DigiClass/Wiki editing: Difference between revisions

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(Added sections on footnotes and nowiki)
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* other wiki pages, of the form '''<nowiki>[[Link title]]</nowiki>''' (or, if necessary, but at the cost of some clarity <nowiki>[[Link title|alternate text]]</nowiki> ) (editing tool shortcut: click the <span style="text-decoration: underline;color:blue;">Ab</span>)
* other wiki pages, of the form '''<nowiki>[[Link title]]</nowiki>''' (or, if necessary, but at the cost of some clarity <nowiki>[[Link title|alternate text]]</nowiki> ) (editing tool shortcut: click the <span style="text-decoration: underline;color:blue;">Ab</span>)
* wiki categories, of the form '''<nowiki>[[:category:example|alternate text]]</nowiki>''' (no shortcut for this one; and make sure the first colon is included; without it the page is simply assigned to that category and no link will be supplied)
* wiki categories, of the form '''<nowiki>[[:category:example|alternate text]]</nowiki>''' (no shortcut for this one; and make sure the first colon is included; without it the page is simply assigned to that category and no link will be supplied)
===Can I add footnotes?===
Unfortunately not at the moment. The current version of the wiki software does not support the <nowiki><ref>note text</ref></nowiki> markup needed for footnotes.
===How do I include HTML or wiki markup in the text of an article?===
If you write "<code><nowiki><i>hello</i></nowiki></code>" in the source code of a wiki article, the HTML tag "<code><nowiki><i></nowiki></code>" will be interpreted as markup for "italics" and won't show up (instead, the word "hello" will show up, in italics.
Likewise, if you write "<code><nowiki>[http://www.example.com link title]</nowiki></code>", a link will be visualized (not the brackets). But what if you want the code (including brackets etc.) to be visualized?
You have to wrap the code to be visualized with tag <code><nowiki><nowiki></nowiki></code>. A fast way to do this is highlighting the code and hitting the <img src="https://wiki.digitalclassicist.org/skins/common/images/button_nowiki.png" alt="Nowiki button"/> button.
Thus, the exmaples above should be encoded as follows:
* <code><nowiki><nowiki><i>hello</i></nowiki></nowiki></code>
* <code><nowiki><nowiki>[http://www.example.com link title]</nowiki></nowiki></code>


===How do I find out which pages need my help?===
===How do I find out which pages need my help?===

Revision as of 16:52, 3 October 2017

Editing the Digitalclassicist wiki

The Digitalclassicist wiki runs on MediaWiki, which uses a Wikipedia-style markup system apply links, add tables, insert images, and so forth. MediaWiki has a good guide to the standard conventions for formatting pages. An excellent way to learn how to edit is to find a page that looks interesting, click edit, and study the formatting.

Frequently asked questions

There are inconsistencies from one type of page to another. Which one do I follow?

Because the wiki has been put together by many people across the world, over a stretch of years, inconsistency is inevitable. Much commonsense advice is provided by Wikipedia. Feel free to bring some regularity to inconsistent pages, keeping in mind that the best format is the one that best serves scholars and students of classical antiquity.

A typical project page in this wiki may have a format along the lines of:

==Available==
* URL
==Author/Editor==
* NAME
==Description==
E.G.
Taken from the project website (Accessed 2016-01-14):
<blockquote>copied or exerpted text</blockquote>
OR REVIEW IN EDITOR'S OWN WORDS
[[category:projects]]
ONE OR MORE OTHER CATEGORIES

How do I add a new page to the list of projects or tools?

At the bottom of the page please add this text: [[category:tools]]

How do I add links?

MediaWiki has a full explanation of link nomenclature. This wiki tends to use mostly the following types of links (note the subtle but important differences in punctuation):

  • external pages, of the form [http://www.example.com link title] (editing tool shortcut: click the picture of the globe)
  • other wiki pages, of the form [[Link title]] (or, if necessary, but at the cost of some clarity [[Link title|alternate text]] ) (editing tool shortcut: click the Ab)
  • wiki categories, of the form [[:category:example|alternate text]] (no shortcut for this one; and make sure the first colon is included; without it the page is simply assigned to that category and no link will be supplied)

Can I add footnotes?

