A Simple Guide To Wikis

A wiki is an editable text-based website. But you don't need to understand any complex HTML, or anything like that to use a wiki. A wiki is really only a little bit more complex than a word-processor, but MUCH more powerful, because instead of only being 1 page, it can be lots of pages, all linked up together.

I'll show you how easy it is to use a wiki later, but first I'd like to tell you why wikis are so useful.

Wikis are useful, because they let you setup any data you want, in any way that you want. Rather than constrain you with a specific way of structuring things, you can link things together in any way that you want. This means you can set things up as simple, or as complex as you like.

Because they are so flexible, there are literally millions of uses for wikis. Some uses include:

• Keeping a daily journal
• Brainstorming
• Managing investment properties
• Implementing a GTD system (As described by David Allen)
• Research
• Running a business.

Some wikis also let multiple users share an edit the same data. An interesting example of this online is the Wiki Encyclopedia where a group of people are collaborating to make a free online encyclopedia.

Perhaps the best way to show how a wiki works is with an example. Let's say you have a page, called "HomePage" that says "Hello, this is my first wiki page."

We want to change it, by making the word "first" in bold.

Start by clicking the edit button. You will see the following: Hello, this is my first wiki page.

Using the keyboard, change the text to look like this: Hello, this is my *first* wiki page.

When you save the changes, you will see that the word first has become bolded. That's because any text surrounded by '*" becomes bold.

Now, we'd like to add a new page with a link. In HTML this can be quite complex, but in a wiki, it's really easy.

Click edit, and change the text to this: Hello, this is my *first* wiki page. And this is a link to my [second page]

When you save, you will see that the words "second page" have become a link. That's because any text surrounded by square brackets becomes a link.

To change "second page", just click on the link. If "second page" already existed, we would now see the contents of that page. But it doesn't exist yet, so the wiki makes a blank page called "second page" for us, and then shows us that page. We can change that page by clicking edit, like before.

Lets change "second page", to say this: And a link to a page about [oranges]

When we save, there will be a link to an "oranges" page. Click on the oranges link, and click edit to say: My favorite fruit.

We have now created three pages:

• The first page, called "HomePage"
• The second page, called "second page"
• The third page, called "oranges".

Lets add a link from the HomePage to the oranges page.

Go back to the HomePage, and click edit. You will see: Hello, this is my *first* wiki page. And this is a link to my [second page]

Now, lets add a third line, so the page becomes: Hello, this is my *first* wiki page. And this is a link to my [second page] And, don't forget the [oranges] page.

When we save, we now have a link to the oranges page from the HomePage. If we click on the "oranges" link, this time it doesn't take us to a blank page. That's because there is already a page called "oranges". It takes us to the existing "oranges" page that says "My favorite fruit."

See how simple it is! In no time at all, we have made 3 pages. It's really that simple, just use square brackets to create links!There is a lot more to wikis, but the fundamental concept is the link creation.

Dan Fletcher is a developer at dogMelon.

They make NoteStudio, an easy-to-use wiki-tool, being used on Palms, PC's, and Macs.

---

Brand Your Websites URL With a Favicon

Have you ever noticed that when you look at your... Read More

Screenplay and Script Writing Software

When it comes to screenplay software each screenwriter needs to... Read More

Internet Relay Chat - A Basic Introduction

What is IRC?IRC is Internet Relay Chat. It is a... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains GL: General Ledger ? Overview For Consultant

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is marketed for mid-size companies... Read More

C++ Tutorial 2, Input and Variables

This is the tutorial where we really get into programming.... Read More

Can You Calculate Complex Financial Calculations?

Are you a whiz at calculating financial information? Not the... Read More

Why Stick With Email Clients Like Outlook?

Trying to figure out a stream in banning one email... Read More

Quick Summary of Basic and Common Linux Commands

There are many commands that are used in linux on... Read More

7 Things to Consider Before Buying Small Business Accounting Software

The world of small business accounting software can be a... Read More

Microsoft CRM Lotus Notes Domino Connector FAQ

Microsoft Business Solutions CRM and IBM Lotus Notes Domino, being... Read More

XML Parser and Their Types

XML parser is a software module to read documents and... Read More

Software Automation Helps Increase your Bottom Line

When you own a small business, time is money. And... Read More

Story Development Software: Good or Evil?

In the early days of the personal computer, we're talking... Read More

OEComplete ? A Personal Information Manager

OEComplete is a utility for managing the personal information of... Read More

Great Plains Dexterity Customization Options ? Overview For Developers

Looks like Microsoft Great Plains becomes more and more popular,... Read More

Daffodil DB: Web Database

What is a Web Database?A web database is a database... Read More

Document Templates Give You The Perfect Framework For Your Documents

When it comes to running an office, the SOHO entrepreneur... Read More

The Tools and Features of Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is one of the world's leading graphics editing... Read More

What is Fleet Maintenance Software?

Simply put, fleet maintenance allows companies to monitor and maintain... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains: carpet, textile, fabric, felt distributor ? implementation overview

In this small article we will show you the possible... Read More

Call Alert Notifications - Free Answering Machine Software for PCs

If you're online using a dialup Internet connection, you'll probably... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains Dynamics on Pervasive SQL.2000 Data Repair ? Overview For DBAs

Some introduction into Great Plains Software products, now Microsoft Business... Read More

HSphere Control Panel Tips and Tricks - Power At Your Fingertips: Part 1

The first topic we are going to discuss... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains in Metal Distribution: Implementation & Customization ? Consultant Overview

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains serves to the wide spectrum... Read More

Dreamweaver vs FrontPage

There are two major WYSIWYG(What You See Is What You... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains Logistics & Warehouse Management ? Implementation & Customization Highlights

Logistics automation is often considered as barcoding extension to Sales... Read More

Rapid Application Development - Is it Really a Need of Today?

Rapid Application Development (RAD) is a software development methodology. In... Read More

Free Software for Newbies and Web Developers

Here is some free software tools to help you build... Read More

Fleet Maintenance Software Reviews

Innovative Maintenance Systems (IMS) is one company that offers solutions... Read More

10 Things You Can Do With Photoshop CS2 That You Couldnt Do Before Now

Is Photoshop CS2 worth the upgrade? You bet it is!... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains Integration Manager ? Advanced Techniques

Great Plains Integration Manager scripting and translation - overview for... Read More

Unofficial Windows 98 SE Service Pack 2.0 RC2

Microsoft has never released a service pack for Windows98 SE,... Read More

20 Extra Hours Per Week: What Would You Do?

While I was in college, if you would have asked... Read More