Hi all,

I have been spending a little time recently setting up a collaborative writing venture in the shape of a wiki for the online concertina community. If you've not come across a wiki before, the following comes from Wikipedia, probably the biggest wiki out there:-

" The terms wiki (pronounced "weekee") and WikiWiki can be used to identify either a specific type of hypertext document collection or the collaborative software used to create it.

"A WikiWikiWeb enables documents to be authored collectively in a simple markup language using a web browser. Because most wikis are web-based, the term "wiki" is usually sufficient. A single page in a wiki is referred to as a "wiki page", while the entire body of pages, which are usually highly interconnected, is called "the wiki".

"Wiki wiki" means "fast" in the Hawaiian language, and it is the speed of creating and updating pages that is one of the defining aspects of wiki technology. Generally, there is no prior review before modifications are accepted, and most wikis are open to the general public or at least to all persons who also have access to the wiki server. In fact, even registration of a user account is often not required.

"Wikis are a true hypertext medium, with non-linear navigational structures. Each page typically contains a large number of links to other pages; hierarchical navigation pages often exist in larger wikis, but do not have to be used. Links are created using a specific syntax, the so-called "link pattern"."

What it boils down to is that anyone can log on to the wiki and freely edit pages and create new pages, so that creation of content is a joint exercise among everyone that wants to participate. Editing pages with formatting and setting up hyperlinks between pages is staggeringly easy.

Wikis are normally given a theme, and the theme of this one, not surprisingly, is the concertina in all its forms. The wiki I have set up is called WikiTina, and lives at the following address:-

http://www.concertina.info/wikitina/

It seems to me that there is a wealth of experience and expertise among the members of this forum, and it would be helpful to capure this in an easily accesible way.

I should emphasize it is not in competition with any existing site, especially the Concertina FAQ and c.net forums. I particularly hope that it will be complementary to the forums, and that if anyone comes up with some useful bit of wisdom then it can be copied over to the wiki for easy retrieval. It is quite commonplace for wikis to be associated in some way with online fora. Ineed, Paul Schwartz has agreed that if WikiTina takes off then he will create a forum here to discuss issues arising from the wiki.

I have seeded the wiki with parts of the Concertina FAQ, both to show how you can structure pages in the wiki, and to give people something to start editing and expanding as they wish.

I must emphasize that, like c.net, WikiTina is a resource for eevryone to use, and I am very much looking forward to clicking the Recent Changes link and seeing what people have added.

Chris

Excellent. I love wikis. Here's hoping I have something useful to contribute.

Thanks Roy. I like the little morality tale that's already appeared there.

It's a strange thing, but having set this thing rolling I realise I have not much control over its eventual destination. It might wither away from lack of interest (which is fair enough, or at least I wouldn't have sleepless nights over it). Or it might take off as other wikis have done, in which case it will take a character and direction that I can only influence as one among potentially many participants. It's rather exhilarating, really.

Chris

Ok Chris,

I have made some entries into the Wiki. Is this what you are looking for?

Bob

The Recent Changes link let me find your new pages easily. The links you've put in are very good - lovely pictures of reeds. I think a few words so that people know what the links you've put in lead to would be a good idea, but if you don't feel like adding them I or someone else probably will.

Thanks, Bob,

Chris

Chris,

Tried to register, but the site won't talk to me, says that I am an inverlid, sorry invalid??

Gave up

Dave

I tried too, and when it did not work I puzzled over what Chris might mean by using a Wiki word as a username. I was using a single word, "Chris". I decided to try ChrisChris and it worked so I suppose a wiki word must be one that repeats with a capital in the middle and no gap. Once I was signed in I thought about changing the sign in page to reflect my experience but decided to check with Chris Timson first. Chris..?


Chris

I'm in and I'm editing! Great Wiki!

Hiya Chris,

I was able to sign in using my first and last name, no space, capitalized letter last name.

I could not sign out and I could not access the green lettered and underlined names in narratives.

Perhaps I was frozen. I think frozen is better than being an invalid which some other poor member is.

Heathfully but icily,
Helen Cusick or as we say in Wiki land, HelenCusick

No comment.

Actually, what name did you use to try to register with?

Chris

I shouldn't worry too much about the signing out. There is a trick to clicking on the green underlined links - I'm going to have to write something on on this.

The green underlined links have a question mark at the beginning - they look something like this ?ImALink only in green, and signify links where as yet there is no text behind them. In effect they are an invitation to edit. The trick is to click on the question mark at the beginning, rather than the underlined text.

Sorry about that. Think of it as a feature...

Chris

Just my ordinary name: Elliott

having no guidance to what a jabberwiky name is, nor having heard of this type of forum(?) before to day

Incidentally I still don't have an idea what one needs to do to register, nor am I sure what we will get out of it, that's why I wanted to have a look

Dave

Chris,

not trying to be uncooperative, or detracting but what does:

"Wikis are a true hypertext medium, with non-linear navigational structures. Each page typically contains a large number of links to other pages; hierarchical navigation pages often exist in larger wikis, but do not have to be used. Links are created using a specific syntax, the so-called "link pattern"."

mean in the venacular? At the moment it all seems very, er complicated and off putting.

Dave

I find WikiTina interesting and potentially very useful - BUT! I'm having a terrible time finding my way around the site. It would be great to have something as simple as a site map. I'm sure there's an easy way to create one, but I'm such a newbie at it that I'm making this plea for someone else to do it.

Also, it would be great for to have some sort of Q&A thing built into it so I needn't query here for advice to do things there.

Hmmm, while I'm at it I'll also mention that most of the directions on "how to" don't show "how to" - but show the "result" instead (and very confusing ones at that). Makes it very difficult to understand how to do things.... For instance:

To add a new page to Wiki, all you have to do is come up with a meaningful title, capitalize all the words and ?String Them Together Like This. Wiki automagically recognizes it as a hyperlink.

