New+to+Wikis?


 * Some Wiki Conventions** <>

I've worked with wikis for almost two years now -- some of these comments might help newcomers.

And here's a Sandbox - a place to try things out.

1. Don't be afraid to make changes. Each version is maintained and tracked (click on the history tab to see a complete list of revisions, including who made the change).

2. Again, don't be afraid to make changes. If you want to insert a comment or an aside in-line (e.g., to explain a change, pose a question), please surround your comment with < > and initial/name/date your comment. <>

3. If you think a change needs to be made, or something else needs to be addressed, go ahead and make the change or add new language to address your concern. If you feel it needs explanation, add an aside.

4. There is also a **Discussion** tab for each page where you can open discussion on an issue of you'd like. You might use an aside in the main text to direct people to the discussion. This has the advantage of keeping the main pages cleaner.

5. Don't be afraid to make changes.

6. If you wouldn't want to see it published in the New York Times with your name associated with it, don't put it on the Wiki. The wiki is currently open read / member write, is archived on computers who-knows-where, and its contents are subject to Freedom of Information requests.

7. Don't let #6 scare you away from writing - just be thoughtful.

8. Feel free to create a new page for a new topic.

9. Name new pages clearly. Wikis are designed to be searched, and a good page name helps. Where conventions seem to be established, please follow them. For example, meeting pages have the format

Meeting YYYY MMM DD

Example: Meeting 2008 Jan 3

Following this convention makes it very easy to find meeting agendas and notes.

10. Linking wiki pages ... I recommend you link any new page to someplace appropriate. If you do not link it, people will only be able to find it by searching - which isn't always fun. Go to the page on which you want to link the new (or any) wiki page and type some words you want to use as a link. I suggest having some other words or spaces (line feeds) before and after those words - the formatting gets lost sometimes if you don't. Highlight the words you want to use as a link and press the create link button. Then find the page in the list and select it.

11. Linking files ... when you want to link a file, please use the **//link file//** option, not the **//embed file//** option - it keeps the pages neater.

12. Don't be afraid to make changes.