SPSU Wiki FAQs
From SPSU Wiki
OK... we admit it; the SPSU Wiki hasn't been around long enough to have any frequently asked questions. To get things started, a few of the original SPSU Wiki conspirators have answered some questions we think people might want to ask.
Besides, this section is a wonderful demonstration of the power of a wiki. If you have a question (frequent or not) just click "edit this page" in the tab at the top and edit in your question. Put it at the top so people can see it. Put your question (again) in the "Summary" block of the edit page and save your edits. You can click the "watch" tab to add this page to your watch list, and you'll be able to find out when it has changed by checking your watch list.
Here's what's so neat about a wiki... anyone who knows the answer can edit the page and answer your question; you aren't waiting for some select group of people to notice you. In fact, you could answer your own question if you discover the answer. (Well, if you thought it was important, so did others, but they were too shy to ask!)
Since this is such a good way to share knowledge, we have to ask that you confine your questions to those about the SPSU Wiki. For a wiki that tries to answer any question, go to Wikipedia: the free encyclopedia.
New questions go here
What is a Wiki, anyway?
Wiki-wiki means "quick" in Hawaiian. We should probably pronounce the name of this thing like VEE-kee, but mostly people seem to say WICK-ee. You can find out a lot more about wikis at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Here at SPSU, the SPSU Wiki is a quick way to tap the power of all our minds and make the results of our thinking accessible to everyone else. In short, a Wiki is a Web site that anyone can edit.
Do you really mean that anyone can edit these pages?
Almost. You have to have an affinity with SPSU. These pages are for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of SPSU. If you create a user ID (there's a link at the top right of every page) and you supply and confirm an SPSU email address, within a few minutes you will become a "confirmed member" and be able to edit almost any page in the SPSU Wiki.
How is a wiki different from a blog?
A blog (short for Web log) is a collection of periodic articles, often short, and often arranged in reverse chronological order. Although some blogs are open to posting from anyone, generally only the author of an entry can edit it. The Wikipedia definition of blog is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
A wiki is different in several ways. It is generally a repository for longer articles, it can be organized as a hierarchy or polyhierarchy using Web links, and any member of the community can edit any article. Articles on wikis grow and evolve. You can read more about wikis on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki
What should I use for a user ID?
The long-term plan is to integrate the SPSU wiki into the rest of SPSU's electronic services. That will be easiest for you later if you use the 'local part' of your SPSU email address as your user ID. That is, if your email address is bbrown(at)spsu(dot)edu, you should choose "Bbrown" as your Wiki user ID.
What if I don't have an SPSU email address?
You can still edit these pages. You just have an extra hoop to jump through. Create an account and confirm your address by clicking the link that will be mailed to you, then write to wiki(at)spsu(dot)edu and describe how you're associated with the University. (Oh, and tell us the user ID you created, too!) Someone will read, evaluate, and reply to your message. Generally the answer will be that you are now a "confirmed member" and can edit pages of the SPSU Wiki.
What kind of material is appropriate?
The SPSU Wiki will become a repository facts, thoughts, and memories about Southern Polytechnic State University, and contributed by students, faculty, staff, and friends of Southern Polytechnic State University.
A wiki is not like an electronic bulletin board with short messages that disappear within days or weeks. Instead, a wiki should be the home of longer articles that will generally be permanent and will change slowly over time as others edit them and add information.
If you have an idea for a wiki article, try it out on one or two friends. If they think it's a good idea too, then it probably is. Log on and start writing!
What kind of material is inappropriate?
You can find the official statement of what's not welcome in SPSU_Wiki:About, which is linked from the bottom of every page. Beyond that, your contributions will be better received if they are of substance and contribute to the spirit of the SPSU Wiki.
What's that "discussion" tab for?
Wiki articles are intended to change slowly over time as thoughts, ideas, and information are added. Sometimes a wiki article will be about a subject that engenders controversy or stimulates discussion. The "discussion" tab provides another wiki page, associated with a particular article, in which the article can be discussed.
If new discussion comments are added at the top, the discussion page becomes similar to a Web log, or blog.
It is considered polite to sign one's contributions to discussions. Three consecutive tildes (~~~) will cause the wiki software to insert a signature automatically. Four tildes (~~~~) insert a signature with the date and time, like this: Bob Brown 23 August 2005 16:12 (EDT)
Although it is expected that article pages will be edited by the community, it is considered bad manners to edit others' comments on the discussion pages. If you disagree, respond with your own comments.
How do I get my real name in my signature?
You can actually put almost anything you want in your signature. Edit the "nickname" field on "my preferences;" whatever you put there will be used for your signature from the time you make the change.
What is the "my talk" page?
It's a page where you can tell a little bit about yourself. Like most pages on the wiki, others can edit it and leave questions or comments for you. If this happens, the wiki software will alert you the next time you log in.
What are those wavy lines behind the SPSU Hornet?
It isn't easy to see, but that's an end-on, black and white (well, gray and white) photograph of an open book. You are seeing the shadows of individual pages. The symbolism, of course, is that the Wiki is a more-or-less permanent collection of facts, thoughts, and memories about Southern Polytechnic State University. And also, that's the image that came with the software.
Why is the time of day wrong?
Erm, it isn't exactly wrong, as such, sort-of. The time is represented as coordinated universal time, or UTC, formerly known as GMT. This reflects the international nature of wikis. You can change the time display by going to Special:Preferences and following the "Time Zone" link.
Why isn't "coordinated universal time" called CUT?
Because of a dispute over English vs. French. The English abbreviation would be CUT. In French, it would be "Temps Universel Coordonné" or TUC. Using UTC as the abbreviation leaves everyone equally unhappy.
(It actually makes sense to have a single, language-neutral abbreviation, so this isn't quite as trivial a question as it might at first seem.)
Why is SPSU spending money on this?
We haven't; at least not yet. The server is on loan from an alumnus, who has offered to donate it to SPSU if the Wiki is a success, and the software was free. Setup was done by some faculty members over the summer. It the Wiki is a success, it is highly likely that it will become a part of the campus information technology infrastructure and be supported as such. So far, all it has cost SPSU is a few cents worth of electricity each month. (About as much as two light bulbs.)
Do other universities have wikis?
Yes. Some are experimental, like the SPSU wiki. Others are an integral part of how things work at their institutions. One particularly successful university wiki is the Davis Wiki at UC Davis: http://daviswiki.org/ The CS Department at Bryn Mawr College has a developing wiki that you can visit here: http://wiki.cs.brynmawr.edu/ Although there are schools ahead of us in this area, SPSU is at the forefront with a community-wide wiki. Wikis for particular courses or classes are very common.
