How to MAKE a Wiki Page
A quick tutorial on how to contribute to the Decatur Makers Wiki
"Life is not accumulation, it is about contribution." Stephan Covey
What is a Wiki anyway? A wiki is an online site with information that allows collaborative editing by it's users. You may have heard of the well - known wiki, Wikipedia. The Decatur Makers Wiki is a repository for all sorts of information about our Maker Space and equipment and...and....and anything you think needs to be here. We all have some expertise to contribute.
TO START:
You will probably want to to compose your content in your favorite editor or word processor. Gather some images, quotes, links and other things you might want on your page. That way you can just paste it into the wiki and spend time 'fine tuning' things in Gitbooks.
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” -- Henry Ford
At the bottom of the page, there is a "POWERED BY GITBOOK" link - click on it. You can create a Gitbook account with your email with your Github account or Google account.
You will be asked for an email address and a password to create a Gitbook account. Once you sign into Gitbook, you want to find the "Decatur Makers Wiki".
ONCE YOU'VE SIGNED IN:
Once you've signed in and are at the Decatur Makers Wiki page, there will be a BAND or FOOTER across the bottom of the page. . YOU CAN NOW EDIT ANYTHING ON THE WIKI!!!! Set an intention to use your powers for good!
Once you've made your edits, click "Submit" .
To add a new topic or page, you want to scroll all the way to the bottom of the LEFT NAVIGATION LIST and click on "New page".
You don't need to worry about WHERE your page will be at this point. You will be able to move it around when you are finished. In the photo above, the "How to MAKE a Wiki Page" is listed at the bottom of the table of contents while I am creating it.
THE PAGE TEMPLATE OPENS:
Pick a descriptive TITLE for your page - something helpful for a fellow maker who might be looking for the information you are providing.
Next, TYPE A SHORT DESCRIPTION of the content.
Hover your mouse just above a paragraph and a "+" circle appears beside a faint line. When you click on the "+", it gives you the option of choosing a font size ( eg: paragraph, Heading 1,2, 3). You can add lists, code block, quotes, images, tables, page links, tabs, math equations, and files.
You will also see a downward facing arrow. When you click on the arrow, you see the choices of headings.
Beside the arrow is a 3 X 3 grid of dots. To move that paragraph up or down, you hold your mouse down on that grid, the curser changes to a little hand, and you can and move it.
"It is through accomplishment that man makes his contribution and contribution is life's greatest reward." John Portman
WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED WITH YOUR CONTENT:
Look the page over and when you are satisfied, click "SAVE" in the blue banner at the bottom. Look it all over again and then click the GREEN "Publish" button.
To position your page in the Wiki, click on "Edit" and hover over the page title on the left navigation plane. The little dot grid will appear to the left of the page name and you can click and hold to drag the page up and down, and to position it appropriately in the Wiki topics.
Here's a little article on ways some businesses can use Wiki's: https://business.tutsplus.com/tutorials/what-are-wikis-and-why-should-you-use-them--cms-19540
That's all there is to it! Now, what are you going to contribute? Do you have some expertise with one of our machines? Do you have a link to an article on best practices? Do you have a guide or instructions that you could put in the Wiki to help your fellow Makers? Tips on getting great prints from those temperamental 3D printers? A link to a hard-to-find manual, maybe? Have you found a typo or error in the Wiki? Now is your chance!
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