Week+2+-+How+to+Wiki!

Introduction to Wiki
Wikis are extremely beneficial because they allow many people to work in a collaborative effort to produce a collection of information. This is particularly useful for businesses and #|classes (such as ours), because open communication is made much more accessible for everyone simultaneously and everyone can edit the information as needed to polish it and perfect it if the account is set up with the appropriate permissions to facilitate these actions for all of the users. Creators can control the members of their wikispace, and then there are also publicly viewed wikis like Wikipedia. The different types of wikispaces include Public, Protected, Private, and Custom. Each type has varying permissions associated with it. On wikis where members are added, the creator simply clicks on the words "Manage Wiki" from the side menu and then on "Invite People." Creators can additionally determine which members have the ability to view and edit content under the "Permissions" section of "Manage Wiki." Wikispaces can also be personalized with specific color layouts and themes via the "Look and Feel" section under the "Manage Wiki" selection. To edit information on wikispaces, you merely need to double click on the "Edit" tab, it is extremely simple for technological novices to edit these pages without difficulty. This video on YouTube demonstrates the steps to creating and editing a wikispace account after it is initially created and the creator is logged in.[|Wikispace Tutorial]

posted by: Nicole Schofield

Introduction to Wiki

I have never use a Wiki before and I found it to be very interesting and beneficial for people who are in the same class and it is a good way of communicating. I can see how it would be benecial for people who form any kind of group and want to have a way of communicating that is easy and open. It works well because you do have option to edit a post made by a member but you also have control of any member who joins and people who are not members of your wiki can not edit your post. They are different kind of wikis and these are; Custum,Private,Protected, and Public.To learn hwo to get started with your wiki this video is very helpful. [].

WIKIPEDIA IS THE BEST THING EVER
media type="youtube" key="kFBDn5PiL00" height="222" width="293" align="center"

Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject, so you know you are getting the best possible information. -Michael Scott []

Wikipedia is many things to many different people. What it is for everyone is a free, collaboratively edited encyclopedia supported by the [|Wikimedia Foundation]. Some people use it as a serious collaborative project, while others use it as a way to have some lighthearted pop culture fun, in the same vein as Amazon reviews are sometimes used, (see the 2,000+ reviews for the three dogs howling at the moon t shirt for an example of the silliness people get up to on the internet).

You never know what you will find while perusing a Wikipedia, so take what you find with a grain of salt and a spoonful of good humor. Consider what novelist Nicholson Baker has to say about the Pop-Tarts Wikipedia page before you use the site as a reference for your paper on Pop-Tarts:

"The Pop-Tarts page is often aflutter. Pop-Tarts, it says as of today (February 8, 2008), were discontinued in Australia in 2005. Maybe that's true. Before that it said that Pop-Tarts were discontinued in Korea. Before that Australia. Several days ago it said: "Pop-Tarts is German for Little Iced Pastry O' Germany." Other things I learned from earlier versions: More than two trillion Pop-Tarts are sold each year. George Washington invented them. They were developed in the early 1960s in China. Popular flavors are "frosted strawberry, frosted brown sugar cinnamon, and semen." Pop-Tarts are a "flat Cookie." No: "Pop-Tarts are a flat Pastry, KEVIN MCCORMICK is a FRIGGIN LOSER notto mention a queer inch." No: "A Pop-Tart is a flat condom." Once last fall the whole page was replaced with "NIPPLES AND BROCCOLI!!!!!”

― [|Nicholson Baker] = = Edited by: Emerald Crafton

=Week 2: How to Wiki!=

The point of a Wiki is that all users can edit and update information and create new pages altogether. On all pages of the Wiki (including this one), you will see an "edit" link at the very top. If you click on it, you will see the source code for that particular page (this one will seem very complicated at first -- don't worry about it). To return to the real page, click on the "article" link, also at the top of each page. The rest of this page will contain the basic rules of editing and creating Wiki pages. One easy way to get started is simply to copy the source code from one page, and paste it into another page before editing the text in it. The formatting will remain identical to the first page, but you can edit the contents if you only change the text paragraphs. For further information on editing a Wiki, go to [|this page].  == Formatting a Page == Breaking up your page into different sections will make it much easier to read. If you create enough different sections, a table of contents like the one at the top of this page will be created automatically. This is very easy to do:
 * To edit an existing page, just click the "edit" link at the top. Do your work, and then don't forget to save the page!
 * To create a new page, you should first [|make a link] to the new page in an existing page (like the Wiki's main page, or from any other page). The link will appear in red, indicating that the linked page doesn't exist yet. If you click on any red link, you will be taken directly to the new page's "edit" section, so you can create the page. It's perfectly reasonable to create links to nonexisting pages in your text without immediately creating the pages they point to. Other people can then see the red links and create the pages themselves if they know what belongs there.
 * Breaking the page into sections ||
 * Typing this on the "edit" page: || Results in this on the final published page: ||
 * == New section ==

