GoodStyleSuggestions

Featured: Featured Stories | Picture Gallery

Drumming | The First Submarines

Chat11.com Web Bible11.com MyBibleCenter.com

The Wiki Way More About This Book

Additional writing habits have formed beyond those mentioned in GoodStyle . Here are some more suggestions, some of which are subsequently debate.

• At the top, establish a context: Tell the reader what the page is about.
• Tell important information first, go into details later. Think of the wiki page as newspaper article. Readers are impatient: they start at the top and read down. If they care enough about the page to edit it, they scroll to the bottom (because the EditPage?Create button is there).
• Link to other relevant wiki pages wherever possible. Links increase the value of the WikiWikiWeb?Create.
• Use categories for automatic indexing. See WikiCategories?Create.
• Unless you prefer anonymity, sign and date your comment. -- LarsAronsson?Create (18 May 2001)
• Readers love enumerated lists, (of 5 entries +/-2 i.e. 3-7 entries).

These probably deserve to be considered, pondered, cherished and grokked for a while before eventual inclusion in GoodStyle .

On the other hand ...

• See also PleasePleaseDontCategorizeEveryPageOnWiki?Create
• Anonymity and non-dated comments are preferred if we want to "Edit pages to emphasize the flow of ideas, not the chronology of contribution." Besides anonymity, not signing invites refactoring.
• Some readers don't love enumerated lists. Remember: use of a numbered list implies that either there is a chronological ordering, or you will refer back to it at some point in the following text. Otherwise, a bulleted list works just as well.

One should write with the goal of increasing his own understanding. Use written text to clarify one's thoughts, to ask questions of another, or to respond to questions.

Avoid use of "You." You is often used merely as a generic reference, but it is quite easy for a reader to interpret it as a personal reference. I tend to use "one," which although it sounds quaint, seems to come across as less accusatory.

Do not assume the motivations of another, do not even worry what the motivations may be. Assume the other person is also writing with the goal of increasing his understanding.

If someone makes a statement one disagrees with, ask questions to lead to personal understanding of the statement. Do not ask questions merely to try to "trap" another.

Do not try to have the last word in a discussion. Once one has reached his goal of increased understanding, walk away. Respond to serious questions by others who are trying to understand, but also allow others to disagree without comment.

One should not repeat one's self. Say something once. If there is disagreement, try to understand the view of the one disagreeing. This understanding of others will only lead to greater understanding of one's own beliefs.

Accept disagreement. No harm results from disagreement, and one should be able to walk away with a clearer understanding of his own beliefs. One is unlikely to change the beliefs of another, especially in the course of a few days. Changes in beliefs may occur, but will likely take months or years.

This page originally from http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?GoodStyleSuggestions

Bobsgear - Get A Free Enterrpise Wiki Space!
Review: The Bobsgear Project was started to develop a variety of Confluence plugins. This installation of the Confluence Enterprise wiki includes flexible attachments, many Confluence plugins, personal blogs, interesting articles, and more. Bobsgear already has spaces related to politics, art and photography wiki, technical issues wiki, ediscovery wiki, health, Christian theology and Sabbath School wiki, the bible, book reviews, and quotations. Bobsgear allows free signup, and invites anyone to create a free hosted Confluence wiki space.

NEW USERS CLICK HERE! for a quick introduction to Wiki.

Elapsed:0