Get Started
This document is a revised version of the Getting Started page on the very successful wiki used for the development of the next version of the DAISY/NISO Standard: http://www.daisy.org/ZedNext. Note WikiText is enabled on the ZedNext wiki, but not here.
Getting started
This wiki is set up for the EPUB Maintenance Group. If you are on that list, you own this wiki. (Note: visitors who create an account may create issues and post comments.) Members have the ability to change anything you see here. That doesn't mean, however, that you should. Be respectful of the work of others. Changes should be made collaboratively. This wiki is an open environment and you can easily create new pages to show off your own work. You may also want to modify your preferences to set your editing options, timezone, and other options.
What is a wiki?
A wiki (pronounced WICK-ee or WEEK-ee) is a tool for creating web documents that can be created and modified by anyone. It is a tool for collaborative authoring. This wiki is used by IDPF's EPUB working group for the sharing of information and the generation of 'living' standards documents. Anyone (with appropriate permissions) can edit and is encouraged to edit anything on this wiki.
Because the wiki keeps track of all changes, there's no worry about breaking things. If you make a mistake, you can just restore a previous version. You can also see who has made changes to documents and can even see their exact edits by comparing versions of documents. Pretty cool, huh?
Anyone can view the documents on the wiki, but only Maintenance Group Members can contribute or change wiki pages. The ability to make updates and submit comments on issues will be open to more users after the first few weeks.
Creating or editing wiki articles
Editing
To make a change to a document, first make sure you are logged in, then go to the page you want to modify. The page will appear in 'View' mode, with the 'View' tab selected. If you are logged in with the appropriate permissions, the next tab will be the "Edit" link. Click on 'Edit" and you will then see a text only version of the page and WYSIWYG editor options. Edit away. If you'd like, add a brief statement under 'Revision Information' in the 'Log Message' box explaining the nature of the change you have made. This is helpful to others, as well as yourself. You may preview the page before you save it, but if you navigate away from the page you may lose your changes.
Note: this site is implemented using the Drupal Content Management System, which handles synchronization of concurrent edits. If someone else edits and saves a page while you have it open for edits, you will be notified.
Creating
Creating a document is very similar to editing a page, except that you need a new node to start out with. You can do this in one of two ways.
- The first method of creating a new document is to use the 'Post' link at the upper right of every page. Select 'Wiki Page'. Enter an appropriate title. This is required but you can change it later, or someone else can. Enter your text in the Description text box, and Save, with the option of Preview. You can see the URL that is created for your new page that can be used within or without the wiki to link to your page. Note that if the title is changed, the URL may change. Links within the wiki will be automatically updated. Links from other websites will need to be changed manually.
- You can also create a page by entering a link in an existing document to your yet-to-be-created page, using the 'FreeLink' syntax of enclosing the page title with double square brackets. Link to content with [[some text]], where "some text" is the title of existing content or the title of a new piece of content to create. You can also link text to a different title by using [[link to this title|show this text]]. Link to outside URLs with [[http://www.example.com|some text]], or even [[http://www.example.com]]. Once the page with the 'FreeLink' syntax is saved, you can follow the link to your new page, edit the page,
Sandbox
If you'd like to practice using this Wiki, you can make changes on this Sandbox. Go ahead and make all the changes you want - you can't (well, shouldn't be able to) break anything. I've pre-populated the page with some samples for you to explore.
Your User Account and Contact Information
You can view and update your personal profile and settings by selecting your username at the top right of the page. You may change your password and select other options here such as WYSIWYG defaults. You can monitor your list of 'Watched' items as well as change your contact information and even your default timezone.
Wiki etiquette and tips
- Show respect for the work of others. While this is a collaborative tool, it should be one wherein the work of others is respected and not removed or edited needlessly. Some level of consensus should be made before making changes to guideline and standards documents. If there is any question about the appropriateness or accuracy of a modification, consult the original author first. Alternatively, you can add your modification with a notation that it could/should replace a particular section. The most appropriate version can be accepted later.
- Be sure to "Watch" the page so you will be notified of new comments.
Getting help
If you have any questions about using this wiki or need assistance, send a message using the Contact form.