Subsection
Text written in subsection

=
Sub-sub-subsection ===== || New section Subsection Text written in subsection Sub-subsection Sub-sub-subsection ||



 Lists
Lists make your page much more organized as well. They are extremely simple to create: **subtopic *third item || * first item  == Links == Linking to other pages will allow people to follow referenced information more easily. You can link to existing pages, and also to nonexisting pages. A link to a nonexisting page will appear in red, indicating that the page needs to be created. There are two types of links: internal links pointing to other pages of the Wiki, and external links pointing to other websites. Here's how they work: Link to main Silver Lab page (put the page name on the left, and then what you want the link to say on the right of the vertical bar) || [|Silver Lab] [|Link to main Silver Lab page] (the second link goes to the same page, but can say whatever you want it to say rather than just the page title) || (just enter the page address, it will turn into a link automatically) ||  || [|http://www.harvard.edu] || (or you can enter an address in brackets to make a short link) ||  || [|[1]] || (or you can give the link a different text) || [|Go to Harvard's website!] (the link goes to the same page, but can say whatever you want it to say rather than just the page address) ||  == Other Formatting == You can make any text bold or italicized. Just highlight it (on the edit page) and click the Bold or Italics button at the top of the editing box. In the editing box you can also find other useful formatting tools, including the tool to insert a picture. To insert a picture, you first need to upload it to the Wiki server. You can do this by clicking the "upload file" link, which is on the left of any Wiki page (near the top). Once you've uploaded the file and given it a name, just click the "Embedded image" button at the top of the editing box of any page, and enter the new file's name. You can also easily insert a horizontal dividing line (horizontal rule) like the one below:
 * Basic Bulleted List: ||
 * Typing this on the "edit" page: || Results in this on the final published page: ||
 * *first bullet *second bullet || * first bullet
 * second bullet ||
 * Basic Numbered List: ||
 * Typing this on the "edit" page: || Results in this on the final published page: ||
 * #first item #second item
 * 1) third item || # first item
 * 2) second item
 * 3) third item ||
 * Bulleted List with sub-sections: ||
 * Typing this on the "edit" page: || Results in this on the final published page: ||
 * *first item *second item
 * second item
 * subtopic
 * third item ||
 * Numbered List with sub-sections: ||
 * Typing this on the "edit" page: || Results in this on the final published page: ||
 * #first item #second item
 * 1) subtopic
 * 2) another subtopic
 * 3) third item || # first item
 * 4) second item
 * 5) subtopic
 * 6) another subtopic
 * 7) third item ||
 * Mixed List with sub-sections: ||
 * Typing this on the "edit" page: || Results in this on the final published page: ||
 * #first item #second item
 * 1) *subtopic
 * 2) *another subtopic
 * 3) third item || # first item
 * 4) second item
 * subtopic
 * another subtopic
 * 1) third item ||
 * Lists like these can be customized with any number of subsections and sublists, using the same logic as above. You can put a bulleted list within a numbered list within a bulleted list, etc. ||
 * Internal Link (to a page on the Wiki): ||
 * Typing this on the "edit" page: || Results in this on the final published page: ||
 * Silver Lab
 * External Link (to another website): ||
 * Typing this on the "edit" page: || Results in this on the final published page: ||
 * http://www.harvard.edu
 * 
 * Go to Harvard's website!

Just click the "Insert Horizontal Rule" button at the top of the editing box. To insert comments in the wiki source code that will be unseen when the page renders, use this format: For further information on editing a Wiki, go to [|this page].

Edited by Christina Hart

How to Begin Editing a Wiki
Let me start first, by saying I have never used a "Wiki" before. Okay, that may be a lie, I am sure I have used them for research but I have never before had to add my own comments, suggestions or edits. The first thing I would recommend is to view the format that the original "Wikipedian" (anyone who has edited a wiki no matter how extensive of importance is a Wikipedian) used. Second, try to copy their design as close as possible as to not impose on the original design of the wiki. For example, the light gray boxes surrounding each topic on this Wiki is pretty substantial, not only does it separate topics, but fellow editors have used to separate their additions as to stay organized for followers. Helpful hint: I found this shadow box divider tool next to the bulletin option in the tools column that appears at the top of the screen as soon as you click the option to "edit" a wiki. After choosing a topic to write about, use the shadow box (this is what i have chosen to call the gray box) option and add your own information! Make sure before you're done editing to re-read your addition and correct any errors. Remember also to click "save" when you're done.

