Wiki quick start: Difference between revisions

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The main idea a Wiki is anyone with knowledge can jump in on any page to create topics, links, add to information, ask questions, etc. Wikis, including this one, are typically completely public, the idea is to share information and constantly improve it. Other services, such as Google Docs, are more suitable for shared editing of private documents.
The main idea a Wiki is anyone with knowledge can jump in on any page to create topics, links, add to information, ask questions, etc. Wikis, including this one, are typically completely public, the idea is to share information and constantly improve it. Other services, such as Google Docs, are more suitable for shared editing of private documents.


Wikis are very free form, their structure is developed organically in typical [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertext hypertext] (1965) fashion. Thus rather than relying on a determined structure, you can link to pages, create menus, etc as required. A typical workflow is to mention something in a page in passing, then as it evolves it becomes its own section, finally it becomes its own page via a link, but if you know a topic is important you should create a new page for it immediately.
Wikis are very free form, their structure is developed organically in typical [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertext hypertext] (1965) fashion. Thus rather than relying on a determined structure, you can link to pages, create menus, branch off into new sets of topics, etc as required. It is very important to name your pages well. Make sure they are short, but distinctly identify your topic. A typical workflow is to mention something in a page in passing, then as it evolves it becomes its own section, finally it becomes its own page via a link, but if you know a topic is important you should create a new page for it immediately.


Before editing pages, it is recommend you create an account using the [[Special:UserLogin&returnto=Wiki_quick_start | Log In / Create Account link]] in the upper right. You should also confirm your email (by following the instructions sent to you after creating your account). Your email address and other information is kept private by the software. You can still edit pages without creating an account, but you have to confirm each edit with a simple question (to prevent spam), and you won't be able to keep track of pages you've edited or subscribe to page changes.
Before editing pages, it is recommend you create an account using the [[Special:UserLogin&returnto=Wiki_quick_start | Log In / Create Account link]] in the upper right. You should also confirm your email (by following the instructions sent to you after creating your account). Your email address and other information is kept private by the software. You can still edit pages without creating an account, but you have to confirm each edit with a simple question (to prevent spam), and you won't be able to keep track of pages you've edited or subscribe to page changes.
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