Unfortunately not at the moment. The current version of the wiki software does not support the <ref>note text</ref> markup needed for footnotes.

How do I include HTML or wiki markup in the text of an article?

If you write "<i>hello</i>" in the source code of a wiki article, the HTML tag "<i>" will be interpreted as markup for "italics" and won't show up (instead, the word "hello" will show up, in italics.

Likewise, if you write "[http://www.example.com link title]", a link will be visualized (not the brackets). But what if you want the code (including brackets etc.) to be visualized?

You have to wrap the code to be visualized with tag <nowiki>. A fast way to do this is highlighting the code and hitting the <img src="https://wiki.digitalclassicist.org/skins/common/images/button_nowiki.png" alt="Nowiki button"/> button.

Thus, the exmaples above should be encoded as follows:

  • <nowiki><i>hello</i></nowiki>
  • <nowiki>[http://www.example.com link title]</nowiki>

How do I find out which pages need my help?

Come along to one of the wiki editing sprints, which are held in the DigiClass IRC Channel once a month, and get ideas from other volunteers. See below for details on the sprints.

Tips

  • It is better to have information in an inconsistent style and format than no information at all.
  • If you see a way to bring some consistency to entries you visit, do so.
  • Avoid words and phrases that depend upon the time when you are writing, e.g., currently, at this time, now, so far. Rather, if a time needs to be signaled, use precise dates, e.g., as of 2012, since May 2008.
  • Don't forget to add categories to the web pages, as far as possible adopting the terms already in use.
  • Try to add a main link for information or content of the project at the top of the article, with the heading Available. It is convenient to include the link as visible text (i.e. with no square brackets) at the top of the document so the (often meaningful) domain etc. is visible.
  • Be selective about the links you add, focusing on those that will not be subject to link rot.
  • Make contributing to the Digitalclassicist wiki part of your routine. Why stop at sending an email or tweet about a new project or tool? The best way to perpetually announce that new discovery is by making it part of this wiki.

Wiki editing sprints

What, when, where?

On the first Tuesday of every month (but on the second Tuesday of January), at 16h UK time, interested members of the Digital Classicist community (at large) get together for an hour or two to work on improving the content of the Digital Classicist wiki.

How do I join?

If you'd like to join us, please:

Please do extend this invitation to any colleagues, students or other collaborators who may be interested.

I'm in a sprint. What do I do?

In addition to general editing and enhancement of project and tool pages, some of the organizing principles in a typical sprint include:

  • see if random pages we find need work (click on the Random page on the menu on the left of any wiki page);
  • look at the categories and see if we can rationalize/add to any of the categories in there (click on the Categories link on the left menu);
  • consult a GoogleDoc spreadsheet where we keep running notes of wiki pages that need work, requests and suggestions for new pages, etc. The spreadsheet link will be shared in the IRC channel during the sprint;
  • work through external lists of projects we might have lying around (such as the EAGLE 2016 Conference digital poster exhibition) and see if the projects listed there are in the wiki and up to date;
  • we plan to run themed sprints in the future (e.g. on geographical technologies in May 2016, archaeology, computational linguistics etc.).
  • help on how to edit wiki pages are at the top of this page and in the MediaWiki Help:Formatting cheatsheet

Future sprints

First Tuesday of every month, at 16:00–18:00 (UK time).

  • November 7, 2017
  • December 5, 2017
  • January 2, 2018
  • February 6, 2018
  • March 6, 2018
  • April 3, 2018
  • May 1, 2018
  • June 5, 2018
  • July 3, 2018
  • August 7, 2018
  • September 4, 2018
  • October 2, 2018
  • November 6, 2018
  • Dicember 4, 2018