Edited by Jeannie Snedegar

Week #3 What about Facebook?
In my research, I read an interesting link about how to "turn off notifications" on Facebook! Fasinating? To say the least considering how many ignored Notifications I receive. Here's me sharing my new found knowledge with you! Enjoy! Click on the “Notifications” button at the bottom right corner in Facebook. Click “See All.” On the right, then a long list of every application appears. Turn them off by un-checking them. Facebook’s own applications which are probably useful, such as feed comments, are also on the list, leave them checked. For additional disconnections of notifications, click on “Settings” in the main menu. Then on “Application Settings”. Click, “Authorized” from the menu. Many applications actually have of privileges. For example, some are able to “Access my data even when I’m not using the application,” “Send me emails” and “Publish recent activity to my wall.” Turn all of those off. This is possible even without removing the application. In order to completely remove it click the “x” next to its name. For Updates: Click on “Updates” in the menu on the same page and then click on “Updates Settings” on the right. Remember to always Save changes when you are finished. For all of you #|Facebook fans, I hope this helps you as much it does me! Sorry, I must compulsively stay ahead in class... fearful of ever being "late."

Edited by, Jeannie Snedegar [|Notifications Link]

What is a Wiki in the first place? (According to Wikipedia and I guess they should know): A wiki is a website which allows its users to add, modify, or delete its content via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a rich-text editor. Most are created collaboratively.

In addition, according to Ward Cunningham, the man who created the first Wiki (Hawaiian for fast),
 * A wiki invites all users to edit any page or to create new pages within the wiki Web site, using only a plain-vanilla Web browser without any extra add-ons (browser extension).
 * Wiki promotes meaningful topic associations between different pages by making page link creation almost intuitively easy and showing whether an intended target page exists or not.
 * A wiki is not a carefully crafted site for casual visitors. Instead, it seeks to involve the visitor in an ongoing process of creation and collaboration that constantly changes the Web site landscape.

Anyway, before we wiki I'm making sure I know exactly what a wiki is in the first place, at least according to the Wiki experts that is.

Edited by David Sweet

=How to edit existing text= Text in the wiki can be edited and made into links or hyperlinks. First you must click EDIT at the top of the wiki. An editing bar will appear at the top of the page. To make text into a link, you must highlight the text you want to become the link. Do this by left clicking the first letter in the word and dragging to the last letter or word you want linkable. You must then click "Link" and choose whether its a link to a page or file in wikispaces or a web #|address (URL) or a link to an email address.

I generally like to click the "open in new window" checkbox to allow a person to go to the linked address without losing their place on the #|website they were led there from. That way when a person goes to the link, they can, when finished, simply close the window and be returned to where they began. This is a good practice in the Class forum as well.

Edited by [|Tom McCarty]

=Is Wikipedia a reliable Source?= Wiki's are created by users that try to add factual information. In some cases people try to add information to wiki's in order to create a database of valuable information. The problem with that is that the information can be incorrect. There are even some who purposely give incorrect information because they may think it's funny. Wiki's are generally not accepted in #|academia (see site). This is something important to know when writing essays or term papers. Remember... You can't believe everything you read on the Internet.

Edited by [|Tom McCarty]

=How to add a video on wikispaces:=

media type="youtube" key="i4aSkrP1JHY" height="315" width="420" [] Youtube is slightly different in the video. The "[|embed]" link can be found under the "share" button below the video when viewing it directly at youtube.com The embed link can also be used when #|creating a website by placing the embed link into your HTML.