Those sentences don't say HOW to add a new page... where to type in a "title", etc. and the intended result doesn't appear to have title, isn't all caps, or words strung together, it doesn't seem to create a new page..... The instructions don't say anything about adding a question mark nor underscoring, which appears to be a hyperlink (that's usually what underscoring means) but actually isn't.... A tough learning curve for newbies!

Okeydokey Chris,

At least I did get in even if I couldn't get out. I was a little confused when my name kept coming up with a ? in front of it. The text said I signed in as ?HelenCusick. So I dutifully kept signing in again without the ? However, I did catch on and I did move on.

So, I can access ?Henderson by hitting the ?, but if I understand you correctly, the ? means there is nothing there yet. Does this mean that I should wait until I just see Henderson? And then hit the underlined word Henderson? Okay, I'm ending these sentences with a "?" because they are questions not because I'm mocking your format.

Anyway I only had a few minutes before I had to go back to work and I played. Nice to have another concertina playground.

Helen

It's always the way when you work with computers - what seems clear to you isn't to normal people. As I said, the ? means there's no text there and is an invitation to edit. So if you click on the ? it will take you to a new page where you can write something about yourself. When you written something about yourself and saved it the ? will go away. After that, when you edit any page your sign in name is associated with that page as a link - you'll see it in Recent Changes. Anyone who clicks on that link will see your page.

Hey, I've just had a look in Recent Changes, and people are using this thing! This is exciting!

Chris

Hiya Chris,

Thanks for apparently calling me a normal person. What I am trying to ask is - I saw the name Henderson and I believe that person is a maker (concertina). I wanted to know more about him (her?) and clicked on the name. I understand the concept that if there is a "?" that means you can edit. What if I don't want to edit? What if I am trying to find out more about a person whose name is in green and underlined?

I saw Frank Edgley's name and I know how to contact him. I thought someone wrote in Cnet that they got a Henderson concertina with Edgley 24 button layout. So I was curious if they collaborate, etc. Just a curiosity. I didn't need to click on Frank's name, but wanted to know about the Henderson person.

Maybe I should print and save your post that appears to call me normal. My friends might be amazed.

Thanks,
Helen

OK, well first off, the maker you are talking about is Harold Herrington, co-developer with Frank Edgeley of the 24 button Edgeley Special. Very nice chap, his web site is http://www.concertinas.com.

Secondly, the question mark and green underline means that there is no text behind the link, think of it as an invitation that someone has put there for someone (anyone) with the requisite knowledge to put some text there. Once that has happened the link changes colour to brown, the ? goes away and when you click on it you can read the text. This is one of the key features of a wiki. I (or anyone else) can put links in ready for someone else to complete if they want to.

How am I doing on the clarity front?

Chris

Hiya Chris,

Super clear. I got it. Sooo, if I, the computer illiterate in the bunch, can understand you, coyotes in the forest can now use your forum.

Hope the green to brown is not a nature metaphor.

Thanks for the expertise. I am telling myself others had the same questions, but didn't ask. Doesn't matter if it's not true, this philosophy helps me sleep at night. (Okay, so I guess that is delusional, but hey, whatever floats your boat.) (I just like that saying, I know it has no relevance.) (Of course, now someone will post a nautical linkage of boats and concertinas.) (Perhaps sailors playing them.) (Okay, I got to use that saying because it has complete relevance.) (Floats your boat, floats your boat, floats your boat.)

Helen

Both styles of link used to be brown, but during pre-release testing someone complained they couldn't read the query links, so I changed the colour to something that I thought looked nice - I'm not very good on metaphors, so I sdidn't see the connection you made. Oh well...

Chris

Sorry Chris,

I was just teasing. If green to brown was a metaphor of nature, you would go from something lush, vibrant and alive to something dead. Sorry, just a joke.

Changing color is really a good thing. What I liked about the old threads (and please let's not go there in discussion) was the parts of threads that I had read had changed color. It was an easy way to know I had read them.

Your words changing color will also be an easy message that something has changed. So, it's great. Forget the teasing. I like your forum.

You've worked hard on it. Now sit back and watch everyone have fun with it. You have explained it well. You are dealing with a wide variety of computer literacy in your audience. So, some of us will hit snags that others will not due to computer experience.

Thanks for the new forum.

Helen

I'm actually quite excited by it, as it's picking up a head of steam faster than I expected, and some good stuff is going in.

Mini Announcement:- I'm going away up to Scotland for a week. If anyone has any problems or queries with the wiki, by all means post them here, or use the response form you can get to through the If All Else Fails link. I shall follow them up on my return.

Chris

Happy trails Chris, travel safely.

Helen

Or before then! There are computers in Scotland, too, y'know !
Samantha

Gosh, yes, I keep forgetting that you've had electricity for - what is it? - 2 weeks now.

See you next week, Samantha, with your Jeffries and you Haydenovskaya in tow.

Chris

Chris,

In response to your comments in the thread about Simon Wells very nice anglo tutor, I hope you will not be discouraged by what you may perceive as a "slow start" for the Wiki. Many very worthwhile projects take a long time to be appreciated. I don't know what it costs you to keep the Wikitina running, but if you can afford to do so without painful sacrifice and if YOU believe in it you may yet see it grow. Even if you never see a single enouraging result from it that does not mean it has not been a benefit to someone else.

Unfortunately my computer resources are very limited but I know there are many out there who have better equipment and much more ability, and may have a lot to contribute to it. I certainly enjoyed what I was able to glean from the Wikitina.

Or maybe, even if you put this project aside for a time, it will only be because the success of your FAQ makes it pale by comparison.

Paul