Getting Started on this Wiki

From microLINKS Wiki

Welcome to the microLINKS Wiki's "Getting Started" page.

This page aims to give you everything you need to learn to use this wiki, contribute your own content, and collaborate with others. If you have questions or suggested additions to this page, please contact bszabo@irgltd.com.

A fast introduction to this wiki

The website you are using right now is a "wiki," which means, in short, that all of the content that you see on its pages is easily modified by any user of the site. For instance, if you are looking at a page about value chains and you see a sentence that could be written more clearly or accurately, you have the ability to easily edit that sentence or add new paragraphs. Similarly, you have the ability to create entire new pages, and link your new pages to the existing pages on the site.

NOTE: The purpose of this Wiki is to invite participation from many people. However, don't edit the Wiki unless someone on the relevant team knows that you are participating! We need to know who is joining our effort, so we know how to steer our work!

How do I edit and create content here?

The short answer is that if you want to modify the page that you are looking at, you go to the top of the page and click the tab marked "Edit," which then shows the text contents of the page in an editable box. You make your changes and click Submit, and you're done. You don't have to worry about "messing up" the page because all older versions of the page are archived, so in case of problem, we can simply revert to the older version. That is the simple answer. But of course most people will want a longer tutorial, so we have some good learning resources for you. NOTE: If you would like to practice editing without having to worry about "messing up," we recommend that you go and practice using the Edit tab in the Sandbox Area -- a place specifically designed for beginners to practice editing. Edit whatever you want in there -- that's what it is for.

How to use the Wiki: Learning resources

We have a few learning resources to help you learn to use the Wiki. If you see an area here that needs further explanation or a how-to of its own, please email bszabo@irgltd.com.

• First, we offer a learning slideshow on using wikis: Make sure your computer's speakers or headphones are working, and then click here to watch an audio slideshow on using the wiki. NOTE: The narrator talks on at a sometimes slow pace, so feel free to drag the red slider at bottom, or use the left-hand chapters, to move forward.

• Here is a link to a "sandbox page" on our site, which is basically a page where you can feel comfortable editing and adding any nonsense content, just for practicing the entry of content and creating new pages and links: Sandbox Area.

• Here is a link to the official Cheat Sheet that provides a reminder of the most commonly-used codes used in content editing. Note that this cheat sheet was actually written for another wiki, the famous Wikipedia, but the codes are the same.

• Specific how-to instructions: How do I create an entire new page? If you have read the above materials on editing a page but are still unclear on creating an entire new page, read this quick how-to on How to create a new page.

• Specific how-to instructions: How do I upload a file? Read about how here: How to upload a file.

• Specific how-to instructions: How do I insert graphics or images onto my wiki page? To learn how to do this, read this quick how-to on How to insert graphics into your wiki page

• Specific how-to instructions: How do I create references/footnotes on pages that I create or edit? This process is easy and explained here.

• Specific how-to instructions: How do I make a table? This is pretty easy though it involves fiddling with code. See this page: Making a table

• What if you want to make Good, hierarchically nested lists, either numbered or not numbered? Hannah Schiff located an in-depth guide to the codes to use to make nested lists. It turns out that it's similar to making regular numbered or bulleted lists, but when you want to have some entries in a sub-hierarchy, simply use two # signs rather than one for that "second-level" sublist. Here is the page describing all: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:List ... Also, if you want to see a page that shows a very simple application of a nested lists, look at Fun with lists.

• Want your own password? This wiki is configured so that you can begin to edit content even if you do not have your own user ID and password for the site. However, if you plan to do editing here on an ongoing basis, we request that you get a user ID and password from us, so that your contributions will be logged as yours, and your contributions will be known. To get your own user ID and password for the site, please email bszabo@irgltd.com.