Learn Wiki by Doing Wiki

Ward Cunningham says that he's given enough one on one introductions that he knows some paths work better than others. Detailing that experiences eases training as replicable, and may surface some simplifying affordances.

Principles

Let the student pace the work.

Have simple goals. Let's look around. Let's make some changes. Move on quickly.

Differentiate between skills needing practice and features that need only be acknowledged.

Topics

Look Around

URLs that go to sites from this origin.

Internal links add wiki pages to the wiki page.

Arrow keys scroll pages. (Browser history works too.)

Links replace pages to the right. (Shift-click piles on.)

Change Paragraphs

Drag to reorder paragraphs. (Works between pages.)

Double-click to edit. Cmd-S to save. (Click-out works.)

Yellow border means browser storage. (Persistent)

Journal shows edit history. (Hover shows where.)

Click action to see previous versions.

Find Local Editing home page.

Return splits paragraphs. (Smaller is better.)

Backspace joins paragraphs.

New Wiki

Name a new subdomain (if this installation is a wiki farm)

Take time to read instructions.

Create a page about yourself.

Link with [ [ Square Brackets ] ]. (Caps and spaces.)

Click link then create. (Other choices might appear.)

[+] to make new Factory

Double click to edit. (Four clicks to be editing.)

Start each page with a summary. (Keywords.)

Cross Site Links

Link to [ [ Ward Cunningham ] ].

Observe no such page.

Add /ward.fed.wiki.org/welcome-visitors to URL.

Observe remote page with link to Ward Cunningham.

Return to personal page, click Ward Cunningham.

Notice additional choice. (Browser neighborhood.)

Click neighborhood link. (No need to edit URL now.)

Click fork to make copy of Ward Cunningham.

Click flag for clean Welcome Visitors.

Navigate to Ward Cunningham.

Click fork action in journal. (Observe original page.)

Observe that connection is now permanent.

Implicit Fork

Navigate to original Ward Cunningham.

Navigate one more page.

Move paragraph. (Observe that it has been forked.)

Reference

Open another tab on, say, pi.fed.wiki.org.

Add a Factory to personal page.

Drag location around. (Notice what else drags.)

Drag location to Factory. (New cross-site link.)

Observe tool-tips over links.

Fork remote page.

Reference flag and link now different.

Search

Try search for simple word.

Try empty search.

Drag reference from search result.

Find List of Lists of Sites.

Grow neighborhood and repeat search.

Click flag to leave neighborhood.

Find Track Changes in How To Wiki.

Observe neighborhood activity.

Click more pages. (Neighborhood can grow.)

Claim

Return to Welcome Visitors.

Claim site with Google.

Logout and back in.

Logout and make change.

Login and fork (push) public.

Observe claim/login/logout prompt.