Editing Wiki Pages
How do I change a Wiki page?
Click the edit link at the bottom of the page. The window will change from the nice looking wiki output view to a giant text box containing the content of the page. Edit the contents of the page using your mouse and keyboard. When you're done be sure to hit Save at the bottom of the window. You can read some tips about how to format wiki pages (like how to make text italic) in the tips section below the editing window.
On many wikis, in order to edit you will have to login. To create a login, click Register in the upper right (or here!) and follow the directions. Then to log in, click Sign in. You can add a password so other people cannot pretend to be you if you're worried. You can change the password on your preferences page.
How do I comment on a page?
Sometimes you'll be participating in a discussion, and just editing the Wiki page won't feel right. What we usually do there is to write our thoughts in as a comment, prefaced by your user name. For instance, I might write:
JohnRiedl: I comment by prefacing with my user name and a colon. I usually
put blank lines between my comments and other people's comments so mine
stand out better.
The easiest way to do this is to use the "Add Comment" feature. There is a long box at the bottom of the page. Type some text in it, click the "Add Comment" button and voila, your comment has been added!
You're not required to leave your name, and if you're logged in other users will be able to see who made the edit to the wiki that includes your comment, so they'll know it's you anyway ... but this is a nice way to hold a more personal discussion. (If you're not logged in the wiki will log your IP address, which can often be traced back to you anyway. Wikis are friendly, but not anonymous. However: your login does not need to have anything to do with who you really are. If you want to preserve privacy, make up a login like "BunnyCheeks" that does not uniquely identify you.)
How do I add links to other Wiki pages?
That's easy: just include the name of the other page in the text you're editing in the Wiki. If the name of the other page is a WikiWord, your link is done! If it's not a WikiWord, enclose the link in square brackets. That's it! You've now used one of the most powerful features of the wiki: easy linking. Any time you want to create a link just remember that if the thing you're linking to is in the same Wiki you can just name it to link to it. (If it's not a Wiki word the name will always be enclosed in square brackets.)
How do I assign a page to a category?
To assign a page to a category, either
- create it from the category home page
- Click its "Change this item's category" button
You shouldn't have to do this very often. Usually a page is created in the right category, and stays there.