"How Do I get Started?"

From Gssw 2007

Exploring the Wiki

This may look familiar to you if you've used Wikipedia. The GSSW wiki uses the same software, which is MediaWiki.

Start by looking around at what's already here. Click on links on the Main Page to see what the site has to offer so far; or select Random Page from the navigation bar on the right. For a list of current registered wiki users, click here.

If you're new to wikis, you may want to read Wikipedia's introduction to their own site. This will give introduce you to the largest and most popular wiki.


Learning How to Add Content

Take the tutorial on how to Edit a wiki. Afterwards, you'll be ready to start adding your own contributions. (You'll find the same links to the Overview and Edit on the GSSW Main Page, just below the main banner).

To begin to make changes, you'll need to create an account, which you can initiate by clicking on log in / create an account in the upper right corner of this screen. Important: when selecting your User Name, please use your full name or your Washington University e-mail abbreviation so that others in the department can recognize you. Once you have an account, the GSSW instructor will confirm that you are in the workshop and eligible to participate. Then you can log in and begin to edit pages.

Your User Access page is a good place to start experimenting. Click on your name and person icon at the top of the window. See Courtney A. Bates's page as an example. In your User page, you may introduce yourself if you wish. The format is the same editing box that you'll find on any page, so it's a good sandbox to play around in. The Edit tutorial also has a variety of sandboxes.

Whenever you're working on the wiki, remember that with "Show Preview" you can see the changes without having to commit to them. And when you are ready to click on "Save Page," first write in the "Summary" box a few words that encapsulate the changes you made (minor editorial changes, adding a new headline, etc).

If you ever want to discuss any aspect of the content of a page--layout, how to link, an invitation for others to add on a particular aspect--click on the "discussion" tab that appears at the top of the window between "article and "edit."

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