Posted by [|Tom McCarty]

Wikis A-Z
Over the past few days I have read alot of articles, and researched alot of web sites, specifically designed to help the user familiarize themselves with Wiki's. The most useful site I found by far, was the main Wikipedia web site. All you have to do is click in the search bar in the upper right hand corner of the page and type in whatever you want to know about ([|wikipedia] knows everything) and you are off to the wiki races.Here's a link to the Wikipedia Home Page

Edited by: Shelly West

==== is perfect to collaborate in group projects. Very useful as for people to put together their thoughts and experiences on certain subjects. Great way to use a resource to find answers and get answers. Like Shelly West mentioned in her post, that Wikipedia is the most useful site on the web. I could agree with that because I get a lot of my answers from there. Especially looking up definition on words that I'm not too familiar with.==== ====Wiki is similar to blogging. Only in blogging, you can only comment on a subject that is brought up on someone's blog. For in Wiki, you can edit comments and everything that is on here. I can find myself using Wiki to organize a with a group project in the near future. Makes things easier than emailing back and forth.====

Edited by: Rochiemar Carson

Found in the right hand column of the class WIKI is tab with useful shortcuts to the content of the WIKI. A member tab is a shortcut to all members of the WIKI and their contribution to the site. This tab also has information on how to terminate membership in this WIKI. Edited by: Jan Bardwell ||
 * MEMBER INFORMATION IN THE CLASS'S WIKI

A little History
“How to Wiki” History

I think a little background is in order. I find the way in which the name was established is pretty interesting. Using the name of an Hawaiian shuttle bus from Honolulu seems like an opportunity of chance, and Wiki Wiki definitely beats the name Quick web that Cunningham had previously considered.

Cunningham wanted to Wiki to be and easy tool and to promote ideas and input. It allows its members to edit and create new ideas and thoughts about different topics with links and videos, pictures and files to add to an existing wiki and improve its content.

Posted by Mary Bond

The invitation for membership
On many wiki pages permissions are set so that anyone can edit the information, however on others you'll need an invitation to the group before you can make changes to the page. The wiki for this class is one that requires an invitation, and there should have been one waiting for you when you created your account. Now to find it and accept; once you've created an account you must go to your e-mail and verify your account. When you click the link in the e-mail, you will be directed to your 'dashboard' and any invitations you've been sent will be listed there. You then have the option to accept, deny, invite new members, etc.

Posted by Linda Todd

= How To Download and Insert A Photo (video) =

By clicking on the link above, a new tab or window will open (depending on your browser) and you will be redirected to YouTube. This is an instructional video on how to insert a photo into your wiki from a website image. Please note this video is performed using a Mac computer, but the instructions are extremely similar when using a Windows PC. The mail difference as far as instructions are concerned, is a Windows PC actually has a right mouse button so you do not need to hold down a cmd button. You will find this useful if downloading and uploading photos to Web 2.0 is new to you!

Posted by Luke Wier

= Wiki Permission Settings =

You can change the level of permissions in a wiki with four different settings.
 * 1) The first setting is Public: and it is just that! Everyone can see the Wiki and everyone can edit the Wiki.
 * 2) Next is Protected: Everyone is allowed to see the Wiki, but only members can edit.
 * 3) Then there is Private: Only members can see and edit the Wiki.
 * 4) And Finally there is a Custom setting: Allows you to custom who can set views, make edits, create pages, and change discussion post settings

Posted by Danielle Howard = Wikispaces Private Label =

Wikispaces private label is used for large organizations to help keep all involved parties on the same page. The main site is the organizations self-contained wiki environment. After making your site make sure to put up a welcome message for all your users to see before going the wiki they need. There is no limit to the number of wikis on one of these kind of sites so you'll have plenty of room for all your work groups and such. As the site manager you will be able to set all the wikis permission settings as talked about by Danielle Howard on all the wikis on the site.

Edited by, Chad Noice

How to Add a New Page to the Wiki
You can add pages to the wiki by:
 * 1) Clicking on the "Pages and Files" link in the grey box, which is located on the right side of the homepage.
 * 2) Then click on the "New page" button, and you will be directed to an area where you can create a page name and add tags.
 * 3) Create a page name.
 * 4) Lastly, add tags which contain words or information that will direct others to your page.
 * 5) Click the "Create" Button, and a new page will be created.

Posted by: Katie Warren

Wiki's can be used for more than just a research tool. Wikis can be used to help organize group events or can be used in an educational setting. With group events, instead of having large amounts of emails going back and forth between the group, you can instead use a private wiki that only members in the group can update with locations, dates, times, guest list, etc. of the event that you are planning. Wikis in an educational setting can be used like an online classroom. You can post class schedules, homework assignments, and it can be used for notifications to the users for any changes that may occur. -Rebecca Smith

Wiki and business projects go hand and hand for success!



Wikis are a useful tool for businesses it enables teamwork and collaboration for projects ideas and improvements. While a wiki can let project documentation grow organically as a project unfolds, it is like any tool and needs to be used the right way to get the most out of it. With Businesses it has changed they way we approach common problems in the workforce. In order to make wikis work for your team, its important that employers know how to use the program and know what the wiki is for and that they have permission to write and re-write as needed in an appropriate and polite manor.

