Screenshot
    • Visit: https://bceverly.github.io/sysmanage-docs/
    • Take a clean screenshot of the main dashboard/index page
    • Recommended size: 1200px width or larger
    • Format: PNG (preferred) or JPG
    • Filename: SysManage-Main-Dashboard.png
  2. Upload to Wikimedia Commons
    • Go to: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:UploadWizard
    • Login with your Wikipedia account
    • Upload your screenshot
    • Title: “SysManage-Main-Dashboard.png”
    • Description: “Screenshot of SysManage documentation main page showing project overview and features”
    • License: Select “This is my own work” and choose:
      • Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC-BY-SA 4.0)
      • OR if you want more permissive: CC0 (Public Domain)
    • Categories: Add “System administration software screenshots”
    • Complete upload
  3. Add to Article
    • Once uploaded, the screenshot is automatically available
    • Already included in template above: 
      ==Screenshots==
[[File:SysManage-Main-Dashboard.png|thumb|300px|SysManage main dashboard and documentation site]]
    • The thumb parameter makes it a thumbnail
    • 300px sets the width
    • The caption appears below the image

Screenshot Guidelines:

  • ✅ Show actual software interface or documentation
  • ✅ Clean, professional appearance
  • ✅ No personal information visible
  • ✅ High quality (not blurry)
  • ✅ Representative of current version
  • ❌ No promotional text or marketing material
  • ❌ No watermarks or branding overlays

Step 7: Submit for Review

  1. Once your draft is complete (with optional screenshot), submit it via Articles for Creation
  2. Add to the top of your sandbox:
  3. Wait for reviewer feedback (can take weeks or months)
  4. Be prepared for rejection or requests for more sources

Step 8: Respond to Feedback

  • If accepted: Congratulations! Maintain the article neutrally
  • If declined: Read feedback carefully, gather more sources, improve notability
  • If deleted: Accept it and focus on building project notability

Alternative: Request Article from Community

Wikipedia Request Page

If you have sources but don’t want to write it yourself:

  1. Go to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Requested_articles
  2. Post a request with your sources
  3. Wait for an experienced editor to take interest
  4. This is slower but avoids COI issues

WikiProject Software

  1. Visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Software
  2. Post on the talk page asking if anyone would review your sources
  3. See if the project meets notability criteria
  4. Request help creating the article if viable

What SignPath Really Needs

For SignPath Application

SignPath Foundation asks for:

“The article about your project on the English Wikipedia. The article must be about your specific version of the project (same maintainer, fork etc.)”

Reality: This is listed as beneficial evidence but not required

Better approach for new projects:

  • Focus on other verification evidence (GitHub stats, downloads, media mentions)
  • Note in application: “No Wikipedia article yet; project is building notability through [X, Y, Z]”
  • Provide links to any media coverage, blog posts, or analyses
  • Show download statistics and GitHub metrics instead

SignPath Will Understand

SignPath Foundation reviews many open source projects. They understand:

  • Most software lacks Wikipedia articles
  • Notability takes time to build
  • GitHub stats and user testimonials are valid evidence
  • Active development and real users matter more than Wikipedia

Timeline Recommendation

Short-term (For SignPath Application)

✅ DO NOW:

  • Focus on other evidence (document #4)
  • Gather GitHub statistics
  • Collect user testimonials
  • Document downloads/deployments
  • Get blog post mentions

❌ DON’T NOW:

  • Try to force a Wikipedia article
  • Risk rejection and delay
  • Waste time on likely-to-fail attempt

Long-term (Building Notability)

📅 Year 1-2:

  • Build user base
  • Get media coverage
  • Present at conferences
  • Publish case studies
  • Grow community

📅 Year 2-3:

  • Reassess notability
  • Gather independent sources
  • Consider Wikipedia attempt
  • Or hire Wikipedia expert

Professional Wikipedia Services

If you’re serious about Wikipedia later:

Wikipedia Editing Services (COI-Compliant)

Companies that help with COI-compliant article creation:

  • WikiExperts
  • The Wikipedia Help
  • WikiCreationInc

Cost: $500-$2000 typically Time: 1-3 months Success: Not guaranteed; depends on sources

University Students

  • Computer science students doing projects
  • Technical writing students
  • Offer co-authorship on a paper in exchange

Conclusion

Honest Assessment

For a new project like SysManage:

  • ❌ Probably not ready for Wikipedia yet
  • ✅ Perfectly fine for SignPath application anyway
  • 📈 Focus on building real-world use and coverage
  • ⏰ Revisit in 1-2 years after establishing notability

For SignPath Application RIGHT NOW:

  1. ❌ Skip Wikipedia - Not worth the effort/risk
  2. ✅ Focus on Document #4 - Verification evidence
  3. ✅ Gather real metrics - Downloads, users, deployments
  4. ✅ Get testimonials - From actual users
  5. ✅ Note in application: “Building notability; no Wikipedia article yet”

For Long-term Project Growth:

  1. Build real user base
  2. Get independent media coverage
  3. Establish industry presence
  4. Revisit Wikipedia in 2026-2027

Questions?

  • Wikipedia Help Desk: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Help_desk
  • WikiProject Software: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Software
  • Articles for Creation Help: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:AFC_help

This guide provides an honest, realistic assessment of Wikipedia notability requirements. Most new open source projects do NOT meet these criteria, and that’s completely normal and acceptable.