It's a very useful tool in my Line of work in Graphic Design. collaboration over projects and contacts are necessary for the client's product to be satisfactory .

Posted by: Danielle Ralston

More ways to customize a wiki

Although wikis were originally designed to be pretty basic, there is no rule against letting your creativity flow a little bit. Many things can be done to customize the look of a wikipage. Here are a few possibilities: And of course keep in mind that too much customizing might not be desired when it's time to print, so also allow for a:
 * Adding a Background Image to a Page
 * Creating Rollovers
 * Text Effects
 * Removing Borders
 * Print Friendly Page

Here is a cool site I discovered, that can show you how to do all these things and more! Getting Tricky With Wikis

Posted by: Aaron Ford

Wiki In Plain English!!! make tables, add links, and MORE! Posted by: William Goss Edited by: Gregory Dewar ||
 * media type="youtube" key="-dnL00TdmLY" width="425" height="350" || A Wiki is basically a online MS word Document that everyone can work on together, all you have to is click edit at the top of the wiki and away you go. If you have used MS word then you can use a wiki, you can add and change text, videos, pictures,

=A prime example of a Wiki: WoWWiki= WoWWiki is one of the most successful non-wikipedia wikis out there. It's unique because it takes gameplay data from literally millions of sources and meshes it with player feedback and player edits. Through this it becomes an exemplary tool for number crunching and statistics, but sometimes you just can't beat human advice and word-of-mouth information. It has 960,290 pages and some perfect examples of the use of the much more advanced tools like these charts and pictoral links. This is an example of a novice attempt to do some of the things seen in WoWWiki by a student of this site.

Posted by Gregory Dewar

Forking a WIKI may be the new way to make sure you have all the info you need on your own WIKI. It looks like in the beginning of WIKI you could edit any page, but if the original owner/creator of the WIKI server went down that all your info and changes were lost. With the new "forking" concept a person can "fork" a page from another persons WIKI onto their own so essentially all of their information is protected. These new WIKI's are called Federated Wiki and would have a one click installer. This concept sounds very promising to the future of WIKI. ||
 * =THE FUTURE: An Interesting Story on the Founder of WIKI @http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/07/wiki-inventor/=
 * THE PRESENT: You can learn to use WIKI a thousand different ways on YouTube but Plain English is the best and gives the most informative and easy to follow videos on setting up an managing your own WIKI.

Posted by Brenda Dolph-Dory ||

How to use Wikipedia for school
Because Wikipedia can be edited by anyone, it is not usually considered to be a reliable source. But one way to use Wikipedia in your research is by scrolling to the bottom to see the wiki author's citing sources, if they have them. You can also try Wikipedia's "What Links Here" link on the left side of the screen, the first link in the toolbox. This will give you a complete list of other Wikipedia articles that link to the article you are on.

Edited by Rachel Hooper

Week 2- Wiki

I have never had a Wiki before, so this is all pretty new to me. There is a lot of information on how to use and set up a Wiki. YouTube is a good place to start on finding out the best way to start a Wiki. Wikis were first created in 1994 by Ward Cunningham in Portland, Oregon. Wikipedia Defines a Wiki as a web site which allows its users to add, modify, or delete its content.

Posted by: Steve O'Brien

Week 2 - Wikis and education

Through research I found that Wikis and education often go together. Many publicly available wikis, such as [|Wikiversity], allow for [|self-education]. Sometimes Wikis are used in classrooms for group projects. Some teachers have found that students prefer to add their own content rather than rewrite others' work.

[|Wiki software] such as [|MediaWiki] makes it capable to review all the edits made by any particular user so if an edit made by a user is incorrect, it is possible to check that user's other edits for issues. This feature is also useful for teachers of classes in which grades for group projects are determined by the contributions of individual students to a wiki.

Posted by Cheryl Berger

Week 2 - Wikis

Today, many people use wikipedia when it comes to finding information. My wife as an example, she has taught me how to find nearly every any information I need. But, I have also learned that because absolutely anyone can edit those pages, that doing your research after what you find on wiki, will help make sure things are 100% authentic.

Editting Wiki was a lot easier than I thought. In a lot of pages, there is just an "edit" link on the top right corner of the pages, unless it's a private page, in which you would need permission to do so, just like this one. Besides this page, the only other wiki I have editted was for a joke page with a friend, that has long since been deleted, but was about a website called www.gaiaonline.com.

Posted by Michael Dutra.